Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Getting Across

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  • Matthew Poole,

    Gio, they were all out of industrial-size metaphorical blenders when I went into Hardly Normal the other day, so I had to make do with the household-size variety from Blond and Blond.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Kerry Weston,

    I'm beyond holding my breath about the electorate's ability to digest and be outraged about any information that doesn't affirm Key's messianic status.

    I heard some stunning approval rating figure cited on Natradio yesterday for Our John. 60%? But I can't think of anything the bugger's done to deserve it.

    they were all out of industrial-size metaphorical blenders when I went into Hardly Normal the other day,

    sniggernui

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    ooh I like that

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    It's into the middle of the bloody Isthmus FCS.

    Ummmm...convince me why you guys want another bridge that has one end slightly shifted a bit north and the south end closer to the city??? Madness from down here.

    Here's one from left field for you. Since the super city is taking in half of Franklin, it seems one may be able to use a bit of it thus:

    If I was going to Whangarei in the middle of the day it might be useful to bypass the whole jammed up Auckland.

    My audacious suggestion is a bridge from Glenbrook Beach to Awhitu, and then a bridge across the Manukau to Cornwallis and then up to Riverhead, Helensville and all points north. Its only a few Titiirangi baches would have to go isn't it? It would/could take a few Westies as well in the process!! Simple.

    PS...looking at the map it is not such a stupid idea though....is it?

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    PS...looking at the map it is not such a stupid idea though....is it?

    I'm assuming you're joking.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Or has shares in a construction company.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    sniggernui

    ooh I like that

    Ditto. A more refined variation on a PAS standard.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Hey! We're creating again!
    Glory to the human beast!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    (Er, I trust you like te friendly label Kerry W-)

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • TracyMac,

    I like the idea of something that's actually useful to something other than cars, and which doesn't look like a cheap-knockoff of the Sydders HB.

    And yes, can we let the brainstorming session continue a bit longer before howling down the idea? It's obvious that the current bridge is inadequate, and a tunnel all the way across is bloody expensive for not much greater benefit.

    It's hard to get excited about tunnels, anyway, as examples of stunning civic architecture and engineering (ok, the Chunnel is amazing, but not for its aesthetics). The Severn Bridges are less than 5km in length, and not that exciting, but are a hell of a lot more exciting than the Chunnel at 10 times the length.

    Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    And yes, can we let the brainstorming session continue a bit longer before howling down the idea?

    I was kind of thinking that too.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Brickley Paiste,

    The City of Cars need look no further for its piece de resistence that will put us on the international map:

    Oh yes!

    Since Mar 2009 • 164 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    It would/could take a few Westies as well in the process!!

    Oi! Also: hmph.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I heard some stunning approval rating figure cited on Natradio yesterday for Our John. 60%? But I can't think of anything the bugger's done to deserve it.

    Bread & circuses.

    Kath & Kim.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I'm really hoping that it's Auckland transport that'll be the hammer that knocks the gloss off National's honeymoon, but I'm beyond holding my breath about the electorate's ability to digest and be outraged about any information that doesn't affirm Key's messianic status.

    I doubt it. For about 2/3 of the population, the only way the government could go wrong electorally would be to throw too much money at Auckland. For any other screwups - government or not - there's a limited interest in caring.

    While it's an interesting regional issue, regional issue it remains.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    Do other cities in the world not have cars on their roads?

    I could have sworn there's a fair few in all the international cities I've been to including ones with rather extensive subway and bus networks.

    Auckland will be a hundred years away from the type of public transport network that some people dream of because.... the population is so small compared to the area we take up and the geography of the area. We can make it better but unless we strike oil in the Hauraki Gulf and can afford to pump billions of dollars into infrastructure that barely gets used by international standards we can only chip away here and there.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    I doubt it. For about 2/3 of the population, the only way the government could go wrong electorally would be to throw too much money at Auckland.

    Ah, but Kyle, 1/3 of the population is a voting bloc that's perfectly capable of tossing the inestimable Messrs Key and Hide out on their well-padded behinds. Auckland all on its own is quite able to determine the composition of any future government, with or without the connivance of the rest of the country.
    And would "throw[ing] too much money at Auckland" include Joyce's pet Bridge to Nowhere - aka the Puhoi-Wellsford Motorway Extension Project? Please tell me it would!

