No opinions on the Budget?
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 62
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
you can already see the results of raising the VAT to 20% on here. people are going to spend money on cheaper alternatives, so the economy wont get moving at all, not through consumer spending at least.
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
#18
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
I worry that now is exactly the wrong time to be cutting spending and raising taxes.
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,396
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
I worry that now is exactly the wrong time to be cutting spending and raising taxes.
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
It is a nice change to have some direct talk from the UK government about the economy, and action - it will be painful for many living in the UK right now (and possibly those moving shortly), but it's better to have a few years of pain than 10 years of economic doldrums which the eurozone (as a whole) is looking at right now.
On your last point, has the US economy actually been "saved" yet? I'm not convinced.
#21
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
I would like to see even more changes. The government pays a very high amount of housing benefit out and do you know why?
Because all the council houses are taken for life. Its ridicules that ones you sit in a council house you have it for live..if you need it or not and then we have people for life in them like the right hand of former London mayor who earns £100.000k a year but still has his big London council house all by himself because, the kids long moved out.
Because of things like this the government has to go into the private renting sector and pay private landlords the rent to put council tenants in it.
I'm also for stopping selling council houses off.
We should go back to the old..if you cant afford to buy a house then you have to rent one.
Ok enough of the ranting
Because all the council houses are taken for life. Its ridicules that ones you sit in a council house you have it for live..if you need it or not and then we have people for life in them like the right hand of former London mayor who earns £100.000k a year but still has his big London council house all by himself because, the kids long moved out.
Because of things like this the government has to go into the private renting sector and pay private landlords the rent to put council tenants in it.
I'm also for stopping selling council houses off.
We should go back to the old..if you cant afford to buy a house then you have to rent one.
Ok enough of the ranting
#22
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
I would like to see even more changes. The government pays a very high amount of housing benefit out and do you know why?
Because all the council houses are taken for life. Its ridicules that ones you sit in a council house you have it for live..if you need it or not and then we have people for life in them like the right hand of former London mayor who earns £100.000k a year but still has his big London council house all by himself because, the kids long moved out.
Because of things like this the government has to go into the private renting sector and pay private landlords the rent to put council tenants in it.
I'm also for stopping selling council houses off.
We should go back to the old..if you cant afford to buy a house then you have to rent one.
Ok enough of the ranting
Because all the council houses are taken for life. Its ridicules that ones you sit in a council house you have it for live..if you need it or not and then we have people for life in them like the right hand of former London mayor who earns £100.000k a year but still has his big London council house all by himself because, the kids long moved out.
Because of things like this the government has to go into the private renting sector and pay private landlords the rent to put council tenants in it.
I'm also for stopping selling council houses off.
We should go back to the old..if you cant afford to buy a house then you have to rent one.
Ok enough of the ranting
I'm not in favour of complete means testing (again, because it penalizes people who work hard, save, get an advanced education, etc.), but I do think it's a bit daft, for example, that a retired CEO is eligible for the winter fuel allowance ...
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
... and a free bus pass etc. Very misplaced priorities.
#24
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
Actually, there are economic reasons in favour of free bus passes for retired people, regardless of their financial status. It encourages more physical activity, thereby reducing public health care costs. Plus, if you restrict to non-rush hour service, it doesn't inconvenience people (by overcrowding), plus it doesn't actually (hardly) cost anything, unlike the fuel allowance. If it encourages retired people to take trips they wouldn't otherwise make, there are lots of societal benefits.
#25
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
Actually, there are economic reasons in favour of free bus passes for retired people, regardless of their financial status. It encourages more physical activity, thereby reducing public health care costs. Plus, if you restrict to non-rush hour service, it doesn't inconvenience people (by overcrowding), plus it doesn't actually (hardly) cost anything, unlike the fuel allowance. If it encourages retired people to take trips they wouldn't otherwise make, there are lots of societal benefits.
Ah, here's an article on the subject:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...r-elderly.html
#26
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
Call me sceptical that retirees who can afford to travel around without a bus pass won't do so unless they have one. I thought I had also read that some local councils (who I think fund this?) were complaining about the cost to them.
Ah, here's an article on the subject:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...r-elderly.html
Ah, here's an article on the subject:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...r-elderly.html
What I forgot is that so much sh*t is now outsourced that the Council pays Bus Company X for providing the service, people pay for the privilege of riding, and when a "free" bus pass is scanned, it clocks up a charge that the Council then has to reimburse to the Bus Company.
See, I don't understand this: If running a bus company is profitable, why don't the Councils buy buses, train the drivers and run the bloody buses themselves?
#27
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
There was me thinking simplistically that the buses were funded by the councils, who gave out the free passes, and then the OAP's sat for free, no cost to anyone (on the assumption they would otherwise not have travelled).
What I forgot is that so much sh*t is now outsourced that the Council pays Bus Company X for providing the service, people pay for the privilege of riding, and when a "free" bus pass is scanned, it clocks up a charge that the Council then has to reimburse to the Bus Company.
See, I don't understand this: If running a bus company is profitable, why don't the Councils buy buses, train the drivers and run the bloody buses themselves?
What I forgot is that so much sh*t is now outsourced that the Council pays Bus Company X for providing the service, people pay for the privilege of riding, and when a "free" bus pass is scanned, it clocks up a charge that the Council then has to reimburse to the Bus Company.
See, I don't understand this: If running a bus company is profitable, why don't the Councils buy buses, train the drivers and run the bloody buses themselves?
#28
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: SE Qld
Posts: 107
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
The thinking is that private companies that specialise in an area (e.g. running buses) can offer a service cheaper than the public sector even including the making of a profit for themselves.
Of course whether that last part is true is a seperate question.
#29
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
I worry that now is exactly the wrong time to be cutting spending and raising taxes.
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
My concern is that the Tories will plunge the country back into a fully fledged recession and that as a result, tax revenues will continue to fall, thereby having the opposite effect of what was intended. (I believe the Lib-Dems also used to feel this way but I guess things change when you get a chance at power).
My own preference would have been to wait another 12-18 months until the economy was truly moving again and could handle the shock of such drastic action. I am hopeful that President Obama will resist the Republican push to cut government spending over here - the stimulus program might have been politically unpopular but I believe it saved the US economy.
I'm sure I will now be flamed so bring it on!
What angers me most is that because Labour always screw up the economy they get booted out for it, but then they sit and criticise the other lot for trying to stick it all back together.
All of Europe has dark times ahead. Germany, the country that is propping up the whole EU, has a massively decreasing population. In a couple of decades its workforce will be 30% smaller.
#30
Re: No opinions on the Budget?
What makes you think the economy is going to be "moving again" in 12-18 months? The UK economy has been comprehensively annihilated by the socialists. It's worse than Greece, to put it in context.
What angers me most is that because Labour always screw up the economy they get booted out for it, but then they sit and criticise the other lot for trying to stick it all back together.
All of Europe has dark times ahead. Germany, the country that is propping up the whole EU, has a massively decreasing population. In a couple of decades its workforce will be 30% smaller.
What angers me most is that because Labour always screw up the economy they get booted out for it, but then they sit and criticise the other lot for trying to stick it all back together.
All of Europe has dark times ahead. Germany, the country that is propping up the whole EU, has a massively decreasing population. In a couple of decades its workforce will be 30% smaller.
In Germany public transport is not privatised, not Bus not Trains and it works very well..thank you very much.
Also Swimming pools and sports clubs are run by the town.