Mattie Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 £111million for a tunnel to Whalsay proposed by our councillors...Are they serious? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAStewart Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 Of course. If you give people money to spend which is not theirs (taxes, in this case) the will spend it on what they want with no guilt and no reason. Why? Because they can get more easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 Of course the council is serious in considering a fixed link to Whalsay at the same time as they are discussing a replacement ferry terminal. Not to do so would be irresponsible as a fixed link may offer considerable long term savings over the ferry service as well as allowing the Whalsay folk freedom to travel whenever they want to rather than being tied to the ferry service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holmes Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 It will be a while away yet though. They have to blow several million £ on feasibility study's and other options like helicopters and submarines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 Presumably if the new mainland side ferry terminal was at Bonnidale, as has been mentioned, cutting the sailing distance to less than half the current one, then you could run a shuttle service of smaller ferries with smaller terminals and carparks at a cost far below a tunnel....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 do you think this thread will turn into a "Have your say - SIC website" thread? aka Bressay tunnel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAStewart Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 My dad will probably kill me when he inevitably reads this, being that he is from Whalsay, but I'll say it anyway. Shouldn't someone expect to pay more (IE for ferry fares, goods or whatever) because they are living on an island? If there are any changes which will cost the local taxpayer more, why should the majority foot the bill for the minority? Suppose someone from Lerwick never ever goes to Whalsay on the new ferries/in a tunnel - should they really have to pay for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudias Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 ^ ^ ^ The UK government have been saying this for many years. Why should the people of England provide massive subsidies to have people living in Shetland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAStewart Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Exactly, why should they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosn Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 has anybody asked the Whalsa folk if they want a tunnel? There seems to be more desire for a decent harbour which i think they should automatically get , especially as the fishermen have bloody well earned it and done the bulk of the homework on it. If it was a well managed country like our oil rich neighbours, there would be no question of the people having infrastructure, and giving them a say in what thier needs are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudias Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 ^ ^ ^Because that is the way the world works. I have paid taxes towards education for half a century despite never having had children. I paid taxes for the NHS from the day it was formed until I was 65 and never needed hospitalisation. I pay road taxes which provide motorways for people on the mainland but have to make do with single track B-roads. I could go on all day.I also have to obey the rules of a Labour government and the peculiarities of a Liberal MSP although I voted for none of them,neither did the majority of people. Put that in your wiki. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAStewart Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 The majority who DID vote DID vote for Tavish: http://shetlopedia.com/2007_Scottish_Parliament_Election_Results 66.7% - a two-thirds majority, which is not an easy thing to get. People who were too apathetic to vote can have little to complain aboot. Because that is the way the world worksMaybe, but it doesn't have to. Should we take that approach with everything? Don't get me wrong, I love Shetland and wouldn't want the govt to stop giving us money (cause I'm biased..) but you do have to ask these important questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirvaluk Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Fixed links to all the islands will end up being a lot cheaper than ferries and ramps etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Depends how you do the calculations - Edinburgh pays about 90% of ferry running costs for now, but wouldn't pay anything towards capital investments......... Shetland News article says that they've looked at costs over 60 years, and ferries come out cheaper..... Of course, how certain you are on what ferry fuel will cost in 2070...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosn Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 by 2070 the scottish will have the taxes so high on everything that the folk left here will no be able to afford the ferries, they have form for that here. Just to stir it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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