Fuel demo adds to road taxes row
Lorry drivers have staged a protest at the rising cost of fuel, at the same time as speculation mounted about a government rethink on road tax.
Hundreds of lorry drivers protested in London and a two-mile line of lorries crawled along the M4 towards Cardiff.
Hauliers say diesel prices topping 120p a litre, plus the planned 2p fuel tax rise, will drive firms "to the wall".
Meanwhile, ministers said Alistair Darling was "listening" to fears over plans to raise vehicle excise duty.
The government is planning to increase road tax on older, more polluting vehicles, and next week the chancellor will meet Labour MPs opposed to the plan.
So far, 42 MPs have signed a Commons motion asking him to reconsider the policy on the grounds that it is retrospective and therefore "unfair" to people who have already bought their cars.
Blockades
While the chancellor cannot control global oil prices, hauliers want an "essential user" duty rebate on fuel of between 20p and 25p a litre to ease competition with foreign haulage companies.
UK'S CHEAPEST & MOST EXPENSIVE FUEL
Cheapest unleaded: 108.9p (Mansfield)
Most expensive unleaded: 126.9p (Newport, Isle of Wight)
Cheapest diesel: 115.9p (Banff)
Most expensive diesel: 140.9p (Isle of Mull)
Latest figures from PetrolPrices.com
Car tax rates guide
In pictures: Fuel protests
'We can't carry on like this'
Mike Greene, leader of the protests in Wales, told the BBC that, unless the government agreed to the rebate within seven days, lorries would blockade refineries and ports.
Peter Carroll, from TransAction 2007 which organised the London protest, said he did not condone blockades, but found it "hard to condemn them", given how much hauliers were suffering.
The BBC's environment analyst, Roger Harrabin, said it was family-run, small and medium-sized firms that were worst hit.
See how UK petrol and diesel prices have risen
He said large companies were able to raise their rates to absorb higher fuel costs and could also more easily pass on the pain of price rises to consumers.
'Real crisis'
Organisers had hoped as many as 1,000 lorries would take part in the protest in London, but Peter Carroll, from TransAction, said the turnout was about 500. Police put the figure at 300.
HAVE YOUR SAY
We have a worldwide reputation for being an expensive country for fuel. No wonder they call us 'treasure island'
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The lorries parked on the eastbound A40 closing the carriageway between the northern roundabout A3220 junction and Paddington from 1000 BST until 1600 BST.
Some drivers also joined a rally in central London before petitioning 10 Downing Street. Mr Carroll said hauliers were being "murdered" by rising costs, and the public's response to their plight had been "enormously positive".
"We feel we couldn't have put on a better or bigger display to show the government this is a real crisis," he said.
"The acid test will now be whether they listen to us."
In Wales, police said about 100 lorries took part in a 60-mile convoy protest from Cross Hands, near Llanelli. Other reports put the figure at about 170.
Convoys have blocked the A40 and disrupted traffic on the M4
They had planned to hand in a petition to the Welsh assembly at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, but police turned back many vehicles and diverted others to a service station west of the city.
Martin Arthur, who owns a haulage firm in Usk, Monmouthshire, said: "We have to make ourselves heard or people will keep walking all over us.
"People will have to stop working sooner or later because there's no point working for a loss."
Commons Transport Committee chairwoman Louise Ellman said ministers should acknowledge widespread concerns over soaring fuel costs but not be forced into policy decisions by protests.
"Everybody is feeling the impact of the increased cost of living," she said. "That's something the government will have to think about."
LONDON CONVOYS
Trucks from Cowbit, Lincolnshire head to A40 in London via M1, A406 and Hanger Lane Gyratory
Trucks from M2 Medway Services, Kent head to A40 in London via Vauxhall Bridge, Grosvenor Road, Chelsea Embankment, Finborough Road, Warwick Road, Holland Road and West Cross Route (A3220)
Coaches take drivers from parking on A40 to 1130 BST Marble Arch rally
All vehicles supposed to leave A40 by 1530 BSTA Treasury spokesman said the government understood businesses and families were "feeling the pressure from high fuel prices".
But they said the "immediate priority" was to encourage oil-producing countries to increase output, that a 2p-per-litre fuel duty increase had been put back from April to October and fuel duty was "still 11% below its 1999 level in real terms".
