 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Biggest problem is government incompetance when it comes to spending money, every major construction project funded by teh government (National or Local) that I can think of usually comes in late and often significantly over budget, private industry would not pay for unfinished projects, indeed big private projects often have penalty clauses for late delivery but it is very very rare for any government project to include such things, so teh tax payer gets ripped off, projects arrive late, over budget or on occasion not even fit for purpose.
Take for example the Scottish parliament building that arrived 3 years late and an astonishing 1050% more expensive than the highest initial quote, putting it another way a typical Advanced hospital costs arround £3,500 per square meter to build the Parliament cost an astonishing £13,000 plus per square meter, with this sort of incompetance is it any wonder that we get stupidly high figures quoted for construction and repair jobs.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| PJSki wrote: |
| Don't be even more stupid. |
Do we often go around accusing those who disagree with our opinions of being "stupid"?
Personally I'd suggest the cap fits better those who manifestly don't have a clue what they're talking about, it has been ably demonstrated by others on this thread how any suggestion the Highlands are a well off 'middle-class' area is complete nonsense, and then fail to acknowledge the points made and insist on carrying on spouting the same tired ideological nonsense from on far.
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| Anyway, these highland communities have enough intelligence and access to enough private funding to stand on their own two feet, in my opinion. |
And being completely ignorant of any facts pertaining to this matter you'll be unaware of the costs to the public purse such a policy would entail! 
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| brian wrote: |
I thought we were supposed to be the chippy ones? 
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I was caught a bit off balance there Brian. A Scotsman in my local let me know what he thought of his taxes being used for bailing out the London banks, a couple of weeks ago. I let him have both barrels. Don't anyone here even think about mentioning tuition fees, care for the elderly or prescription charges  |
Is mention of oil banned too? 
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| Personally I don't think the railway should be dismantled, to do so would be throwing away the money that has already been spent. |
I agree but the whole thing has been woefully and quite scandalously mismanaged by HIE IMHO.
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| But some way of minimising the future funding requirement must be found. There are clear financial gains for the ski resort and for the local economy as a whole. We have read, here, what a benefit to the local community the railway is and how it has brought £m into the local economy. Therefore either the price of the train tickets reflects what it costs to run the train or the benefactors of the train tourism subsidise the shortfall. |
Car park charges will be the first sign that this is happening, and would have happened already if there weren't so much snow 
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| The British tax payer, having paid his £26m, cannot be expected to fund this railway ad infinitum, for the benefit of a few businesses in an area of reasonable prosperity. A local funding solution must now be found. |
Which is hopefully what in reality will come about because the damned train and the 'diversification' policies promoted by HIE and their expensive consultants have bankrupted the company (who it has to be said went along with it all willingly) and shrunk the numbers skiing on the mountain, many choosing to go elsewhere in the last few years as snowsports infrastructure was contracted and some left to rot (e.g. Ciste side chairs) whilst the emphasis was put on the train and summer tourists.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| The British tax payer, having paid his £26m, cannot be expected to fund this railway ad infinitum, for the benefit of a few businesses in an area of reasonable prosperity. A local funding solution must now be found. |
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the Scottish Government’s economic and community development agency for a diverse region which covers more than half of Scotland.
Note the word 'Scottish' here - its the 'Scottish' taxpayer that pays for this.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| roga wrote: |
| PJSki wrote: |
| Don't be even more stupid. |
Do we often go around accusing those who disagree with our opinions of being "stupid"?
Personally I'd suggest the cap fits better those who manifestly don't have a clue what they're talking about, it has been ably demonstrated by others on this thread how any suggestion the Highlands are a well off 'middle-class' area is complete nonsense, and then fail to acknowledge the points made and insist on carrying on spouting the same tired ideological nonsense from on far.
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| Anyway, these highland communities have enough intelligence and access to enough private funding to stand on their own two feet, in my opinion. |
And being completely ignorant of any facts pertaining to this matter you'll be unaware of the costs to the public purse such a policy would entail! |
These areas are predominantly middle-class and well off. I've been up there enough to know this.
