1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190 
:entro process is mt democratic
Page 28
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
o NOW WE have it,evidence at democratic opinion is not /orth ajot when it comes to Centro the West Midlands Passenger ransport Executive and its eadlong pursuit of driving us off le roads in the West Midlands, /bile taxingthose that can afford le least proportionally the most Our rulers conclude that a /hopping vote by 46 members of ic public,100 so-called ;takeholders' (no doubt icluding one or two quangos), nd 29'organisations" is their reen light to proceed with ongestion charging.
This is the same tactic that entro used to give itself the gohead for its Local Transport Plan the plan that many business folk 2C1 is responsible for much of the ongestion that we have today. The consultation process for arnething so important received 2wer than 200 responses, and yet ley conclude that the way ahead ; clear.
I attended Centro's Dudley onsultation meeting, and there fere only 10 business folk resent. I brought along one of le most prominent businessmen 1 the area as not even he knew of le meeting. Afterwards I called 0 other prominent business eople, and none knew of the -teeting.This is democracy as A..• 'ntro sees it.
Evidently afraid of the real esponse, it hides behind poorly publicised public meetings, then quotes that over 50% are in favour— after managing less than 120 votes in total for the whole of the West Midlands.
That good man Peter Roberts, describing himself as "an ordinary chap from Telford", managed to get a staggering 1.8 million votes against congestion charging with his petition — while Centro concludes that fewer than 200 responses in total is good enough to go forward with its plans.
We are a bunch of fools in this region to stand for this sort of 'democracy' yet again.
Name supplied Bye-mall