The Treasury also defended its plan to increase vehicle excise duty for vehicles registered since 2001 that emit higher levels of pollutants.
Owners of the most polluting cars could face a rise of as much as £200, but a spokesman said the policy was needed to "strengthen the environmental incentive to develop and purchase fuel-efficient cars".
Business Secretary John Hutton told the BBC the chancellor was "listening to what people are saying about vehicle excise duty".
He also said the government wanted UK hauliers to have "a fair deal" and the chancellor would have "to consider how he wants to go forward on this".
Justice Secretary Jack Straw told the BBC he "fully understood" the hauliers' concerns, but "government revenues have to come from somewhere".
He said any decisions made about increased road tax would be made in the autumn statement.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7420792.stm
Thursday, May 29, 2008
British Truckdrivers strike?!
There was supposed to be mass chaos and whatnot in the Nanny state as the Truck Drivers all around Britain came to a full stop at entryways and off-ramps on major roads throughout the land. But so far, I've only been able to find briefist of mention on the subject with a Kuwait Newspaper article from two days ago:
Truck drivers in UK to strike soaring fuel prices
Power & Materials 5/26/2008 1:39:00 PM
LONDON, May 26 (KUNA) -- Truck drivers in Britain are to pour into London on Tuesday for what organisers hope will be the largest-ever fuel duty protest in the British capital, it was announced Monday.
Hauliers are angry at soaring fuel prices which have resulted in the average cost of diesel passing far beyond the 120 pence-a-litre mark, the organizers said. Led by lorry drivers from Kent, southern England, the protest is expected to attract hundreds of hauliers from all around the UK. The convoy will make its way to central London, parking close to Marble Arch. Police said a number of roads will be closed in London so that demonstrators can park their lorries. A delegation from the demonstrators will hand a letter to 10 Downing Street demanding the immediate introduction of an essential user rebate which would allow Huge lorries operators to claim some of the fuel duty back. Mike Presneill, a leading member of Transaction 2007, who is helping to organise the protest, said: "Fuel is rocketing. The Government has the power to act but appears not to be listening. Hundreds of UK transport firms are being driven to the wall. Thousands of UK jobs are being lost," he said. Another Kent-based haulier, Peter Knight, said "Foreign hauliers are entering the UK with cheaper fuel purchased abroad. They contribute nothing to our economy." Knight added. "This is the economics of the mad house. If we are wiped out, the work will be done by foreign hauliers who pay nothing to the UK in tax."
Truck drivers in UK to strike soaring fuel prices
Power & Materials 5/26/2008 1:39:00 PM
LONDON, May 26 (KUNA) -- Truck drivers in Britain are to pour into London on Tuesday for what organisers hope will be the largest-ever fuel duty protest in the British capital, it was announced Monday.
Hauliers are angry at soaring fuel prices which have resulted in the average cost of diesel passing far beyond the 120 pence-a-litre mark, the organizers said. Led by lorry drivers from Kent, southern England, the protest is expected to attract hundreds of hauliers from all around the UK. The convoy will make its way to central London, parking close to Marble Arch. Police said a number of roads will be closed in London so that demonstrators can park their lorries. A delegation from the demonstrators will hand a letter to 10 Downing Street demanding the immediate introduction of an essential user rebate which would allow Huge lorries operators to claim some of the fuel duty back. Mike Presneill, a leading member of Transaction 2007, who is helping to organise the protest, said: "Fuel is rocketing. The Government has the power to act but appears not to be listening. Hundreds of UK transport firms are being driven to the wall. Thousands of UK jobs are being lost," he said. Another Kent-based haulier, Peter Knight, said "Foreign hauliers are entering the UK with cheaper fuel purchased abroad. They contribute nothing to our economy." Knight added. "This is the economics of the mad house. If we are wiped out, the work will be done by foreign hauliers who pay nothing to the UK in tax."
Ewan McGregor won't do "Porno"
McGregor won't do 'Porno'
5 commentsMay. 27, 2008 12:00 AM
BANG Showbiz
Ewan McGregor will not make a sequel to Trainspotting.
The Star Wars actor has ruled out ever starring in a follow-up to the 1996 film because he isn't a fan of Irvine Welsh's Porno, the sequel to Trainspotting.
