From BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6452865.stm

Interesting bit:
BBC London's political editor Tim Donovan said Mr Livingstone may raid
Transport for London reserves and use a £200m loan he has taken out
for transport improvements in east London to help find the £300m.

So it looks like there could be cuts in transport for the Olympics.
What do you think will be cut?
IMHO one of the DLR projects (replacement of the North London Line or
3 cars upgrade). Or may be even some other TfL project outside East
London :-S

On 15 Mar, 17:00, "alex_t" wrote:
From BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6452865.stm

Interesting bit:
BBC London's political editor Tim Donovan said Mr Livingstone may raid
Transport for London reserves and use a £200m loan he has taken out
for transport improvements in east London to help find the £300m.

So it looks like there could be cuts in transport for the Olympics.
What do you think will be cut?
IMHO one of the DLR projects (replacement of the North London Line or
3 cars upgrade). Or may be even some other TfL project outside East
London :-S


That's an interesting story, though I'd to know more information
before forming an opinion - my grasp on TfL's finances and the cost of
upcoming projects is pretty loose at the best of times, so it's
difficult to able to put that sum in perspective with regards the
wider picture.

However I'm pretty sure that the DLR is committed to both the three
car upgrade project and the Stratford International Extension project
(i.e. the NLL takeover), not least because both are pretty critical
with regards to the Olympics and the associated regeneration.

Perhaps potential future DLR extensions further east, or the East
London Transit might be put on the back burner. Or the West London
Tram - IMO it's would be a good thing, but the burghers of Ealing seem
distinctly mixed in their opinions of it, so perhaps that'll be nixed
(at least for now).

The problem with the budget for the games is that, as far as I can
make out, no-one really thought we'd win it so the original bid wasn't
realistic. As a born and bred Londoner I think it's absolutely great
that it's coming to London, and it seems that the various
announcements today regarding decisions on the funding of the games
should mean that the resulting turbulence is by and large dealt with
now rather than later.

In message . com,
Mizter T writes

The problem with the budget for the games is that, as far as I can make
out, no-one really thought we'd win it so the original bid wasn't
realistic. As a born and bred Londoner I think it's absolutely great
that it's coming to London, and it seems that the various announcements
today regarding decisions on the funding of the games should mean that
the resulting turbulence is by and large dealt with now rather than later.

Agreed... I'm with you brother Mitzer
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

As a born and bred Londoner I think it's absolutely great
that it's coming to London, and it seems that the various
announcements today regarding decisions on the funding of the games
should mean that the resulting turbulence is by and large dealt with
now rather than later.

Well, I live in London only for a year (and 15 days), but I totally
support the Olympics ;-)
Besides, something *must* be done with local wastelands...

On 15 Mar, 21:25, "alex_t" wrote:
As a born and bred Londoner I think it's absolutely great
that it's coming to London, and it seems that the various
announcements today regarding decisions on the funding of the games
should mean that the resulting turbulence is by and large dealt with
now rather than later.

Well, I live in London only for a year (and 15 days), but I totally
support the Olympics ;-)
Besides, something *must* be done with local wastelands...


Good stuff. Of course I didn't mean to imply that only born and bred
Londoners can support the Olympics, or indeed that only those who are
born and bred are Londoners!

But when does a Londoner become a Londoner is a long conversation,
best enjoyed over a pint of London Pride in a solid London public
hostelry... or some other refreshment that's to your taste in an
establishment of your choosing (with a shisha in a Little Lebanon cafe
perhaps)... some have said that being a Londoner comes as a sudden
flash of revelation whilst out walking along the Thames or staring out
over the sweeping skyline from an elevated vantage point... this post
is creeping off topic so I'll finish it there!

On Thu, Mar 15, 2007 at 02:25:21PM -0700, alex_t wrote:

Well, I live in London only for a year (and 15 days), but I totally
support the Olympics ;-)

Then may I politely suggest that if you think they're such a great idea
you pay for them? I certainly don't want to.

Until you and like-minded people do that, I will vote for *any* political
party that promises to cancel the games.

--
David Cantrell | Hero of the Information Age

What profiteth a man, if he win a flame war, yet lose his cool?

Then may I politely suggest that if you think they're such a great idea
you pay for them? I certainly don't want to.

Well, amazing logic.
So... can I get a refund of all my National Insurance contributions?
(as a migrant on work permit I cannot get any benefits, so why should
I pay NI?) Also I'd like to get some of my taxes back, especially the
part spent on roads (as I don't have a car), trains (as I don't use
them), buses (don't use 'em either), child support benefits (as I
don't have a family).

And back in the real work - I live in London and pay my council tax in
full, so I guess I already pay for the Olympics in some way. I also
suffer from constant construction work - as I live on the border of
the Olympic park site.


Until you and like-minded people do that, I will vote for *any* political
party that promises to cancel the games.

It is certainly not up to me to decide whether Olympics should be in
London (not to mention that I can't vote).

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:37:13 +0000, David Cantrell
wrote:

Until you and like-minded people do that, I will vote for *any* political
party that promises to cancel the games.

You will vote for a political party that promises to do something
that, legally, it can't?

On Fri, Mar 16, 2007 at 01:25:15PM +0000, James Farrar wrote:
On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:37:13 +0000, David Cantrell
wrote:
Until you and like-minded people do that, I will vote for *any* political
party that promises to cancel the games.
You will vote for a political party that promises to do something
that, legally, it can't?

Why can't it?

--
David Cantrell | A machine for turning tea into grumpiness

What is the difference between hearing aliens through the
fillings in your teeth and hearing Jesus in your heart?

On 15 Mar 2007 10:00:48 -0700, "alex_t"
wrote:

From BBC News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6452865.stm

Interesting bit:
BBC London's political editor Tim Donovan said Mr Livingstone may raid
Transport for London reserves and use a £200m loan he has taken out
for transport improvements in east London to help find the £300m.

I think you'll find he won't be able to do that without there being
severe consequences. The Treasury would leap on any misuse of the
specially granted powers to raise open market finance - they're just
looking for any excuse to reign in any perceived loss of their much
vaunted control.

The other consequence is that TfL's credit rating would be damaged if
reserves were raided and also if money raised from bonds for transport
were used to pay for the Olympics. What return would TfL earn from
funding the Olympics by stealth that would give an income stream to pay
those who have taken out "TfL bonds"?

The further effect is that any future bond offer would be more expensive
due to a poor credit rating and less likely to be taken up if there was
uncertainty.

Thus far TfL's financial position and controls has been sufficiently
good to make the extra financing effective and attractive. I really
cannot see the Mayor wishing to jeopardise such an important additional
power that he has gained after much fighting with Central government.

So it looks like there could be cuts in transport for the Olympics.
What do you think will be cut?
IMHO one of the DLR projects (replacement of the North London Line or
3 cars upgrade). Or may be even some other TfL project outside East
London :-S

None of them IMO.

DLR is a huge success story and much of the work is committed
contractually or about to be so. Ken needs every success he can get his
hands on. Overground is a hugely important scheme for TfL and the Mayor
- politically it is absolutely vital for Ken and also the Labour Party.
It simply will not be stopped given all the work that has been done.
Phase 2 might get delayed but I am sceptical about that because if
Overground is shown to work well in the early stages then the clamour
for a full "circle" will be huge.

The only scheme that is likely to go is East London Transit and that's
simply because Barking council won't allow it to run through the town
centre. Therefore there will probably just be a slightly improved route
369 instead. The savings are also small in the greater scheme of
things.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!