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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted -  28/04/2011  :  07:37
Political comment is a high risk activity on the site these days so I thought I'd try again to give those who are interested in politics a safe haven!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
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Tardis
Regular Member


453 Posts
Posted - 22/12/2011 : 10:28
Interesting the comments about the ECB QE, and they appear to have a resounding "not enough" which should send the shivers through all those governments out there on top of the amount that was actually borrowed. The markets have obviously allowed a certain time for the issues to be resolved, and they are holding their powder.

Sounds like Hungary may be about to default too.


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Tizer
VIP Member


5150 Posts
Posted - 22/12/2011 : 16:54
"Sounds like Hungary may be about to default too."  It's ironic that Sarkozy is half-Hungarian!

The idea of building up trade with the old Commonwealth countries is OK in principle but don't hope for India to help - they are on the edge of a crash of their own and it's likely to destabilise the whole country. The new middle class is about to be left high and dry with a housing market crash and there will be social tensions coming to a head between the rich and poor.


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catgate
Senior Member


1764 Posts
Posted - 22/12/2011 : 17:50
I still think it is like a petri dish full of organisms greedily  consuming the agar and then suddenly having to con each other after they realise what their fate is really going to be.


Every silver lining has a cloud.


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 05:14
There's a cheerful Xmas meassage to the nation!

Will ratings agencies make a late announcement?


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Tizer
VIP Member


5150 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 09:42
Catty, those organisms in the petri dish are a very advanced form of life. They even have little telephones and keep calling me to say I need help sorting out the computer problem that I don't have and that they can help me spend my money.

Stanley, who will rate the ratings agencies? Why does anyone believe them? Remember the Icelandic banks? The agencies were still giving them full marks long after my British newspaper had told me not to put any money in an Icelandic bank.


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 09:59
I agree Tiz but nevertheless they do have influence on the markets. If we chucked out all those who got the credit crunch wrong there's only be thee and me and Catty left!

Just read my BET and reflected that if the platitudes were taken out of our MPs weekly column there would be very little left......  (Of course I am biased....).


Stanley Challenger Graham




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Tardis
Regular Member


453 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 14:42
Local politics:

http://www.pendle.gov.uk/egov_downloads/Item_08_-_West_Craven_Revenue_Budget.pdf

Looks like the powers that be have overspent somewhat (£2.8m), and now they look to cut back further because of the news coming down the line.

and they have finally discovered the state of the former Coach House on Newtown:

http://www.pendle.gov.uk/egov_downloads/Item_09_-_Coach_House_West_Craven_committe_report.pdf


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Whyperion
Regular Member


122 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 14:44
quote:
Tardis wrote:
I'm not sure that "consumption" on its own is a solver of the issues.

A policy which continues to suck in imports does nothing to counterbalance the outward flow of money.

Probably need to take a good long lokk at Agriculture and invest in home produce.

Then see if we can encourage manufcaturers to locate here, even if they are only screw driver operations to at least get a little bit of "made in UK" on them.

Ultimately it is only the domicilling of businesses in the UK which will both increase job availability, but also help to make inroads into the deficit in public spending and ensure that the tax burden isn't increased any further to pay back the profligacy

If you are making stuff , you need someone to buy it.

Government seems to enjoy creating policies and plans to continue buying just about everything on the government shopping list from non UK places, with particular emphasis on fuel and energy , no wonder they dont want to join the euro , just let the pound continue to devalue over time instead.

Private sector slightly less so ( we buy cheap foreign cars , sell a few expensive quality ones overseas. We also now import things like cheap bicycles ( but the UK value added is in the in store assembly and set up as they are mostly flat packed )

 


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Tardis
Regular Member


453 Posts
Posted - 23/12/2011 : 15:01
Interesting statistic with regard to car production: over 80% of UK production is exported. Which probably means that we have the jobs, but much of the potential "tax" is lost.

Remember a balanced or devaluing currency allows business to invest, as does a stable bank rate

The part of the economy not growing is construction, and that is probably more to do with the banking situation than actual 'need'


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 24/12/2011 : 04:19
Actually, the recent improvement in growth figures was largely attributed to construction.

Small but encouraging signs from the US. No cheering yet but some of the key indicators seem to moving the right way. One big boost could be the fact that the tax cuts have been extended temporarily for three months. I wish them well.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Whyperion
Regular Member


122 Posts
Posted - 24/12/2011 : 21:02
Local Politics.

Reading the West Craven Budget , rather a lot of it seems to be Rates for premises it owns which are paid to Pendle Council Anyway , we are paying more for ourselves to get less in return? The Social/Community Centres budget seems very odd , costs are increasing yet there is an assumption of less user charge income coming in. ( or less actual - did they plan to increase charges then find groups could not/would not pay the increase? Other increase over planned costs was car parks maintenance. Not certain how West Craven can get back the money or reduce , unless all Christmas Lights not bothered with next year. 


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 25/12/2011 : 05:38
I have long been an advocate of a local precept or part of the general rate being homologated and used by local councils. In the US they have a local sales tax which goes straight into the Community Chest (That's where Monopoly got the name from) It's a throw-back to the early communities and it works. In addition, local councils are allowed to run commercial enterprises. In Northfield they ran a very good off-licence and didn't license any competition. Ban national chains from running off-sales and open a Barlick off licence?

This won't happen of course but is an example of how radical thinking could transform town government. Funny how the government, of whatever colour, advocates more local control but strangles it by grabbing the cash. Of course we could always do away with the LCC, a 19th C anachronism and about as efficient as a chocolate teapot as far as we are concerned.

I forgot to post at the time but during the recent cold spell with icy roads and pavements I saw the County gritter three times on ny early morning walk and at no time was he spreading. I think he was just showing the flag!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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Whyperion
Regular Member


122 Posts
Posted - 25/12/2011 : 18:05
I thought he LCC gritter had crashed into a wall in Nelson or thereabouts.

In the EU we do have a massive community chest, its called the ESF, is raised mostly from import duties and fines , and is used for a variety of projects , including infrastructure ( motorways/ bridges and the like ) , small scale business support particulary training and assistance of unemployed with basic skills - mostly through independent providers , sometimes through local government agencies. Problem is most of these are short term and not planned to last for a long time ( its hoped they become self financing in the meduim term and I have never seen many sucesses in that measure ) , and they are targeted at the areas of most need - which can be defined quite strangley at times , down to national level and national governments are responsible for applying EU rules to their more local areas. 


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Whyperion
Regular Member


122 Posts
Posted - 25/12/2011 : 18:22
Local authorities running enterprises which could compete unfairly with the private sector are probably not a good idea.  I note in England we have the Landfill Tax funding community projects , which is useful if one has a meaningful project that needs funding.


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 26/12/2011 : 03:55
Competition is a red herring. We allow national chains to compete unfairly with local businesses with no control locally.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
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