Open letter to Major Campbell Newman (RAE, Ret'd)

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

16th March 2012

Open letter to Major Campbell Newman (RAE, Ret'd)

Dear Major Newman,

Time you listened to some advice from another old soldier.  

Get yourself and the LNP behind the Cross River Rail project.  You once supported this transforming project, it is a pity that politics has got in the way.

Leadership is about recognising reality and acting accordingly, something we both understand well.

Best wishes

Robert

Robert Dow Captain (RAAMC, Ret'd)
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[mufreight]

Sent to all outlets:

16th March 2012

Open letter to Major Campbell Newman (RAE, Ret'd)

Dear Major Newman,

Time you listened to some advice from another old soldier.  

Get yourself and the LNP behind the Cross River Rail project.  You once supported this transforming project, it is a pity that politics has got in the way.

Leadership is about recognising reality and acting accordingly, something we both understand well.

Best wishes

Robert

Robert Dow Captain (RAAMC, Ret'd)
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

One could assume from the comment by Captain Robert Dow now retired of the RAAMC, that the Ret'd after Major Campbell Newman's RAE highlighted in red stands for retard, rather than retired and the Major in his rank is for Major as being indicative of the level of damage that this man would inflict on the state of Queensland and it's transport system's should the people of this state be so unfortunate as to see Mr Newman elected to the seat of Ashgrove.

[Jonno]

One could assume from the comment by Captain Robert Dow now retired of the RAAMC, that the Ret'd after Major Campbell Newman's RAE highlighted in red stands for retard, rather than retired and the Major in his rank is for Major as being indicative of the level of damage that this man would inflict on the state of Queensland and it's transport system's should the people of this state be so unfortunate as to see Mr Newman elected to the seat of Ashgrove.

That's a bit rough as a generalised personal attack including link to military career don't you think MU. Pick on the politics or policy or lack of, but leave the personal attacks for pub where you expect such dribble. Lib or Lab, these people are just trying to so a job that never has any winners, if you don't like it, become an MP.

+1

[Mr X]

+2

[mufreight]

One could assume from the comment by Captain Robert Dow now retired of the RAAMC, that the Ret'd after Major Campbell Newman's RAE highlighted in red stands for retard, rather than retired and the Major in his rank is for Major as being indicative of the level of damage that this man would inflict on the state of Queensland and it's transport system's should the people of this state be so unfortunate as to see Mr Newman elected to the seat of Ashgrove.

That's a bit rough as a generalised personal attack including link to military career don't you think MU. Pick on the politics or policy or lack of, but leave the personal attacks for pub where you expect such dribble. Lib or Lab, these people are just trying to so a job that never has any winners, if you don't like it, become an MP.

Over the years I have had considerable contact with those of military background including some family, some were highly inteligent some were simply intransigent and lacked any ability to do anything that required them to do anything that was other than exactly what they had been instructed to do and some not even that.
Mr Newman has over time proven himself as not prepared to listen and as being a puppet of vested interest, this state can not afford a repeat in another political colour of that same methodology.
The state's transport system overall can not afford an expansion state wide of the tunnel vision attitudes that Mr Newman has previously exhibited with regard to transport in the city of Brisbane.
Although from a Labor political upbringing I personally support neither of the major politicial parties as neither of them represents those who they are elected to represent, the voters, but rather the vested interests of the parties to which they belong.

[somebody]

I thought $773mil of Council money was ploughed into Clem7.  Council is taking basically all the risk on the Northern Link also, as they did on the GBB.

It is interesting that he has wound back the rhetoric on building roads in this campaign.

[SurfRail]

Just as long as nobody starts talking about the Buranda-Toowong link, or tunnels under Stafford Road.

[colinw]

Just as long as nobody starts talking about the Buranda-Toowong link, or tunnels under Stafford Road.

The funny thing is the one road tunnel that I think should be built is the one that has not been proposed as far as I know. That is a tunnel from the end of the Ipswich Motorway at Rocklea to the M3 & M7 at Buranda. Such a link would take a vast amount of traffic of Ipswich & Beaudesert Roads, which would in turn allow redevelopment of Ipswich Road as a secondary road with high quality transit corridor (bus or LRT).

I really hate the way the Ipswich Motorway just ends in the middle of nowhere, disgorging all that traffic onto Ipswich, Beaudesert & Granard Roads.

[Golliwog]

Just as long as nobody starts talking about the Buranda-Toowong link, or tunnels under Stafford Road.

The funny thing is the one road tunnel that I think should be built is the one that has not been proposed as far as I know. That is a tunnel from the end of the Ipswich Motorway at Rocklea to the M3 & M7 at Buranda. Such a link would take a vast amount of traffic of Ipswich & Beaudesert Roads, which would in turn allow redevelopment of Ipswich Road as a secondary road with high quality transit corridor (bus or LRT).

