Lets Flood again, like we did last summer

Was blowing a hooly here last night, and looking out it still is, I'm amazed there's any trees still standing! And those people getting battered in the west country:(

Let it STOP!!!

 

I'm appalled at the way that this country has handled this; agreed, there has been a hell of a lot of rain, but it should never have been enough to cripple such a large area of the country.

Its time that the fabric of our country is brought up to scratch - roads, railways, drainage, waterways, and water storage/reservoirs. For far too long now, they have all been under-funded and over-stretched by other development (both industrial and housing) - and when all is said and done, its all down to one thing.... privatisation.

The water companies have been privately owned now for the best part of 25 years. Thames Water alone made £550-million in profit in 2013 alone! Given that they serve roughly a quarter of the population (source), that means that there is roughly just over £2-billion per year being taken out of our pockets that is only going to shareholders bank accounts. Just imagine what could be done to prevent floods if that £2-billion was being reinvested in proper maintenance (the way it used to be) and expanding the drainage/sewage and water supply networks properly? Hell, there would even be a considerable economic benefit from it in the shape of people having jobs!

The whole idea behind taxation originally, as far as I understand it, was to provide for basic human rights for all in society - clean water, sanitation, gas and electricity to light and heat homes, a postal service and of course roads and railways so we can all get around. One by one, they have been whittled away and sold off because they were 'inefficient or too costly to remain in public ownership' or to get 'better value for taxpayers money' - well none of it looks like very good value from where I am sitting!

If this was France, we'd have been burning tractors in the streets in protest years ago!