I find it disgusting that the Prime Minister and now the Deputy Prime Minister make an art form of not answering the questions they are asked at Prime Minister’s Question Time.
They treat it as some kind of game but what they forgot is that they are our servants being paid by us and that gives us a right to hear the question answered to the best of their ability.
The solution: if the question asked is not answered then the question can be repeated without counting as another question.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Friday, 6 March 2009
Government Interference – banker’s minimum pay
How ridiculous that the government thinks it best knows what is an appropriate level of bankers pay.
Of course there have been the most awful excesses but that is because the government’s lack of any reasonable regulation in ensuring the banks report true profits based on true value of their assets.
If the true state of the bank’s finances had been properly reported over the last decade they would have been shown to be making much smaller amounts of money and so bonuses and pay would have been much smaller.
So rather than fix the real problem, once again, they fiddle with something that makes them look good.
Why? Well there are two reasons. The first is that they are too incompetent to begin to know how to fix the real problem. And second, because, for lazy politicians, looking good is all that is important to them.
Of course there have been the most awful excesses but that is because the government’s lack of any reasonable regulation in ensuring the banks report true profits based on true value of their assets.
If the true state of the bank’s finances had been properly reported over the last decade they would have been shown to be making much smaller amounts of money and so bonuses and pay would have been much smaller.
So rather than fix the real problem, once again, they fiddle with something that makes them look good.
Why? Well there are two reasons. The first is that they are too incompetent to begin to know how to fix the real problem. And second, because, for lazy politicians, looking good is all that is important to them.
Government Interference – the price of alcohol
It is already openly being acknowledged that having a minimum price for a unit of alcohol will have little effect in reducing the damage to people’s health from excess alcohol consumption. So why do they go ahead – because they are in for the quick grab publicity solution – they don’t care whether it will work or not so long as they look good that they have done something. It’s typical of short term politicians.
The solution can only come from understanding why people do it and what would stop it – why not run some regional trials or set up some regional competitions to see which regions can have the best results in reducing alcohol consumption and then adopt the most effective ones. It would also be great to generate debate and awareness and in itself provide part of the cure.
The other action that needs to be taken is to stop health care being free of charge to those who deliberately injure themselves or injure themselves due to abuse from drink or drugs – this includes tobacco.
Both these solutions are much harder than just imposing a minimum charge but they are the right way to go.
Sad fact is, politicians don’t do hard, they do look good.
The solution can only come from understanding why people do it and what would stop it – why not run some regional trials or set up some regional competitions to see which regions can have the best results in reducing alcohol consumption and then adopt the most effective ones. It would also be great to generate debate and awareness and in itself provide part of the cure.
The other action that needs to be taken is to stop health care being free of charge to those who deliberately injure themselves or injure themselves due to abuse from drink or drugs – this includes tobacco.
Both these solutions are much harder than just imposing a minimum charge but they are the right way to go.
Sad fact is, politicians don’t do hard, they do look good.
Friday, 27 February 2009
UK Rescue Package – what the government should be doing
1. Encourage investment into commerce – there is huge amount of private capital available to investment – we just need to make it slightly more attractive. The solution is to make it more profitable to invest in UK commerce. Do this with tax breaks – for instance, money investment should be invested before tax (like pensions). Commercial lenders should not have to pay tax on gains on investing in commercial organisations. The cost would be tiny compared to the government loaning our money to commerce.
2. Cut bureaucracy – government is probably about 50% too big. There are many too many government organisations. The aim should the each group of people should only have to deal with two or three organisations at the most. For instance, look at a pig farmer – they have five government organisations regulating and checking their processes. This is outrageous – cut it from five to one. A commercial business has local councils, Health & Safety, Fire Service, HM Revenue & Customs, Business Link, Intellectual Property Office, Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, Environmental Agency, Companies House, Jobcentre Plus, Prime and Age Positive. This will cut the tax burden and allow commerce to spend more time being successful and less time duplicating administration.
3. Encourage saving – while we are a consumer society, we have no tolerance to survive the bad times.
4. Banks – do not interfere with what are maximum loans and other areas. Instead regulate how the loan book is valued on their books. Surely people are confessing to illegal acts when they admit that they did not understand the financial instruments they were trading in when their jobs was to declare the correct financial position.
5. Encouragement of and immunity from prosecution for whistle blowers – applies to government and commercial worlds. If people knew that we are all watching and we all have a right to speak up, then people would. Make gagging orders and contract clauses to not speak out illegal.
6. Make sure that everyone who was responsible for the false reporting of previous years’ profits. This includes the business leaders, non-executive directors, auditors and government.
