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Post by epicyclicgearbox on Apr 7, 2007 0:46:49 GMT
I was just strolling through Mr T Blairs petitions website, and came across this: petitions.pm.gov.uk/modeleng/Well worth signing. Not that anyone at No 10 will take any notice. Best Regards epicyclic gearbox
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jackrae
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,333
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Post by jackrae on Apr 7, 2007 6:07:45 GMT
You're right - they won't jack
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Myford Matt
Statesman
There are two ways to run a railway, the Great Western way, and the wrong way.
Posts: 621
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Post by Myford Matt on Apr 7, 2007 9:07:55 GMT
I'm not aware of any diktats from the EU regarding ME and I have never been accused of being unenvironmental. Why do people who are convinced their rights are being eroded always use the term 'not politically correct'? - it's meaningless.
I used to work on the journal for one of the medical Royal Colleges. They had got very upset about cuts, lack of training, threats to babies' lives, all in all quite serious stuff. They got a huge petition together, marched round parliament square and delivered this substantial petition to 10 Downing Street. It was quite a big deal, BBC were there, got into all the papers... I asked one of the policemen at the door how often this happened. About five times came the answer. What, per year? I asked. No, per day came the answer. That was about seven years ago, so I imagine these web-based petitions have easily doubled that. They ignore them because wading through thousands of petitions, verifying names, weighing up the pros and cons would take forever. Most of them - like this one - are so trivial, they probably won't even get a junior policy wonk in the ministry of administrative affairs to even draft a response beyond ‘we take this very seriously and will blah blah blah…’.
Come on guys and gals, get real. No one's even coming close to thinking about stopping us from doing ME; we don't need any help. The only legislation that affects us is H&S/boilers, which we all agree is essential.
I assume that since the authors refer to ‘meddling’ this is yet another metrication moan. I wrote to the DTI about metrication - they said ‘don't worry, you're hobby’s not affected’. Could go into details, but what’s the point? I’ve don it several times already and the cynics and conspiricists just say it's an evil Brussels lie. Well, we could debate that forever, but can't we please drop it. It makes us look old-fashioned and more than a bit nuts.
The surest way to kill off ME is not to whinge about an imaginary threat to Whitworth taps, but to fail to attract a new generation of modellers, most of whom seem to be much more interested in X-boxes. Banging on about non-existent threats will not encourage youngsters, they'll just think we do difficult things with unbelievably complicated measurement systems and ignore us.
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Post by Laurie_B on Apr 7, 2007 10:53:08 GMT
Maybe the creator of this petition should be asked as to what exactly is the threat to model engineering from EU/Brussells/10 Downing Street,or the Stoke Poges Ladies' Hockey Team for that matter! There are,I should have thought,much more important problems for politicians to be thinking about.I should have thought one aircraft jet engine was of more concern to the environment that a thousand model steam locos? Model engineering politically incorrect?Since when? Unsafe?There are HSE guidlines on operating miniature railways (such as model engineering societies giving rides to the public/Santa Specials/birthday parties etc),and as Myford Matt points out,regulations to cover boiler safety,something that is not new. I rather think this petition is more of a Robert Kilroy Silk inspired piece of 'anti-EU' nonsense. As engineers-let's have the full facts about this 'threat' .
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Post by Boadicea on Apr 7, 2007 16:12:49 GMT
Mmm! Well the petition is that vague that it is easily said "yes" to and mean nothing. Petitions are a waste of time (thrown aside like used contraceptives and trampled underfoot). Let the politicians concentrate on the main things I want... - Proper law and order restored with realistic, relevant punishments for offenders. Let the people be able to walk the streets without fear of attack. If there is not enough jails - build more with the money normally used to subsidise the House of Commons and Lords restaurants plus expense accounts.
- A decent NHS
- Good education for all, with a bias towards science and engineering - the cash needed for this should be taken from that presently wasted on the arts.
I have left out global warming since it is probably not man-made but a natural phenomenon, clutched as manner from heaven by politicians as an excuse for an infinite number of reasons for stealth taxes. Thankfully, our hobby allows to get away from politicians and do-gooders altogether if we want to. Regards, Bo.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2007 16:52:57 GMT
Looking at the petitions site I see there are 6900 other petitions all awaiting Mr Blair's attention. It would appear you can start a petition for just about anything, I'm sure there is probably one on there to abolish just about everthing. I think I'll start one to have those widget things abolished from cans of beer. Darned things always seem to send half the can's contents spraying everywhere except in the glass. ;D
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Tony K
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,573
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Post by Tony K on Apr 8, 2007 8:34:23 GMT
I reckon it will soon be time to move this to "Let it Roll".
However, I find it irresistible and have to make some comment.
I think it unlikely that Mr. BLIAR is concentrating on this sort of thing at the moment - more likely has his eye on the lucrative USA speaker circuit and the excitement, hype and ra-ra that goes with it. However, children get tired of toys very quickly and they will probably cast him and his spouse aside very soon, like Bo's delectable term! As for his successor, if it is the Gordon Highlander he will be uninterested unless it has opportunities for stealth tax, although we do have quite a following who are pensioners and there may be the opportunity to damage them further.
Regards, Tony.
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Post by steammadman on Apr 8, 2007 14:44:30 GMT
Come on guys ,this is NOT apolitical forum,or , platform . Keep this forum for model engineering as was intended, after all don't you think Mr Blair and co waste enough of our time and money, without us encouraging him.
KEEP IT MODEL ENGINEERING ONLY
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