Ewan, who played heroin addict Renton in the original movie, said: "There has always been talk of a sequel but I was disappointed with the book that Irvine wrote afterwards, Porno. It was like he wrote a sequel to the movie.
"I would hate to damage Trainspotting. It would be awful to damage the reputation of that film."
Despite his reluctance to reprise his role, the actor said starring in Trainspotting was a fantastic experience.
"It was mindblowing. I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking, 'Yeah, here we go!' It was extraordinary for lots of reasons, but I remember it being great because I was in my early 20s in the mid-90s when it came out."
Plane Lands on Tulsa Highway
Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Highway
POSTED: 1:37 pm CDT May 28, 2008
UPDATED: 6:10 pm CDT May 28, 2008
TULSA, Okla. -- A Texas man told authorities that engine problems forced him to make an emergency landing on U.S. Highway 75 near Tulsa.
No injuries are reported, and the only damage appears to be to a road sign.
Allen Braden said he was flying his single-engine Cessna from Emporia, Kan., to his home in Houston when he developed engine trouble.
Braden said he tried to make it to Tulsa International Airport but couldn't so he landed on the highway after seeing an opening in traffic.
The Federal Aviation Administration is being called to investigate the incident.
Information from: KOTV-TV, http://www.newson6.com
POSTED: 1:37 pm CDT May 28, 2008
UPDATED: 6:10 pm CDT May 28, 2008
TULSA, Okla. -- A Texas man told authorities that engine problems forced him to make an emergency landing on U.S. Highway 75 near Tulsa.
No injuries are reported, and the only damage appears to be to a road sign.
Allen Braden said he was flying his single-engine Cessna from Emporia, Kan., to his home in Houston when he developed engine trouble.
Braden said he tried to make it to Tulsa International Airport but couldn't so he landed on the highway after seeing an opening in traffic.
The Federal Aviation Administration is being called to investigate the incident.
Information from: KOTV-TV, http://www.newson6.com
5.898 GPA student NOT valedictorian!
Grapevine student with top grades won't be valedictorian
12:27 AM CDT on Thursday, May 29, 2008
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
lfox@dallasnews.com
Grapevine High School senior Anjali Datta holds the highest grade-point average of the 471 students graduating from Grapevine High School this year.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school's history.
Anjali Datta's GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the Grapevine High School history, but she can't be valedictorian and get a one-year scholarship from the state because she graduated in three years instead of the usual four.
View larger More photos Photo store It's still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor's GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she's the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years. But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn't affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district's schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that's not the situation in this case, the district's attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be "Valedictorian – Three-Year."
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
"We're doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy," said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. "I'm not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We've not faced this situation before."
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
"There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer," she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
"I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes 'too quickly,' " said her father, Deepak Datta. "Anjali's experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
"They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system."
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district's position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
"The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy," Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. "In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district's attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
"Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy," he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn't raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family's attention.
"We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well," she said. "Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution."
Anjali says she's struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn't even mention the word "valedictorian" when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an "Honor Graduate Certificate." The certificate is to be presented to the "highest ranking graduate" in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district's responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn't feel quite right.
"This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title," she said.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school’s history.
It’s still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor’s GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she’s the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: “the valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade point average for four years of high school.”
The dispute over Anjali’s status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and she says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn’t affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district’s schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that’s not the situation in this case, the district’s attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville, will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be “Valedictorian—Three-Year.”
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
“We’re doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy,” said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. “I’m not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We’ve not faced this situation before.”
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
“There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer,” she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
“I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes ‘too quickly,’” said her father, Deepak Datta. “Anjali’s experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
“They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system.”
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district’s position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
“The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy,” Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. “In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district’s attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
“Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy,” he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn’t raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family’s attention.
“We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well,” she said. “Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution.”
Anjali says she’s struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn’t even mention the word “valedictorian” when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an “Honor Graduate Certificate.” The certificate is to be presented to the “highest ranking graduate” in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district’s responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation on June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn’t feel quite right.
“This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title,” she said.
12:27 AM CDT on Thursday, May 29, 2008
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
lfox@dallasnews.com
Grapevine High School senior Anjali Datta holds the highest grade-point average of the 471 students graduating from Grapevine High School this year.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school's history.