I really hate the way the Ipswich Motorway just ends in the middle of nowhere, disgorging all that traffic onto Ipswich, Beaudesert & Granard Roads.

I never quite understood that one myself, and agree that if anything is going to be put in a tunnel it would most likely by the highway, unless they did plans for grade seperated LRT or bus. Though either would require something new in the city.

Did anyone else see the CM's editorial today? Basically retracting their view of him as a little general? I do agree he has improved, but the fact that he is ending media conferences early rather than answer all the off-topic questions the media has for him (eg: health policy announcement, asking questions about civil unions, personal finances etc) strikes me that he hasn't improved that much, just rather than blow up at the media, is ending things early so that doesn't get into the spotlight.

[SurfRail]

Just as long as nobody starts talking about the Buranda-Toowong link, or tunnels under Stafford Road.

The funny thing is the one road tunnel that I think should be built is the one that has not been proposed as far as I know. That is a tunnel from the end of the Ipswich Motorway at Rocklea to the M3 & M7 at Buranda. Such a link would take a vast amount of traffic of Ipswich & Beaudesert Roads, which would in turn allow redevelopment of Ipswich Road as a secondary road with high quality transit corridor (bus or LRT).

I really hate the way the Ipswich Motorway just ends in the middle of nowhere, disgorging all that traffic onto Ipswich, Beaudesert & Granard Roads.

It's an Australian thing.  Same in Melbourne (Eastern Freeway before EastLink, Metropolitan Ring Road) and Sydney (M4) and Adelaide (Southern Expressway).  Perth is fairly contiguous and they are just progressively upgrading some of their orbitals into de facto freeways by stealth rather than building entirely new alignments.

[O_128]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

[Golliwog]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

I never quite understood why it was the right hand turn movement from Met Rd 5 onto the Western Freeway that got the grade seperated overpass. Surely getting the straight through traffic going over/under would have been better? Either way this is sort of being fixed with Legacy Way...

[SurfRail]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

I never quite understood why it was the right hand turn movement from Met Rd 5 onto the Western Freeway that got the grade seperated overpass. Surely getting the straight through traffic going over/under would have been better? Either way this is sort of being fixed with Legacy Way...

And its 2,000 buses a day!

[Jonno]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

I never quite understood why it was the right hand turn movement from Met Rd 5 onto the Western Freeway that got the grade seperated overpass. Surely getting the straight through traffic going over/under would have been better? Either way this is sort of being fixed with Legacy Way...

Sorry?  When did a freeway, tunnel or bypass fix anything except the bank balance of the construction company?

[somebody]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

I never quite understood why it was the right hand turn movement from Met Rd 5 onto the Western Freeway that got the grade seperated overpass.

That never made sense to me either.  People whinging about not being able to turn right onto the Western Freeway seems a likely reason, but it would have been solved by doing it properly.

[Golliwog]

Its a major issue in brisbane, like the western freeway ending in a roundabout.

I never quite understood why it was the right hand turn movement from Met Rd 5 onto the Western Freeway that got the grade seperated overpass.

That never made sense to me either.  People whinging about not being able to turn right onto the Western Freeway seems a likely reason, but it would have been solved by doing it properly.

I'm thinking it may have also being some of the bigger trucks having issues negotiating the roundabout without mounting the central island/taking up both lanes.

Jonno: while I agree with you that roads are not the solution to everything, there is a need to have a main throughfare for trucks, etc to keep them off the city streets.

[Jonno]

Jonno: while I agree with you that roads are not the solution to everything, there is a need to have a main throughfare for trucks, etc to keep them off the city streets.

Could not agree more but a freeway or 6 lane road does little to help provide a free flowing thoroughfare.  They key is to make not driving so attractive that only minimal roadspace needs to be provided and they are only used for trips that cannot be physically made by public/active transport or freight rail (both heavy and light).

[Golliwog]

Jonno: while I agree with you that roads are not the solution to everything, there is a need to have a main throughfare for trucks, etc to keep them off the city streets.

Could not agree more but a freeway or 6 lane road does little to help provide a free flowing thoroughfare.  They key is to make not driving so attractive that only minimal roadspace needs to be provided and they are only used for trips that cannot be physically made by public/active transport or freight rail (both heavy and light).

Well I don't think you could say that trips that would be catered for with the Legacy Way tunnel are going to be any great competition to PT. It dumps the traffic heading northbound on the ICB so city bound traffic has to then negotiate the Bowen Bridge Rd interchange then head in via Fortitude Valley. Not particularly direct for most people. Plus, it's only 2 lanes each way.