trowie246
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Everything posted by trowie246
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That has to be one of the most stupid things I hear people say. I DO live with it, every single day of my life. I resent the fact that people think it is okay to restrict the service even further - Would you be happy if they reduced the ferry service to Aberdeen? Oh yes and according to everyone we have CHOSEN to live here and we should just ignore the fact that my husband was born and bred here and runs his own business which employs 14 people.
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^^^ This sort of response makes my blood boil. The ferry service IS OUR ROAD. When I leave the isle for any reason at all I have to clock watch. I have to plan my journey from beginning to end, making sure that I can get out and back in to the isle at a suitable time for me and so I am not having to wait too long at a ferry terminal if I miss a ferry etc etc. Oh the luxury of being able to jump in a car and go to Lerwick and be there and back and not even have to think about it.
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All my family and friends think the Shetlink forum is the biggest load of poop ever. I'm the only one who likes it. I think it's so great it should be made into a soap. I love all the regular posters, they stir up so many emotions with their many, many posts on just about every subject you might care to think about. It can be very thought provoking. Or sometimes just provoking.
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I don't see why the interconnector cable is necessarily a good thing as potentially Shetland could be left a lot worse off since there won't be a new power station built in Lerwick if the interconnector cable is built. I realise Shetland is relatively speaking a windy place but there are days where there is little or no wind. On these days we will be relying on power being transported back up the cable from mainland Scotland. All very good and well as long as there is no problem with the cable. If there is we could be back to the days of tilly lamps and gas stoves. Or maybe the power station at Sullom Voe will supply all our needs? Does anyone know? I think we should be concentrating on making Shetland more self-sufficient without having to worry about keeping the lights on in Glasgow. Yes, we'd still need our power station but at least we wouldn't have to worry about a break in the cable. We already have 5 wind turbines which contributes to Shetlands power, how many more Burradale size wind farms would be needed for all Shetlands electricity needs? Maybe some clever clogs could work it out. It would be more in keeping with the scale of the isles and I don't think you would have the same opposition as to the VE project. What happened to the NINES project? As I see it there are two main problems with renewables - the storage (or rather lack of storage) of power produced and the fact that there is absolutely nothing as of yet that can replace adequately the reliability of fossil fuels.
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This is the problem I have with people who are pro VE - paulb you are talking like everything is guaranteed, nothing is guaranteed. This is a complete gamble which could leave Shetland bankrupted as much as make any money at all. VE thought they were going to get the interconnector charges reduced considerably - that has not happened.
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I think Bill Manson should explain the figures to Aaron Priest because if the VE figures had been based on even higher charges than what may end up being charged why did Aaron not just say that on Radio Shetland? When Mike Grunden asked him if this latest development meant that VE would no longer be viable Aaron didn't gave a straight answer and instead muttered something about the Government possibly capping the charge or even increasing the ROCS payments.
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I would imagine that the vast majority of children are travelling in a car so that's £10.00 already for car and driver. If you start charging half price for children that would be an extra £2.15 per child so for me and my husband and 3 bairns to get off the isle and back would be £20.75. I'm not 100% sure but I think when they stopped charging between Unst, Yell and Fetlar they were able to get rid of a ticket collector, so if you start charging again you would need to take into account another salary. I think hiking up the charges is a false economy, people who can't afford it but who want/have to stay in the isles will use the ferries less frequently or look more closely at car sharing or taking the bus. Young people will be less inclined to stay so you may be looking at depopulation or it will become more like Orkney where people have 2 cars - an old banger on the isle then travel across as foot passenger to their second car which is kept on the mainland.
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I have been guilty of comparing Shetland to Orkney in the past as well but the more I think about it the more I realise it really should stop. Shetland is completely different to Orkney. To begin with it is different geographically, mainland Orkney is more or less round in shape and Shetland is long and narrow- hence the reason why we have/need so many more schools than Orkney. I think when you say Orkney "survive" this probably sums it up pretty well, they don't have all the "extras" and frills that Shetland has. They have a basic inter island ferry service which is hugely expensive to travel on and the OIC workers get less pay than their SIC counterparts. Shetland has created a monster it can no longer afford to feed. I was surprised and shocked to discover that OIC get less money from the Government to run it's services than Shetland. There has been a huge mis-management of Shetland's money and now the pot is drying up there is a air of desperation and perhaps not the best decisions will be made because of the growing panic. As far as school closures go I just think we should be careful that we're not throwing the baby out with the bath water.