Anjali Datta's GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the Grapevine High School history, but she can't be valedictorian and get a one-year scholarship from the state because she graduated in three years instead of the usual four.
View larger More photos Photo store It's still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor's GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she's the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years. But a school district policy states: "The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school."
The dispute over Anjali's status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn't affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district's schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that's not the situation in this case, the district's attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be "Valedictorian – Three-Year."
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
"We're doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy," said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. "I'm not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We've not faced this situation before."
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
"There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer," she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
"I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes 'too quickly,' " said her father, Deepak Datta. "Anjali's experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
"They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system."
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district's position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
"The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy," Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. "In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district's attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
"Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy," he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn't raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family's attention.
"We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well," she said. "Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution."
Anjali says she's struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn't even mention the word "valedictorian" when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an "Honor Graduate Certificate." The certificate is to be presented to the "highest ranking graduate" in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district's responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn't feel quite right.
"This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title," she said.
In fact, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials believe her GPA of 5.898 may be the highest in the high school’s history.
It’s still not enough to make her the valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship from the state.
Her closest competitor’s GPA is 5.64. No one disputes that she’s the top student in her class numerically. The problem rests with another number entirely.
Anjali rocketed through high school in only three years.
But a school district policy states: “the valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade point average for four years of high school.”
The dispute over Anjali’s status as valedictorian comes down to interpretation: Does four years mean calendar years of school attendance or does it mean completing the credits it takes most students four years to earn?
It depends on whom you ask.
The 16-year-old started taking high school classes in middle school and she says her teachers encouraged her to graduate a year early because she had more than enough credits for graduation.
She said a counselor assured her that doing so wouldn’t affect her valedictorian status because she earned her four years of high school credit in the district’s schools. Officials had no comment about what a counselor may have said.
The policy was created to protect students from others who might transfer into the district close to graduation and usurp the class ranking of longtime students.
Though that’s not the situation in this case, the district’s attorneys interpreted the policy literally.
So at graduation ceremonies, 18-year-old Tyler Scott Franklin of Colleyville, will be the Grapevine High School valedictorian.
Anjali will be “Valedictorian—Three-Year.”
District officials said the title was created for this situation.
“We’re doing what we can to extend an additional honor within accordance of school board policy,” said Megan Overman, a district spokeswoman. “I’m not going to say that this has been an easy situation. This is something that is new for all of us. We’ve not faced this situation before.”
Ms. Overman said the district researched the decision for months.
“There was a lot of thought involved in this. There is no perfect answer,” she said.
Anjali says she and her parents are baffled.
“I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes ‘too quickly,’” said her father, Deepak Datta. “Anjali’s experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel.
“They will most certainly be discouraged from trying to do their best – instead will be more focused on gaming the system.”
On Tuesday, Grapevine High School principal Jerry Hollingsworth notified the family via e-mail of the district’s position that would arrive this week by certified letter.
“The determination of valedictory honor is one that rests squarely on Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board policy,” Dr. Hollingsworth wrote. “In determining an appropriate interpretation of our policy, inquiries were made to both the school district’s attorney as well as an attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards.
“Both were clear in their opinions that this honor should go to a student who has four school years in his or her high school career. We are compelled to adhere to school board policy,” he wrote.
So, Tyler will receive the college scholarship.
His mother, Kathy, said her family didn’t raise the issue with the school district. She said someone brought the district policy to her family’s attention.
“We feel obviously that the other student deserves recognition as well,” she said. “Considering all of the different factors, this was a good solution.”
Anjali says she’s struggling to understand the move because the Texas Education Agency doesn’t even mention the word “valedictorian” when defining eligibility for the college scholarship.
The state provides Texas high schools with an “Honor Graduate Certificate.” The certificate is to be presented to the “highest ranking graduate” in the senior class, according to Texas Education Code.
State officials say it is the local school district’s responsibility to determine the highest ranking student, and the state has no authority to get involved. At graduation on June 7, Anjali will be honored for her perfect ACT score. She will be acknowledged as an honor graduate and allowed to address her classmates.
But Anjali said it still doesn’t feel quite right.
“This really diminishes the value of the valedictorian title,” she said.
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