Give them a piece of your mind

[Roger Mexico]

1 hour ago, english zloty said:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/roadshow-turnout-shows-public-has-lots-of-concern/

Manx Radio surprisingly scathing. Must've been crap

The guy from Manx Radio was wandering around looking a bit lost.  The problem is that they know how to cover a conventional political Q&A type meeting (sit back, press record, write it up later), but not something more scattered where they would have to be moving a lot.

I suspect some of the people complaining about the format were those who had gone along wanting to be the centre of attention making a long speech at the Q&A.  In fact some of those were the same people monopolising the Ministers beforehand.  But at least then they were only monopolising one Minister not eight and boring the rest of us rigid at the same time.

Apparently there was supposed to be a five-minute limit on the Ministerial chats, but no one bothered to inform anyone of this.  On the whole (apart from the obsessives) people were respectful and gave way to the next in line, but it clearly was needed in some cases.

[code99]

Less than 6 months ago Dr Allinson bragged about the IOM economy being in a “better position” than the UK’s. Since then, the UK’s Tories have been on a tax-cutting spree (which of course are pre-election bribes), while our Government (central and local) raised taxes, rates and other charges (to-date the IOMG has plans to introduce two more taxes – the 15% multinational corporation tax and the NHS Levy).

Cannan talks about his newly acquired appetite for fiscal discipline, but refuses to address the ever-increasing number of civil servants. Back in 2021 he announced that the DOI “was not fit for purpose”. Presumably he now thinks the DOI is exemplary?

The Government bureaucracy on the Island has become unsustainably disproportionate to the overall population and the size of the private economy. I do not agree that it is beneficial for a country with 85,000 residents to be administered by multiple legally separated Government Departments (entities) each with its own executive structures, CEOs, etc. Hooper may be willing to pay more taxes (e.g., the proposed NHS Levy), because he earns enough to afford to pay more. However, some residents, without enduring personal hardship, are simply be unable to do so, and less and less residents will go along with it - because, at the same time they are paying more taxes, they won’t see any significant improvements in front line public services! Instead, the IOM residents see the proliferation of Government non-jobs, Manx Care non-jobs that are not making the lives of ordinary people any better. But this Government has not seriously listened to residents’ concerns for two and half years and still does not want to listen.

The IOM political establishment has a system in place that works for them, that perpetuates ‘them’ as they are, and has everyone else held by proverbial ‘cajones’. How much longer this inequality will drag on for, is anyone’s guess.

[x-in-man]

It's simple.

Alf has no control over anything. 

Step aside NOW so someone can get a grip of the whole farce and begin some real changes.

 

The worrying things is - not many, if any, can.

 

Edited April 23 by x-in-man

[Dirty Buggane]

The government has not listened to the population for the last 20 years, just lurched from one grandiose shit show to another. Hope Hooper will soon be back among the plebs an have to try some fiscal management on his own outgoings, tho suppose the golden pension he will receive would be more than enough to live comfortably.

[Manx Bean]

2 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

The guy from Manx Radio was wandering around looking a bit lost.  The problem is that they know how to cover a conventional political Q&A type meeting (sit back, press record, write it up later), but not something more scattered where they would have to be moving a lot.

I suspect some of the people complaining about the format were those who had gone along wanting to be the centre of attention making a long speech at the Q&A.  In fact some of those were the same people monopolising the Ministers beforehand.  But at least then they were only monopolising one Minister not eight and boring the rest of us rigid at the same time.

Apparently there was supposed to be a five-minute limit on the Ministerial chats, but no one bothered to inform anyone of this.  On the whole (apart from the obsessives) people were respectful and gave way to the next in line, but it clearly was needed in some cases.

Let’s be frank. It was a shit show befitting the Isle of Man Government. It was also a public demonstration of utter apathy, especially when you consider that “100 people” (Government and it’s public broadcasting mouthpiece always round up) is in fact approximately 1% of the electorate within the constituencies it was covering. A one-legged arse kicking competition at the annual Cronk-Y-Voddy games would get a better turn out.

