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The whole JSA system needs looking into.
My situation is that because I was a student and then a low-paid worker, i am not eligible for the JSA i claimed for.
So i have been paid nothing at all.
I might be eligible for another type, which is means tested and involves another type of form which i need to go to the job centre to get, and it will then be assessed. I can't help feeling i'm being penalised for being a student and a low paid worker. This may be someone else's fault, though that's not very important.
Changes need to be made.
There are far too many forms to fill in for a start.
The needs of the claimant need to be put to the fore.
Considering i am well educated an entited to benefits (as is my girlfriend) and we have been unable to claim anything, i struggle to see how benefit fraud ever happens at all
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Monday, 23 November 2009
The economy
Cameron could be trying to promise all things to all people, which is my bet.
He's trying to say that he's come up with an idea that will confound all pre-existing economic thought. Just like that.
There are two ways to play this:
1) Reduce the debt with a long-term view, simular to what Thatcher did in the 80s.
2) Grow our way out of the debt, like Gordy is proposing.
I'd imagine the main parties' approach to this problem will go down party lines.
I'd much prefer this debate to be in Parliament rather than at the CBI.
Inspired by:
Nick Robinson - Spot The Difference
Hopi Sen - We see the hat, but where’s the rabbit?
He's trying to say that he's come up with an idea that will confound all pre-existing economic thought. Just like that.
There are two ways to play this:
1) Reduce the debt with a long-term view, simular to what Thatcher did in the 80s.
2) Grow our way out of the debt, like Gordy is proposing.
I'd imagine the main parties' approach to this problem will go down party lines.
I'd much prefer this debate to be in Parliament rather than at the CBI.
Inspired by:
Nick Robinson - Spot The Difference
Hopi Sen - We see the hat, but where’s the rabbit?
Politics
According to G.K. Galbraith, "politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable".
Personally, I think we (Labour) are unpalatable for various reasons. The Tories are/would be disastrous.
End of
Personally, I think we (Labour) are unpalatable for various reasons. The Tories are/would be disastrous.
End of
Wigan repay fans tickets
"Wigan's players are to personally refund Latics fans who bought tickets at the DW Stadium for the 9-1 hammering at Tottenham on Sunday."
Fair enough really, they were awful. Edman had a shocker, poor lad
Fair enough really, they were awful. Edman had a shocker, poor lad
council bureaucracy
I'm not fan of bureaucracy of any kind. Can't stand it. I don't like filling in forms or people not being able to think without the due process.
However, there are important performance reasons in favour of bureaucracy that i accept even if i don't like them.
When I saw the headline "Needless bureaucracy is costing councils in England £4.5bn a year" i assumed it was the TaxPayers Alliance or some simular mentalist group. But it's not.
One of their criticisms, which I don't think is a good one, is that there are more staff. That's not necessarily a bad thing to have staff, and it kinda helps out delivering the service. Also, some of these workers are very poorly paid so helping them do their jobs is to be welcomed.
"Complying with centrally-imposed "data burdens", such as performance indicators, was wasting £400m a year"
a necessary evil to prevent 'postcode lotteries'.
In all, it would be nice if bureaucracy was cut coz i don't like it
However, there are important performance reasons in favour of bureaucracy that i accept even if i don't like them.
When I saw the headline "Needless bureaucracy is costing councils in England £4.5bn a year" i assumed it was the TaxPayers Alliance or some simular mentalist group. But it's not.
One of their criticisms, which I don't think is a good one, is that there are more staff. That's not necessarily a bad thing to have staff, and it kinda helps out delivering the service. Also, some of these workers are very poorly paid so helping them do their jobs is to be welcomed.
"Complying with centrally-imposed "data burdens", such as performance indicators, was wasting £400m a year"
a necessary evil to prevent 'postcode lotteries'.
In all, it would be nice if bureaucracy was cut coz i don't like it
Cameron and an 'emergency budget '
"Mr Cameron told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show it would be "about getting the deficit under control".
"But it should also be a budget that goes for growth that gets this economy moving again"
Which rather mirror's what Gordy is trying to do.
Cameron has focused more on tax cuts for business which i am cautiously interested in so far as they create or sustain jobs.
There really don't seem to be any differences of substance from what little Cameron says, rather the idea that one party will do the same thing, just better.
I wonder, given Cameron and Osborne's backgrounds, how much of the budget will be who's work. If that makes sense. Not having a go on this one, just wondering how much input Osborne will have given that he knows nothing about economics and Cameron used to be an advisor at the Treasury
"But it should also be a budget that goes for growth that gets this economy moving again"
Which rather mirror's what Gordy is trying to do.
