Time to protest?

[Ixion]

Harold headline

Protest fails tro bring chaos

So , what then was the point of it ?

A protest that FAILS to bring chaos is hardly going to frighten the Sheeple.

However, any direct action of the people, even if ineffectual in itself , is good. It encourages others, who may be more effective. And makes the Sheeple nervous.

[ynot slow]

The tax on fuel has hit $1 per litre,add that to RUC,Rego and we should have bloody 3 lane safety barrier highways from top to bottom.Instead we have a half billion $$$ settlement to the iwi,anyone think the royals should fork out for this not us?Then our roads might improve.

Last month I grabbed 10000km for our work truck rated to 5 tonne sticker,cost $380 or so,doesn't sound much compared to 45 tonne,but even vans struggle to get under 2 tonne,these are more prevailent now.Heaven help us if the clowns in power,realise raise the lower tare sticker RUC(2-4tonne),and decrease the 45 tonne plus RUC might be better option and no one would bat an eye,common sense would say more light vehicle diesels are now running around,due to slightly lower fuel costs.

[idleidolidyll]

Only if there is an understanding of the system and the people in it.

Most people are morons - there needs to be a voting license and a test to get it

oh sure, and don't tell me.........YOUR buddies would get to choose the questions and who passes?

[Flatcap]

oh sure, and don't tell me.........YOUR buddies would get to choose the questions and who passes?

Perhaps choose the questions - and yes, there would be pass/fail, not "credit for participation"

[oldrider]

In spite of all this action/reaction and expressed dissatisfaction with Cullen Clark and co, the media will do their act and the sheeple will follow.

Labour will return to office at this years election!

I would love to be proved wrong but this "is" socialist New Zealand! John.

[Hitcher]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

Perhaps the operators weren't given enough warning. If they had they would have only roared out and bought a gazillion km of road user charges at the old price -- the same people who are moaning about the costs going up.

New Zealand is infrastructure poor, thanks to government neglect over many years. We need better roads and we have to be prepared to pay for these. Yes, that will hit all of us in the pockets as road user charges are passed on to the freight that gets carried by road. We could pay for it through our general taxes, but that would only continue the inequities that currently see road transport operators being subsidised.

Good publicity? Yes. Genuine cause? No.

[CB ARGH]

Fuck the price increases. That's all I've got to say.

GO THE TRUCKIES...

Talked to a truckie last night and it costs him/the business $0.70 a kilometer to drive his/businesses truck, I think it was a 24 tonne.

It's absolutely mental.

Pak'n Save... sold batteries for $0.99 about 3 months ago, now the same batteries are $2.69 today. Sizzlers went up $0.70 overnight. God, it's not like we're running out of fucking cows!

BTW I work at Pak'n Save and if the boss is reading this, you do a lovely job and I love you.

[PirateJafa]

Good luck to them I say... but it's a rare occasion when the "might is right" approach gets my favour. They want to make a point so they block traffic around the CBD costing employers and shops downtown a fortune... it's hurting those that have nothing to do with it. It's like me punching random passers by on the street in protest to my rates bill being too high.

Speaking as someone who works pretty much on Queen Street - I didn't see any less people in the CBD than normal - if anything, more people were out there sipping coffees and having a look!

[toebug]

Go the truckies!!

[jafar]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

Perhaps the operators weren't given enough warning. If they had they would have only roared out and bought a gazillion km of road user charges at the old price -- the same people who are moaning about the costs going up.

New Zealand is infrastructure poor, thanks to government neglect over many years. We need better roads and we have to be prepared to pay for these. Yes, that will hit all of us in the pockets as road user charges are passed on to the freight that gets carried by road. We could pay for it through our general taxes, but that would only continue the inequities that currently see road transport operators being subsidised.

Good publicity? Yes. Genuine cause? No.

Would appear that your in a small minority there Mr Hitcher

[oldrider]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

Well taxpayers heavily subsidised the NZR before they sold it, even though nobody really wanted to use it, legislation made sure that they did.

Now we are back paying for an expensive out of date run down railway and the government will legislate to force the taxpayer to use it again.

Extra cost through, delays, extra handling, extra breakages, extra pilfering, extra unnecessary staffing levels, etc etc, the list goes on forever!

They will spend millions upgrading it and in the end it will still be too small to be any real use as a transport system. (3ft 6inches is just a toy railway)

They should have used the money on the roads where it belongs but no, taxpayers will subsidise both road and railway again. John.

[_Shrek_]

Absolutely against it. Truckies have had it too easy for too long. It's about time that heavy vehicles contributed towards the cost of road upkeep and redevelopment in a commensurate manner. Why should taxpayers subsidise transport operators?

People complain about too many trucks on the road and the damage they do, yet are keen to throw their support behind protests like this. I don't get it.

this is one time i don't agree with you Hitcher
a study was done a few years ago on what happened to the RUC that was collected & it was found that only 23% was put back into the roads the rest went into the consolidated funds thats why we have shitty roads

we got a notice today saying that our insurance is going up because the GOVT has put the fire levi up & we have to cover it :BS: every thing else will go up because its the end user that has to pay ie: us

Ps: GO THE TRUCKIES

[Hitcher]

(3ft 6inches is just a toy railway)

The Japanese run bullet trains on 3' 6". The gauge isn't the issue.

[oldrider]

The Japanese run bullet trains on 3' 6". The gauge isn't the issue.

Bullet trains don't carry heavy freight and that is what NZ expects to get off the roads, not people carriers!

This government have got it all wrong, as usual.(IMHO)

They despise big business but will promote big government at any price! John.

[jafar]

Bullet trains don't carry heavy freight and that is what NZ expects to get off the roads, not people carriers!

This government have got it all wrong, as usual.(IMHO)

They despise big business but will promote big government at any price! John.

The Gibberment buying the Rail & putting the cost of it's competition up on the same day doesn't strike anyone else as dodgy then