West Midlands Combined Authorty

[Stu]

The newspaper outlines all Mr Streets stunning achievements for Sandwell  residents and includes an excellent interview with The Prime Minister on what he plans for the residents of Blackheath. I am personally very proud of a whole page entitled "Andy Street - getting to grips with the transport challenge" which outlines the stunning achievements Mr Street had made for bus use in Sandwell & includes an actual picture of him on a bus together with him inspecting brand new 82 & 87s.

Fortunately for me I no longer live in Sandwell since moving from Bearwood in 2008, so I won't get to see this newspaper, as my mum will no doubt use it next time she does some painting to keep paint off her carpet, so would you care to please list what these 'stunning achievements' are that Mr Street has done?

Also, with regards to the 'brand new buses on the 82 and 87', it must be pointed out that Mr Street had nothing to do with this and that it was National Express West Midlands who invested stunning amounts of money in purchasing these stunning new buses, all Mr Street did was his usual credit-taking photo opportunity for the media.

Richard, you are clearly a big fan and cheerleader for Mr Street, but I'm willing to bet that there are far more people who disagree with your opinion of him.

But as has been pointed out here and elsewhere, this forum is for discussing buses and is not anyone's political propaganda platform.

[monkeyjoe]

What do people think, do we have faith in it happening discuss......?.

https://www.itv.com/news/central/2020-02-04/billion-pound-transport-plans-proposed-for-west-midlands-include-underground-lines-and-21-new-rail-stations/

[richardjones210368]

Fortunately for me I no longer live in Sandwell since moving from Bearwood in 2008, so I won't get to see this newspaper, as my mum will no doubt use it next time she does some painting to keep paint off her carpet, so would you care to please list what these 'stunning achievements' are that Mr Street has done?

Also, with regards to the 'brand new buses on the 82 and 87', it must be pointed out that Mr Street had nothing to do with this and that it was National Express West Midlands who invested stunning amounts of money in purchasing these stunning new buses, all Mr Street did was his usual credit-taking photo opportunity for the media.

Richard, you are clearly a big fan and cheerleader for Mr Street, but I'm willing to bet that there are far more people who disagree with your opinion of him.

But as has been pointed out here and elsewhere, this forum is for discussing buses and is not anyone's political propaganda platform.

The achievements of Mr Streets four years of being the elected Mayor of the West Midlands are laid in the tabloid newspaper I outlined and I am  happy to send you a link if you wish @Stu. I do not stand on any political platform, I am not an member of any political party and as you are aware as a moderator I have sent you and the other moderators an email that as soon as mayoral election is underway and we go interregnum I will leave the forum and have my profile deleted in order to stop any form of a conflict of interest perhaps you do not read your messages?  May I remind you for the moment The Mayor is the elected representative for the residents of the West Midlands boroughs as democratically voted for in an 2017 election and as such has a democratic right to explain in front of his electorate his views and policies that have an impact of those who are resident within the WMCA and use the bus. The Mayor is the democratically elected person in charge of all Bus, Metro and Railway matters within the West Midlands and as such are you proposing censorship against opinions you are not in agreement with? For the record I have known Mr Street for over 20 years since we met at Harvard whilst studying for our MBAs and am always happy to give him my opinion on any matter regarding West Midlands Bus but am not in any way a member of any political party but am sadly an PEP due to my previous work therefore I cannot see how explaining the current the current policies of the democratically elected leader of the West Midlands to the forum can be described as being on a political propaganda platform please explain? Since I ceased complaining about West Midlands Travel Limited and the X8 as an amicable solution has been agreed is this now thread to use an excuse to simply to continue to attack me when my goal is to get the best bus service for the residents of Blackheath & the rest of Sandwell?

[Stuharris 6360]

It won't happen, it will disappear on Friday 8th May.

Just Street trying to make himself a name for the election, strangely up till about 6 months ago and hadn't really heard about him at all.

[Gareth]

I'm all for investment and improvement for public transport. However we won't see this plan come to fruition in our lifetimes. I'd put money on it.

And by the time it does, the Elizabeth in Elizabeth Line will be long forgotten about.

[monkeyjoe]

Re election I see lol, the lot has done the rounds over the years to be fair lol. Might see investment in alum rock and wash wood Heath Rd bus corridors before it happens.

[Gareth]

Re election I see lol, the lot has done the rounds over the years to be fair lol. Might see investment in alum rock and wash wood Heath Rd bus corridors before it happens.

I'm still waiting for the Midland Metro to come down Washwood Heath Road! They were going to compulsory purchase my childhood home to knock down and build the tram line back in about 1985!

[Stuharris 6360]

The thing is Street is HS2 mad, with the government spending all that money on the Birmingham end of that project, can you see them spending much money on anything else?

[richardjones210368]

I'm all for investment and improvement for public transport. However we won't see this plan come to fruition in our lifetimes. I'd put money on it.

And by the time it does, the Elizabeth in Elizabeth Line will be long forgotten about.