Cameron has focused more on tax cuts for business which i am cautiously interested in so far as they create or sustain jobs.
There really don't seem to be any differences of substance from what little Cameron says, rather the idea that one party will do the same thing, just better.
I wonder, given Cameron and Osborne's backgrounds, how much of the budget will be who's work. If that makes sense. Not having a go on this one, just wondering how much input Osborne will have given that he knows nothing about economics and Cameron used to be an advisor at the Treasury
Tottenham
Spurs were good, Wigan were awful.
So, so, so awful. The amount of time and space Lennon was given was nothing short of criminal.
Lennon's still my tip to play wide right for England, he's coming on nicely into a very good player. If only we could play against Erik Edman in the World Cup we'd be sorted.
Well done to Defoe, i've always been a fan of as good a poacher as he is
So, so, so awful. The amount of time and space Lennon was given was nothing short of criminal.
Lennon's still my tip to play wide right for England, he's coming on nicely into a very good player. If only we could play against Erik Edman in the World Cup we'd be sorted.
Well done to Defoe, i've always been a fan of as good a poacher as he is
Education
Was going on about education with Julian Ware-Lane here:
"A competitive education system is a problem when schools have control over admissions - schools then have the power to dump worse pupils on other schools e.g. Academy schools exclude and expel far more 'touble' pupils. The local state school then has to deal with these pupils. Then the Gov comes along saying 'look how wonderful our new Academy schools are and how awful the local state school is'. To say nothing of the vast differences in resources.
I agree with Billy about sending lots of people to University being wrong. We've focused too much on degrees so that we have people doing degrees who have no interest in being there but are pressured into it. Now, as with nurses we have too much emphasis being put on having a degree, as if that was the be all and end all in life, which is really isn't.
I think there needs to be a reasonably radical reform of edcation, but one where the minister then leaves it in place for 4 years without interfering"
"A competitive education system is a problem when schools have control over admissions - schools then have the power to dump worse pupils on other schools e.g. Academy schools exclude and expel far more 'touble' pupils. The local state school then has to deal with these pupils. Then the Gov comes along saying 'look how wonderful our new Academy schools are and how awful the local state school is'. To say nothing of the vast differences in resources.
I agree with Billy about sending lots of people to University being wrong. We've focused too much on degrees so that we have people doing degrees who have no interest in being there but are pressured into it. Now, as with nurses we have too much emphasis being put on having a degree, as if that was the be all and end all in life, which is really isn't.
I think there needs to be a reasonably radical reform of edcation, but one where the minister then leaves it in place for 4 years without interfering"
Friday, 20 November 2009
Today's cricket
Two games today.
The England game was washed out, luckily for England. I'm usually far more optimistic about our chances than most people, but I have a horrible feeling we'll lose this ODI series heavily. At least now it can only be 4-0.
India and Sri Lanka played out the inevitable drawn on a road in Ahmedabad. I personally think these dead, flat pitches are fatal to cricket. I am biased as a bowler, but it makes for a really boring spectical if there are 21 wickets and 7 centuries in five days. Pitches need to be far more in favour of the bolwer to allow a balanced game that might actually reach a conclusion. If that means sometimes going too far and having the odd game where ball dominates bat then i think that's a price worth paying for some decent cricket.
The England game was washed out, luckily for England. I'm usually far more optimistic about our chances than most people, but I have a horrible feeling we'll lose this ODI series heavily. At least now it can only be 4-0.
India and Sri Lanka played out the inevitable drawn on a road in Ahmedabad. I personally think these dead, flat pitches are fatal to cricket. I am biased as a bowler, but it makes for a really boring spectical if there are 21 wickets and 7 centuries in five days. Pitches need to be far more in favour of the bolwer to allow a balanced game that might actually reach a conclusion. If that means sometimes going too far and having the odd game where ball dominates bat then i think that's a price worth paying for some decent cricket.
Roy Keane on Henry's handball
Good on Roy Keane.
He has no sympathy for Ireland.
Ipswich boss Keane said: "They can complain all they want but France are going to the World Cup - get over it.
"France were there for the taking and Ireland didn't do it. Same old story."
Too right mate, the ref's decision is final. These things happen in football, end of.
He has no sympathy for Ireland.
Ipswich boss Keane said: "They can complain all they want but France are going to the World Cup - get over it.
"France were there for the taking and Ireland didn't do it. Same old story."
Too right mate, the ref's decision is final. These things happen in football, end of.
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