Readers’ views on Stephen Yarwood’s enormous mobile bill, spending taxpayers’ money on the Rolling Stones, and more anger about speed cameras.
GREG ATKINS: The Lord Mayor’s inadvertence in leaving his global roaming on while overseas was unfortunate and highlights the prime concern – the exorbitant roaming pricing and extortionist attitude of all of the telocs – not just Telstra (Yarwood’s $20,000 Telstra bill – “it absolutely sucks”, 20 November 2013). These companies appear to be acting similarly and perhaps they should be examined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
No doubt they will blame the overseas telcos which are all members of the same predator club. $20,000 for 6.6 gig of data is outrageous – all of them sell 200 gig for around $100 and Australia is generally dearer than overseas. The hardware and software manufacturers are also smart enough to be able to produce a warning to first time users in another jurisdiction to seek permission to accept data – but do they? It truly does suck.
J. MELBOURNE: I had to smile at Stephen Yarwood’s comment: “We do that with our parking fines – I would hope Telstra does it” – meaning they’d review his recent $20,000 internet account, and reduce it dramatically.
I recall my husband being in Calvary Hospital years ago, and me being asked to come in as he was really in a bad way. Rushing in and finding a car park, I stayed for the time limit, only to come out and find a parking fine. I wrote to the City Council explaining the reason for the hospital visit and that I thought I had returned to depart within the time limit, only to be told “no refund”, “no review”, etc. I didn’t want to waste Calvary’s valuable time getting a supporting letter from them … so I just paid up (not exactly willingly though).
You just might have to do the same Stephen!
BRONTE ALLAN: Why, oh why can our supposedly “broke” state Government afford to waste nearly half a million dollars on a “geriatric” band of musos (Taxpayers fork out for Stones concert, 20 November 2013)? The Stones were great many years ago, but why do we need to have them here for any government-sponsored gig? Surely, here in Australia we have some of the world’s best music acts that would be much better suited, and much cheaper. Why is it deemed necessary to waste what little money our Government has?
Still, let them eat cake, as was said many years ago by an infamous French woman. We must have our bread and circuses.
OWEN GODFREY, No Speed Cameras Party: Since you have decided to blatantly misrepresent what the No Speed Camera Party stands for I thought I would reply to your article of 18 November (Speed denialists zoom past the evidence). Unlike you, most people are quite incensed with the unfairness of the current ‘system’. Scientific consensus and ‘the bleeding obvious’? … give me a break!
We know most South Australians are at last starting to wake up to the scam that is this revenue raising rip-off disguised as road safety. Now we hear that the Government will attempt to change the suburban road speed limit from 50 km/hour to 40 km/hr. This of course is due to a report that has been generated by their own tame bureaucrats. There is no doubt that this ‘research’ has been undertaken to produce results that will again justify lower and lower speeds that will generate more illicit revenue rip-offs. We will soon have to travel 20 km/h slower on roads than we were 50 years ago when people were driving FJ Holdens … ridiculous!
We know that road fatalities were reducing at an average of 30% a year for the eight years prior to the use of speed cameras but only at 8% per year for the eight years after their introduction. The Government claimed recently that the reduction of 100 road fatalities over the last 10 years has been due to speed cameras … really? What about electronic stability control, air bags, including side air bags, side intrusion bars in all cars, ABS braking systems, the more universal wearing of seat belts, better roads, the great work our S.A. Ambulance paramedics perform at the scene of serious accidents, helicopter retrieval teams, the brilliant work of our trauma surgeons, and the increased experience of drivers in our aging State?
Things just do not add up. Reducing the speed limits even lower means that more people who are driving at an appropriate speed will be pinched. We know that even the Police are sick and tired of having to do the Government’s dirty work.
Instead of fixing the problems, politicians would rather make money. We have suggested many great ideas to politicians that would definitely reduce deaths and injuries on our roads. They have however no doubt viewed these improvements as revenue killers and therefore disregarded them.
We believe that education is always a better strategy than constant regulation, condemnation and prosecution. That is the only reason I and my colleague John Halliday have decided to try to be elected to parliament where a voice of reason and objectivity can be better heard. We also know that we are fighting a few sanctimonious people like you who actually think that speed cameras and lasers devices are a great thing … until they are themselves fined.
Defaulting to calling our members ‘denialists’ is quite pathetic and merely shows your desperation to intimidate people and that you have not bothered to understand the real issues here.
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