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SLG

The Herald reports today that the Executive has stashed away a £1.5billion war chest to be spent in the run up to the 2007 elections. Governments always do this so it's no surprise really, it does seem to be particularty blatent though. Well done to the Herald for reporting this.

Scots' £1.5bn secretly stashed in London

Aventinian · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:25 pm Post subject:

I know it's not really on topic, but it's briefly raised in the article...

Poor design of schools - has anyone noticed how they seem to resemble some sort of pre-fab put-u-up? What happened to the great school buildings of the past?

They are being done cheaply and it's being reflected in their short lifespans. My local authority was proposing a 70s-built secondary be demolished and a new PPP school (crossed with another town's secondary) would be built nearby.

Then you look at places like Fettes or Eton. Their buildings actually last because someone clearly gave a f**k at the time.

I remember a historian friend of mine once saying that you can usually measure the greatness of a civilisation by the architecture it leaves behind. The great Pax McConnellus... ha.

SLG · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:07 pm Post subject:

It's not just schools. There is now a massive architectural deficit in this country. This is mainly in the hands of the councils and their planning departments who have to show very little in the way accountability.

parkhead_rfb · Getting on a bit! Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 1974

in todays political climate i dont have a problem with ppp's/pfi. they are a way of getting massive investment in public services without having to raise taxes immediately. I am not suggesting that this is the ideal solution but until voters realise that to have a decent standard of public services that they must be taxed to pay for them then ppp's are at least a way of getting a job which needs done done.
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"our revenge will be the laughter of our children" bobby sands MP

"there is no equality in a society that stands upon the political and economic bog, if only the strongest make it good or survive" bobby sands MP

Aventinian · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 3:20 am Post subject:

I don't disagree with the principle of it, but I believe it is sometimes over- and inappropriately used.

It would be foolish to rely on it in the long term and it is certainly foolish to use it for buildings that won't outlast the people who build them.

Abieuan · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:03 pm Post subject:

Aventinian said: