The EA
is there to stop industry dirtying the water and to fine them and make them pay for the clean up if they do.

But there is a world of difference between water polluted by industry and water pulled out of the ground which, while not "polluted" is not fit for human consumption by virtue of containing bacteria and various suspended solids (such as fecal material) which would be present even if industry didn't exist.

To supply clean drinking water to the number of people which require it cleaning is essential and costs money.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 11:25, 1 reply)

thanks al!
but I'm a bit scoobied here - what's the point of electing a government and paying taxes if they then get to charge us for everything anyway?
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 11:26, closed)

N'owt wrong with privatisation of infrastructure...
Water's a commodity, dont you know. If you can't afford to pay for it, then you shouldn't have any.
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 11:31, closed)

Aren't our taxes bailing out private industry at the moment?
or did i miss something in the financial papers?
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 11:43, closed)

Our taxes
are bailing out the banks at the moment, banks aren't known for their extensive record of polluting groundwater.

And to baz's point, the governement doesnt supply the water, a private industry does, hence you need to pay them.

If they nationalised the water boards again, then you would end up paying increased tax instead of your water bill, and you would probably pay more in increased tax since the government run department would have far less incentive to make efficiency savings than a private company who's ability to charge is regulated quite strictly.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:00, closed)

I appreciate your point, al - thank you
My point is that private industry and the govt. are in cahoots to extract as much wonga from John Citizen as possible.

I dont want to head into conspiracy theory territory here or even socialism but it is quite simply not fair. Not in an emo way but in a we elected the fuckers and they are doing us bottomly without even the courtesy of a half-decent reach-around.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:05, closed)

You can certainly
argue that point, but on the other hand, we could live in Zimbabwe where you elect the party who don't set you on fire and beat you with sticks and then they keep all the money, waste the most fertile land in the whole of the continent and refuse to give it up.

Just saying.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:08, closed)

yeah but you could also live in France
or Spain or Italy or any one of the countries your countrymen and mine holiday in or retire to for the good life.

French telly is shit though.
And it's in French.

Point being, the 'it could be worse' theory doesnt hold water for me cos, well, 'it could be better'.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:12, closed)

It could be better
and it damn well should be, given that we're a [former] almost-world-dominating power, first world, high-tech (in theory) country.
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:18, closed)

"Doesn't hold water!"
Was that a deliberate pun?
(LongJohnBaldry, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:18, closed)

Im going to say, "yes"
but that mightn't be the truth.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:19, closed)

There are lots of good things
about other european countries, but there are lots of problems too. France has very high unemployment, especially amongst the young. Germany in suffering an influx of oompah-bands and large men in lederhosen and they don't know what to do about it.

So yes, in Britain we have a government which isn't providing the greatest service in many areas, but we still have universal health care which that's free at point of service. So you can complain about lots of things quite rightly, but any situation "could be better".

I realise not all these arguments are totally applicable to Ireland, but the two governments are fairly similar in their outlooks.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:19, closed)

@al - agreed
That was the most polite argument ever.

We should be running the world.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:23, closed)

Oh we could
but I'd be afraid that you'd bugger off and drink Guinness whenever an important decision had to be made!
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:33, closed)

and you with your newcy brown...
I have made most of my best decisions down the pub.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:37, closed)

But
I would tell everyone I was off to walk the dog. Hence the delightful nickname of newcy brown.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:40, closed)

im using that excuse
I cant read this anymore though.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 12:50, closed)