Comments on: Cut to the bone? The public wasteline is still expanding. http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/ Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today's issues and tomorrow's problems Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:05:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: Marc http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15932 Marc Tue, 12 May 2009 16:07:02 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15932 All well and good condemning tha advertising and promotion of such non-jobs, John, but in the light of today's revelations about moat-cleaning and tennis-court refurbishment, how can we trust the Tories to do a decent job of eliminating these jobs, along with the vast and useless Quangos that litter the landscape? All well and good condemning tha advertising and promotion of such non-jobs, John, but in the light of today’s revelations about moat-cleaning and tennis-court refurbishment, how can we trust the Tories to do a decent job of eliminating these jobs, along with the vast and useless Quangos that litter the landscape?

]]> By: Robin http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15931 Robin Tue, 12 May 2009 12:32:54 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15931 How about the (one of many, many, many) newsreaders who got paid £92,000K. As I calculate it that's 92,000 / 142.50 = 646 households (or about 6 streets in the UK) required to pay a newsreader I've never even heard of - what a waste of money !! How about the (one of many, many, many) newsreaders who got paid £92,000K.

As I calculate it that’s 92,000 / 142.50 = 646 households (or about 6 streets in the UK) required to pay a newsreader I’ve never even heard of – what a waste of money !!

]]> By: Guy Herbert http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15930 Guy Herbert Mon, 11 May 2009 21:28:31 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15930 I don't think they do have to be advertised if they don't have to exist. I don’t think they do have to be advertised if they don’t have to exist.

]]> By: SJB http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15929 SJB Mon, 11 May 2009 20:12:24 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15929 On of the key aims of the European Union ("EU") is the free movement of workers - the idea being that if workers from member states are distributed around each other's countries then it reduces the risk of war. Therefore, work going to insiders would seem to run counter to this aim. So I was interested in sm's post (supra) where he discovered vacancies requiring at least 3 month's NHS experience because these would advertisements would appear to preclude health workers from other EU member states. On of the key aims of the European Union (“EU”) is the free movement of workers – the idea being that if workers from member states are distributed around each other’s countries then it reduces the risk of war. Therefore, work going to insiders would seem to run counter to this aim. So I was interested in sm’s post (supra) where he discovered vacancies requiring at least 3 month’s NHS experience because these would advertisements would appear to preclude health workers from other EU member states.

]]> By: Denis Cooper http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15928 Denis Cooper Mon, 11 May 2009 19:51:06 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15928 I'm afraid what we want, and what the EU wants, are two entirely different things. We want to get shot of this government as soon as possible; but the EU wants it to remain in place until after the Irish have voted again on the Lisbon Treaty, almost certainly in October. Which really means that we're stuck with it until next spring. I’m afraid what we want, and what the EU wants, are two entirely different things.

We want to get shot of this government as soon as possible; but the EU wants it to remain in place until after the Irish have voted again on the Lisbon Treaty, almost certainly in October.

Which really means that we’re stuck with it until next spring.

]]> By: DrB http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15927 DrB Mon, 11 May 2009 19:50:56 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15927 I, too, am a public employee (Hospital Consultant) and I have no doubt that a 10% reduction in NHS spending is easily achievable and much needed. The problem will be that when confronted with an order to reduce spending the "managers" will, as far as possible, ensure that the front line troops are hit and that the blame is directed at the Government. You cannot rely on the professionalism of this managerial class. I, too, am a public employee (Hospital Consultant) and I have no doubt that a 10% reduction in NHS spending is easily achievable and much needed. The problem will be that when confronted with an order to reduce spending the “managers” will, as far as possible, ensure that the front line troops are hit and that the blame is directed at the Government. You cannot rely on the professionalism of this managerial class.

]]> By: upbeatskeptic http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15926 upbeatskeptic Mon, 11 May 2009 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15926 A review of the huge amount of ‘non-jobs’ could well be beneficial too, a trimming that might well catapult scores of talented people back into the productive sector. A review of the huge amount of ‘non-jobs’ could well be beneficial too, a trimming that might well catapult scores of talented people back into the productive sector.

]]> By: Jason http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15925 Jason Mon, 11 May 2009 19:07:33 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15925 This is all absolutely crazy....why pay such high salaries when all the taxpayer gets is a raw deal in every aspect and of course that wont include expenses etc as you say. This is another example of how public expenditure crowds out private. Private jobs are generative - at this rate we will all be working for the govt - whether unemployed or employed...the whole country on the payroll funded by an overwhelmed and dwindling productive sector coupled with ever increasing public debt. Utter shambles... The political classes have gone mad on our money - this is clearly evident...we need to remove the trough from under their snouts and impose proper order and accountability. It is simply disgraceful - not only have the public been taken for a multi-trillion pound ride by morons without basic economic illiteracy who propose and vote on policy they do not even comprehend - only to be slapped in the face by the disgraceful looting that many MP's expense claims represent. My problem is what to do about it? How can we trust democracy when the very institution established to protect and serve us - has put us in the path of abject danger and turns us in to slaves - working our backsides off to pay for a huge debt that was totally unnecessary and avoidable - whilst those who did us this disservice ask us to pony up £600 for a couple of flowerpots etc in addition to compensation packages way out line given any competence benchmark. Its just plain wrong. It is a form of corruption in my view - certainly in terms of moral equivalence. If there are new regulations - it just means that MPs cannot be trusted...who will write those rules? Those in the establishment themselves...turkeys don't vote for Christmas. This is about trust and it is difficult for me to see how the system, institutions and people that got us into this mess should be trusted to get us out of it. Look most professions have some form of standards, in the army a leader who put his troops in jeopardy -would be taken off active duty pending an investigation, a doctor who killed a patient through negligence would be disbarred. Think of what this government has done to this country without anyone or institution being able to effectively challenge them. How is that in the interest of the people. It is clear to me MP's, parties and civil service need independent oversight - continuously. That is has come down to this is the most damming indictment of this governments failure and would unfortunately represent an additional level of bureaucracy and cost for the taxpayer. But its a broke system, literally and figuratively. This is all absolutely crazy….why pay such high salaries when all the taxpayer gets is a raw deal in every aspect and of course that wont include expenses etc as you say. This is another example of how public expenditure crowds out private. Private jobs are generative – at this rate we will all be working for the govt – whether unemployed or employed…the whole country on the payroll funded by an overwhelmed and dwindling productive sector coupled with ever increasing public debt. Utter shambles…

