Pages: 1 ... 27 28 29 [30] 31 32 33 ... 880   Go Down
Print
Author Topic: Let's Get Political!  (Read 1996245 times)
RobertT

Offline Offline

Posts: 11646




Ignore
« Reply #435 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 09:14:14 »

I have no issue with privatisation, but the regulators are toothless.  Have things improved - yes, because huge investment has been made.  Now look at why the investment is being made:

Capital investment is an allowable tax offset, so investing reduces tax burdens allowing profits to be made and then distributed to shareholders in higher %'s.  Sort of ok with that, but....

The companies often loan themselves the money for the capital projects through offshore companies they own, Cayman Islands being the norm.  They charge interest, which is also offset against profits to wipe out the tax burden.  The interest is paid to themselves in an offshore company making billions which is not subject to any taxation.  We pay for it in rising prices.

It's this that winds me up about privatised companies.  Also you get Gas and Electric providers bemoaning the wholesale price of Gas but they sell it to themselves as they generally own the entire chain.

A little more thought about why the service is being provided and you can could come to a much more equitable set-up.  A company driven to make profit is likely to innovate, but it shouldn't have such carte blanche to print money like they have now.

Basically, the system today over rewards capital investment meaning we get improvements, but not at a good rate of return for us as the general public.
Logged
RobertT

Offline Offline

Posts: 11646




Ignore
« Reply #436 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 09:21:03 »

Oh and I'd add it probably isn't much use in a complete monopoly market.

Gas and Electric can compete against each other, sort of
Trains have other forms of transport to compete with
BT - wide market, especially once mobile came about
Water - utter nuts, and I worked in it!

Now that's not to say a private company cannot be used in Water, but it should be heavily geared towards public provision.

NHS - not a chance in hell.  One of the great ideas of recent history and private companies should be kept well away.  Self interested drug companies have no place in the provision of service.  Allow competitive purchasing power, but this should remain completely in some for of government control.
Logged
RobertT

Offline Offline

Posts: 11646




Ignore
« Reply #437 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 09:27:03 »

Here's an example of the home building policy I was against earlier:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/increasing-the-number-of-available-homes/supporting-pages/empty-homes

If people want a home, they exist.  They have already been built.  If people are hard-up and need support, social housing should be designed to sort that problem out, but I really don't understand why we seem intent on making housing a commodity and then support everyone to buy them? especially when we don't really need the extra 200k houses all the main parties seem to be committing to.
Logged
Ironside
Wir müssen die Liberalen ausrotten

Offline Offline

Posts: 1475




Ignore
« Reply #438 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 13:57:46 »

How much a year is lost to the country through benefit fraud? How much is lost through tax loopholes for big business? Both should be addressed, but why is the main focus on the first one?

Jonny is right in the sense that Thatcher's legacy has been widespread and affected not only her own party. That doesn't make it a good thing though. Take privatisation of essential services; how many of those have been improved because of it?

How much is created by benefit fraud and how much is created via the loopholes you have a problem with?
Logged

Genius, Gentleman Explorer, French Cabaret Chantoose  and Small Bets Placed and someone who knows who they are changed my signature but its only know that I can be arsed to change it....and I mean all the spelling mistakes.

Was it me? It can't have been an interesting enough event for me to remember - fB.
Ironside
Wir müssen die Liberalen ausrotten

Offline Offline

Posts: 1475




Ignore
« Reply #439 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 14:06:20 »

We've got a pretty high number of eastern Europeans in our area,  considering we're in the middle of the countryside,  and frankly there are zero problems with them.  They work their arses off and I would be highly surprised if they are a meaningful percentage of people who claim benefits.

Yes there are people who take the piss.  But they always exist no matter what their nationality is. I could name two dozen or so 'native brits' who do fuck all work and yet are always in the pub buying ten or twelve pints on a regular basis. What fucks me off is that I, and others like me are working out collective arses off serving them , and part of my wage is essentially going to fund their habit. I don't see why in this day and age benefits (universal as they now are)  couldn't be stuck on a card of some description that won't accept a transaction including non-essentials. The dole is there to pay the rent and put food in people's mouths, not to buy them fags and booze.

I have been on the dole and I am happy to pay back into it now I'm making some half-decent money. The benefits system and the NHS are both brilliant things that need protecting. Reform,  probably, but protection,  definitely.
Eastern Europeans aren't the problem though, are they?

The problem is not where people come from. The problem is how many of them come here.
Logged

Genius, Gentleman Explorer, French Cabaret Chantoose  and Small Bets Placed and someone who knows who they are changed my signature but its only know that I can be arsed to change it....and I mean all the spelling mistakes.

Was it me? It can't have been an interesting enough event for me to remember - fB.
Amir

« Reply #440 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 14:19:51 »

How much is created by benefit fraud and how much is created via the loopholes you have a problem with?

I gave up about ten years ago trying to debate this sort of thing, as I could see it was futile. I'd just like to make one point, and that is it serves the interests of those at the top if everyone else blames each other, because it allows them to keep taking the food from our tables unnoticed.
Logged
Arriba

Offline Offline

Posts: 21289





Ignore
« Reply #441 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 14:25:28 »

Pretty much all I reckon. Plus they pay their way and contribute tax into the system rather than being dependent on tax bailouts that were the norm before they were privatised. You must bare in mind and remember that any investment into a business either via a tax handout or by private means (share issues, loans or owners own cash) demands a return in productivity and profitability, which the unions always fought tooth and nail over, that's why this country got overtaken in the 60's, 70's & 80's.

