Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Concentrate on the needy
Monday 8th December 2008, 7:17AM GMT.
Shame on Wolverhampton councillors for even thinking of these proposed cuts. At least 12 of them will directly affect the old, the infirm, and the vulnerable.
Even now, in the middle of winter, the elderly in certain care homes have not yet received their flu injections. Is this just another little saving to claw back the enormous losses for which you are basically responsible?
Never mind the grandiose schemes you have in mind, concentrate on the health and care of sections of the community that need help. Many of them cannot fight their own cause.
Don’t forget that many of these people helped to win a war and put the “great” in Great Britain.
Ron Loach, Lapper Avenue, Lanesfield.
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And many others didn’t help win a war. Helping win a war isn’t usually used as a reason why people get help. Good thing too.
There are always limits in what can be done in a budget. To fund one type of service in full often requires a cut elsewhere or charging more in general. Does anyone have any suggestions for cuts that should be made to save these cuts? Or any way of getting round any limits placed on council tax increases?
It can, somewhat heartlessly, come down to using the available money for the greatest need to benefit the most people. Street lights, road repairs, rubbish removal etc.
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Ron Loach! …… you raise a valid point and it does look as though more thought be given to priorities ….. the elderly in Care Homes would most certainly be at the top of that list.
Martin Davis! ……. you would do well to remember the efforts of activists of over a century ago in this Country with regard to the more vulnerable in our society ……… “Are there No Prisons .. Are there no Workhouses?”…………….
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Lets not forget the vunerable shall we. It’s very easy to forget those that saved this country. Wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t fought for our liberty. What amazes me is how this council manages its funds. It has more funds every year and knows well in advance what money it needs for it’s services. This is about an ill manged budget and not about lack of money, but trying to pull money back into the councils kitty. Councils work the same as schools. They have to spend their budgets because if they don’t they get cuts in the next budget year, and as we all know they spend it ready for the next years income that has already had an increase added to it.
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Wollibuga, Ok you want elderly in care homes being a priority. So what would you cut or who would you charge extra to make that so?
I work with vulnerable adults – getting enough money is always hard because there’s always greater need for the money elsewhere.
Essential services are always essential for someone, some are essential for everyone.
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I’d cut low priority services like funding for art galleries and digging roads up unneccesarily in winter time causing mayhem. I’d pay the bin men over time rates for bin collections at xmas and not over inflated increases in money just to encourage them out of bed. i’d cut down on over inflated councilor fees. Of course we could also pay more in our council tax to support the elderly. I’m sure most people wouldn’t mind a bit extra to make sure our old folks are warm and cared for. It’s really down to managing their budgets carefully,they don’t really have to cut services do they? its all about having a moan and wondering where all the extra money is coming from this next budget year. Martin-its all been budgeted for and it’s time the council stopped moaning about it and went forward and the managers did their jobs efficiently.
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Just a quick comment- The elderly and children are societies most vunerable and should take priority in their care and funding should be absolute. Sorry if you don’t agree but there you go!
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The council budget could be double and it still wouldn’t cover all that should be paid for.
Though I do agree with you Chris that children and elderly are two of the priority groups. There are of course other, though smaller, groups.
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I agree with Chris, the humanity of a society can be measured by the respect and care it shows for it’s elderly and vulnerable.
We will all get old one day, and I would much rather my tax is spent looking after those who fought for my future than some daft PC schemes, dodgy expenses and endless special interest groups. RESPECT!
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I have helped fight three wars so far by paying tax will this mean I get a nice life when I’m old?? Of course it won’t!
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Johnny, I’ve been in several wars. Doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to how I’m treated or whats on offer for me.
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Johnny-of course you’ll geta nice life when you retire. Look at what you’ll get-A free bus pass, a free tv license when you reach the right age for it. You’ll get pension credits,thats if you havn’t’ waisted your money on a private no-hoper scheme. Oh and don’t forget your heating allowance as well. So keep smiling its alot worse in other countries you know. Personaly i’d rather live in a poverty stricken country where life is crap,but there you go you can’t have it all can you?
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Yes, the mark of a civilised society is how it treats its elderly and ill – but it’s also how it treats arts, the environment and anything else that we value: in other words, we go back full circle to the topic of the original letter – you can’t satisfy everyone.
In the end we’re left with decisions made by our elected representatives. That’s called democracy. Remember we invaded Iraq apparently to oust a fascist dictator and replace him with a democratic system. That’s because we’re meant to value democratic decisions. If we don’t like them, then vote them out. If they’re not voted out, then either respect the decision of those who bothered to vote, or move authority.
It’s interesting that we are asked to respect those who fought fascism in world war II and yet we’re not expected to respect anyone who fought against fascism in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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Rebecca, as I recall the problem with Germany was that it had a democratically elected leader.
Just one that didn’t have the same goals as other leaders. Germany’s invasion and occupation of other countries looks remarkably similar to what we have done in the past few years, albeit with ‘allies’.
It would be perhaps less embarrasing for us if we stopped invading Iraq. Three times in less than a hundred years makes it look like we didn’t know what we were doing the previous two times we pulled out. Its entirely possible some of the troops are patrolling the same towns their grandfather did.
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I think we all respect our soldiers who fought in all of our wars,But i think it’s the old and needy the writer is speaking about. Our young soldiers wern’t forced to fight,they volunteered. Our old soldiers were conscripted and the wars we are talking about are totally different. One was about world dominance and the others about Oil! and we were led into it like the sheep we were at that time.
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Many of our old soldiers also volunteered.
Conscription merely added quite a number to the volunteers who joined up. We already had a large armed forces around before conscription came in.
I think we pretty much all agree that the children and elderly are priorities for care. How much of a priority is more open to question – judging by both local and national government decision in recent years.
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PUT ALL THE OLD PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC IN WEST BROMWICH. IT COULD BE USED AS AN OLD PEOPLES HOME BECAUSE IT AINT BEING USED AS ANYTHING ELSE.
THE REASON WE HAVE FUNDING SHORTAGES IS BECAUSE COUNCILLORS WASTE PUBLIC MONEY ON RUBBISH LIKE THIS AND NOT SERVICES THAT PEOPLE REQUIRE.
REPLACE THE BLOODY USELESS LOT OF THEM
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Lumpommer, seems like many don’t agree with you about replacing the useless lot of them.
People get a chance to do that most years – yet they don’t get replaced.
Maybe because they keep enough people happy with them, maybe simple apathy from voters, maybe those who complain not voting. Who knows?
In the meantime, they are the counillors we’ve got.
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Or enough people are wise to realise that it don’t make a slight bit of difference who’s in power,because they are all the same ,so why waste time and effort with them anyway.
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Chris, then the simple answer would be for those who think they would act different to run for office.
Up to the people voting then to decide from a range of candidates.
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Trouble is that with all the good intentions in the world, anyone who runs as a candidate and is voted in is controlled by outside influence and thats why they are all the same as each other. I’m sure there are plenty of future politicians who want to change the world and are convinced they will when they get the chance. Problem is that when they get voted in they see all the perks they are going to get and inside influence telling them that they really can’t do for the people all that they have promised-politics don’t work that way,because there just mouth pieces only for those that really run the country who choose to stay in the back ground. Yes i am very cynical.
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