Thursday 15 July 2010

BLOATED SACRED COWS

This new government is proposing to make interesting changes to long standing money pits. This morning it's the turn of University funding. When Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, was interviewed he explained, very rationally and succinctly , that we currently have a system in place where students pay an upfront fee of £3000, which poorer students stuggle with, and then fund themselves by way of a student loan to eventually be paid back through additional taxes on earnings in excess of £15,000.

The new thinking is that higher earning professionals such as surgeons should be expected to pay more than, say, teachers or social workers. The TV reporter immediately jumped on this saying that high achievers should not be penalised in this way. Is it me? Surely that is what the whole taxation system is about anyway. High earners pay 40% income and capital gains taxes, and are in higher Council Tax bands because they can afford better housing etc. so this would simply be an extension of this thinking.

Vince Cable quite rightly said that we have limited funds available and have to use them wisely to ensure that we provide world class universities. At the moment we have so many university doling out mickey mouse degrees, frittering away precious resources and dumping virtually unemployable students onto the job market at the end of it.

And another thing.......the public sector is being asked to make across the board cuts too. Not before time. I know of local government workers and civil servants who are actively encouraged to reduce their productivity and submit inflated overtime claims because if the budget isn't used they lose it.

Even when Davy was in the building trade in the 1970's and 80's it was common practice for builders to be asked to increase the headcount on public sector sites toward the end of the year because there was a budget excess to be used up. And that is just the tip of the misappropriation of funding disgrace, I could write a book about it. It has to be stopped. Let's hope this government has the balls to tackle this national sacred cow.

Unfortunately any sensible suggestion is jumped on by the TV and media with the BBC appearing to be hell bent on subtly trashing any much needed changes and the Unions and spin doctors pursuading poor maligned workers that they are being victimised. What I don't understand is that benefit cheating is a crime, so why isn't cheating in the workplace also recorgnised as being the crime that it is? It has the same result, it keeps the Country poor and stops the really needy from getting help.

.......and don't get me started on the NHS. Now there is an organisation that is bloated with useless tossers and insane work practices.

OK, rant over for today.

6 comments:

RNSANE said...

Goodness, we share the same miseries here that you do in the U.K. California is on a totally self destruct course and I don't see any salvation in sight, regardless of who becomes governor of our state. I'm fed up with politics period as it seems that, regardless of what is promised in campaigns, it doesn't happen post election.

DogLover said...

I'd comment, only I'm scared to, when you're in this mood ...

doglover (ex-public servant)

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

I do agree with you RAC. I have high hopes of this government and believe they are on the right path to sorting out this country's financial situation. I do hope they succeed. A

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

As Orson Wells once said "only very intellegent people don't wish they were in politics". I think that says it all Carmen.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

OK, DogLover, what mood am I supposed to be in heh??

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Fingers and everything else crossed Anne.