[Non-Believer]

1 hour ago, code99 said:

Less than 6 months ago Dr Allinson bragged about the IOM economy being in a “better position” than the UK’s. Since then, the UK’s Tories have been on a tax-cutting spree (which of course are pre-election bribes), while our Government (central and local) raised taxes, rates and other charges (to-date the IOMG has plans to introduce two more taxes – the 15% multinational corporation tax and the NHS Levy).

Alf now thinks the economy is in better place as well now though. Surely they both can't be wrong...?

[2112]

29 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Alf now thinks the economy is in better place as well now though. Surely they both can't be wrong...?

First class Walter Mitty. 

[forestboy]

14 minutes ago, 2112 said:

First class Walter Mitty. 

Totally disillusioned and head in sand. It’s scary. 

[Roger Mexico]

1 hour ago, Manx Bean said:

Let’s be frank. It was a shit show befitting the Isle of Man Government. It was also a public demonstration of utter apathy, especially when you consider that “100 people” (Government and it’s public broadcasting mouthpiece always round up) is in fact approximately 1% of the electorate within the constituencies it was covering. A one-legged arse kicking competition at the annual Cronk-Y-Voddy games would get a better turn out.

To be fair I'd say 100 was probably an underestimate if anything, particularly if you take into account that the format led to people coming and going over the evening.  I'm not sure the venue would have coped with many more and still made it easy to mix.  And who wouldn't want to watch a one-legged arse kicking competition?

But while the format was useful (several people I saw using it to tackle Ministers on things affecting them), it didn't really tackle the bigger issues.  The cluelessness shown over housing was notable in response to some of the better (and shorter) question.  At one point Cannan praised the record number of households who had received government help through various scheme to move into their own place in the last year.  It was 35.  He then got offended when people burst out laughing.

[Moghrey Mie]

3 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

To be fair I'd say 100 was probably an underestimate if anything, particularly if you take into account that the format led to people coming and going over the evening.  I'm not sure the venue would have coped with many more and still made it easy to mix.  And who wouldn't want to watch a one-legged arse kicking competition?

But while the format was useful (several people I saw using it to tackle Ministers on things affecting them), it didn't really tackle the bigger issues.  The cluelessness shown over housing was notable in response to some of the better (and shorter) question.  At one point Cannan praised the record number of households who had received government help through various scheme to move into their own place in the last year.  It was 35.  He then got offended when people burst out laughing.

We don't just need more 1st time buyers. We need more housing for people of all ages.

[Roger Mexico]

1 hour ago, Moghrey Mie said:

We don't just need more 1st time buyers. We need more housing for people of all ages.

Well quite.  One possibly valid point that Cannan made was that the lack of properties for older people to downsize into.  He said this was because bungalows were as expensive as houses, which I think simplifies the matter.  But there seems no evidence to tell us what the actual requirements are.  One of the features of the evening was politicians sighing "We need more data" without making any effort to commission ways to find out that data, or indeed use or understand the data that that they already have.

[english zloty]

2 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

Well quite.  One possibly valid point that Cannan made was that the lack of properties for older people to downsize into.  He said this was because bungalows were as expensive as houses, which I think simplifies the matter.  But there seems no evidence to tell us what the actual requirements are.  One of the features of the evening was politicians sighing "We need more data" without making any effort to commission ways to find out that data, or indeed use or understand the data that that they already have.

Downsize is a horrible word that demonstrates his ignorance. The correct term is right size and can take many forms. A true 'retirement village ' would be a mixed community structure with some form of estate manager/friendly neighbour presence. It would have bungalows, homes, accessible homes, the means to adapt homes and be suitable for individual need.

If he thought only a little he would realise bungalows actually damage his climate change aspirations in every respect.

[TheTeapot]

No western correspondents? 

[finlo]

Just now, TheTeapot said:

No western correspondents? 

Too busy with the drag artist.

[english zloty]

I think everyone at all who has touched change management would know the first rule is 'you can't change what you can't measure '. And yet here we are again someway into a series the policies with wide-ranging impact complaining there is a lack of data. 

Pisses me right off.