We stated that we were on the tails of the bungling duo Chairman Marx Dowd and his General Scales; we may well have to revise our position because the stench of the emissions are now too overpowering and gassing us.

£25m for propaganda

Just to recap the mad caps; up to now the pair have authorised £25m for propaganda and high priced consultants and even worse despite the Sec. of State, A. Darling telling them "there is no money for Public Transport Tram projects" including Manchester and Leeds. (They are well ahead of Liverpool in the Grant queue) M/T. are still paying out our taxes for Line 2. They will not listen.

Well what about this; our contacts told us to take a look at the Allerton Station Project so we did. This is a scheme dreamt up by the General himself. Nice one General. The scheme is to link the John Lennon Airport to the rail system. So what, it sounds O.K., interlinking transport systems, all the rage. But !! - somehow with the Chairman and the General involved as Groucho Marx once said "there is less in this than meets the eye" so we asked a few questions no lies just a few, and guess what? The facts flew out in fits of anger. The experts of course, were ignored, par for the course for Merseytrouble ; too costly they were told; no real advantage, the Airport is still 1 mile away; no one will use it they were told ; they ignored that one too!

Tunnel Toll increase

So you might ask who was in favour, well, well it was the Dept. for Transport yes you've got it one, the very same Dept. that has just told Manchester and Leeds and Liverpool "there is no money for Tram Projects". It was them that agreed a grant of £6.3m towards the Allerton Station but, and this is a very big BUT, Merseytravel ( M/T) must find the rest. Sit down M/s Rowlands we know what you will say "We will get the money from the Tunnel Toll increase, silly billies"

£5.5m rises to £18.1m

The Station was originally costed at £5.5m it is now £18.1m did you get that? We' ll say it again it was costed at - Wait for it - £5.5m. It is now £18.1m! And rising! What the bottom line to us? Well lets see, £18.1m cost to (and still rising) minus £ 6.3m from the Dept. of Transport is £11.8m!! So where oh where will this huge amount come from? Please sit down M/s R.!

Guess what? We checked if any Inter city Train would stop there at Allerton. Not only was the answer no but even more hilarious the platform is too small! That's what we've been told ! What about the local trains and Pennine trains? The answer came back nobodies asked them! The real problem is this no laughing matter. Knowsley have already had to suffer the loss of £5m from their cost towards £25m for the Trams and Misguided Bus Fiasco turned down by Darling the Sec of State. Now a further £2.4m, that is Knowsleys contribution for the £11.8m shortfall for Allerton Station. Total loss to us is £7.4m. All this and more; M/T are wilfully incurring more consultants fees and more propaganda for Line 2 knowing full well that there is no money for Public Funded Trams. Why are the costs being incurred on the Line 2 Tram Project? Ego massive Ego, that is why. Yet there is still no responsible action being taken by any concerned Labour Councillor in Knowsley except of course as we have already told you to lever Councillor Marx Dowd back into a nice little earner £65000 was it? Have you asked about this at any Councillors Surgery? Funny word that really, surgery, it's a pity they don't cut out this overspend and lower out taxes!

Watch this space the facts are spilling out. With some more cooperation things may well change especially when the City Auditor gets on the trail of our Chairman and his General