This story has one or two choice quotes, like this one from Trevor Phillips, chairman of the UK race watchdog.

the absence of minorities from the countryside was a form of “passive apartheid”

They don’t go to the countryside because they elect not to. There is nothing stopping them from going, just as there is nothing stopping white’s from going to the countryside. So yet again, the political correctness which we seem to hold so dear is being used as an excuse to spend £1mil on a project to try and tackle racism which doesn’t actually exist.

What about building bridges with deprived areas? With inner city areas? Places where the kids may never have been out of the city boundaries? But of course, that would not do because they are likely to be part of the majority white population of this country, who clearly count for nothing… who clearly don’t deserve to visit the country side because they are not part of a minority who are clearly kept out of the countryside by some invisible force of evil.

WHAT A CROCK!!!

National parks are currently endeavouring to comply with the Race Relations Amendment Act which came into force in April 2000.

It placed a duty on local authorities and other service providers – which includes the national parks – to ensure discrimination did not take place in their service delivery.

What??? How can the Brecon Beacons be racist??? How can the Yorkshire Dales not comply with this legislation? We are talking about areas of countryside… forests, hills, mountains, streams, footpaths… do the tree’s spring forth and harrass members of minority populations? do the insects swarm endlessly around people with darker skin? Lets get real.

We are talking about choice. An individuals choice to goto the countryside or not. Some people like the countryside… some people do not. Some people feel the need to visit areas of outstanding natural beauty… some people do not.

How can this continue? The more special treatment is doled out, the more anger and resentment is likely to be generated amongst people who may be in greater need of help, but who, because they aren’t black, get squat! And of course, let us not forget the likes of the BNP… they must love stupid spending decisions like this because they can use it to highlight how unfairly the majority population is treated in comparison to the minorities… I used to think they were just plain racist… nowadays though I find myself starting to think that maybe a good dose of the BNP would do wonders for this country… maybe Enoch Powell had a point all those years ago.

You’re probably thinking I’m getting angry… and I am. I have lived here my entire life and in that time, the amount of pandering to minorities has increased steadily. The CRE preaches equality… they want equality for the ethnic minorities of this country and yet we seem to edge ever further away from equality in the minorities favour.

Why is this money just targetting minorities? What about spending it on targetting all sections of our society? Why should the minorities get £1mil to encourage them into the countryside, while the white majority gets nothing? Based on the figures presented by the article (minorities make up 8% of the population), for every £1mil they get to spend, we should get £12.5mil. Of course, clearly thats not going to happen as it would be argued that somewhere along the line we already get more than that… but we don’t… the money spent by these places is spent for the benefit of EVERYONE.. so if the minorities are getting an extra £1mil just for them, then really, there should be an additional £12.5mil made available for encouraging the rest of us into the countryside.

The article also mentions that to fund this encouragement of ethnic minorities in one area of the UK, it was proposed that guided walks be stopped. Guided walks that are quoted as being “popular”… so why should they be stopped??? Because they are mainly used by (and I quote) the “white middle class”. So f’kin what??? ANYONE CAN GO ON ONE OF THESE WALKS!!! You don’t have to be white and bank at Coutts to be allowed on them.

I’m sure I’m not alone in my concerns about where the UK is heading. I have grave concerns for the safety and security of my friends and family. With the passing of time, the tension is building. Those on the side of the minorities would probably argue that people like me, posting stuff like this are the cause… statement like ‘you’re racist’ spring to mind… but show me where in this article I propose unfair treatment/discrimination of ethnic minorities? All I want is fair treatment for EVERYONE. Not special treatment for a small percentage of the population because of the colour of their skin… or the religion they chose to follow… fair treatment for EVERYONE… and if that means removing some of the benefits from minorities, so be it. I want the right to go and buy a gollywog… to sing ‘Bah Bah Blacksheep’… and I want to live in a society where the human race understands that its ok to have different views… its ok to have black skin, yellow skin, brown skin… its ok to be disabled… because underneath we are one.

