Moghrey Mie

I think they have helped encourage people to take an interest in what is going on politically on the island.

http://positiveactiongroup.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=390&Itemid=55

So they still haven't tackled - the unfair rating system- local government reform- LEGCO being un-elected- government doing things that should be done by private sector. And already they've got their eyes on the next election. Why should we put them back in if they haven't achieved these things?

They even did that New Labour thing of saying how they failed to get their message across. We got the message OK and we will remember how they treated the public over this affair. Chris Thomas was accused of grandstanding when he mentioned his manifesto promises and Steve Rodan of electioneering when he pointed out that Laxey is not on IRIS. Just let the rest of them try knocking on their constituents' doors after this charge has been introduced and see what sort of response they get. They'll find that the message was clearly conveyed.

Surely a charge should bear some relationship to the cost of the service that is being provided. Charging £50 this year and £100 next year looks as though the WASA just needs money to fill its coffers.

Remind me what is happening at the Island Film Studios on the Jurby Road. Are we making films and employing people there?

http://www.letsrecycle.com/councils/league-tables-1/2012-13-overall-performance Merseyside is 259th in recycling and composting. Liverpool is 333rd. Maybe we have got the wrong man. Who said he sorted out waste management on Merseyside?

IRIS has been a disaster and we should be told the total cost of this shambles.

I believe the thinking is that if the government made people redundant they would start claiming benefits and stop paying NI. So you may as well keep them in employment. Where else would they find work?

In The Examiner on January 27th it reports that Howard Quayle had said in Tynwald they were planning to increase electricity bills by 7% a year over the next 3 years from April but the Business Change Support Group came up with the idea of merging the MEA and WASA. So they can now use cross-subsidies from WASA's surplus to keep down electricity costs to 3% increase. So WASA's money is no longer WASA's money and MEA's money ( and debts) are no longer MEA's. We have the Business Change Support Group to thank for this new wheeze. Soon the MEA's debt will be the Manx Utilities' debt and will be quietly moved around in the books.

John Houghton and Howard Quayle need to keep their jobs. If he wasn't chairman of the WASA John Houghton would have been the first to complain about the toilet tax. The irony is that he has to front it and present the toilet tax as a necessary charge.

I still don't understand if this government thinks utilities should be run by IOM government why don't they buy the Manx Gas company and Ellan Vannin Fuel oil companies? What is the principle behind having nationalised water, sewerage and electricity but not the rest?

So if this tax is paid to the Manx Utilities will it remain within their department for spending? If so it can't be used for 'health' surely.

They say the IRIS scheme is a great success story although I notice they have stopped issuing glossy brochures to every house on the island to convince us of the fact.

Time to change to composting toilets!

People who live in large houses don't necessarily have large incomes, produce large amounts of waste or use large amounts of water. The rating system here is grossly unfair especially for rural properties where people pay very little. A community charge per person would be fairer.

http://www.gov.im/water/sewage/septic_tanks.xml Presumably they've been getting this service cheap (or free) up to now.

Because it would be a logical and sensible thing to do like reviewing the property rating system. Our government doesn't do logical and sensible.

I'll give you three guesses but your first one will probably be correct.

Good for them. The Brits need to be told that they no longer call the shots.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-30/an-china-moon/5126868 They're off to the moon.

Peel Road....Douglas Promenade......and now this........ http://www.gov.im/news/2013/nov/27/douglas-inner-harbour-to-close-for-essential-maintenance/ There's no escape.

I don't think our lot need 'leadership training' to enable them to make bad decisions and waste money. They are doing it quite well on their own initiative.

I guess we can't do much about USA and Fox but we can keep an eye on what is reporting in media here on the island and check it with reality.