What improvements have there been to the previously public services? I struggle to see them. I do see an unfit for purpose and expensive train network still propped up by the tax payer. Utilities companies confusing their customers and often ripping them off on high tariffs whilst recording huge profits too.
Logged
Ironside
Wir müssen die Liberalen ausrotten

Offline Offline

Posts: 1475




Ignore
« Reply #442 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 15:17:05 »

What improvements have there been to the previously public services? I struggle to see them. I do see an unfit for purpose and expensive train network still propped up by the tax payer. Utilities companies confusing their customers and often ripping them off on high tariffs whilst recording huge profits too.

Blah blah fucking blah. The best improvement to public services would be to cull 50% of them, mainly desk jockey's and the money diverted to the front line.

Red Ed's pronouncement about price controls was fucking retarded and only served to increase prices. Almost immediately in fact.

The answer is not to impose controls, but to encourage people to invest.
Logged

Genius, Gentleman Explorer, French Cabaret Chantoose  and Small Bets Placed and someone who knows who they are changed my signature but its only know that I can be arsed to change it....and I mean all the spelling mistakes.

Was it me? It can't have been an interesting enough event for me to remember - fB.
Red and Proud

Offline Offline

Posts: 531




Ignore
« Reply #443 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:29:57 »

What improvements have there been to the previously public services? I struggle to see them. I do see an unfit for purpose and expensive train network still propped up by the tax payer. Utilities companies confusing their customers and often ripping them off on high tariffs whilst recording huge profits too.

Decades of underinvestment means years and years of reinvestment. The tax payer now pays less and less in subsidies each year my dear fellow. The rail companies and infrastructure are miles better than they used to be but still need more investment. You clearly are not old enough to remember shit service shit rolling stock that BR under ASLEF & NUR dictatorship used to laughingly call a a service.
Logged
Arriba

Offline Offline

Posts: 21289





Ignore
« Reply #444 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:42:15 »

Decades of underinvestment means years and years of reinvestment. The tax payer now pays less and less in subsidies each year my dear fellow. The rail companies and infrastructure are miles better than they used to be but still need more investment. You clearly are not old enough to remember shit service shit rolling stock that BR under ASLEF & NUR dictatorship used to laughingly call a a service.
years and years of investment needed regardless of it being publicly owned or private. We're still paying for it though aren't we? If subsidies are down then is this being coupled with increased ticket prices which are extortionate. So still paying really?
 Yep, I am not old enough to remember the times you mention. That was then though, not now. People generally have nothing but complaints regarding rail travel. I don't see how privatised services have improved for their sales.
« Last Edit: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:44:45 by arriba » Logged
herthab
TEF Travel

Offline Offline

Posts: 12020





Ignore
« Reply #445 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:45:50 »

Decades of underinvestment means years and years of reinvestment. The tax payer now pays less and less in subsidies each year my dear fellow. The rail companies and infrastructure are miles better than they used to be but still need more investment. You clearly are not old enough to remember shit service shit rolling stock that BR under ASLEF & NUR dictatorship used to laughingly call a a service.
'the tax payer now pays less and less in subsidies each year'. Maybe, but we pay more and more for the services. And fat cats are now getting richer than they already were from services that the state used to own and control, albeit not always as well as they could.
Oh, one other thing. I don't mind being insulted (I'm used to it) but I'd be grateful if you could keep the patronising out of your posts. There's a good girl.
Logged

It's All Good..............
herthab
TEF Travel

Offline Offline

Posts: 12020





Ignore
« Reply #446 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:51:24 »

How much is created by benefit fraud and how much is created via the loopholes you have a problem with?
What an amoral question (hardly surprising, given the source). I'm not talking about penalising big business, or increasing corporation tax, merely closing the loopholes that allow them to fleece this country out of tax they should be paying. I can't understand how anybody, apart from those few benefiting from this, can possibly defend it.
But yeah, much easier to target those on benefit, or immigrants.
Logged

It's All Good..............
Reg Smeeton
Walking Encyclopaedia

Offline Offline

Posts: 34913





Ignore
« Reply #447 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 16:56:40 »

 I see there's been a leak, that Sturgeon has said the SNP want a Tory victory, as this will hasten Sweatie independence.
Logged
janaage
People's Front of Alba

Offline Offline

Posts: 14825





Ignore
« Reply #448 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 17:15:58 »

I see there's been a leak, that Sturgeon has said the SNP want a Tory victory, as this will hasten Sweatie independence.

Expect a lot better from you Reg. Telegraph report on a 'leak' that Sturgeon and the French ambassador deny. Sturgeon and the French denied this last night, around 30 mins after the telegraph made up the story, yet the media have ran with it any way all day. Labour supporters  seem to be happy to repeat the lies just to try and score a point.

Truth is labour jumping on this has yet again backfired in their fight v SNP, at this rate they'll be wiped out in Scotland. SNP are going to take some stopping now.

Propaganda at its finest, disappointing to see people like Reg swallow this kind of shit and repeat in such a manner.
Logged
Ardiles

Offline Offline

Posts: 11528


Stirlingshire Reds




Ignore
« Reply #449 on: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 17:26:20 »

There isn't anyone to stop the SNP this time.  They're the only party in Scotland with any real credibility at this election.  The speed with which the Labour vote up here has collapsed is breath-taking.
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 27 28 29 [30] 31 32 33 ... 880   Go Up
Print
Jump to: