skepticlawyer

7 Comments

1. TerjeP
   Posted June 20, 2008 at 7:25 am | Permalink

   When even proponents of failed socialist economics bag fuelwatch then it clearly is a wanky scheme. However the government is going to stick to its guns and one more wanky scheme now chews up space for the next few decades. The real worry is that these things morph over time and who knows what this monster will become.

2. skepticlawyer
   Posted June 20, 2008 at 7:41 am | Permalink

   I think Jason’s post at Catallaxy pretty much settled this issue, and for once people on all sides of politics could see it was pure opportunism likely to achieve zip (or less than zip). The problem is - as you say - these things are emblematic of ‘mission creep’ and finish up taking on an (expensive) life of their own.

3. Legal Eagle
   Posted June 20, 2008 at 8:34 am | Permalink

   Ha ha ha! Why is it that new leaders feel a need to be seen to be doing “something”, but half the time that “something” is pointless, expensive and achieves nothing?

4. Adrien
   Posted June 20, 2008 at 10:37 am | Permalink

   GetUp was such a gyp. It was promoted as a non-partisan, grass roots web based mode of criticizing the political scene and maybe influencing it.

   That was just nonsense. There’s actually no way an ordinary member can even influence their agenda. It’s just a petition generating machine from persons unknown who’re probably the covert wing of the Kevvie Brigade. Most of what they come up with is the same old tired stuff sans nuance, dissent or contrary viewpoints. They’re not nonpartisan they’re just cartoon leftists. Yawn.

   Really dishonest.

5. MikeM
   Posted June 20, 2008 at 5:34 pm | Permalink

   I’m surprised that nobody has made the obvious suggestion: stop arguing about Fuelwatch, implement the darned thing and then poll motorists after 6 months to see if they want it continued or think it’s a waste of time.

   GetUp’s criticism is fair. It won’t do anything to reduce price in the long run, but if it diminishes or stops the weekly fuel price fluctuation cycle, motorists prefer to have it rather than not.

6. TerjeP
   Posted June 23, 2008 at 9:58 pm | Permalink

   MikeM - and you really think they’ll close it down if motorists don’t give a fig.

7. TimT
   Posted June 29, 2008 at 8:37 am | Permalink

   Nice, Adrien. But their ads and marketing strategies seem pretty clever to this outsider.