What would YOU cut ?

[Papaumau]

At the moment the BBC and Nick Robinson are going around the country asking people what THEY would cut if they had the power to do it.

The thing is that the questions that are being asked are "engineered" to put the people into very difficult choices that they might not have taken if they had had a wider remit.

The latest question Nick Robinson asked, yesterday, was: Would you cut welfare benefits so as to save any cuts on health and education. Of course the people who asked that were on benefits said NO and the people who were not on benefits said YES. How twisted is that then ?

I visited the BBC NEWS Politics page and found a similar set of questions with a slider on each option showing what would happen if certain cuts were made on certain sections of government spending.

As with the questions that were being asked out on the road these questions were formulated to force the person to make narrow choices of "either/or" rather than let them say where they would want specific cuts to fall.

No options were given to cut spending by cutting waste or by getting rid of quangos or by ditching Trident or by taxing the rich more than they already are.

Because of these VERY directed and steered questions the people were forced to make decisions that were unfair and myopic.

In my estimation, NOT a representative result !

HERE is the BBC NEWS page where you can try this narrow view yourself.

Come back and tell us what you think in this thread.

[Papaumau]

WELL........What WOULD you cut ?

Strewth, it is like pulling teeth, trying to get opinions out of you lot.

[avalonmpk]

(i)  Every Politician's Salary at every level of government by at least 33% and make them all contribute to a private pension fund.
Also make them all take out private indemnity insurance against the foul-ups that they ALL make- this will make them think twice before wasting our taxes.
(ii)  Cut the rate at which the public sector abuse their sick leave entitlement No certification No pay! On particular  I have in mind the MOD they know who they are. I used to play skittles with them.
(iii)  Bus passes only for the infirm and over 65 years of age.
(IV)  Young able bodied fit males to earn their benefits by being put to work on building our sea defences - they are badly in need of improvement to protect our agriculture we abuse the environment  and import too much of our food locally grown and locally produced helps the planet and will  help reduce the nations waistline.
(v) Cars private for the use of only to be used on alternate days of the week cut down congestion and allow commercial vehicles reduce their fuel and time and save everyone's time and temper!
I could go on but the list is at present 903 items long and no doubt will increase after this evenings forum

[Ivanhoe]

////////Young able bodied fit males to earn their benefits by being put to work on building our sea defences - they are badly in need of improvement to protect our agriculture we abuse the environment  and import too much of our food locally grown and locally produced helps the planet and will  help reduce the nations waistline./////

The same small minded crap that has got this country into this mess in the first place.

Cut overseas aid and re-nationalise Britain, putting people into real long term jobs.  It so happens that the unemployed cannot claim benefits until they have proved they are looking for work.

Factually and sickenly, the unemployed are looked down on in Britain, because we are largely a tiny minded nation.

[Ivanhoe]

WELL........What WOULD you cut ?

Strewth, it is like pulling teeth, trying to get opinions out of you lot.

We shouldnt be cutting, we should be investing, I agree with the Green party.

[Hugh]

WELL........What WOULD you cut ?

Strewth, it is like pulling teeth, trying to get opinions out of you lot.

Opinions what a joke, if you are not left wing labour party you are not welcome on here.

The welfare spongers will be hit the hardest that's for sure. I can see changes to the winter fuel allowances and bus passes which will hurt some pensioners. Labour have left us in the [censored] now we have to pay for it.

[Ivanhoe]

Labour, what Labour ?.

"New right wing Labour continued Thatcherism with a difference, they helped our pensioners re- the bus passes and the winter fuel payments, not forgetting the Pensions Credit.

However, if New Labour had increased income tax on the general populas, and got rid of the unjust council tax brought in as poll tax by Thatcher, then the majority of the countrty underr New Labour would have been better off without council tax to pay, while the rich would have paid their share of income tax.

In short New Labour borrowed to spend.

[Papaumau]

That's better !

Don't you feel much better now that you have got that off your chests ?

Hugh.....

It's not about who is "welcome" or not here, it is about who are willing to fight their corner without getting abusive

Avalon......

I must admit that I agree with a lot of your ideas there, except maybe that the 65 year-olds that you talk about should be "infirm" before they get a bus pass. ( If they are "infirm" how will they walk to the bus stop ? ).

As far as cutting down on the road-traffic by only allowing them to be used on alternate days....... I think that would be completely unworkable as many if not most of the people that use motor-transport today do it because they have no other choice. The country's economy is tightly based around how we move our people and produce around the country.

I WOULD like to see a lot more commercial traffic taken off the roads and put onto the rails. Beeching has a lot to be held responsible for when he slashed our rail network.

[Ivanhoe]

//////That's better !

Don't you feel much better now that you have got that off your chests ?//////

Is that aimed at me ?

[Hugh]

Well Papa on here just see how a much abuse you get if you say a good word for M. Thatcher or vote conservatve. I have never voted conservative or labour for that matter but I will admit I did very well under Margaret Thatcher and still say she is the strongest Prime Minister we have ever had, and I wish she was here to sort out the welfare state.

[Ivanhoe]

Do you so look down at your fellows to even assume that millions do not want to work ?

[Hugh]

Do you so look down at your fellows to even assume that millions do not want to work ?

I never look down at any one but I hate to see people drawing welfare who have no right to it. Leaving less for the real needy, A near by neighbour drawing disabillity money but she is only disable to the front of the property not to the rear, her live in partner puts his home address down in Nottingham. Thousands of young girls have a baby as soon as they leave school so they don't have to find a job and jump the housing list and enjoy life on the welfare. Get registered as a druggy and that will get you £70 or more extra in welfare money to feed the habit.

People who have to stay at home to look after an elderly person or disabled person gets very little help, and live more or less in poverty, through no fault of their own.

The welfare states iin one hell of a mess and it needs sorting

[Ivanhoe]

////////I never look down at any one but I hate to see people drawing welfare who have no right to it. Leaving less for the real needy, A near by neighbour drawing disabillity money but she is only disable to the front of the property not to the rear, her live in partner puts his home address down in Nottingham. Thousands of young girls have a baby as soon as they leave school so they don't have to find a job and jump the housing list and enjoy life on the welfare. Get registered as a druggy and that will get you £70 or more extra in welfare money to feed the habit.

People who have to stay at home to look after an elderly person or disabled person gets very little help, and live more or less in poverty, through no fault of their own.

The welfare states iin one hell of a mess and it needs sorting ////////

NO IT DOESNT.  What we need in this country are long term secure jobs and affordable low rented housing.
 

[Ivanhoe]

 /////////I hate to see people drawing welfare who have no right to it.///////

In a free market economy culture where unemployment is an obvious fall out due to profit, everyone unemployed has a right to it.

[Hugh]

/////////I hate to see people drawing welfare who have no right to it.///////

In a free market economy culture where unemployment is an obvious fall out due to profit, everyone unemployed has a right to it.

VERY VERY TRUE but they won't get a penny, until they use up any saving they may have to wards retirement. My eldest son lost his job and was unable to get unemployment benefits. You quoted people who should get it, and I agree with you, but if they have savings tough s--t they won't get a penny under the present system.