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thetrough

Listed below are comments made by thetrough between Monday, 6th October 2008 and Thursday, 12th February 2009.

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Why Sir James Crosby resigned 10:19am on 12 Feb 2009 The labour government have shown since 1997 a complete inability to choose competent individuals. This is yet another case if as reported this man was Browns choice for this role. The same applies to the choice of ministers in charge of departments. It is about time such posts were given to professional managers who can be scrutinised by MP's (acting solely as our represntatives) before and during their tenure and sacked for poor performance.
Has any one counted up the number of times this government has said "we have to learn the lessons..."
I feel I am funding the most expensive training scheme yet invented. I would rather these people went home and played Simcity or similar with toy money than lose my taxes so recklessly and continuously.
Should bankers repay bonuses? 7:53pm on 05 Feb 2009 Far from being paid any bonus for turning up to work at a bank. Those who have been rewarded for such exceptional performance should have their bonuses revalued in the light of the now revelaed truth behind their activities.
Perhaps the sums they should rightly then be required to repay will go some way to recompensing those of us who have lost significant sums, jobs etc.
Good on Obama although I don't know why he set the level so high. As for Gordon Brown and his rather weak follow up perhaps all salaries at "helped" banks should be set at a maximum below those of an MP.
Forget talk of an early election 10:42am on 28 Jan 2009 Ref Mark Fields' item on Speed Cameras
Agreed. Speed appropriate to the conditions should be allowed. Most of our motorways have many vehicles exceeding the nominal speed limit - without accident until generally another factor comes into play.
Cameras also don't detect faulty vehicles - in my area I pass significant numbers of vehicles with missing or badly aimed head lamps both of which are unsafe on country roads.
Average speed systems have been applied to the A77 at massive cost (£1.2M). The local councillor interviewed on radio (late 08)tried to justify them based on dubious data since they were installed and apparently had no significant jusification of the need prior to their installation. The limit in one section was dropped further - revenue may have been falling !
The New Capitalism 10:54pm on 08 Dec 2008 Robert - you suggest that the taxpayers are likely to have to bail out the banks again in the near future. This in order to maintain lending to companies.
If the millions that you predict hit the dole queues then that burden will fall upon less taxpayers who in turn will tighten whatever tey have left to tighten.
In other words the slide downhill will be accelerated into possibly the full blown depression that we all fear.
Surely the key has to be to prevent companies laying off staff, in order to maintain tax revenues, by spending in far bigger style that so far has been the case, on infrastructure and solid assets and to restrict financial assistance to those companies maintaining or creating employment. The conservatives had that part right at least.
Why punish savers? 11:32am on 04 Dec 2008 As for my representative in parliament - he should be paid by the Labopur party and not by the taxpayer as he carries out labout policy and does nothing to effectively represent me.
Perhaps if MP's pay, including a performance bonus, were set locally oit would encourage them to listen to us and not continually tow the party line. Their might then be real debate in the houses of parliament instead of grandstanding and rubber stamping.
Why punish savers? 11:29am on 04 Dec 2008 How does Gordon Brown get away with claiming "low national debt" when he speaks in public. It is ridiculous in the current situation.

It also seems to have taken almost a generation to again manage to forget the tax and spend habits of Labour in the past. History taeches us about the future - if only we could ensure it was remembered from one generation to the next effectively.

Labour's blatant vote buying, of which mortgage support is yet another stream, is an affront to democracy. That is quite apart from the insult to the Queen carried out yesterday. It is also an affront to those of us who have worked diligently, paid our way, saved when possible under an ever increasing tax bureaucratic burden.
Why punish savers? 11:22am on 04 Dec 2008 The banks are already ripping savers and borrowers off.

Savers are getting 50% of the rates typically charged to borrowers at 8.9% and upwards rather than the 1 or 2% margin in the past.

Fees are increased too. For a £3000 overdraft on my business account with RBS I was asked to pay £200 in fees or nearly 7% of the sum to be borrowed and then plus interest. Profit upfront indeed.

The banks need to remember that they don't have any thing to play with without our money. If the continue to charge rdiculously they will also attract competition from outside.
Talking tax cuts 11:51am on 10 Nov 2008 does this government understand anything other than spend spend spend and that with money they have not got.
If they want to stimulate the economy why not give everyone access to the same tax free benefots as MP's - if we could all furnish our houses from the John Lewis list tax free on expenses I am sure there would be an immediate retail boost.

For that matter why should our leaders, local and national, be insulated from the pressure faced by the rest. Salaries should be based upon a reasonable average and pensions influenced by the performance of the pensions achieved by the rest of the population.
In the current downturn it appears that less of us will be forced to shoulder a heavier burden of financing our leaders.
That would not be so bad if they had demonstrated competence and value for money. But as it is the similarities with a training scheme for lower management are hard to avoid.
How will the Chancellor repay debt? 09:40am on 07 Nov 2008 As it now appears, the government, even as major shareholders, will not be able to exercise the control neede to return the banks to providing the service that we all need.
The rumours are that the banks are already returning to their old ways and gambling with taxpayers money.
So surely it would be desireable to return control of the banks to the shareholders, government included, by legislating amongst others that remuneration packages for individuals whose gross packages exceed shall we say 1.5 times the average of the entire bank salaries whould be approved by shareholders.
Perhaps then the smaller shareholders would also be able to demonstrate their feelings regarding excess in relation to the risk they accept.
How close to capitulation? 8:07pm on 06 Oct 2008 So what did the EU leaders get up to at their summit ? They don't seem any better organised or coordinated this week than last and at least in the UK are still waffling instead of producing concrete actions.
Maybe it was Mrs. Sarkozy holding a musical soiree that gave them the excuse for time off.

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thetrough