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2014 Debate On Jobs, Work & Pensions


Manx1e44

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Let's not head into hyperspace quite yet.

 

What we need are IMO: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 50 year plans - or short, medium and long-term plans.

 

More importantly you need someone with competence to lead the next administration.

 

Alf Canon has shown himself to be a disappointment, Chris Thomas could do the job, doesn't look like there's anyone else.

 

If you can't find a leader then all the plans in the world will not work.

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A leader needs a majority too here. There are too many vested interests to overcome, and that can only be done successfully via agreed policies put to the public, with around 14 politicians elected and signed up as onside. IMO.

 

And the chance of that happening in out lifetimes?

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A leader needs a majority too here. There are too many vested interests to overcome, and that can only be done successfully via agreed policies put to the public, with around 14 politicians elected and signed up as onside. IMO.

 

And the chance of that happening in out lifetimes?

It is possible. Though I suspect it will take some doing by the next election. The main problem is that generally 80% of people do not realise just how much danger our economy is in. Few are interested in current affairs or politics on the island, and to many it is just background noise.

 

People tend to need to be affected directly before they realise that the main issues are not just background noise anymore. The majority of the few interested are more usually interested in the odd single issue only. The real pain wil be after the next election, and Bell and Teare are spending reserves to ensure that is the case. The age they are, they will leave politics in a few years IMO.

 

Bell would have made a good Captain on the Titanic. Not telling anyone it is sinking until everyone starts to get their feet wet, meanwhile, with lots of useless announcements about how there are 'less icebergs these days', 'we've spent £50M on the new engine room', 'we've signed the icebergs petition with the USA', and 'the lifeboats we have are made out of teak' etc. He should be telling people the truth.

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The main problem is that generally 80% of people do not realise just how much danger our economy is in. Few are interested in current affairs or politics on the island, and to many it is just background noise.

 

Too bloody true. I know very well educated people on the Island who take no interest whatsoever in local politics or what's happening other than weather and potholes.

 

The apathy on the Island is amazing, that's one reason the current miserable shower of MHKs get elected.

 

There are those who do know what's happening, can see what's coming and are buggering off.

 

And there's the occasional idiot who is planning to (maybe) move back to the Island when he retires...

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Mojo - that was very caustic some might think.

 

But so very very true.

 

It rankles me that they will just carry on until everything is totally screwed just as Albert predicts.

Then, I reckon, a bail out will occur by the mainland Government.

 

I confess to being apathetic about it all. I should feel guilty about watching and waiting for the inevitable, but I don't.

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Is there a thread where we can discuss work and pensions in the future rather than the re-organisation of IOM government and the abolition of the Legislative Council? I thought this might be it judging by the title.

They are very much interlinked MM. We cannot fund pensions if we continue to spend half our current annual national income on government salaries and wages alone (£320M). Government and government workers need to be cut back at least 20%, immediately.

 

A significant sum of that necessary saving needs to be put annually into our future NI pot now, given expected rise in pensionsers by 2050. The current Manx pension supplement costs of the order of £30M per annum.

My point entirely. I think they need more money coming in from NI so that they can pay out pensions in the next few years.

But making some people redundant from government probably won't help that situation because those people will need redundancy payments etc.

Although in future it would be much better if IOM government employed fewer people. They can do that by slimming down their departments and doing much less. Why is our government running a zoo for example?

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Why is our government running a zoo for example?

 

I actually think that maintaining the Wildlife park is a good thing, no-one else would take it over. It improves that quality of life on the rock, maybe not by a great deal but imagine how life would be for the kids without the wildlife park?

 

I visit every year or so, last time was to watch that chappy from the North East with his birds of prey.

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Wish the LibVan team would communicate more with the real world - other that issuing the occasional press release - as they'd need to be on-board the 'coalition of the willing' to restructure government without reducing social benefits

 

Anyone know if they have policy on the issue?

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