Tunnel Vision (the addendum)

And his Master’s Voice is fast at work, eager to dispel the idea that this is just an exercise in mental entertainment. The Times carried an article yesterday entitled “Gozitans welcome tunnel idea”. Well J’accuse welcomes the idea too but does not believe in the timing. We are convinced that a time will come when a tunnel/bridge/teleport site will happen between Malta and Gozo (and that Gozo will suffer the consequences) but we are also convinced that no one in his right mind thinks that the time is now.

For starters, and only for starters there’s the financing. Even if we considered farming out the contract to a private enterprise (and risked being at their mercy for tolls for a decade or two) would you really trust this government not to make a hash of the tender in the same way as it has done with the unmentionable BWSC?

In any case, you really have to ask what made the Times dish out the superlatives such as:

“Massive support for the proposal was shown this morning but it was pointed out that Gozitans should have a very big say in the decision. They proposed a referendum in Gozo to see where Gozitans stood on the issue.”

Really? So what exactly is the “massive support” if a referendum is needed? then the GRTU came out strongly in favour of the tunnel. If you consider Vince Farrugia a strong unbiased voice that is. On the other hand, if you remember that Vince was part of the umbrella coalition for MEP votes then you might think again. The Times’ eagerness to shower plaudits was unbridled:

Some of the organisations in Gozo had already appointed sub-committees to work on the proposal, while a survey held by the GTA found had 90 per cent support of members of the Gozo Tourism Authority.

I bet the Xewkija Tigers social committee got an early head start on that one. And you’ve got to love the survey by the GTA (Gozo Tourism Authority) that obtained 90% support of the … wait for it… Gozo Tourism Authority.

As for copying Nordic countries, the last time we experimented with their ideas in the Fliegu we ended up with flat bottomed boats that were ideal for fjords but that rocked like crazy whenever the Libeccio was here to stay.

Could do better.

Post postum

And Inhobbkom couldn’t resist throwing in his two cents’ worth. He came up with not one but two gems:

Labour, he said, had considered a tunnel project for Gozo in the 1970s and it would be in favour after all the studies were carried out for the best type of permanent link to be developed. But decisions could not be imposed and they had to be taken by Gozitans.

1. Labour in the 70’s already considered a tunnel project. Another one from Labour’s revival of the 70s better known as “That 70s No-No”. The omniscient Mintoff had actually caused a fuss about a bridge but if I recall well some engineers from Japan or Russia had shot down the idea as unfeasible. That’s that.

2. Decision is for the Gozitans to take. Arse-licking the Gozitans is a PLPN favourite that escalates just before election time. Here Inhobbkom engages in the all time favourite of mini-nationalism: “Decisions could not be imposed and they had to be taken by the Gozitans”. We could dismiss it as a load of codswalloping bullshit but then again upon reflection we do note his consistency: essentially Labour will not take any decision itself. It is always up to somebody else to take the decision (and the blame).

We’ve fallen in… and we can’t get out.