What kind of island do Manx people want?

[James Blonde]

37 minutes ago, Max Power said:

hospitality. This is why a university environment would attract investment and footfall without the population problems. 

Aren't Uni students famously known for being skint?

I like the idea in principle but by the time the greedy landlords have creamed off their share in rent, the Government have scammed off their tuition fees - there won't be much left over. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by James Blonde

[Non-Believer]

The problem is, it's a chicken-and-egg situation. Young people and professionals of the sort being discussed will only want to live here if these attractions are already in place.

They aren't going to sacrifice their lives and careers (where applicable) whilst IoM gets around to getting its act together to provide same when it's already available elsewhere.

This could take years to progress and unless there's a likelihood of a decent return in a reasonable timeframe, a lot of the private sector aren't going to lead the way initially.

[Rhumsaa]

We want cheaper housing but no more new houses to be built be developers on fields

We want pristine roads but the car tax to go down

We want cheaper services but don't want foreigners

etc

[Gladys]

I would like to see an overhaul of the political system introducing party politics.  In that way, the electorate know what each candidate stands for rather than the current wish lists which quickly become lost in the inherently conservative (with a small c) system we have.  It is guaranteed that there will never be a really new approach by each new administration as so many are re-elected, and the newly elected become lone voices and are quickly subsumed into the great maw of government never to be in a position to effect their policies far less be held accountable for them.  There is no organised pre-formed policy in either government or in an opposition. 

Other than that, no one has mentioned a felt museum or monorail. 

[Max Power]

12 minutes ago, ian rush said:

Re Lord Street the terms were agreed so wouldnt car parking (once built) have been dealt with?  I could see why Government might want to have a car park now and associated revenue whilst fuck all is happening...but that wont be impeding the build. 

I believe government are leasing the car park back atm? I heard on pretty good authority that they want a slice of the action from the new car park too, if it ever gets built?

11 minutes ago, James Blonde said:

Aren't Uni students famously known for being skint?

I like the idea in principle but by the time the greedy landlords have creamed off their share in rent, the Government have scammed off their tuition fees - there won't be much left over. 

Yes, and amazingly they seem to find cash to spend whilst helping to control prices for the rest of us. 

We could build in some advantages such as cheaper tuition fees, rent controls etc?

4 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

That’s not really true though is it? In the 1970s a lot more small businesses were financially viable here and the population was a lot smaller. Before the big money and high costs and housing inflation came in the only way to make decent money here was to be self employed. Now it’s often easier to take a decent wage without running yourself ragged running a business which has high rents, high rates, big shipping costs, high staff costs and other big overheads. It’s the potential margin that’s changed largely not the demand. 

That is very true and it's a problem to be addressed whatever we do. We can't carry on as we are, eventually the bubble will burst.  

[Non-Believer]

5 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

We want cheaper housing but no more new houses to be built be developers on fields

We want pristine roads but the car tax to go down

We want cheaper services but don't want foreigners

etc

There's more influence to the prices in the housing market than the availability of greenfield new-builds though? Those prices are being driven in many cases by developers responding to wealthy B2L investment which is distorting the market. Government needs to address this via policy.

There's already more than enough car tax being paid though, but as a recent release elicited, it's not being spent on the roads? When news like that comes out, that's why people start getting vocal.

And people start demanding cheaper services etc when they start feeling the pinch themselves. Which is a good indicator of where the economy is headed.

Purely personal opinion, but I believe that Govt has actually broken the economy over here through Govt's own untrammelled growth and the voracious appetite for money that goes along with it.

[The Voice of Reason]

17 hours ago, Omobono said:

you must be joking  you cant get a doctor ,dentist , parking place  in town     half the Island does not  have  an  adequate sewage  treatment system ,  you wait 2 years for a hospital procedure , schools are full to bursting , traffic problems in Douglas  ,shortage of water in warmer weather ,  what we want is someone the revitalise the tourism sector , where we can attract 350.000  visitors , who subsidise our transport   links , sea  and air  eat out in pubs and restaurants  and spend millions in the local economy 

100.000  local population  wont come anywhere near to generating that level of income , and you don't have to build  1000's of additional houses for them all to live in ,and the massive infrastructure  thats required to support it 

the beauty  , uniqueness   ,    and   Manx way of life   fast being eroded , we have never been a little England  even though some in government might  like to think so 

Government needs to deal with the priorities ,and stop growing like a huge cancer  waisting huge amounts of money  and overpopulating the Island with  questionable second raters   to the workforce and pension pool ,

the next few years will be make or break for this Island , living standards have plummeted , and the cost of residing  here have  rocketed ,   and there are not too many new ideas coming out of the  powers that be 

 

I think we have a winner for the most miserable post of New Years Eve 2021.

Congratulations

[Beelzebub3]

27 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

We want cheaper housing but no more new houses to be built be developers on fields

We want pristine roads but the car tax to go down

We want cheaper services but don't want foreigners

etc

We pay over the odds for road tax, and let's be honest the DOI are top heavy with administration leaving no money to employ staff able to carry out proper maintenance, if the money generated from car tax was properly spent on a planned maintenance schedule you wouldsoon see an immense improvement on our roads.

[The Old Git]

“What kind of island do Manx people want?“

I’d like one that’s a lot further south, maybe in the Med. But not one of those foreign ones. 

[Gladys]

3 minutes ago, The Old Git said:

“What kind of island do Manx people want?“

I’d like one that’s a lot further south, maybe in the Med. But not one of those foreign ones. 

My Dad always said he would like to put an outboard motor on the Sound and motor the island down to the med! 

[The Old Git]

It would be wonderful in the winter. Maybe come back up to the Irish Sea for the summer. 

[finlo]

Pure greed has got us to where we are today!

[2112]

3 hours ago, Max Power said:

I think this is the crux of most things, we have such a small population that it is difficult to make anything financially viable. The best that business owners can hope for is to be comfortable, nobody is going to get rich by running a business here and ambition is quashed. This means that we have fewer places available for decent entertainment and hospitality. This is why a university environment would attract investment and footfall without the population problems. 

Too much Government/State regulation as well as interference. 

[2112]

2 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

I think we have a winner for the most miserable post of New Years Eve 2021.

Congratulations

I don’t think it’s miserable. It’s truthful and forthright. On this island, politicos, national and local are afraid and unwilling to hear home truths, and certainly hate criticism. If the criticism comes from a ‘comeover’ then out comes the pitchforks. Unless the issues are addressed and the politicos are actually willing to listen and be adaptable, then this island will continue to fall in decay. Incidentally Jersey and Guernsey has similar issues to the IOM, they address them, whilst this island is a permanent 24/7 talking shop. 
 

This island in its quest for more and more new residents, has totally ignored it’s infrastructure. If we want more residents then the developers will have to build more doctors surgeries and dental facilities. The developers will have to use their land provision for a new school. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by 2112

[Raffles]

23 hours ago, Max Power said:

So the question remains, ‘what kind of island do we want?’ An island which is alive and vibrant, appealing to residents and tourists alike, or the dowdy and dull cripple which the place has declined into over the past forty odd years?

Loaded question much? 🤣 You should join the team who write government consultation 'questions'.

As a manxie, I want an island with 10,000 less people living here, with development on green spaces totally halted, with nature reserves, rewilded countryside walks and protected seas (no fishing or trawling).

I would like to see development of more events to attract tourists, such as music festivals (see isle of wight) and strong investment in our motor cycling events. I would like to see campervans welcomed here in the summer months, footpaths kept in good order and promotion of walks and walking events. 

If I want vibrant and alive I'll move to london or paris thanks. This is a small island, not fucking Disneyland.