What was stupid, was you banging on about my skiing habits and then the banking bailout.
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| ropetow wrote: |
Note the word 'Scottish' here - its the 'Scottish' taxpayer that pays for this. |
I wasn't aware that the Scottish parliament was now raising it's own taxes. The English tax payers', saddled with the Barnet Formula, will be pleased.
roga I understand that Scotland has recently finished redrawing the map of it's territorial waters, so they now include The Falklands 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Would now be a bad time to mention that banking and finance is Scotland's biggest employer?
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bar shaker, naughty boy. Wash your mouth out at once.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| PJSki wrote: |
| These areas are predominantly middle-class and well off. I've been up there enough to know this. |
Ah right, so a visit here and a visit there gives you a better insight than anyone on the ground or any of the various studies on the matter ... such belief in your own ability to know better than anyone else ... there's a word for that! I'm sure such total self belief and your manifest ability to discount facts is sometimes useful in business but on a forum you'll just get shot down in flames by people who actually know what they're talking about not that this seems to bother you such is your level of ... 'self-belief'!
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| What was stupid, was you banging on about my skiing habits and then the banking bailout. |
No, to be honest what was really stupid was your referring to the banking bailout as "quantitative easing" (check your post above lol) which is most definitely wrong, although I'm sure you'll find a way to convince, at least yourself, that it was the correct word to use. As I've said, not a great idea to make great sweeping statements on things that either don't concern you or that you know little/nothing about ... especially when there are people around who actually know what they're talking about!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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erm the NHS is Scotlands biggest employer. And Englands and Wales and N'Ireland.
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You know it makes sense.
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As for the Barnett formula.......well there is other variation
Although not subject to Barnett, there are significant variations in identifiable spending between the regions of England:
* North East £8,177 - 111% of UK average identifiable expenditure
* North West £7,798 - 106%
* Yorkshire and Humberside £7,188 - 98%
* East Midlands £6,491 - 88%
* West Midlands £7,065 - 96%
* Eastern £6,144 - 83%
* London £8,404 - 114%
* South East £6,304 - 86%
* South West £6,677 - 91%
Why does London get more per head than the east midlands? And only £200 short of Scotland. And I dont see any oil rigs in the thames. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| glasgowcyclops wrote: |
| ....Why does London get more per head than the east midlands? |
Because we are unworthy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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and no point in throwing good money after bad...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stoatsbrother, as yer say yer honour, if I may 'umbly say so.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
Would now be a bad time to mention that banking and finance is Scotland's biggest employer
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Nope I think that is Cash Converters 
Flame retardent Nomex suit being donned right now
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| ropetow wrote: |
Note the word 'Scottish' here - its the 'Scottish' taxpayer that pays for this. |
I wasn't aware that the Scottish parliament was now raising it's own taxes. The English tax payers', saddled with the Barnet Formula, will be pleased.
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HIE's budget is what it is, so whether it spent it on CML or on a marshmallow factory on St Kilda doesn't impact the cost of that budget on the taxpayer.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| and no point in throwing good money after bad... |
You could not viably maintain snowsports on CairnGorm Mountain without the Funicular unless you replaced the Carpark and White Lady Chairlifts, the cost of doing so would cover CML's biggest losses for the last few years for the next 50years and to remove all infrastructure on the mountain would cost the equivalent of funding CML's greatest ever loss every year for another 50years, or the most recent loss for 500years.
When time travel is invented I look forward to sharing a ride with you on the Cas T-bar in 2462 to celebrate it's quincentenary!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Winterhighland wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
| ropetow wrote: |
Note the word 'Scottish' here - its the 'Scottish' taxpayer that pays for this. |
I wasn't aware that the Scottish parliament was now raising it's own taxes. The English tax payers', saddled with the Barnet Formula, will be pleased.
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HIE's budget is what it is, so whether it spent it on CML or on a marshmallow factory on St Kilda doesn't impact the cost of that budget on the taxpayer. |
I would propose that if the taxes that fund the HIE were out of Scottish pockets, it's spending may be much more closely scrutinised.
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