As we venture forth in the 21st century, it should become abundantly clear to everyone that unless we start working together as a planet, that the human race will die out one way or another… we’ve been around for centuries and we still don’t really know whats outside our own solar system. In the last 200 years, we have pushed our planet to the brink of death and now its starting to exact its revenge. If we are to survive, we have to all cast aside our difference… accept that we are not all alike… accept we are individuals… entitled to our own views… but at the same time… we must learn to accept everyone else as equals… learn not to discriminate because someone is gay, blind, paralysed, black, mixed-race… We have to unite as ‘The Humans’ and we have to start sooner rather than later if we are to survive our first huge challenge… the end of fossil fuels.

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We don’t yet have full pricing plans, but as an indication, I’ve calculated the cost of my journey to work based on the two prices that do appear in the media (£1.30/mile on motorway and £0.02/mile on country lanes). I have about a 70 mile round trip to get to work and back. Most of this is country lanes and I estimated its probably 2/3 miles a day on the M4 between junctions 28 and 26. So, I’ve worked this out saying 4 miles on the motorway and the other 70 miles on the country lane rate.

This works out to be (£1.30 x 4) + (£0.02 x 70), giving a grand total of £6.60 A DAY!

Lets multiply that up and it becomes £33.00 a week. Taking it to the next stage, there are 52 weeks a year, meaning a total of 260 work days less the 28 days holiday I get. This gives a grand total of 232 days meaning that without any other journeys I will end up being charged £1531.20 just to get to work and back.

Now lets compare that with what I currently pay. £180/year (or there abouts) car tax and then about £25/week in fuel. If we assume that I work for 45 weeks a year, and that 75% of what I pay in fuel costs is tax, thats £843.75. Making a grand total of £1023.75.

So under this new scheme, I believe I will end up paying over £500 more, and that doesn’t include other journeys. For example, I visit my parents. A round trip of about 240 miles, mostly on the motorway. So lets assume its not £1.30/mile but half that because I’m not travelling at peak time. That makes £0.65/mile bringing the cost of the journey up to £156. Nearly the same as road tax costs for a full year.

Sorry for the language, how the f’ can this scheme be fair? Even if I didn’t have to pay car insurance, it still would work out more expensive. Chuck into the equation other trips and well… the average joe will be totally screwed over.

The claim is that public transport will be better as a result of this change, but will public transport collect me from my door in the cold and rain, then transport me and my baggage (I have filled my car with computers and stuff for a long stint at my parents) to my destination without delay, without lots of hanging around. I DOUBT IT! Will I be able to get up and think… oooh, go into work early this morning… 5:30am roll out the door and straight into a waiting public transport vehicle… I DOUBT IT!

This proposal has got to be one of the dumbest ideas this government has ever had. Its right up there with the compulsory ID card that we have to pay for.

What we should really be doing is looking at clamping down on unnecessary car journeys… the kind where mum takes 1 child the 1 mile journey from home to school in a whacking great 3.5L 4WD off roader. For those who think the school rush is a myth… LOL. I used to work in Gloucester. During the school holidays I could practically guarantee when I would get into work. But during term time it was hideous. No two days were the same and the volume of traffic was immense. Not just a minor increase, but an increase capable of producing 2-3 mile tailbacks on areas of road that were ordinarily clear. Ok, I admit, that if they live in the sticks, then driving the kids to school is a viable option, but when each of these monsterous vehicles has mother and a child, it becomes a massive waste. How about taking your friends kids? You could take it in turns… This is the kind of vehicle use that we should be addressing.

Forcing this kind of charging scheme on the average driver is wholey unfair. The car will no longer be viable for those of us who have any distance to drive to/from work. We could be faced with the possiblity that we will simply have to find alternative employment. I for one couldn’t get to work reliably using public transport and even then I believe I would have to change buses on at least 2 occasions meaning periods of standing around waiting. What if I need to take my tools into work… I can’t lug a hunking great toolbag around. What about when I travel for work… how would I get to the airport for example (a journey which is mostly on the motorway)? And visiting my parents? £156 a go. Gone would be the option to just pop up there. I would have to save hard to be able to afford it.

Note:- The costs I’ve used are examples, but they do give a pretty good indication if you just rough it out using say three rates as I’ve done. Once the full list of charge bands is announced, I’ll work this out more accurately.

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