The political classes have gone mad on our money – this is clearly evident…we need to remove the trough from under their snouts and impose proper order and accountability. It is simply disgraceful – not only have the public been taken for a multi-trillion pound ride by morons without basic economic illiteracy who propose and vote on policy they do not even comprehend – only to be slapped in the face by the disgraceful looting that many MP’s expense claims represent.

My problem is what to do about it? How can we trust democracy when the very institution established to protect and serve us – has put us in the path of abject danger and turns us in to slaves – working our backsides off to pay for a huge debt that was totally unnecessary and avoidable – whilst those who did us this disservice ask us to pony up £600 for a couple of flowerpots etc in addition to compensation packages way out line given any competence benchmark. Its just plain wrong. It is a form of corruption in my view – certainly in terms of moral equivalence. If there are new regulations – it just means that MPs cannot be trusted…who will write those rules? Those in the establishment themselves…turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. This is about trust and it is difficult for me to see how the system, institutions and people that got us into this mess should be trusted to get us out of it.

Look most professions have some form of standards, in the army a leader who put his troops in jeopardy -would be taken off active duty pending an investigation, a doctor who killed a patient through negligence would be disbarred. Think of what this government has done to this country without anyone or institution being able to effectively challenge them. How is that in the interest of the people. It is clear to me MP’s, parties and civil service need independent oversight – continuously. That is has come down to this is the most damming indictment of this governments failure and would unfortunately represent an additional level of bureaucracy and cost for the taxpayer. But its a broke system, literally and figuratively.

]]> By: Nick http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15924 Nick Mon, 11 May 2009 18:41:31 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15924 A week ago a job was advertised in the guardian that was utter incomprehensible. I asked the council just what precisely the job would entail and they couldn't tell me. I have no idea what a "Cross border stake holder consultancy director" or "chairtable institution public operations facilitaro does but this must end. A job description must not hide the fact it is a waste of money. It must, always be clear and transparent, not just a "Jobs for the boys" role. In short, it must earn money for the country, not cost money. A week ago a job was advertised in the guardian that was utter incomprehensible.

I asked the council just what precisely the job would entail and they couldn’t tell me.

I have no idea what a “Cross border stake holder consultancy director” or “chairtable institution public operations facilitaro does but this must end. A job description must not hide the fact it is a waste of money. It must, always be clear and transparent, not just a “Jobs for the boys” role.

In short, it must earn money for the country, not cost money.

]]> By: Acorn http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/11/cut-to-the-bone-the-public-wasteline-is-still-expanding/#comment-15923 Acorn Mon, 11 May 2009 17:08:13 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3653#comment-15923 With public spending scheduled to be £671 billion and tax revenues at £496 billion, we have a government Treasury deficit of £175 billion. Your posts today, suggest "20% off", actually we need "26% off", just to balance the budget. JR, I need to tap your banker brain. The subscription finance blog sites are into the inflation explosion which they think is down the road. They are seeing the US and the UK in particular, most vulnerable. They are using a metric defined as the sum of the increase in BoE balance sheet and the government fiscal deficit, divided by GDP. For the US, this is coming out at 29% and for the UK 24%. Apparently these levels are unprecedented in history, several times higher than the Great Depression. Should I worry? http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article10524.html Reply: Yes, we should all worry. This is all unprecedented. All the time the credit creating banks are weak it is not very inflationary, but at some point the excess money has to be withdrawn. So far the easy money seems to be going into equities and commodities, more than into bonds. With public spending scheduled to be £671 billion and tax revenues at £496 billion, we have a government Treasury deficit of £175 billion. Your posts today, suggest “20% off”, actually we need “26% off”, just to balance the budget.

JR, I need to tap your banker brain. The subscription finance blog sites are into the inflation explosion which they think is down the road. They are seeing the US and the UK in particular, most vulnerable. They are using a metric defined as the sum of the increase in BoE balance sheet and the government fiscal deficit, divided by GDP. For the US, this is coming out at 29% and for the UK 24%. Apparently these levels are unprecedented in history, several times higher than the Great Depression.

Should I worry?

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article10524.html

Reply: Yes, we should all worry. This is all unprecedented. All the time the credit creating banks are weak it is not very inflationary, but at some point the excess money has to be withdrawn. So far the easy money seems to be going into equities and commodities, more than into bonds.

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