Gordon to announce 6 May general election

[Dee]

Originally Posted by Grandad

our Lib Dem run council paid out just short of £500,000 for the sugababes to appear at our local park

They then kept 4,000 of the 14,000 tickets for family and friends of council folks and the local newspaper

5,000 of the remaining 10,000 tickets went to locals the rest went "elsewhere"

the show generated about £270,000

this cost every local person who didn't go £40 for the privelidge

the head of the Lib Dems arranged 2 overnight off site meetings, 2 miles from the council offices , these involved overnight stays and in one case a wine bill for 3 people running into several hundred pounds


the concert thing I think was to boost their egos and the hotel/wine as sleazy as anything from MPs

T'was a good evening though

Didnt realise thats what it cost them :/

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Dee

Didnt realise thats what it cost them :/

You. It cost YOU!!!

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Matblack

There is a much bigger picture than making the roads better. You can only make the roads so much better and the roads can only take so many cars.

Oh aye, it's not quite as black and white as I've put in my post. There's plenty to think about.

One thing I just can't go with the LibDems with is where they want to scrap our nuclear armament. The world is a constantly changing and hostile place. I want a big fist that others know I can use to punch back with should I have to. It should stop them throwing the first punch.

[Grandad]

Originally Posted by Desmo

You. It cost YOU!!!

At least Dee got a ticket for he money unlike most of us

[Grandad]

I admire MB's commitment to the "bigger picture" as someone who seems to have done quite well for himself it would be easy just to worry about himself

However I believe the "bigger picture" has already gone too far, people who work hard and try and better themselves are continually battered while those who sit on their arses rewarded

The needy have to be helped but the idle should never be

I have watched the situation with my retired parents, they have a small private pension, they are punished for this in terms of council tax, fuel allowances etc

it's time that people were encouraged to work, better themselves and take some responsibility, at the moment there is no incentive to do this

[Briggykins]

Originally Posted by Desmo

One thing I just can't go with the LibDems with is where they want to scrap our nuclear armament. The world is a constantly changing and hostile place. I want a big fist that others know I can use to punch back with should I have to. It should stop them throwing the first punch.

Yep, that and nuclear power (very good thing imo) are the two areas on which I disagree with the LDs. Neither of them are my most important issue, but nonetheless it's off-putting. Still, none of the parties match me completely.

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by Grandad

I admire MB's commitment to the "bigger picture" as someone who seems to have done quite well for himself it would be easy just to worry about himself

However I believe the "bigger picture" has already gone too far, people who work hard and try and better themselves are continually battered while those who sit on their arses rewarded

The needy have to be helped but the idle should never be

I have watched the situation with my retired parents, they have a small private pension, they are punished for this in terms of council tax, fuel allowances etc

it's time that people were encouraged to work, better themselves and take some responsibility, at the moment there is no incentive to do this

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some pious bloody hippy who wants to be able to live off the rich.

I like a nice house and a nice car, but I also like nice town and nice parks and good hospitals which I don't have to pay insurance for and that I know my Grandmother can access as well despite the fact she is on a pension and can't afford health insurance and I am willing to give a proportion of my earnings to get that.

If by doing so other people benefit then that's good. I don't want to fund people sat on their arses either, however I live with the idea that if god forbid Heather and I are made redundant at the same time I would like some help to stay alive and that if I develop an illness which means I have to have care long term then I don't have to sell my house to get it.

Interestingly there are places where this happens if you look at Sweden and Denmark the tax rate is high however public services are comprehensive and of excellent quality and the people seem to like it. Here in the UK there is far too much emphasis on how much money people have got and how they can get more.

Taking things to the extreme, I don't want to live in a gated community and drive my Ferrari through slums to get to work when I can live in a nice place in a nice area and drive a reasonable car, some people might call this Socialism but I call it common sense.

MB

[Grandad]

Originally Posted by Matblack

, however I live with the idea that if god forbid Heather and I are made redundant at the same time I would like some help to stay alive MB

totally agree, however surely someone who worked hard, paid taxes and fell on hard times thorough no fault of their own at the moment gets "looked after" to the same extent ( and often a lesser extent ) than the idle dossers that have never done a proper days work or contributed anything to society

[Kitten]

or not at all Grandad. My Mum & Step-Dad had separated and were living in separate houses. She got a new job in a different field and after 12 months was made redundant because the company folded while she was in hospital after a serious operation. After 26 years continuous employment in the health service she was told that she wasn't entitled to anything at all because her husband was still in full employment (despite the fact that they were living in separate houses and were officially separated and had been for some time). That was a bit of a kick in the teeth, and one of the reasons that I don't trust any of them. I realise it's different for everyone, but there's something rotten somewhere, and I don't think a change of party will change any of it.

Yours,
Disillusioned, England.

[Glaucus]

Originally Posted by Briggykins

Yep, that and nuclear power (very good thing imo) are the two areas on which I disagree with the LDs. Neither of them are my most important issue, but nonetheless it's off-putting. Still, none of the parties match me completely.

why don't you agree with building nuclear power plants?

Energy security is probably the biggest issue facing us, due to the sheer time it takes to plan and build.