Go Fig!

Amazing, this revelation from the Sunday Times today. Apparently someone in the House of Commons was authorised to rent, for the new House of Commons extension, twelve fig trees at a cost of £40,000 a year! Why MPs believe that this would be considered as proper use of tax payers money is a complete mystery. As the Americans might say, go figure.

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But hang on a minute. Is this not just another example of how completely wasteful our Westminster machine has become? Not only that, I bet there are other examples of ludicrous and expensive rentals yet to be discovered. While the little people suffer the consequences of an economic slump, our money is being frittered on maintaining twelve of the most hardy and fecund trees in the world. We have complete forests that don't have that much money spent on them. In fact trees were around and happily looking after themselves millions of years before man and money saw the light of day.

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There is no justification for spending such outrageous sums, even in the most affluent of times. The average salary in the UK is £22,000, almost half what it is costing the taxpayer to look after trees that they won't even see, let alone be able to afford. There is clearly a need for Ministers of Parliament to investigate whatever department thought this was a reasonable thing to do and stop these hair-brained and needlessly expensive contracts.

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The Government needs to put the fruits of our labour to much better use than renting a dozen trees for their pleasure. The Americans might say 'go figure' but the UK tax payer is feeling far from philosophical at the moment. Forget go figure. We demand 'go fig'.

Deep Recession Predicted Long Ago?

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Deep Recession Predicted Long Ago?
"Grim warnings of Britain's worst recession since the Second World War... ...outpit will fall by 2.8 per cent.The IMF says GDP will shrink in the US by 1.6 per cent, France by 1.9 per cent, Germany by 2.5 per cent and Japan by 2.6 per cent.But it is the IMF forecast for 2010 that will worry the Government the most. It reckons that the UK growth will come in at a dismal 0.2 per cent for the year..." (Benedict Brogan, Daily Mail, 29 January 2009)
"So why 2009 and not 2008? Well, the big guys may not like this but it seems that the impact on the world is not what is felt by big business or by governments. The Barbault Scale seems to register the zodiacs effect on the masses – the little people – and while the credit crunch has begun in 2008, we the little people will start paying the price nearer to 2009 and beyond." (Shane Ward 'The Barbault Scale' 17 September 2008).
I don't know about other Goverments but what I was saying back in September 2008 (and earlier than that but not still in public domain) is now finally being admitted. What was being called an 'economic downturn' in 2008, a 'credit crunch' and other fancy names no doubt, is now recognised not only as a recession but a deep recession. It is estimated that the UK may stil be paying for it by 2030. According to the Barbault Scale it is more likely to be 2024 give or take one year. And it is possible that worse than we have experienced to date is yet to come.
It is interesting to note that the Chinese have commented on the dangers of unregulated capitalism in the finance and banking sector. I believe it is fair to say that the world no longer has a firm economic foundation and things must change to stop the pursuit of ever greater profits at the expense of global financial stability.
And why shouldn't those who created this problem pay for it? It would be easy to spot the culprits; they are the ones who gambled on hading out ever higher loans to those who couldn't afford it and those who packaged and sold toxic debts when they started to realise what could happen if they held onto them all. Individuals have gone to prison for less.
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