Fuel duty cut will cost £500,000,000

[Linford]

I agree money must be earnt by selling goods/services and simply printing money or borrowing money is not a long term option. Who wouldn't?

However, for goods to be exported they must be produced. This takes a workforce. They need educating to various levels. When they get sick they need healing. The goods must be stored and transported with little risk of theft. Transport must take place on roads/trains (again by people who need education and skills), to ports/airports with people in place to ensure safe and effective operation, etc, etc.

I think rather than the private sector supporting state workers you will find a lot of non production workers are supporting the goods producers be they private or state run. The two cannot exist without each other though and it's about getting the balance right at the of the day.

Nearly all the training in my business is vocational training done on site. It is too specialist for colleges, and machine specific training comes from the machine suppliers

Agree that education is important, but state education doesn't give very good VFM, and seems to have lost its way being turned into a business for producing certificates than people who are useful in commerce and industry. That is why experience carries more clout than qualifications, and employers recognise this as so.

 

[martint235]

If it's possible to do away with the public sector, why has no country done so? Surely you would have thought the US would have tried under a previous Republican administration. Oh and I suppose we'd have to remove the governance aspect of the public sector too so MPs/Congressman would be sponsored by private companies rather than paid by the Treasury (which wouldn't exist). I can see this theoretical country be a joy to live in. "The right honourable member for McDonalds would like to introduce a private members bill banning the mention of dieting from TV"

 

[middleagecyclist]

Nearly all the training in my business is vocational training done on site. It is too specialist for colleges, and machine specific training comes from the machine suppliers

Agree that education is important, but state education doesn't give very good VFM, and seems to have lost its way being turned into a business for producing certificates than people who are useful in commerce and industry. That is why experience carries more clout than qualifications, and employers recognise this as so.

Where does the future HGV driver learn to read and write before taking his/her driving test and gaining the HGV license? A general education is all some people need before getting vocational training. And the next time you are in hospital I hope the specialist qualifications the staff have provide them a firm base for lots of further training they undergo!

I have no quibble that some 'education' is of little value but please don't paint the state sector with such a general brush.

Cheers.

 

[Linford]

If it's possible to do away with the public sector, why has no country done so? Surely you would have thought the US would have tried under a previous Republican administration. Oh and I suppose we'd have to remove the governance aspect of the public sector too so MPs/Congressman would be sponsored by private companies rather than paid by the Treasury (which wouldn't exist). I can see this theoretical country be a joy to live in. "The right honourable member for McDonalds would like to introduce a private members bill banning the mention of dieting from TV"

I don't have a problem with the notion that we need to have state workers, but it does come across as a two tier system which has created the gravy train mentality and quite a disparity across the board between state and private sectors.

 

[mickle]

Gravy train mentality?

 

[middleagecyclist]

I don't have a problem with the notion that we need to have state workers, but it does come across as a two tier system which has created the gravy train mentality and quite a disparity across the board between state and private sectors.

State employed nurse or board member of several large private companies. Which is most likely to have a "gravy train mentality" I wonder?

 

[martint235]

I don't have a problem with the notion that we need to have state workers, but it does come across as a two tier system which has created the gravy train mentality and quite a disparity across the board between state and private sectors.

The only real "gravy train mentality" in the public sector belongs to those who sit on green and red benches occasionally. They have pensions far superior to those held by virtually anyone else in the country. They are among the few people who, if they get sacked (rather than made redundant) they pick up a severance payment. And they have the power to make everyone else in the public sector miserable

I think MPs would work a lot harder if that severance payment was done away with.

 

[Linford]

State employed nurse or board member of several large private companies. Which is most likely to have a "gravy train mentality" I wonder?

Well, there are far more State employed nurses than company directors of large private companies, and my mates ex who works in the local general can afford to take some serious long haul holidays each year as well as replacing her car every couple of years.
Come to think of it, another mate works as a contractor for a Gov dept in south wales , and bills them for over £100k per year - which they have paid him without batting an eyelid for the last 5 years.
I doubt they would get much better value if they employed a full time worker on a regular wage by the time the pension rights were factored in.

 

[martint235]

Well, there are far more State employed nurses than company directors of large private companies, and my mates ex who works in the local general can afford to take some serious long haul holidays each year as well as replacing her car every couple of years.

So what you actually want is a race to the bottom? You don't feel you're getting value for money from your local nurse because she can afford a car and holidays? Or you don't value the work she does?

 

[middleagecyclist]

Well, there are far more State employed nurses than company directors of large private companies, and my mates ex who works in the local general can afford to take some serious long haul holidays each year as well as replacing her car every couple of years.
Come to think of it, another mate works as a contractor for a Gov dept in south wales , and bills them for over £100k per year - which they have paid him without batting an eyelid for the last 5 years.
I doubt they would get much better value if they employed a full time worker on a regular wage by the time the pension rights were factored in.

Does not compute. Please resubmit argument. Thank you.

 

[Simon1234]

Well, there are far more State employed nurses than company directors of large private companies, and my mates ex who works in the local general can afford to take some serious long haul holidays each year as well as replacing her car every couple of years.
Come to think of it, another mate works as a contractor for a Gov dept in south wales , and bills them for over £100k per year - which they have paid him without batting an eyelid for the last 5 years.
I doubt they would get much better value if they employed a full time worker on a regular wage by the time the pension rights were factored in.

Exactly. Shame that most people can't see the obvious.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[martint235]

Rather than "DNR" notes on patient records, we should have "DNVMS" or "Does not value medical staff" on them. Then when Linf or Simon turn up at A&E we could save quite a bit of time and money.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Rather than "DNR" notes on patient records, we should have "DNVMS" or "Does not value medical staff" on them. Then when Linf or Simon turn up at A&E we could save quite a bit of time and money.

Not ethical. Sorry to say.

 

[martint235]

Not ethical. Sorry to say.

There's always one spoilsport.

 

[Linford]

Is there any chance we can have a show of hands for the state workers contributing to thsi thread - call it a declaration of interest so we can understand the motive for bias ?

I'll go first. I don't work for the state, and I am keen to see that the tax pauers who do contribute to the economy get VFM.