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I listened to radio Shetland tonight and it didn't sound like that to me - Aaron Priest didn't give a straight answer to Mike Grunden's questions but it very much sounded to me like VE were going to have to go away and do their sums again - infact that is the exact words Mike Grundon used in his report. Which begs the question - what figure did they base the interconnector charges on?
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All 5 candidates for the Nort isles were asked at the hustings in Mid Yell if they would support the VE project. The only one who said he would not support it as it stands was Alan Skinner who then went on to say on the Shetland Times website that he would support it if the Charitable Trust reduced their percentage in the project. It was pretty obvious though that anyone standing for the Nort isles would feel fairly confident in supporting the project without risking votes because it ain't being built in our back-yard. Even though Steven Coutts apparantly lives within 2km of the wind farm and supports it (he is a member of the Green party) it was interesting to hear his wife on the election live programme saying that they are considering moving back to Yell! I can't help but wonder how much the "not in my back-yard" comes into play there as well.
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I lik da smell o paets burnin but whin you git reekit it dusna half stink! All power to da "odd ones" who are not blinded by £££'s!
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Instrumental Music Instruction in Schools - Cuts?
trowie246 replied to wastafirth 01's topic in Shetland News
^^^ it has already been passed by councillors to increase the charge by 50% to £210 per year. Your not taking into account that a school year is not 52 weeks per year - the bairns don't get lessons every week of the year. -
^^^ Does that sound like a company concerned that SSE will continue the project without them?
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The Shetland News report is suggesting that the meeting is still going ahead but how can it if the vice-chair has resigned and the chair, Bill Manson, as a director of VE can't chair the meeting?
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I wonder who the 7 trustees are who have requested the special meeting?
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Instrumental Music Instruction in Schools - Cuts?
trowie246 replied to wastafirth 01's topic in Shetland News
I agree that the savings made won't be huge but the SIC have agreed to go down the slash and burn route with cuts and they are scraping around looking at anywhere that they might be able to save a pound or two, to hell with the consequences. I do wonder, does the SIC have to pay for music tuition? Could the Shetland Arts fund it? I know that they are largely funded by the Charitable Trust and maybe if VE gets going they'll be strapped for cash too, but maybe we need a bit more joined up thinking, what with Mareel now opening? -
Just read on the VE website, mythbuster's, they won't be allowing public access with vehicles, its foot or bike only. They seem to be going along the lines of the Whitelee wind farm near Glasgow, there will be a car park and visitors centre.
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Under Viking Details: £20 million estimated income to Shetland Charitable Trust each year. £5 million estimated rental income to local crofter and landowners each year. £1.8 million estimated community benefit. £30 million estimated total direct income for Shetland each year.
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Can anyone explain the VE advert on page 22 of the Shetland Times? It makes it sound as if there is £30 million estimated income ON TOP of the £20 million to the Charitable Trust. Have I missed something?
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This is from FAQ's on SIC website. Question: " Viking Energy will make us plently of money to replenish the Reserves; you should get on with that project" Answer: " Any income generated from the Viking Energy project will be for Shetland Charitable Trust which owns the investment. Shetland Charitable Trust cannot give that money to the council to pay for local government services." Okay, fair enough, I know that the Shetland Charitable Trust supports many worth while projects in Shetland but I still think alot of the general public are confused about what any income could or could not be spent on - myself included. I read somewhere that this project doesn't have shares as such, only voting rights. If the Shetland bit is 50% and the SSE bit is 50% then how can SSE go on without Shetland??? Surely it is a stale-mate situation? I would also like to find out how many turbines are on the Busta Estate. In theory that money should be guaranteed and go directly to the SIC. There has been much talk about the SCT selling out in the future but presumbly the other partners, including SSE, could do the same thing?
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ach, we'll be rich so whit will it mater?
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Wow, that's even more than was reported in the Shetland Times. I thought it was £30 million with £10 million of that for jobs/economy, £20 million to Charitable Trust? Even that would be great but when I have the prospective councillor for the North Ward ( who has an impressive background in investment banking, specialising in Charities) telling me that the VE figures do not add up I have serious concerns.
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So we're p*ssing in the wind then. But hey ho, they'll never be able to say we didn't try. That's going to make all the difference.
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I think negotiations may have taken place already and a deal is in place. You want to base our future on possible deals with Scottish and Southern who at owning 50% of the company are the majority shareholder and the Government?
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So we're not getting any dosh from Total then?