I received a call from SANRAL about a 18months ago wanting to guage my opinions on the new tolling system they would implement as a part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP). When I asked what the fee they were considering was, they told me 50c per kilometre. It sounded steep at the time. Now, they have announced a 66c/km fee that will be implemented in June 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

I found out today that with the newly revised wage offer by government it will take the public servants on strike four years to recover the money they’ve lost through the no-work-no-pay policy, adjusted for the new negotiated increase.

Four years!? What the …. ? The 14 days of industrial action equates to a four year debt.

I’m not sure it has occurred to our average public servant, be it an administrator, teacher or hospital nurse, that while they have either been sitting at home, or out on the streets intimidating volunteers working in their place, that it will take them so long to recover the money they’ve lost?

Now, lest I be misunderstood, I am all for the right to strike. Especially in this current situation. The pay scheme’s for teachers, nurses and the like are woeful. I can attest to this myself having been a teacher. But there comes a point when a protracted strike has no logical reason for it’s continuation. There is no econmic justification, just a principle-based pissing competition. Here’s what I mean … Read the rest of this entry »

I quite enjoy debating my Christian faith with mates who are atheists. One mate I REALLY enjoy a good, hearty, robust debate with is Rich Mulholland. Besides the odd face-to-face conversation (we’re overdue for lunch), Rich takes me on when I tweet about Christian stuff. Tonight I tweeted this quote from CS Lewis, “Christians don’t think God will love us because we’re good, but that God will make us good because He loves us”. Rich responded in his ever incisive manner:

There were a few more tweets, but the debate is too big, even for Twitter. So, here I outline some more thoughts and invite Rich to carry on the conversation here …

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