Perhaps that was before i arrived on the forum to explain the workings and polices of The Mayor @Stuharris 6360 and there is no such thing as an Andy Street plan it is plan of The West Midlands Combined Authority and as such such should be under that thread and not in an Andy Street Plan thread as there is no such thing. The forum rules clearly state a new thread should not be created when an exiting one is live. The newspaper report is incorrect the election campaign of Mr Street has not begun and as such this the current vision for the WMCA post May and as such this thread should be merged with the WMCA thread until we go interregnum and the election campaign begins

[Stuharris 6360]

Perhaps that was before i arrived on the forum to explain the workings and polices of The Mayor.

Do you actually believe that one person on this forum actually believes one word you say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[monkeyjoe]

I'm still waiting for the Midland Metro to come down Washwood Heath Road! They were going to compulsory purchase my childhood home to knock down and build the tram line back in about 1985!

I don't remember that. I remember talk of trams
for coleshill Rd Didn't realise there was talk of compulsory orders bla bla. People were to busy Moaning about Tesco etc

[richardjones210368]

The thing is Street is HS2 mad, with the government spending all that money on the Birmingham end of that project, can you see them spending much money on anything else?

Yes that is plan for the WMCA post May

[richardjones210368]

Do you actually believe that one person on this forum actually believes one word you say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no such thing as an Andy Street plan it is plan of The West Midlands Combined Authority and as such such should be under that thread and not in an Andy Street Plan thread as there is no such thing. The forum rules clearly state a new thread should not be created when an existing one is live don't they @Stu

[Stu]

The achievements of Mr Streets four years of being the elected Mayor of the West Midlands are laid in the tabloid newspaper I outlined and I am  happy to send you a link if you wish @Stu. I do not stand on any political platform, I am not an member of any political party and as you are aware as a moderator I have sent you and the other moderators an email that as soon as mayoral election is underway and we go interregnum I will leave the forum and have my profile deleted in order to stop any form of a conflict of interest perhaps you do not read your messages?  May I remind you for the moment The Mayor is the elected representative for the residents of the West Midlands boroughs as democratically voted for in an 2017 election and as such has a democratic right to explain in front of his electorate his views and policies that have an impact of those who are resident within the WMCA and use the bus. The Mayor is the democratically elected person in charge of all Bus, Metro and Railway matters within the West Midlands and as such are you proposing censorship against opinions you are not in agreement with? For the record I have known Mr Street for over 20 years since we met at Harvard whilst studying for our MBAs at Harvard and am always happy to give him my opinion on any matter regarding West Midlands Bus but am not in any way a member of any political party but am sadly an PEP due to my previous work therefore I cannot see how explaining the current the current policies of the democratically elected leader of the West Midlands to the forum can be described as being on a political propaganda platform please explain?

Yes, we are all fully aware that Mr Street is the democratically elected Mayor of the West Midlands, and for the record I did actually vote for him, albeit as my second choice.

I am not in any way proposing censorship against opinions I am not in agreement with, I am very much in support of the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

You are entitled to your opinion of Mr Street, and I am entitled to my own, as does anyone else.

I have asked you to detail these 'stunning achievements' that Mr Street has boasted of in this local newpaper, can you please list them for me? Because it seems to me that much of what Mr Street takes credit for is what has been in the planning for years, and would have happened regardless of whether he or Sion Simon won the mayoral election - for example, the Midland Metro tram extensions, the Sprint buses, and the reopening of Camp Hill line rail stations.

If you don't like people disagreeing with your opinions, that's fine, but debate the opinion, not the person.

I obviously don't enjoy the same kind of relationship that you have with Mr Street, so you'll have to forgive me for not holding him in as high a regard as you do.

Generally I keep my political opinions away from this forum, as it is not the place to express them, this is after all the 'West Midlands Buses In Photographs' forum. That's all I'm saying.

[richardjones210368]

Yes, we are all fully aware that Mr Street is the democratically elected Mayor of the West Midlands, and for the record I did actually vote for him, albeit as my second choice.

I am not in any way proposing censorship against opinions I am not in agreement with, I am very much in support of the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

You are entitled to your opinion of Mr Street, and I am entitled to my own, as does anyone else.

I have asked you to detail these 'stunning achievements' that Mr Street has boasted of in this local newpaper, can you please list them for me? Because it seems to me that much of what Mr Street takes credit for is what has been in the planning for years, and would have happened regardless of whether he or Sion Simon won the mayoral election - for example, the Midland Metro tram extensions, the Sprint buses, and the reopening of Camp Hill line rail stations.

If you don't like people disagreeing with your opinions, that's fine, but debate the opinion, not the person.

I obviously don't enjoy the same kind of relationship that you have with Mr Street, so you'll have to forgive me for not holding him in as high a regard as you do.

Generally I keep my political opinions away from this forum, as it is not the place to express them, this is after all the 'West Midlands Buses In Photographs' forum. That's all I'm saying.

Then why is ok to for @monkeyjoe to start a thread about Mr Street quoting a factually incorrect news article when it was actually an WMCA announcement therefore should be within this thread me thinks double standards about forum rules!