Craig Ian Hall Independent

[shillelagh]

im still waiting to hear re the credit union ....

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Originally Posted by wagstaffe

There's always one on every site tripping folk up for grammatical errors. So my apologies for any future mistakes, I do try.
Exporting peace through green technology
We have at our disposal some highly skilled workers whose task is to develop weapons systems.
Instead of them developing things for war, could we not try something a little different and transparent. Aim for peace not profit.
The Government had a campaign on knife crime, not long ago, reminding youths of the dangers to themselves of carrying knives.
What a pity they couldn't have the forsight when increasing arms export to both Russia and Georgia in the run up to that particular conflict.
The late Robin Cook talked of an ethical foreign policy, stopping the production and export of arms would be a big step in that direction.
Some would argue about job losses but if you took that to it's logical conclusion, war would be good.

Originally Posted by wagstaffe

A corruption zsar.
Good governance is a key element if we are to develop progressive politics. That can only be achieved when we know everything that has been going on. Setting up some kind of amnesty would allow some folk to come forward without fear. The Virgin/Cathay price fixing case is a good example of what can be exposed and dealt with.
You only have to look at the press awards that are handed out each year to journalists exposing corruption to realise how difficult it is to weed out.

What a load of old tosh, you aren't offering us policies, you're making it up as you go along.

Besides, my post, you have been asked by other people that want straight answers to their questions, I suspect you can't answer them with anything sensible because you haven't thought any one thing through to a useful climax.

Are you looking forward to losing your deposit?

[wagstaffe]

Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I've been putting on plenty of padding for the kicking I'm getting.
Ros Altmann, a pensions expert and governor at the London School of Economics, said: “We have a real pension crisis and politicians have not woken up to it. Most people’s pensions are not going to deliver the figures they would have expected when they first started saving – unless of course, you happen to work in the public sector.”
Sounds very much like an endowment policy to me. Promising the earth and delivering nothing
No one is promising any kind of change from the system that has put us in this mess in the first place. We could start with having a radical look at how we should be treating our pensioners. These people ought to be looking forward to their retirement and enjoying their twighlight years, not dreading it.
I propose that we should reign in the pension funds from the banks and look after the money in house, by the Government, or people we can actually trust.
Use this money to build the most advanced eco friendly accommodation, in part of the green belt, outside every town. No enforcement, we will try to make them attractive enough for them to want to move in.
If we continue down this hard-nosed economic route our pensioners will be seen as uneconomical liabilities, something our sci-fi writers have already played out.
This could be funded by the pension funds which would benefit them directly and leave a legacy for others from the town. The Government could pay them rent in lieu of others moving in after they have passed on.
According to some analysts couples would need £600,000 in their pension pot to secure a modicum of comfort in their retirement. All well and good for higher paid jobs but what about the ordinary folk doing equally important ordinary jobs. We will end up with a pension aparthied

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Originally Posted by wagstaffe

Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I've been putting on plenty of padding for the kicking I'm getting.
Ros Altmann, a pensions expert and governor at the London School of Economics, said: “We have a real pension crisis and politicians have not woken up to it. Most people’s pensions are not going to deliver the figures they would have expected when they first started saving – unless of course, you happen to work in the public sector.”
Sounds very much like an endowment policy to me. Promising the earth and delivering nothing
No one is promising any kind of change from the system that has put us in this mess in the first place. We could start with having a radical look at how we should be treating our pensioners. These people ought to be looking forward to their retirement and enjoying their twighlight years, not dreading it.
I propose that we should reign in the pension funds from the banks and look after the money in house, by the Government, or people we can actually trust.
Use this money to build the most advanced eco friendly accommodation, in part of the green belt, outside every town. No enforcement, we will try to make them attractive enough for them to want to move in.
If we continue down this hard-nosed economic route our pensioners will be seen as uneconomical liabilities, something our sci-fi writers have already played out.
This could be funded by the pension funds which would benefit them directly and leave a legacy for others from the town. The Government could pay them rent in lieu of others moving in after they have passed on.
According to some analysts couples would need £600,000 in their pension pot to secure a modicum of comfort in their retirement. All well and good for higher paid jobs but what about the ordinary folk doing equally important ordinary jobs. We will end up with a pension aparthied

Still talking the parts missing from an oxen then?


And next if you could give us an answer to Shillelgha about your wondrous Credit Union fix?

[cashman]

I think its very shrewd, stating stuff many cannot grasp, its gives em a superority complex.

[shillelagh]

still waiting ..

can i ask also how you came to this conclusion ... are you a member of a credit union, are you a volunteer with a credit union, maybe a board member ..

[wagstaffe]

Credit Unions unlike banks work for the members, that is how some of the mutual building societies were formed. Since the banking fiasco nothing has been done to ensure that it doesn't happen again.
By allowing credit unions access to places like the Post Offices and empty banks, the Government could make serious inroads into the bank monoply and giving us a serious alternative.
I would be in favour of a Bank of Britain, but allowing credit unions access to infrastructure already in place would certainly speed up an alternative.

