Caithness issues for May 3rd

[Schoolhouse Blues]

What are the key issues for you when (or if) you vote in the Scottish elections on May 3rd?

The BBC website published an ICM poll last Wednesday (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6527223.stm)
if the key issues for Scottish voters. The top eight were...


ensure state schools and hospitals are built and run by public bodies rather than public companies by PFI/PPP
more bobbies on the beat
cut council tax for those aged over 65
stop closing local hospitals / local health services
support the farming and fishing industries
ban young people who have caused trouble from going out at night
free school meals
invest more on bus and train servicesWhat will inspire you, or rattle your cage, in the polling booth in 25 days time?

[peter macdonald]

" The Lib Dems campaigned on education, pledging to cut class sizes and Labour promised to create Scotland's first centre of excellence for golf.

The party said that the centre would be built in Nairn, if Jack McConnell was returned as first minister.

The idea is based on existing "centres of excellence" in music and drama, and the golf scheme could be set up in other areas across Scotland in the years leading to the Ryder Cup in 2014. "

from BBc news website...It seems Jack McConnell has the real problems of the Highlands in his sights
Pathetic
PM

[Schoolhouse Blues]

Spot on Peter - the same ocurred to me today. Is it possible McConnell has nothing left to offer on the substantial issues?

[j4bberw0ck]

What are the key issues for you when (or if) you vote in the Scottish elections on May 3rd?

The BBC website published an ICM poll last Wednesday (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6527223.stm)
if the key issues for Scottish voters. The top eight were...
ensure state schools and hospitals are built and run by public bodies rather than public companies by PFI/PPPWhich is moronically, stupidly dumb in the extreme. I'm no friend of Labour but they're right; do we really want to go back to the days of having Council DLO building all public buildings? We'd never get any new ones at all. And any we did get would be years behind schedule and cost millions over budget.
more bobbies on the beat
cut council tax for those aged over 65So that those under 65 can pay more. Ridiculous. The current crop of pensioners are the richest this country will see for the next hundred years, courtesy of Gordon Brown. To make it work you'd need a local income tax system as proposed by the SNP, but that has holes since they'd be £1.25 billion short each year based on a 3% hike, and they'd be cap-in-hand to the UK Treasury to get the Council Tax relief money handed over as lump sum. I can hear Gordon Brown laughing himself to sleep as I type this.
stop closing local hospitals / local health servicesYou'll need to pay MUCH more tax then, since the NHS is a black hole for money, or go to a decent method of funding like the French.
support the farming and fishing industriesWhy? It's the CAP and CFP destroying them. And why should farming be a special case? They already get money for set-aside. And fishing - they're fishing themselves right out of business. How should they be protected?
ban young people who have caused trouble from going out at nightYou can't. Human Rights Act. Can't have it both ways.
free school mealsWhy? Kids don't eat free at home. A subsidy on school meals might be workable. While we're at it, let's make a (modest) charge for hospital patients food (since they, too, don't eat free at home) and give them good food of their choice when they want to eat it....
invest more on bus and train servicesYou can't invest enough money to make it work in Scotland outside Glasgow / Edinburgh. The country's too big and too empty.

[peter macdonald]

What are the key issues for you when (or if) you vote in the Scottish elections on May 3rd?

The BBC website published an ICM poll last Wednesday (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6527223.stm)
if the key issues for Scottish voters. The top eight were...
ensure state schools and hospitals are built and run by public bodies rather than public companies by PFI/PPP
Which is moronically, stupidly dumb in the extreme. I'm no friend of Labour but they're right; do we really want to go back to the days of having Council DLO building all public buildings? We'd never get any new ones at all. And any we did get would be years behind schedule and cost millions over budget.
Jabberwok Are public/private funded ones any better Skye Bridge etc ??

more bobbies on the beat

cut council tax for those aged over 65
So that those under 65 can pay more. Ridiculous. The current crop of pensioners are the richest this country will see for the next hundred years, courtesy of Gordon Brown. To make it work you'd need a local income tax system as proposed by the SNP, but that has holes since they'd be £1.25 billion short each year based on a 3% hike, and they'd be cap-in-hand to the UK Treasury to get the Council Tax relief money handed over as lump sum. I can hear Gordon Brown laughing himself to sleep as I type this.

That is the bueaty of a local income tax Pensioners who have money pay them that dont would not need to pay The tax has to be set realistically This has been mooted for years by the Lib Dems You site the SNP s proposal but like the Lib Dems you are assuming equal spend on all other matters

stop closing local hospitals / local health services
You'll need to pay MUCH more tax then, since the NHS is a black hole for money, or go to a decent method of funding like the French.

Very true JWok However but I always think that money is not the problem its the way its spent As you say the French do it so do the Finns Swedes Canadians However if you look at how the last investment in the NHS was spent it tells you a lot about New Labour Are GPs worth £70000+++ pa???
I dont know

support the farming and fishing industries
Why? It's the CAP and CFP destroying them. And why should farming be a special case? They already get money for set-aside. And fishing - they're fishing themselves right out of business. How should they be protected?

