Socialdemokraterna grasping at straws

I swear I thought this was just a joke, until it appeared on the front page of every major newspaper in Sweden. The socialist democratic party, Socialdemokraterna are really grasping at straws when they make it an election promise to introduce butlers/concierge services and at the subway stations in Stockholm, apparently to give people the option of doing something useful while they're down there in that miserable pit on their way to and from work. Like picking up their laundry, returning a book to the library, get your pre-ordered food-basket delivered, and so on. They've even created their own website with this nonsense.

I don't know about you, but I'd prefer not spending my time in that urine-stinking, overcrowded dungeon. And if I have to, I try making my visit as brief as humanly possible. Life is too short to be miserable, so how about Socialdemokraterna made it a bit faster and more enjoyable to get to and from work instead? Yes, I'm talking about proper roads, where you can get to work in the privacy of your own, climate controlled, quiet and comfortable car, whenever you want to. Now that's an election promise I could stand behind.

Ban studded winter tires and brakes

Miljöpartiet, that bunch of no-good tree-huggers who are only out to make life more miserable for the average Swede, or so it seems, have announced that they would like a ban on studded winter tires in the entire city of Stockholm. Apparently creating chaos on just one street isn't enough.

What these morons fail to realize though is that car brakes, when used, emit an equal amount of polluting particles. So why not simply ban the use of car brakes as well, while you're at it? If any motorist is observed using the brakes he or she should be presented with a shockingly high fine, as well as a damn good beating. That'll teach those bastards to pollute the fresh Stockholm air.

Or you could do the smart thing and introduce a tax for using studded tires, making it possible for those who need such tires to actually travel to Stockholm without stopping along the way to change tires - provided they pay the mandatory studded tire tax. That way the use of studded tires will decline, the city will make some money out of it, and we won't be plagued by yet another stupid ban.

Another rigged referendum coming up...

The huge and desperately needed infrastructure project Förbifart Stockholm is being questioned by the socialist opposition in Stockholm, contrary to previous promises, and they promise to let the people decide through a referendum provided they win the upcoming elections.

We all know how well that went the last time Stockholmers were asked for their honest opinion: The question on the voting slip was tendentious to say the least ("Miljöavgifter/trängselskatt innebär att avgifter tas ut i biltrafiken i syfte att minska köer och förbättra miljön. Intäkterna återförs till Stockholmsregionen för investeringar i kollektivtrafik och vägar.") and interestingly enough only the votes of those living in or in the immediate vicinity of the city center were counted. You know, those who are within walking distance or a short ride on the subway from everything. Those who see the car only as an annoyance.

So given this great track record in referendums I'm guessing we'll see yet another rigged referendum coming up after the elections. How about the following alternatives on the voting slip:

• "I believe in preserving the nature and not to destroy the future for my children _ " or
• "I am a selfish bastard who wants to build nasty, polluting roads and contribute to the destruction of the planet _"

Furthermore, I'm assuming only the votes of those living in the center of Stockholm, and particularly of those who do not own a car themselves, will be counted. Anyone wanna guess the outcome?

Crime pays

In case you're wondering, crime does pay, provided you're high enough up in the food chain. The property director of the City of Stockholm, Torbjörn Johansson, has personally been certifying more or less phony invoices on purchaces and trips he's allegedly made himself contrary to the applicable regulations.

This jerk has wasted over 200.000 SEK of taxpayer's money in only 1,5 years of working as a property director, and for that he receives a dishonorary discharge AND a whoopping 2 years salary in severance pay - amounting to 2 million kronor, also taxpayer's money. You would think that severance agreement would include a clause on fraud, but apparently the bright minds at the City of Stockholm didn't think so.

Photo borrowed from Fastighetssverige.se

Go get some new clothes. And a life.

"Stockholm's finest", the two moronic police officers who abused Jesper Nilsson in the subway last week, have finally become properly identified - names and pictures. Good, now we know who to avoid. We also know that they're all too happy to blatantly lie in order to punish troublesome citizens. Unfortunately this time they were caught on tape, and their nonsense lies are easily revealed.

A quick google search also revealed that one of these police officers, Carl Larsson, was featured on Swedish television a little while back. While I have no reason to believe anything coming from his mouth at this point, I did find it funny that he's wearing the exact same clothes as he did when abusing Nilsson in the subway. Way to go getting into that hobo character, Larsson.



Get a life and a set of new clothes, please.

Sweden turning into Norway

The introduction of the road tolls in Stockholm in 2006 sure opened pandoras box. Or the gates to hell, depending on you point of view. We've already seen the city of Gothenburg eager to plague their motorists with a similar toll ring system. Tolls will be collected on E4 near Sundsvall. Road toll plans have popped up regarding the new Skurubron in Värmdö and now even more road tolls are planned on E4, this time outside Örnsköldsvik.

All this because the 70 billion kronor that Swedish motorists annually pay in various car-related taxes apparently isn't enough to pay for a bit of road here and there...

I'm sad to say this country is turning into Norway fast. And no, I'm not talking about the oil, if only it were that well. I'm talking about punishing the motorists in every way possible. You guys who have ever had the "pleasure" of going to Norway by car know what I'm talking about (and you probably think twice before going back). And for the rest of you, have a good look at what's in store for you:


Looks nice, doesn't it? Norwegian motorists will pay almost 6 billion NOK in road tolls this year, half of it wasted on administration costs. We might as well just give Vägverket our credit card and let them charge us at will, because this toll road hell is exactly what awaits us if the current politicians get to decide. Bloody leaches.

The farce continues

The Court of Appeal in Stockholm have managed to get hold of a Spotify employee, Fredrik Niemelä, to be one of the lay judges when the Pirate Bay trial is to be tried again. As we all know Spotify is partly owned by the very same record companies who are part in this trial, so any moron would see that Mr. Niemelä ought to be disqualified at once. Except himself, of course:

– Jag har noga övervägt min anställning och kan inte se att det finns risk för jäv. I så fall skulle ingen som någonsin arbetat med försäljning kunna vara nämndeman i ett misstänkt stöldfall, säger han till SvD.se.

I'm sorry? You're saying you wouldn't consider it a problem if you were an Ica-employee and were set to be a lay judge in a trial where Ica was a party? There's no chance of you being biased with your employer sitting on one side of the courtroom? I'm impressed.

After the scandals surrounding the first trial you'd think the Court of Appeal would spend just a little extra time making sure none of the judges was on the entertainment mafia's payroll.

*Update 2009-09-24: Seems like there's more than just a Spotify-employee amongst the judges... I'm fascinated by how impossible it seems to be given a fair trial with unbiased judges here in Sweden. What is this, a banana republic?