IOM Covid removing restrictions

[TheTeapot 9,806]

1 hour ago, piebaps said:

I have faith that Alf will have something up his sleeve.

 

People have faith in all sorts of things that aren't real.

I'd be pretty happy for the government to offer some kind of free loan scheme on top of the 'support'. That would be nice. A lot of people are fairly uncomfortable with the idea of signing on or taking handouts, even when they need it, and its obvious the suppport isn't enough. A couple of grand borrowed with a couple of years to pay it back would, I expect, be very popular. 

[The Voice of Reason 100]

12 hours ago, quilp said:

Did you vote for him? 

As Chief Minister? Obviously not as you will be aware. However his peers did and I believe that’s a fair system.

I would add that were I to live in Howard Quayle’s constituency and he was seeking re-election as an MHK I would have no hesitation in voting for him. (The same goes for Minister Ashford).

The Government are doing a good job in difficult circumstances and the juvenile name calling on this thread (“bumbling idiot”, “bell end” etc) is getting a little tiresome and does little to contribute to the debate.

 

[Max Power 6,408]

19 minutes ago, SleepyJoe said:

Much like the Tynwald pay review

Universal benefit for Tynwald members (admittedly not MLCs), when state benefits are targeted by Treasury to inviduals & their circumstances

The only way to raise average incomes on the island is with a return to universal benefits, perhaps some form of UBI

I said this during both of my failed election campaigns of five and six years ago. It will happen, it's just a matter of when!

[Neil Down 7,946]

3 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I think you'll find most so called anti-government rhetoric is focused on government-stupidity and government-selfishness.

In recent times - under Brown, Bell and now Quayle - all too many government spending decisions have hardly been effective, efficient nor economic. Can you name ONE major IOM Govt project that has ever been delivered on time and to budget?

And remember the "Scope of Government" reports of 2006 and then 2012? The whole of government and all of its systems needs a top to bottom overhaul. Nothing has been done, in fact instead it continually spirals out of control offering little or no value for money.

And in this pandemic, how many non-essential government staff have been furloughed during this latest lockdown? Like the first - NONE. There are hundreds that could be - just for starters we don't need steam trains and museum staff. Yet government expect many in the private sector to survive on £280 pw or nothing and then to pay any extra taxes to make up any government spending shortfalls - including a large chunk to cover bloated government and CS/PS pensions government awarded themselves.

Pissing away £1million on a diesel train is one thing. But the main difference with covid is that stupid government decisions (such as not bringing in second week testing when it was obvious to many it was needed) costs lives and livelihoods. And you think people are just going to take that quietly?

This 

[Roger Mexico 9,377]

3 hours ago, pongo said:

@Roger Mexico - the vast majority of anti-government noise is from people who inherently are anti-government whatever the policy and whatever the issue. If it wasn't about Covid, it would be about something else.

And it's not especially democratic in the sense that it is not representative. It's just the loudest mob voices. As usual.

But that doesn't matter.  If the points they make have some validity then they should be considered.  This is typical 'thinking' of  the current Manx government and its supporters: it's not what you say that's important, it's who you are. 

It's a nice easy system to run, because there is no need to consider that anything you do is ever wrong or to assess the usefulness of arguments or the presence of evidence.  Everything that's said can be looked at with one simple criterion: Is he one of our mates?

And of course anyone who makes valid criticisms, no matter how well-qualified or experienced can simply be dismissed as being anti-government and so ignored.  It's a watertight system for assuring themselves that they are always right.

As for democracy, it's about a lot more than who has the most votes  even North Korea has 'elections'.  It's a system where criticism can be heard and taken into account.  Whether such views are 'representative' or not, doesn't really matter, it's whether they have some validity and correspond with reality. In any case every dictator on Earth will assert (and probably believe) that they know 'the will of the people'.

[Neil Down 7,946]

2 hours ago, piebaps said:

At the start of this lockdown a short 3 week period was envisaged. The MERA for all its faults was already on the shelf and probably (I'm guessing here) could be reactivated quickly as a way to get £600 to the guys and gals that needed it, in the shortest possible time.

Now that it seems more likely that the lockdown may need extending (based on the 14 days clear test) a rethink is probably already underway for wider support. Its a shit time for a lockdown (not that there's a good time) right on the back of Christmas when many non-office workers have just had a pretty lean month in any case. I have faith that Alf will have something up his sleeve.

The whole covid thing has been a balancing act between health and economics right from the start. As many have already said on here, if you get the economics wrong then health can suffer too. Government must see that.

There endeth a rare semi-serious post.

