How many more will die of cold this winter ?

[Papaumau]

After the gas and electricity companies made billions of profits because of the very hard winter of 2009 and they fought tooth and nail NOT to drop prices during this summer to the levels they SHOULD HAVE dropped them to, we see them now warning that gas and electricity prices WILL go up again this winter too.

I wonder at what point will the government - ANY government - try to get a grip on these profiteering animals so that they will be made to treat us more fairly.

With the CONDEM government talking about dropping the cold-weather payments for pensioners it seems that the old and the frail and the poor of our society are going to be hit VERY hard this coming winter.

At what point do any government think they should serve a windfall-tax on these greedy energy companies ?

How many more will die of cold this winter I wonder ?

[Ivanhoe]

//////How many more will die of cold this winter I wonder ?/////////

What the eye doesnt see Papaumau, the heart ( for want of a more suitable word in Britain ) doesnt grieve over.

[Papaumau]

The numbers are there to see for anyone that cares to look:

See THIS

[Ivanhoe]

Papaumau,  I went to the link,  It's a bloody disgrace.

[Ivanhoe]

The numbers are there to see for anyone that cares to look:

See THIS

Nobody "cares", until it happens to them.

[Papaumau]

It hasn't happened to me and I "care" !

I am sure that there are more people like me that are elderly and are quite well off that do care about the ones that are not.

It IS true that some people are very selfish when it comes to what might happen to them, but I think that these types are in the vociferous minority. At least I hope they are.

I am glad that the internet has brought the silent majority of people in this situation much closer together. Maybe TOGETHER we can fight off that vociferous minority and get what we are all due.

I am sure that those vociferous few will happily jump onto the bandwagon of improvements in the plight of the "quiet-many" so long as they are to get their share of these improvements too.

Not pointing my finger at anybody, but you know who you are !

[Ivanhoe]

///////Maybe TOGETHER we can fight off that vociferous minority and get what we are all due. ////

"TOGETHER" ?

[Papaumau]

Yes Ivanhoe...."together" !

I think that you will find that the grey-power vote is growing apace and that more and more elderly people are getting sick to the back teeth of the bad treatment they get from their political servants.

All politicos now know that the numbers of voters that come from the 50+ age-groups out there is growing and is getting more and more active and even militant in political circles and they are frightened of what might happen to them if they do not look after us now and in the future.

"Grey power" exists, I just think that even more of us need to come together into the heart of this fight.

As I probably have a greater view of human nature than you do I am sure that this connection is going to grow and grow until our opinion eventually gets the respect it deserves.

[Ivanhoe]

Papaumau, Sorry, but I dont agree with you. 

I believe pensioners are more devided than ever, and there are 12 million pensioners in a 60 million population.

I believe our politicians continue to ignore the pension rights of the elderly, because our self serving politicians know they will get away with it, which they definately will.

[Papaumau]

Like with all groups there are bound to be individuals that are selfish in their views and actions but the simple fact that we are all in the same generation and are more aware of our needs than many of the youngsters are invites me to imagine that there are now more of us out there that think alike than there are that don't.

Of course there is also the oldies that are set in their ways, who support the same people that they have always supported, because of tradition. ( We are our own worst enemies here ), but I am sure that there are more and more of us every day that are now prepared to jump ship and support the ones that support US

Maybe you only know the people that are the easy victims that are more liable to keep showing their throats to the wolves that are looking for prey.

The ones that I know are getting ANGRY and unsatisfied with their lot and  they are the ones who are now looking for ways to change it.

[Ivanhoe]

///////The ones that I know are getting ANGRY and unsatisfied with their lot and  they are the ones who are now looking for ways to change it. ///////

And what are those ways ??

 

[Hugh]

//////How many more will die of cold this winter I wonder ?/////////

What the eye doesnt see Papaumau, the heart ( for want of a more suitable word in Britain ) doesnt grieve over.

Just how many pensioners stick with one power company and not swapping to the cheapest power supplier. If others were to change to the cheapest others would have to compete. Tip Scottish power been the cheapest for the past year Brittish gas (French) one of the most expensive. We have been given the tools to fight, and its up to us to use them. Having a computer bill rather than two paper ones could save you £200 a year.

[Ivanhoe]

That isnt the point.

[Papaumau]

///////The ones that I know are getting ANGRY and unsatisfied with their lot and  they are the ones who are now looking for ways to change it. ///////

And what are those ways ??

Ivanhoe, Hugh just mentioned one of them !

If we do not look for ways to fight this fight we are never going to find any !

If all else fails and our individual actions in many directions do not work there is always democracy as our greatest tool.

The elderly folk of Britain are now getting educated in the many ways that their voices can be heard and at the final outcome the ballot box is the ultimate sanction.

Getting downhearted and thinking that all efforts have failed and as a result, giving up, is just another way to be a victim.

I have NEVER been a victim and I do not plan to start being one now.

[Ivanhoe]

Papaumau, Im aged 62, I started campaigning on behalf of the UKs elderly generation when I was 42, that's twenty years ago.

When you have been going as long as I have, finding ways to keep this cause alive in the media, being a positive campaigner through the local media, including standing at a general election as an Indepedent on all issues pertaining to pensioners, and even now as you know writing letters.

When you have clocked up 20 years, you come back to me and tell me you dont feel just a little discouraged.