Comments on: The Irrelevance of Law Making Powers http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/11/the-irrelevance-of-law-making-powers/ ...now tell me yours Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:45:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Mike Cridland http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/11/the-irrelevance-of-law-making-powers/comment-page-1/#comment-618 Mike Cridland Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:15:18 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=593#comment-618 How many children in Wales go to schools that are in a poor state of repair, where the kids use text books that are out of date. My stepson made a valid point to me the other day he attended a school in Cardiff he could not understand (as a American) why the schools were falling down, where asbestos ceilings were coming down. Then illustrated the difference with the high school that he attended in a rural backwater in Kansas with no money. the school was new and well maintained with up to date books. there was a school therapist. the local school district is in the whole, but still they put their kids first, and that with 60% of the funding coming from property taxes.so my point what is law making powers going to do with a crappy infrastructure and where local government do not have the money to make the difference! How many children in Wales go to schools that are in a poor state of repair, where the kids use text books that are out of date.

My stepson made a valid point to me the other day he attended a school in Cardiff he could not understand (as a American) why the schools were falling down, where asbestos ceilings were coming down.

Then illustrated the difference with the high school that he attended in a rural backwater in Kansas with no money. the school was new and well maintained with up to date books. there was a school therapist. the local school district is in the whole, but still they put their kids first, and that with 60% of the funding coming from property taxes.so my point what is law making powers going to do with a crappy infrastructure and where local government do not have the money to make the difference!

]]> By: David Walters http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/11/the-irrelevance-of-law-making-powers/comment-page-1/#comment-598 David Walters Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:07:56 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=593#comment-598 "Think back over the past decade and try to identify one significant policy that was not implemented because of a lack of legal powers." Which party or individual would have gone into an election with a policy that they legally couldn't implement? Surely the policies that have been implemented are those which can be implemented within the present system and not those that can't “Think back over the past decade and try to identify one significant policy that was not implemented because of a lack of legal powers.”

Which party or individual would have gone into an election with a policy that they legally couldn’t implement? Surely the policies that have been implemented are those which can be implemented within the present system and not those that can’t

]]> By: Jeff Jones http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/11/the-irrelevance-of-law-making-powers/comment-page-1/#comment-597 Jeff Jones Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:15:38 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=593#comment-597 Couldn't agree with you more Paul. The fact that the Scottish Parliament has passed so many new acts hasn't necessarily made Scotland a better country for most Scots. Look at the issue with the Sprinkler LCO. For many people it is a classic example of what is wrong with the present system because it has taken so long to get any where near becoming a law. Yet if the you read the literature on the benefits of domestic sprinklers, the example always used is that of Scottsdale, Arizona. New buildings in Scottsdale have to sprinklers installed but it has nothing to do with the Federal government or the state of Arizona. The measure was introduced by a city ordinance. In other words a local government by law which probably had its origins in the election manifesto of the locally directly elected Mayor . It was probably introduced in weeks rather than months. Not only should there be primary legislative powers but the Assembly's accountability to the electorate would also be increased in my opinion if it had some form of revenue raising powers. 'No taxation without represenation' might have been the slogan of American colonists in the 18th century but in the 21st century we should not have 'representation without taxation.' Full primary law making powers should also be accompanied by a complete reform of the electorate system to reflect that the Assembly is different from Westminster. Whether or not a person is a member of the Assembly should depend on whether that person can gain the support of the voters not on where they are placed on a closed list by a dwindling band of party members in areas which were established to directly elected members of the European Parliament. Couldn’t agree with you more Paul. The fact that the Scottish Parliament has passed so many new acts hasn’t necessarily made Scotland a better country for most Scots. Look at the issue with the Sprinkler LCO. For many people it is a classic example of what is wrong with the present system because it has taken so long to get any where near becoming a law. Yet if the you read the literature on the benefits of domestic sprinklers, the example always used is that of Scottsdale, Arizona. New buildings in Scottsdale have to sprinklers installed but it has nothing to do with the Federal government or the state of Arizona. The measure was introduced by a city ordinance. In other words a local government by law which probably had its origins in the election manifesto of the locally directly elected Mayor . It was probably introduced in weeks rather than months.

Not only should there be primary legislative powers but the Assembly’s accountability to the electorate would also be increased in my opinion if it had some form of revenue raising powers. ‘No taxation without represenation’ might have been the slogan of American colonists in the 18th century but in the 21st century we should not have ‘representation without taxation.’

Full primary law making powers should also be accompanied by a complete reform of the electorate system to reflect that the Assembly is different from Westminster. Whether or not a person is a member of the Assembly should depend on whether that person can gain the support of the voters not on where they are placed on a closed list by a dwindling band of party members in areas which were established to directly elected members of the European Parliament.

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