JWok Are you sure the fishermen are doing that??? Maybe a few years ago but I dont think that is the case now The fishermen are amongst the most highly regulated workers in the UK or even the EU Their industry was butchered as much by the ineptitude of politicians as any thing else
The crofters here are so highly regulated it makes earning a living hard going both from the EU and the UK government Unlike other countries in Europe they got little protection from the Westminster government compared with France Germany Finland etc

ban young people who have caused trouble from going out at night
You can't. Human Rights Act. Can't have it both ways.
They already do via electronic tagging

free school meals
Why? Kids don't eat free at home. A subsidy on school meals might be workable. While we're at it, let's make a (modest) charge for hospital patients food (since they, too, don't eat free at home) and give them good food of their choice when they want to eat it....

invest more on bus and train services
You can't invest enough money to make it work in Scotland outside Glasgow / Edinburgh. The country's too big and too empty.

What should be invested in is putting more freight up here by sea
One good port each side of the county but still every thing comes by road But look how much revenue Greedy Gordon would lose if he discouraged the haulage industry

PM

[j4bberw0ck]

Hi Peter - good to see you vocal again!

The top eight were...
ensure state schools and hospitals are built and run by public bodies rather than public companies by PFI/PPP


Jabberwok Are public/private funded ones any better Skye Bridge etc ??

The Skye Bridge in many ways is the exception that proves the rule. There are some things which the State should be responsible for in terms of infrastructure - for instance, my personal view was that privatising railway track was lunacy because it was never going to work. Roads and bridges should be the same. I'm not going to quibble with a modest toll for bridges but the Skye Bridge tolls were nonsensical - and the government acknowledged it and aren't about to do it again.

Part of the confusion seems to be the use of the term "built". Do they mean the physical construction project being dealt with by public sector DLOs (god help us all) or do they mean only public funds can be used? Either way is a nonsense - if the private sector can figure a way of making a profit out of a construction project, why not? At least profits are money earned going back into the economy....

cut council tax for those aged over 65



That is the bueaty of a local income tax Pensioners who have money pay them that dont would not need to pay The tax has to be set realistically This has been mooted for years by the Lib Dems You site the SNP s proposal but like the Lib Dems you are assuming equal spend on all other matters

I know the LibDems have been banging this drum. But transfer to local income tax within a 3% rise can't raise the sums of money needed, and I'd argue it's not the pensioners who need protection so much as the young on low incomes with families. Not sure what you mean by "assuming equal spend on all other matters". I'd like to see a thorough investigation into the costs of local government before people start figuring out other ways of paying for it.

stop closing local hospitals / local health services

You'll need to pay MUCH more tax then, since the NHS is a black hole for money, or go to a decent method of funding like the French.


Very true JWok However but I always think that money is not the problem its the way its spent As you say the French do it so do the Finns Swedes Canadians However if you look at how the last investment in the NHS was spent it tells you a lot about New Labour Are GPs worth £70000+++ pa??? I dont know

Well in fairness, the billions promised in the last budget weren't about GP contracts. Are GP's worth £70k? If MPs are worth £62k plus the same again in allowances, plus a fortieths pension scheme and generous settlements for being voted out, then I'd say GPs are comfortably worth £70k+. Unless you want to go to the Soviet model where tractor engineers were paid more than GPs because tractors were more valuable than people.... In addition to which the internal rate of inflation in the NHS is around 10% p.a. as I understand it, so the last dollop of money will keep pace for less than 12 months....

support the farming and fishing industries
Why? It's the CAP and CFP destroying them. And why should farming be a special case? They already get money for set-aside. And fishing - they're fishing themselves right out of business. How should they be protected?


JWok Are you sure the fishermen are doing that??? Maybe a few years ago but I dont think that is the case now The fishermen are amongst the most highly regulated workers in the UK or even the EU Their industry was butchered as much by the ineptitude of politicians as any thing else
The crofters here are so highly regulated it makes earning a living hard going both from the EU and the UK government Unlike other countries in Europe they got little protection from the Westminster government compared with France Germany Finland etc

The best way of protecting fishermen is to get out of the CFP and reclaim a 200 mile fishing limit, with "no fish" zones set up. Nice idea, but impossible as it stands. Or more radical - treat fishermen like farmers - allow them to buy the exclusive rights to fish an area of sea. If they fish it to extinction, they go out of business and someone else can buy the area at a knock down price. If they develop it sensibly as an asset and improve stocks and the health of stocks, their asset increases in value. If they want to sink an old oil rig or ship in their area to provide an environment for fish to reproduce and shelter, let them - as stocks increase, so does the value of their asset. Government here and in Europe has done untold harm to the fishing industry - get them the hell out and let fishing heal itself without taxpayers' money being wasted.

Farmers have to figure out a way of making their business sustainable. If it isn't, well, we don't subsidise shops or little engineering companies or taxi firms if they can't make a living.

ban young people who have caused trouble from going out at night
You can't. Human Rights Act. Can't have it both ways.

They already do via electronic tagging

Yep, and it doesn't work!

invest more on bus and train services
You can't invest enough money to make it work in Scotland outside Glasgow / Edinburgh. The country's too big and too empty.


What should be invested in is putting more freight up here by sea
One good port each side of the county but still every thing comes by road But look how much revenue Greedy Gordon would lose if he discouraged the haulage industry

Sea is too slow and just transfers the road part of the route from motorways to back roads. Most industry depends on JIT (Just In Time) delivery of stock to cut inventory costs; can't be done by a slow method of transport. Rail might, just might, be made to be an alternative but I'm not holding my breath.