DutchEnery

I think I have mentioned something about borrowing before. Borrowing by local authorities in particular. One of the poorest local authorities in Wales, RhonddaCynonTaf (RCT) is in debt to the tune of some £250million! There are indications the real figure is actually £500million plus! At any rate this is a scandal! This Labour run council is not fit to be in power and it is more than time to send these incompetent charlatans to the bin. I understand that debt is a huge problem all over the UK, personal debt as well as government debt. How can probably sane people think that this is a good way to provide services? For a start this idea of get it now and pay later involves something called interest. Even on £250million that would be something of the order of £10million plus annually. Money wasted. Just compare that with the income of personal council tax in an area where too many are on benefits (not all their own fault) and a goodly chunk has gone down the Swanee river.  But ...

Having a liking for science programs like The Universe and in particular those from the PBS station on Freeview (PBS America that is) I watched a programme called ‘Hunting the Edge of Space’. It showed some incredible shots of galaxies too numerous to count. But the question posed was – does the universe slow down eventually? Answer - apparently not, it is speeding up. It set me thinking about the usual analogies, explosions and how they expand. If we can assume for now it is universal, an exact sphere like a round ball, it seems a bit strange to assume that the original explosion can actually increase in force after the original conflagration. So how did they come to that conclusion? Apparently through measurement of very distant supernovae within far away galaxies. I thought, how then has this an impact upon our situation? Would it not depend where within the ball of space the original Big Bang was created, and we are situated? If the universe is still expanding as they say, we...

Social care, in particular care for the elderly is a subject high on the agenda. But it seems not so in the hallowed halls of local government. In particular my local area, RhonddaCynonTaf the two-bit South Wales valleys area that put their servants dealing with social care on zero-hour contracts! You might think, good, work when there is work and have a rest at the other times. But it is not so simple as the social impact can be severe. Banks and Building societies do for the most part not grant mortgages to persons on zero-hour contracts. So, people on zero-hour contracts tend to be in rented accommodation and on benefits as well. In the town I live more and more are on benefits as they just cannot get on the housing ladder, are in rented accommodation and on housing benefit. Perhaps the government has not worked out yet that allowing zero-hour contracts put a strain on the benefits budget? I suppose there is more to it – the future of work seems to be a bleak one. More and mor...

Always I have my ears (and eyes) open to happenings around, especially the rumours that abound. One of these rumours is about a jail. The rumours say that the Welsh Government had written to all Welsh local authorities to find out possible locations etc. The only Authority replied was Rhondda Cynon Taf. Interesting? Of course it is because now my brain begins to tick over. I am sure that the Home Office and as a representative, the Welsh government would want easy access to the motorway system. Here comes the M4! Not too far from the conurbation (Cardiff/Newport/Swansea). So that means Central Eastern South Wales. Next would be land ready for building. Guess what? Tonyrefail has a few sites already in that category. The best being the Coedely Mine (cleared) site. Why? It is not particularly near to housing. So, could it be Tonyrefail being the prime candidate? It could well be. I am sure the tight-lipped Council is playing a carefully laid -out plan and would in all likelihood den...

Bearing in mind that I believe all decisions made by politicians, especially those in government, are thought out well beforehand. All pro’s and con’s are endlessly discussed and possible ramifications calculated to the last penny. This is why I am looking at the latest storm, the one called ‘White Van Man Scam’. Obviously, when looking at previous promises, now broken, it defies belief any party could just make such a blunder. But is it a blunder? Firstly it is not making the government particularly richer. A few millions and for the most part it does not seem to be much of a loss for the white van chaps either. But looking at the system, it does seem overly complicated, seven grades and a few different percentages. Employees pay nothing on the first £155 earned (weekly) that is up to £672 a month, anything over that and up to £827 a week will be charged at 12%. Anything over £827 is charged at 2%. These are the figures for category A. But self-employed people are paying differe...

With only two months and a few days to go, it is eerily quiet on the local election front here in South Wales. You would have thought that with the ruling Labour party’s record, its deplorable management especially on education and social care for the elderly the opposition Plaid Cymru party and yes UKIP as well, would be jumping up and down shouting for all to hear! Obviously this silence is just what the Labour party wants and needs. The Rhondda County Borough on its own has a quite sizable debt hanging around its neck so I suspect a hefty increase in council tax. This Labour run borough is one of the poorest if not the poorest, local government areas in the UK. It is an terrible example of how very poor people can be wrung dry by fat politicians. Even the last penny is not safe. The legacy of just closing mines and related industries at the stroke of the pen but without making sufficient plans for what to do with the thousands of unemployed is still hanging around the whole a...

A really good question to ask is – What is REALLY important in this life? In our society today? Is it to bring African nations up to standard? Water, better infrastructure? Is it to manage money more equitably? More even-handed? Perhaps curtail the banks and greedy businesses and insist on proper management? Take better care of employees? There are many more questions but they all point to - bad management of resources. The greedy still play havoc with the needs of the poor. As a result the poorer parts of our society pay a far greater deal than the rich, proportionally. The politicians are too afraid to have a good look at the unbridled greed expansion in fear of a drop in tax. Frankly, it has proved counter-productive looking at the multitude of schemes to avoid tax. Obviously we need businesses but we need businesses with a social aptitude. Businesses who care about the environment. Because let’s be fair, it has been known for years that cars, yes petrol and diesel, are damagi...

Finally, Theresa May is going to tell Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland what is important and what is not. About time too. My personal opinion is that Ms Sturgeon is in olden terms, no more than a traitor. To try to divide and rule. It is the old way of seeking personal power. The next thing we might hear is a SNP demand for her to be made the Queen of Scotland. Yes, we are in interesting times. But surely it is high time to tell Ms Sturgeon to shut it. Looking back on this devolution experiment, I'd say it is an abject failure. Yes, in Wales also. There is a never ending demand for more and more powers. Despite the fact both devolved governments haven't a clue what to do with the powers they have already received. Both their NHS organisations are in a heck of a mess. In fact, the whole NHS is in a mess. One might wonder where they get all these top administrators from. An out-and-downer living in a cardboard box under a bridge could do better. From my point of vi...