[shillelagh]

Credit unions already have access to post offices .. it depends on where they are ... but that is not answering my question.

Why would a credit union want to set up in an empty bank .. a bank has shut because it was losing them money .. so why would a credit union want to set up in there .. Also a credit union is ran by volunteers .. so if no one is interested in volunteering or in setting a credit union up which in itself is a long and arduous task .. how are you going to change the scope of a credit union without changing it into a building society or without having the membership ..

[wagstaffe]

Setting up a Credit Union is indeed an arduous task, I read it can take 3-5yrs to set up from scratch. The demand for banking type services is already there, most people use accounts for saving, borrowing and paying bills. What I meant by scope is for them to compete with banks for businness which would involve employing professionals but keeping things in a local context and providing help and good service.
Rishton is a good example of a bank closing to meet a target not because it was losing money. What kind of service is that when there are no banks left in the Town.
Banks have become a service to themselves, I think that we could expand the scope of credit unions and keep the ethos of good local services, something the main banks have no interest in.
It wouldn't solve everything but it would be a step in the right direction.

[shillelagh]

can i ask if you have had any contact with a local credit union? And do you know anything about credit unions ...

[cashman]

Originally Posted by wagstaffe

Most people’s pensions are not going to deliver the figures they would have expected when they first started saving – unless of course, you happen to work in the public sector.”
Sounds very much like an endowment policy to me. Promising the earth and delivering nothing
No one is promising any kind of change from the system that has put us in this mess in the first place. We could start with having a radical look at how we should be treating our pensioners. These people ought to be looking forward to their retirement and enjoying their twighlight years, not dreading it.
I propose that we should reign in the pension funds from the banks and look after the money in house, by the Government, or people we can actually trust.

yeh let the government or someone ya can trust to look after the pensions money, like they did back in the mists of time, when millions were paying "Serps" i think it was called, payed it fer years, then vanished without trace, that was government looking after us. there is nothing at all wrong with private pensions,if that particular field was properly regulated n overseen. i speak from experiance, well happy with mine. which proves beyond doubt to me, if run right they are fine.

[wagstaffe]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

can i ask if you have had any contact with a local credit union? And do you know anything about credit unions ...

I have not had any dealings with a local credit union. Although there is legislation to loosen the bond on the terms and size of unions, we currently have less than 300 in this country, hardly a threat to the main stream banks.
It is the ethos of being local and beneficiary to members unlike the banks that is attractive and should be encouraged.

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Originally Posted by shillelagh

can i ask if you have had any contact with a local credit union? And do you know anything about credit unions ...

Why be so restrictive to Credit Unions Jen?

Perhaps your question could have been shorter and yet covered a broader Spectrum, below is how I think you might like it to read:-

And do you know anything?*




*Colour is optional.

[shillelagh]

Originally Posted by wagstaffe

I have not had any dealings with a local credit union. Although there is legislation to loosen the bond on the terms and size of unions, we currently have less than 300 in this country, hardly a threat to the main stream banks.
It is the ethos of being local and beneficiary to members unlike the banks that is attractive and should be encouraged.

Well before you say to widen the scope about credit unions ... can i make the suggestion that you contact the local credit union .. HHH Credit Union who's office is on Greenfield Street in Haslingden their telephone number is 01706 215082. The person to contact would be Bill Greenwood or Dawn Vear. Bill Greenwood is the person who was the main person who set up the credit union in Haslingden and Helmshore in the early 90's. He will be able to tell you all about credit unions their ethos and how hard it is to set a credit union up, how hard it is to get volunteers. Haslingden and Helmshore Credit Union expanded into Hyndburn about 3/4 years ago. I was a volunteer with the credit union for 8 years .. and served as a collector, cashier and a member of the credit committee.

[wagstaffe]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

Well before you say to widen the scope about credit unions ... can i make the suggestion that you contact the local credit union .. HHH Credit Union who's office is on Greenfield Street in Haslingden their telephone number is 01706 215082. The person to contact would be Bill Greenwood or Dawn Vear. Bill Greenwood is the person who was the main person who set up the credit union in Haslingden and Helmshore in the early 90's. He will be able to tell you all about credit unions their ethos and how hard it is to set a credit union up, how hard it is to get volunteers. Haslingden and Helmshore Credit Union expanded into Hyndburn about 3/4 years ago. I was a volunteer with the credit union for 8 years .. and served as a collector, cashier and a member of the credit committee.

Thank you for that shillelagh, I will get in touch and speak to them. It just goes to show how ridiculous the system is when you have good people trying to help out for nothing with very little assistance and the bankers, who don't give a dam, getting bailed out by us and wanting their bonuses back.
These are the kind of things that need changing.