A serious question (with tongue firmly in cheek)

[boatone]

Powered craft owners boating on the Thames contribute a significant sum (Almost £4million p.a.) towards the funding of the river - almost half this years total revenue budget.
Do you actually care how this money is spent or do you shrug your shoulders and grin and bear it ?

 

[Chris_d]

I tend to think of it like the road fund license which doesn't get spent on the roads at all.
Funding to run the river should come from central funds, shouldn't matter how many boats contribute it should be maintained to the same standard regardless of whether license fees cover the cost, which they never will.

 

[boatone]

I tend to think of it like the road fund license which doesn't get spent on the roads at all.
Funding to run the river should come from central funds, shouldn't matter how many boats contribute it should be maintained to the same standard regardless of whether license fees cover the cost, which they never will.

I wish ! Regrettably Governments mantra is “those who play need to pay” and that is the way the EA are playing it.

 

[oldgit]

Funding to run the river should come from central funds,

Of course in the interest of equality what you meant to say was ALL rivers in the UK no matter where.
Surely you cannot be suggesting that a particular bit of water only able to be enjoyed by a tiny minority of the UK population should get special treatment

 

[Old Crusty]

I regard the registration fee as a tax like I do for driving my car on the roads, watching the TV, on goods and services, to have my bins emptied, planning consent for a house extension not to mention on my pension income.

I have a very low expectation of any government of any hue, its departments and local authorities and I've not been disappointed by any of them in years. Having worked in the public sector, I know there is a profligate attitude to the spending of public money.

The EA is constipated by process, H&S and has no appetite for improvements while it can get away with consistant mediocrity.

A distinct lack of leadership and clear direction combined with poor management and avoidance of accountability gives us what we have and won't change until the dullards are weeded out. The Peter Principle is alive and well at the EA.

 

[Parabordi]

I regard the registration fee as a tax like I do for driving my car on the roads, watching the TV, on goods and services, to have my bins emptied, planning consent for a house extension not to mention on my pension income.

I have a very low expectation of any government of any hue, its departments and local authorities and I've not been disappointed by any of them in years. Having worked in the public sector, I know there is a profligate attitude to the spending of public money.

The EA is constipated by process, H&S and has no appetite for improvements while it can get away with consistant mediocrity.

A distinct lack of leadership and clear direction combined with poor management and avoidance of accountability gives us what we have and won't change until the dullards are weeded out. The Peter Principle is alive and well at the EA.

I think thats all anyone can say, we have zero chance of making any change to how it is without a single representative body for all boaters (and i dont blame you for this but the boaters..)

 

[Gibeltarik]

The EA is constipated by process, H&S and has no appetite for improvements while it can get away with consistant mediocrity.

A distinct lack of leadership and clear direction combined with poor management and avoidance of accountability gives us what we have and won't change until the dullards are weeded out. The Peter Principle is alive and well at the EA.

Well said!

 

[DogsBody]

I think Old Crusty has hit the nail on the head - while I'd like to believe that my river licence fee goes to maintaining the river and providing services I'll benefit from, I fully realise that like car / fuel tax, or any other government tax, my money is rarely spent for the purpose it was (supposedly) collected, or even on services I'd like it spent on.

 

[Parabordi]

yeah, you bought Bazzer a new fancy uniform!

 

[Brightside]

I think Old Crusty has hit the nail on the head - while I'd like to believe that my river licence fee goes to maintaining the river and providing services I'll benefit from, I fully realise that like car / fuel tax, or any other government tax, my money is rarely spent for the purpose it was (supposedly) collected, or even on services I'd like it spent on to which I strongly object!.

Yes, I do care what my licence fees is spent on. Yes I strongly feel that it should at least be spent on the rivers and preferably the non tidal Thames as that is where I sit and where I feel I am being charged an exorbitant licence fee for far less than I would like. But, I now live in the real world and have low expectations so as not to be disappointed.....

 

[Old Crusty]

yeah, you bought Bazzer a new fancy uniform!

I'm open to be corrected by the EA monitors on the forum but I do believe his Gieves cap with gold oak leaves cost £350 and the full No.1s are about £2k now.

Never mind the cost, feel the quality.

 

[ianc1200]

I care that we spend a lot, the rowers spend a pittance, and the EA care a lot more about the rowers than powerboaters. (....still angry re female Wallingford area coach who reversed into me in her catamaran coaching boat last week and thought it was my fault...).

 

[oldgit]

and the EA care a lot more about the rowers than powerboaters..).

Care to take a bet about how many of the staff manning the locks would still be employed if motor boats disappeared overnight ?

 

[boatone]

Care to take a bet about how many of the staff manning the locks would still be employed if motor boats disappeared overnight ?

Fact is that contributions via registration charges only provide approximately half the money currently being expended on routine waterway management - and that doesn’t include the investment in major winter works.
The registration charges are all applied to the waterways budget as required by treasury rules.
The key issues are whether the current budget is being managed as efficiently as possible and what can be done to raise new revenue to replace the governments austerity cuts. It’s not many years ago that the. Budget was around £20million but it’s now down to around £8million. It’s clear that this shortfall simply cannot be recovered from motor-boaters alone.

 

[Pump-Out]

I care that we spend a lot, the rowers spend a pittance, and the EA care a lot more about the rowers than powerboaters. (....still angry re female Wallingford area coach who reversed into me in her catamaran coaching boat last week and thought it was my fault...).

Rowers, and rowing clubs are often their own worst enemy. The lack of knowledge, especially simple ColRegs and Bylaws, is often simply staggering, but that is an argument for a different thread.
As to funding, I do get that rowing clubs gets kids out on the river and I am generally in support of the reduced fees for racing craft. Additionally it is rare that such craft use the locks so there is an argument for a discounted rate.
However, there should be an additional lock toll when they do use a lock - say £2 a rower? So a single scull would pay £2, and an eight £16.