Manx Radio

[On The Bus]

14 minutes ago, gettafa said:

Actually the time was nearly 9 years ago when the phrase appeared on election manifestos, and then again 5 years later. 

Statistics show government has grown bigger and of course somewhat dumber.

We have become immune to the phrase and it is a standard throwaway homily to be seen on manifestos next year. It does sound rather good though and is a sure vote catcher. Seriously though, what does that mean and how do you make a government smarter - answer by voting 'me' in. No one ever got a vote by saying make government thicker and bigger.

Both times there was still plenty of that lovely VAT money sloshing about in the accounts. 

Now there no longer is. 

The answer of what smarter is, well that's a Government that is only doing the minimum essentials. 

[Stu Peters]

I don't think the VAT money was still sloshing to the same degree in 2016. I interviewed each of the prospective new candidates in 2016 and from memory (increasingly unreliable) pretty much all of them said that they intended to reduce the size and cost of the public sector. Yet they've spent 4 years conveniently forgetting that pledge it seems.

Maybe the answer post-WuFlu is for government to cut all spending (except maybe healthcare and education) by - say - 30%. Cut the fat everywhere. To be fair it needs to be across the board and affect everybody except the weak, the sick and the pewer.

[Derek Flint]

4 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

I don't think the VAT money was still sloshing to the same degree in 2016. I interviewed each of the prospective new candidates in 2016 and from memory (increasingly unreliable) pretty much all of them said that they intended to reduce the size and cost of the public sector. Yet they've spent 4 years conveniently forgetting that pledge it seems.

Maybe the answer post-WuFlu is for government to cut all spending (except maybe healthcare and education) by - say - 30%. Cut the fat everywhere. To be fair it needs to be across the board and affect everybody except the weak, the sick and the pewer.

 

It has to change this time.

The 2021 election will be all telling but my concern is this; say we are out of this by September 2020. Then there is 12 months of kicking the hard decisions down the road, waiting till everyone is re-elected because the public thought it was OK, and then the pain starts. But that pain will be in the form of higher taxes and charges, rather than head count or services. You’ve seen Dr Allinson speaking of redeployed civil servants and some working 100 hours a week. I can see this being spun into something like “well we need this massive public service for just such an event.” 

I genuinely hope I am wrong.

[Holte End]

3 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

I don't think the VAT money was still sloshing to the same degree in 2016. I interviewed each of the prospective new candidates in 2016 and from memory (increasingly unreliable) pretty much all of them said that they intended to reduce the size and cost of the public sector. Yet they've spent 4 years conveniently forgetting that pledge it seems.

Maybe the answer post-WuFlu is for government to cut all spending (except maybe healthcare and education) by - say - 30%. Cut the fat everywhere. To be fair it needs to be across the board and affect everybody except the weak, the sick and the pewer.

You should really just look at who voted against a motion for a  review of Government staffing .http://www.tynwald.org.im/business/hansard/20002020/t170321.pdf

The next motion, which was watered down by recommendations, a cost of £20,000.00 to look into a wage structure of £300million plus says everything.

Most of these voted against this motion stated they wanted Smaller,Smarter Government.

What they should have said only vertically challenged people with a degree in hindsight should only apply.

 

[gettafa]

Stu Peters speaking utter sense, (I didn't say "for once" that would be churlish) although I would say that the VAT over-payment money is sloshing about to this very day. The over-payments may have stopped but the mighty spend goes on and on and on, until it runs out or maybe the odd £million or so rattling about. Of course this virus episode is going to somewhat curtail the government 's hedonistic endeavours.

[Manxberry]

33 minutes ago, gettafa said:

Of course this virus episode is going to somewhat curtail the government 's hedonistic endeavours.

They're all still on full salaries. The only way it's 'curtailed' them is that they can't go on jollies off island!

[gettafa]

Jollies and holidays , cruises, skiing, buying second homes abroad (amazing how many of our CS have those) etc. 

All in the past and just a memory I would suggest.

Reality hasn't kicked in yet.

There is likely to be a huge levelling from government controlled expenditure - ALL expenditure including salaries and pensions. Coronavirus/Emergency Measure will trump everything including employment contracts.

The private sector will be self-levelling and that process has of course begun.

It's a big subject.

 

ETA: (This should be in the Corona Virus thread, but maybe best to keep it tucked away)

Edited April 6, 2020 by gettafa

[Neil Down]

Didn't the BBC give the island a refund some years back and our elected clots at the time give it straight to MR?

[TheTeapot]

Was there ever any truth in that story from a year or so back, where energy/3fm accused MR of selling cheap advertising?

[Donald Trumps]

7 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

I don't think the VAT money was still sloshing to the same degree in 2016. I interviewed each of the prospective new candidates in 2016 and from memory (increasingly unreliable) pretty much all of them said that they intended to reduce the size and cost of the public sector. Yet they've spent 4 years conveniently forgetting that pledge it seems.

Maybe the answer post-WuFlu is for government to cut all spending (except maybe healthcare and education) by - say - 30%. Cut the fat everywhere. To be fair it needs to be across the board and affect everybody except the weak, the sick and the pewer.

You are right Stu

But it is going to take an immensely brave CM to do this

[Donald Trumps]

13 hours ago, On The Bus said:

An therein lies the problem. Anything that could/should be cut is always defended as being 'only 1%' or 'only 2%'. The trainspotters use exactly the same logic. 

At the end of the day it's all stuff the Government should not be spending money on. The time for smaller and smarter Government is now.

Yes but it has to be part of a post-covid recovery plan married with the implementation of the Curran report

[Andy Onchan]

3 minutes ago, Donald Trumps said:

You are right Stu

But it is going to take an immensely brave CM to do this

It won't just be the CM.... it will have to be Tynwald. There won't be one MHK that doesn't have a sizeable number of PS employees in their constituency. 

[Donald Trumps]

13 hours ago, gettafa said:

Actually the time was nearly 9 years ago when the phrase appeared on election manifestos, and then again 5 years later. 

Statistics show government has grown bigger and of course somewhat dumber.

We have become immune to the phrase and it is a standard throwaway homily to be seen on manifestos next year. It does sound rather good though and is a sure vote catcher. Seriously though, what does that mean and how do you make a government smarter - answer by voting 'me' in. No one ever got a vote by saying make government thicker and bigger.

It's going to take a courageous candidate for the role of CM at or following the 2021 general election to put this forward as part of post-covid reciovery plan & his/her proposed programme for government

[Donald Trumps]

Just now, Andy Onchan said:

It won't just be the CM.... it will have to be Tynwald. There won't be one MHK that doesn't have a sizeable number of PS employees in their constituency. 

Now, there is the nub of the matter Andy

Which candidates at the next general election are going to be brave enough to stand on a manifesto promise to downsize the absurdly large & expensive IOMG establishment?

[woolley]

The faith people have that the government is somehow going to start trimming its activities and costs even after the next election is touching. It's the same conversation we have had before at least the last two elections. Turkeys? Christmas?