Public Spending...

[Gayle]

It's a bit of a vague question as public spending covers so many areas. There are areas where it should be increased - investment in small businesses, investment in creativity, education etc, as these are long-term ways out of the recession.

However, when it comes to things like the Olympics, then clearly they need to clamp down on spending our money.

Unfortunately, as costs for the Olympics sky rocket, I fear that all the other areas will suffer.

[Taggy]

Originally Posted by wadey

The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth he produces, the more his production increases in power and range. The worker becomes an ever cheaper commodity the more commodities he creates. With the increasing value of the world of things proceeds in direct proportion to the devaluation of the world of men. Labour produces not only commodities; it produces itself and the worker as a commodity -- and does so in the proportion in which it produces commodities generally.

Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844)

Did he work that out whilst smoking those large cigars?? Should have been more like Harpo and kept quiet!!

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by wadey

The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth he produces, the more his production increases in power and range. The worker becomes an ever cheaper commodity the more commodities he creates. With the increasing value of the world of things proceeds in direct proportion to the devaluation of the world of men. Labour produces not only commodities; it produces itself and the worker as a commodity -- and does so in the proportion in which it produces commodities generally.

Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844)

I knew is brother Groucho

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by mthead

LOL Public spending is not how much you or me spend Shaz,its how much the government spend on public things like hospitals,police etc

Dont forget Benefits, Foreign Aid, Stupid Projects and servicing hugh debt repayments for monies borrowed by the Government. I am sure there are many more but thats a start.

[BERNADETTE]

Last night I watched a Dispatches programme that I had recorded and forgotten about. The amount of public spending that was squandered was a disgrace(and this isn't a rant against Labour think money would be wasted whoever is in power). Think there should be some sort of regulator brought in to monitor public spending, something needs doing to stop this wanton waste IMHO.

[katex]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Think there should be some sort of regulator brought in to monitor public spending, something needs doing to stop this wanton waste IMHO.

This is what the Public Accounts Committee is all about Bernie. Chairman always a member of the opposition.

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by katex

This is what the Public Accounts Committee is all about Bernie. Chairman always a member of the opposition.

Well sorry it isn't working, I am talking billions and billions of pounds here

[cmonstanley]

spend more on police and scrap the human rights act..thats what i say

[katex]

Originally Posted by flashy

we should spend what we can afford to spend

In a way, think Flashy has hit the nail on the head. Try and work within your means in other words.

Problem is, how we distribute the money available, all areas are important, just which needs it the most.

Think defence needs a bigger slice and NHS (although has the biggest spend at the moment)... oh, and education low down on the list of public spending at the moment. Pensions are 2nd followed by Welfare.

How do you decide ? I dunno' not good at economics. Always try to prioritize my household spending to paying the bills first, but how does a government decide which it the most important ?

[andrewb]

I think what's important is making good use of what they do spend. A lot of money is thrown at things, under the assumption that more money equals better service, which is simply not the case.

I'd like to see better use of public money, perhaps then we could afford to take low income workers completely out of income tax.

[katex]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I think what's important is making good use of what they do spend. A lot of money is thrown at things, under the assumption that more money equals better service, which is simply not the case.

I'd like to see better use of public money, perhaps then we could afford to take low income workers completely out of income tax.

Well, common sense thought, however, which area, in your opinion, has been the most guilty of badly handling the money they have been allocated ?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Taking low income families out of the tax equation would be a better way to use money than perhaps say Working tax credits, and if the families on lower incomes had a little more money then perhaps some of it would find its way into the local economy.

I don't know a lot about economics but I do know that to spend more than you earn(or have coming into the community pot) is a recipe for disaster.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by katex

Well, common sense thought, however, which area, in your opinion, has been the most guilty of badly handling the money they have been allocated ?

Labours little 'projects' like the billions wasted on an NHS computer system, or billions wasted on creating ID cards. The NHS itself has had mass amounts of funding, as has education, in fact so much money was pumped into them that it made us unprepared for this recession, government had spent all our money, they'd not fixed the roof while the sun was shining. You'd expect a far improved service for what they've put in, yet the NHS spends more on management consultants than medical ones. Over 12 years they've spent £360 billion on education, yet we've dropped from 8th in the world to 24th.

Just doesn't add up.

[Taggy]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I think what's important is making good use of what they do spend. A lot of money is thrown at things, under the assumption that more money equals better service, which is simply not the case.

I'd like to see better use of public money, perhaps then we could afford to take low income workers completely out of income tax.

I'd agree with that, with low earners being able to keep more of their earned income. It would be a greater incentive also for those people who find themselves in the "benefit trap" to try to take up employment.

Best Regards - Taggy

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Labours little 'projects' like the billions wasted on an NHS computer system, or billions wasted on creating ID cards. The NHS itself has had mass amounts of funding, as has education, in fact so much money was pumped into them that it made us unprepared for this recession, government had spent all our money, they'd not fixed the roof while the sun was shining. You'd expect a far improved service for what they've put in, yet the NHS spends more on management consultants than medical ones. Over 12 years they've spent £360 billion on education, yet we've dropped from 8th in the world to 24th.

Just doesn't add up.

Its surprising how none of our Labour friends ever have anything to say on the total failings of their government, and when you think about it those down in Westminster are supposed to be the brains of their party, yet we see unprecedented waste of extortionate proportions