Max Power Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 15 hours ago, Twitch said: In my experience, those who criticise the state of aspects of the Island are more driven by the aspiration for it to offer outstanding public services, with towns that have benefited from considerate but significant improvements. Why be complacent about the lack of medical staff and dentists just because the UK also has a shortage? Being not as crap as the Home Counties doesn’t really cut it for me in terms of a vision. Precisely this, what is wrong with aspiration and ambition? Hoping for a younger workforce and a more vibrant island doesn't mean that we don't appreciate the benefits the place already has. We need to be attracting young people to live and work here, not putting them off by becoming God's waiting room! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffles Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 And what do we do when those younger people age and start retiring? Import more young people? This idea of importing more and more people to fund government or pensions is completely unsustainable. Equally the idea that pensioners don't pay tax is completely wrong. They pay income tax and VAT. The richest normal people around are all older adults or pensioners. All with kids fully grown, mortgage paid off and now spending money hand over fist on home improvements, meals and days out, clothes, nice food, holidays abroad, staycations. The youngsters are all skint, with low salaries and either bringing up children and paying a large mortgage or paying massive rents and only buying drugs and alcohol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 57 minutes ago, Raffles said: And what do we do when those younger people age and start retiring? Import more young people? This idea of importing more and more people to fund government or pensions is completely unsustainable. Equally the idea that pensioners don't pay tax is completely wrong. They pay income tax and VAT. The richest normal people around are all older adults or pensioners. All with kids fully grown, mortgage paid off and now spending money hand over fist on home improvements, meals and days out, clothes, nice food, holidays abroad, staycations. The youngsters are all skint, with low salaries and either bringing up children and paying a large mortgage or paying massive rents and only buying drugs and alcohol. No, we retain more of the people we already have by giving them opportunities for meaningful work and leisure. Pensioners don't provide the workforce to keep the island viable though. You answer your own question when you say that youngsters are all skint and on low salaries or bringing up families with a ridiculous mortgage. You have a low opinion of them by the sounds of things anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Blonde Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 7 minutes ago, Max Power said: No, we retain more of the people we already have by giving them opportunities for meaningful work and leisure. Pensioners don't provide the workforce to keep the island viable though. You answer your own question when you say that youngsters are all skint and on low salaries or bringing up families with a ridiculous mortgage. You have a low opinion of them by the sounds of things anyway. Raffles wants to see us become a floating Saga colony in the middle of the Irish Sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Johnson Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 3 minutes ago, James Blonde said: Raffles wants to see us become a floating Saga colony in the middle of the Irish Sea. Become? That ship sailed a long time ago 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
war baby Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Ease back on some of the over regulation of our lives. Let's really have some freedom to flourish. When I first arrived in the 70's I was impressed with what a laid back place this is. It has tried to copy the UK in far too many ways. Fewer regulations mean fewer civil servants, so it will not happen, but I can dream. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passing Time Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Cut the amount of civil servants by about 50%. I'll wager the island get along just fine without them 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Blonde Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Passing Time said: Cut the amount of civil servants by about 50%. I'll wager the island get along just fine without them During the SAVE era there should have been a government wide cull of positions, with the exception of front line health and education staff. 30% of all positions should have gone. Somehow we're now almost 10 years later and the headcount continues to grow. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Passing Time said: Cut the amount of civil servants by about 50%. I'll wager the island get along just fine without them Plenty of e gaming companies here who will take your bet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlo Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 7 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said: Plenty of e gaming companies here who will take your bet Someone on here posted up a picture of the civil service here in I think the 1960's all 39 of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banker Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 On 1/2/2022 at 8:24 PM, Passing Time said: Cut the amount of civil servants by about 50%. I'll wager the island get along just fine without them Depends what you mean by civil servants as a lot on payroll at health, education, emergency services etc . however I agree that we need to take steps to cut headcount in office jobs particularly cabinet office, Enterprise & DOI dept & HR etc. Guernsey have put 400 on notice of redeployment & redundancy which I can never recall IOM government doing 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Banker said: Depends what you mean by civil servants as a lot on payroll at health, education, emergency services etc . however I agree that we need to take steps to cut headcount in office jobs particularly cabinet office, Enterprise & DOI dept & HR etc. Guernsey have put 400 on notice of redeployment & redundancy which I can never recall IOM government doing I read about Guernseys civil service cull. The Union Prospect aren’t happy either. I reckon that Guernsey will stand up to the Union too, unlike our Government who will capitulate at the first threat, or online petition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbnuts Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 (edited) Isn't the head counts here somewhere around 9500 working for Government of which around 2200 are in Civil Service . Population of around 85k . On that note whats happened to the census results . As said by many on here at the time its not going to be very accurate even if we are going to get them announced . Edited January 3, 2022 by Numbnuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Great post, and exactly the debate that IOMG should be nurturing. Absolutely spot on. The island in 2022 seems to have no idea what it wants to be. This is the first thing to resolve. And then once that is done, accept it and stick to the emerging plan. In todays world, accepting a much more moderate position is probably the right thing to do. Curating a nice place to live, that can operate within its means, and accepting that isolation comes with a compromise on available services might well be the way forward. A sort of low tax Scotland, perhaps. there are pros and cons to living anywhere. The island has loads to offer but it needs to curate its clear identity as a priority. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManxTaxPayer Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Derek Flint said: it needs to curate its clear identity as a priority. I have literally no idea what that means. Is it blue sky thinking? Probably outside a box? Moving forward of course. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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