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    Ok so I'm tired and cynical today so my take is we'll get some cool ideas with lots of neat options like catering for pedestrians and cyclists and trains and it will look nice too...
    BUT
    It will cost $6 billion and that will be presented by Joyce or whomever as too much and causing poor taxpayers to have to pay more of their hard earned money just for a local project so we simply must cut the costs and well looking pretty is a luxury we can't afford and not many people ride bikes across the current bridge anyway and who wants to walk that far and there is not train connection north so....
    <pauses for breath>
    Well just build this 4 lane ugly POS but it will be cheaper so you should vote for us because we saved you from higher taxes.

    But in the interest of being positive and tossing in some ideas.

    How about sticking wind turbines on the side of it to generate power and/or some solar panels on the top of a cool roof structure? Personally I think wind turbine look great but that's probably just me.

    The electricity could be used to power a travelator (not as cool as one under the harbour but still better than walking.

    Is Chelsea Sugar the only reason big ships need to go under it? If so, then maybe it would be cheaper to move the sugar refinery and build a lower bridge?

    Is there some way to hide the motorway part at the city end so where you walk/cycle off becomes a recreational precinct? Perhaps make sure the cars stay up on a viaduct?

    Make the piers into rock climbing parks?

    I really do hope we end up with something nice, we don't have to do everything on the cheap and nasty and we can create some beautiful things in NZ. And I think it's good for a society to do something cool and audacious occasionally.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Gio, they were all out of industrial-size metaphorical blenders when I went into Hardly Normal the other day, so I had to make do with the household-size variety from Blond and Blond.

    And who told you that puns are my kryptonite?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Brickley Paiste,

    Do other cities in the world not have cars on their roads?

    Yes but not as many per capita. Auckland has the population of Copehangen with the traffic problems of Los Angeles. It's insane.

    And I don't buy the population size argument at all. Lots of smaller cities have good transport and are actually nice to look at. Auckland's is terrible and is terribly ugly.

    because we saved you from higher taxes.

    That's really it in a nutshell.

    I'd be happy to pay significantly more in tax if it meant this city wasn't such a seething suckhole of ugliness.

    Since Mar 2009 • 164 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Bart, I like your thoughts. I really would like for us to try and do things more creatively and beautifully.

    I'm also never sure why roads and bridges now cost so many billions. They didn't in my parents day (they must be making the pilings out of gold...).

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Ah, but Kyle, 1/3 of the population is a voting bloc that's perfectly capable of tossing the inestimable Messrs Key and Hide out on their well-padded behinds. Auckland all on its own is quite able to determine the composition of any future government, with or without the connivance of the rest of the country.

    Not at 60% according to the latest polling. Every Auckland voter who voted national in the last election could swap over and they'd still be able to form the government.

    And would "throw[ing] too much money at Auckland" include Joyce's pet Bridge to Nowhere - aka the Puhoi-Wellsford Motorway Extension Project? Please tell me it would!

    I haven't heard anyone talk about it at all, except here on PAS. Couldn't care less would be the attitude down here.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Yamis: have you see "Auckland, City of cars?"

    It debunks the population density and the cost arguments pretty well, I think.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    you should vote for us because we saved you from higher taxes.

    Which ties into this editorial in this morning's Granny. True courage would be admitting that the only way to avoid saddling the next two generations with exorbitant debt is to reverse the tax cuts. That would take real guts, but of course we'll never see it happen. The only politicians who've got the brains to admit that we cannot be a low-tax country with high levels of public services are Act, and their solution is to gut the public service.
    I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we have to have a discussion, as a country, about whether we want to be a country with high levels of public services or a country with low taxes. We cannot be both, much as both major parties have been trying to pretend otherwise, and as a member of one of the generations that's going to be paying for the current debt for the majority of my life I'm getting heartily pissed off at constantly having to blink away the politician-placed wool.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Not at 60% according to the latest polling. Every Auckland voter who voted national in the last election could swap over and they'd still be able to form the government.

    But if the multitudes of lemmings in Epsom (regretfully the electorate of my residence) were to turn their backs on Rodney, that wouldn't hold true. National are there, largely, on the presence of Act's five MPs. Give Rodders the flick and Act disappears. 60% of the country might support National, but that includes a lot of Auckland. 60% of Auckland, statistically-speaking. Remove all those Aucklanders from the equation and National disappears back into Opposition, especially if Rodney/Act disappear from the House entirely.

    As for not caring about the Bridge to Nowhere, that really does say it all about just how little taxpayers care about public money being wasted profligately.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

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