Obvs if we got rid of the English and declared ourselves to be part of Guernsey, we'd be fine.

You are currently being led by a Manxman, how's that working out for you...

[NoTail 1,959]

On Manx Radio just now. If you were in M&S at such a time, risk is low, but if you develop symptoms, self isolate and contact 111. Surely this is the same advice for everyone,  no matter what?  

Putting out this message just confuses things.

[The Phantom 178]

On 1/12/2021 at 2:17 PM, Boo Gay'n said:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday cycle already announced

So does Howie O'Clock still apply on Tuesdays and Thursdays?  

If not, when is the generally accepted time to start drinking on these days? 

I feel like I've been robbed.  I only just learned I could crack one open when they start the briefing! 

[Annoymouse 828]

9 minutes ago, NoTail said:

On Manx Radio just now. If you were in M&S at such a time, risk is low, but if you develop symptoms, self isolate and contact 111. Surely this is the same advice for everyone,  no matter what?  

Putting out this message just confuses things.

When it comes to M&S which section/till they used would also be helpful, thankfully because they have so many tills dotted about the place the risk really is low.

[Blackajah 48]

It's not anti-government to be anti-some of the really questionable spending decisions they make.  £2m on mini buses whilst people are made to wait ever longer on waiting lists for treatment is one I would be questioning.      Not taking the advice of a scientist to increase testing for those arriving on the IOM is another.    I'm not sure what the cost of the extra testing would be, but I bet it'll be less than the £8-10m Cannan is touting as the cost of MERA.      I hope all those who are getting shafted now will remember this when election time draws near.     

[Sheldon 952]

7 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

 I only just learned I could crack one open when they start the briefing! 

"Crack one open"? I thought they said "Rub one out". Oops.

[Non-Believer 12,529]

18 minutes ago, Annoymouse said:

When it comes to M&S which section/till they used would also be helpful, thankfully because they have so many tills dotted about the place the risk really is low.

The Food section. All of it. Picking things up, looking at the "best before" dates and putting it back for a fresher one.....

[Apple 688]

49 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

This is typical 'thinking' of  the current Manx government and its supporters: it's not what you say that's important, it's who you are. 

It's a nice easy system to run, because there is no need to consider that anything you do is ever wrong or to assess the usefulness of arguments or the presence of evidence.  Everything that's said can be looked at with one simple criterion: Is he one of our mates?

And of course anyone who makes valid criticisms, no matter how well-qualified or experienced can simply be dismissed as being anti-government and so ignored.  It's a watertight system for assuring themselves that they are always right.

Well said.

There are lots of people I know who have come up against this system where someone is not considered to be "one of us", a phrase used by Margaret Thatcher I think for members of her own Cabinet. It's a form of self protection that the 'right people" stay in charge.

[Rhumsaa 3,088]

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

But that doesn't matter.  If the points they make have some validity then they should be considered.  This is typical 'thinking' of  the current Manx government and its supporters: it's not what you say that's important, it's who you are. 

It's a nice easy system to run, because there is no need to consider that anything you do is ever wrong or to assess the usefulness of arguments or the presence of evidence.  Everything that's said can be looked at with one simple criterion: Is he one of our mates?

And of course anyone who makes valid criticisms, no matter how well-qualified or experienced can simply be dismissed as being anti-government and so ignored.  It's a watertight system for assuring themselves that they are always right.

As for democracy, it's about a lot more than who has the most votes  even North Korea has 'elections'.  It's a system where criticism can be heard and taken into account.  Whether such views are 'representative' or not, doesn't really matter, it's whether they have some validity and correspond with reality. In any case every dictator on Earth will assert (and probably believe) that they know 'the will of the people'.

I think this is a pretty fair assessment.

One aspect I would highlight is that unfortunately the people who do complain the loudest and the most often do so in a manner that when they actually make a legitimate good point it's easy for it to get lost in the noise.

Now whether that is lost deliberately by disgruntled government drones or as a by-product of a poor communication standard is open to subjective discussion

[Non-Believer 12,529]

3 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

I think this is a pretty fair assessment.

One aspect I would highlight is that unfortunately the people who do complain the loudest and the most often do so in a manner that when they actually make a legitimate good point it's easy for it to get lost in the noise.

Now whether that is lost deliberately by disgruntled government drones or as a by-product of a poor communication standard is open to subjective discussion

I'd suggest that it's frequently deliberate and less about "disgruntled" and more about "cynical" (and not just reserved for Central Govt, either). These people do not like being criticised or questioned, even when it's justified.

They have no compunction about it and no regrets, they're not paying even when the flaws become expensive, there is little or no accountability.