Is it time? Would it help?

[squidge]

Given that we are up in arms about cuts for classroom assistants, people are demonstrating in Manchester about the closure of swimming pools, Radio 4 listeners were ripping today about library closures, police, coastguards, all these are worrying people and upsetting them. Would it be less painful to raise income tax?

Why has it not been suggested and would it not work or would it be less palatable than the draconian cuts we are seeing.

[Bobinovich]

I'd like to see cuts in genuinely unnecessary spending before those in vital services or increases in tax. Exterior (i.e. for show) building lighting, under bridge lighting, interior building lights being left on overnight, excessive road humps (i.e. Riverside Road, which has done nothing but divert traffic onto adjoining roads instead) - that's just a start, I'm sure there are numerous other 'common sense' areas our Org collective could come up with!!

[ShelleyCowie]

I'd like to see cuts in genuinely unnecessary spending before those in vital services or increases in tax. Exterior (i.e. for show) building lighting, under bridge lighting, interior building lights being left on overnight, excessive road humps (i.e. Riverside Road, which has done nothing but divert traffic onto adjoining roads instead) - that's just a start, I'm sure there are numerous other 'common sense' areas our Org collective could come up with!!

Dont forget the rediculous revamp to the town centre! That stone that was layed must of cost a pound or 2!

[John Little]

Given that we are up in arms about cuts for classroom assistants, people are demonstrating in Manchester about the closure of swimming pools, Radio 4 listeners were ripping today about library closures, police, coastguards, all these are worrying people and upsetting them. Would it be less painful to raise income tax?

Why has it not been suggested and would it not work or would it be less palatable than the draconian cuts we are seeing.

Hm .... mighty close to Socialism......

[bekisman]

I'd like to see cuts in genuinely unnecessary spending before those in vital services or increases in tax. Exterior (i.e. for show) building lighting, under bridge lighting, interior building lights being left on overnight, excessive road humps (i.e. Riverside Road, which has done nothing but divert traffic onto adjoining roads instead) - that's just a start, I'm sure there are numerous other 'common sense' areas our Org collective could come up with!!

Maybe you're right about lighting on overnight - I noticed that the small Council salt depot on the A836 near Brawl did not have any overnight lights, and someone nicked the diesel.
So they put permanent light there, and now they can see what they are doing when they nick it..

[orkneycadian]

Would it be less painful to raise income tax?

Probably just kick off a whole new round of folk complaining that they are then struggling to pay for the full Sky package every month, 60 fags a day or the latest 50" HD 3D plasma TV.

A lot of folk just haven't cottoned on to what austerity or cutbacks mean, and that after all the cuts are implemented (or tax rises if you wish) they cannot keep going on spending and accessing services like they used to.

Its as bad across here in Orkney. We have just had a huge round of public "consultations" called Tough Times, Tough Choices. Open forum websites, public meetings on every island and in every parish, etc. The same things have been suggested - cutting down on street lighting etc, but none of it has been implemented. Consultation for consultations sake. Yesterday, at ten to 8, I met no end of gritters out on the roads spreading salt for all they were worth. The temperature indicator in the car said 3 degrees and the road was wet. The weather forecast on Radio Orkney had just finished saying that the temperatures would rise to 7 degrees, accompanied by rain. I don't know how much money OIC wasted yesterday in salt, diesel and wages.

Swimming pools - Up the entrance cost till it pays for itself. It'll still be a lot cheaper than having one at home!

Libraries - Realistically, how much longer, in this day and age, can they be sustained anyway? With e-books, I-pads, the internet and the likes? DVD Video hire shops hardly exist any more, due to folk accessing the content online, or through the post from the likes of Lovefilm. How long before, realistically, we do the same with the printed word, and a big central library called Lovebooks posts out paper copies of novels and books for the "div ye minders" who still prefer to read their stuff off paper rather than off an LCD screen?

Coastguards - Cant see what the fuss is about. For a long time now, the voices of the coastguard on the VHF in Orkney have not been local, let alone have any local knowledge, other than that they get off a map on the wall. If that voice comes from Aberdeen (which it does for the Pentland waters anyway), it won't make a big odds.

Now, foreign aid and fighting other folks wars for them in far flung countries. That would save a pound or 10!

[squidge]

What are 'div ye minders'?

[The Drunken Duck]

Well why not just spend what we have more wisely and THEN see if we need to raise taxes ??

Stop foreign aid, if we are that skint that we are having to cut the numbers of policemen and women as well as drastic council cuts we cant afford to give millions away to countries to fight their "poverty", a strongly worded reminder that perhaps if they are that poor they should bin their nuclear weapon and space programs. Thats a bundle back in our kitty.

Pull our guys out of Afghanistan .. NOW. On top of the lives lost the cash cost is prohibitive, and why should we pay to back up American foreign policy on "Terrorism" ??, They allowed the IRA to fundraise in America for years !!, America is only a friend when they need us. Lets get out and leave them to it. Cant believe I just wrote that but there you go. There's a few more billion saved, as well as lives.

Start telling the EU to cram it, we slash our cash contribution and tell them to like it or lump it until our economic situation sorts itself out. More cash saved.

Back home we cut back to essential services. In my book that means schools, hospitals, law and order, economic infrastructure, protecting our island and basic social care. Every little "right on" initiative drawn up under Labour by some graduate, who never had a proper job in their life, wearing a tea cosy on their head .. gone. No more breast reductions, sex changes etc etc on the NHS, that money goes to afford the cancer drugs we seemingly cant afford right now. Common sense across the board. Yes there will be cuts but I would rather some useless "diversity" adviser gets binned than families being hit when taking their kids swimming.