2. Cut bureaucracy – government is probably about 50% too big. There are many too many government organisations. The aim should the each group of people should only have to deal with two or three organisations at the most. For instance, look at a pig farmer – they have five government organisations regulating and checking their processes. This is outrageous – cut it from five to one. A commercial business has local councils, Health & Safety, Fire Service, HM Revenue & Customs, Business Link, Intellectual Property Office, Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, Environmental Agency, Companies House, Jobcentre Plus, Prime and Age Positive. This will cut the tax burden and allow commerce to spend more time being successful and less time duplicating administration.
3. Encourage saving – while we are a consumer society, we have no tolerance to survive the bad times.
4. Banks – do not interfere with what are maximum loans and other areas. Instead regulate how the loan book is valued on their books. Surely people are confessing to illegal acts when they admit that they did not understand the financial instruments they were trading in when their jobs was to declare the correct financial position.
5. Encouragement of and immunity from prosecution for whistle blowers – applies to government and commercial worlds. If people knew that we are all watching and we all have a right to speak up, then people would. Make gagging orders and contract clauses to not speak out illegal.
6. Make sure that everyone who was responsible for the false reporting of previous years’ profits. This includes the business leaders, non-executive directors, auditors and government.
UK Rescue Package – what wrong with what the government is doing
The UK Government are going about it completely the wrong way. The problems with their meddling in the free markets are:
1. The amount of government money (our money) is small compared to the amount of money in the economy. So while it can act as seed corn money, it cannot determine what will be the end result. Instead they have spent huge amounts of our money which could disappear without trace and yet we will have to repay.
2. Interfering with the market will cause problems in the future when you try to unwind this interference.
3. While the free market has many imperfections, it is the best we have and it is the best anyone has ever come up with. Like propping up bankrupt car companies and propping up house prices.
4. Lack of regulation that banks properly reflect the value of their assets. The guilty ones are government, auditors, non-executives and, of course, the business leaders who got it so wrong.
1. The amount of government money (our money) is small compared to the amount of money in the economy. So while it can act as seed corn money, it cannot determine what will be the end result. Instead they have spent huge amounts of our money which could disappear without trace and yet we will have to repay.
2. Interfering with the market will cause problems in the future when you try to unwind this interference.
3. While the free market has many imperfections, it is the best we have and it is the best anyone has ever come up with. Like propping up bankrupt car companies and propping up house prices.
4. Lack of regulation that banks properly reflect the value of their assets. The guilty ones are government, auditors, non-executives and, of course, the business leaders who got it so wrong.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Three percent increase in council tax bills
When inflation is around 1%, why should councils feel that they are entitled to increase their bills to us, their employers, by 3%?
They are shouting how well they are doing. I don't think they are doing well enough.
The solution:
1. councils are still hugely wasteful - this waste must be eliminated.
2. councils still spend money on minority services that most of the electorate would not support - stop providing these services.
3. the terms and conditions of its employees are better than the private sector and this costs - keep terms and conditions in line with the private section.
4. employee ineffectiveness in forms of extended sickness and poor performance is endemic - apply private sector measures.
4. political correctness is chased and implemented - common sense must be reinstated.
Implement these and councils could save 25% of the expenditure.
They are shouting how well they are doing. I don't think they are doing well enough.
The solution:
1. councils are still hugely wasteful - this waste must be eliminated.
2. councils still spend money on minority services that most of the electorate would not support - stop providing these services.
3. the terms and conditions of its employees are better than the private sector and this costs - keep terms and conditions in line with the private section.
4. employee ineffectiveness in forms of extended sickness and poor performance is endemic - apply private sector measures.
4. political correctness is chased and implemented - common sense must be reinstated.
Implement these and councils could save 25% of the expenditure.
Gordon Brown clings to power
Gordon Brown is obviously in power purely for his own ego. If he had any concern for the country or any pride, he would have resigned and asked the people for confirmation that he is the best man for the job.
For so long, he said no more boom and bust as if this was the worst thing possible. For so long, he preached the importance of a balanced governmental budget as if this was the very fundamental cornerstone of any acceptable economic policy.
Now we have a bust worse than anything previously imaginable. Now we have a government budget so unbalanced that unborn babies will be lumbered with debt for all of their lives.
If the government was a commercial organisation, Gordon Brown would have been forced to resign by now. So, for how much longer do we have to put up with this unelected prime minister who is making the most terrible decisions that has already saddled us all with unthinkable debt and who is making it worse every day?
For so long, he said no more boom and bust as if this was the worst thing possible. For so long, he preached the importance of a balanced governmental budget as if this was the very fundamental cornerstone of any acceptable economic policy.
Now we have a bust worse than anything previously imaginable. Now we have a government budget so unbalanced that unborn babies will be lumbered with debt for all of their lives.
If the government was a commercial organisation, Gordon Brown would have been forced to resign by now. So, for how much longer do we have to put up with this unelected prime minister who is making the most terrible decisions that has already saddled us all with unthinkable debt and who is making it worse every day?
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