POVERTY AND PUBLIC HEALTH

[Stanley]

Wonderful......

[plaques]

The Tories have woke up to the fact that after years of cutbacks and austerity Social Care is becoming a problem. The new initiative is not to tax the 1% and make them pay their correct full amount or even to cut back on banquets and perks for the rich but to make pensioners foot the bill Social Care. Included in this proposal is a tax on fuel allowance, 1% increase in National Insurance charge for the over 50's, and buying a insurance supplement from your property release. The good news a fixed amount will be allocated from Whitehall for social care. Note! fixed allowances tend to wither on the vine as inflation eats it way into them while Percentage payments increase with inflation. Its nice to know that someone is thinking about us and will take care of us in our hour of need.

[Stanley]

I noted the proposal as well P and share your reservations. The old principle of taxing those who could afford to pay to support the worse-off seems to have vanished from Modern governance. Even the old Poor Law and Workhouse system with all its faults recognised that principle with the imposition of the Poor Rate in addition to Property Rates.

[Stanley]

Remember THIS news item from 14 December 2010?
The latest reports are that the privatised service is in chaos due to underfunding and bad management. The 'Market' has failed us..... step forward Mr Brokenshire and explain what went wrong!

[mpaas]

David,
The house is, or was, a student bed-sit, so I don't think anyone would ever have cleaned the plaque if you hadn't done it. I think it is time to make you an honorary member of the Carleton College Cambridge Seminar in Economics for good services rendered! Thank you!

Best- Martha

[Stanley]

Ah, I suspect you have just received an accolade David! Now's the time to ask what privileges the Honorary post carries!

[Tripps]

I will have my business card changed to include the suffix CCCSE (Hon).


PS.
I've sent a PM to thank the Professor for the Accolade. I considered the phrase 'chuffed to mintballs' , but I didn't think it quite suited the occasion or the recipient.

[Stanley]

She's not that stuffy David. When I first met her I used to think she was a bit straight laced but soon found out that this wasn't the case... We had some good running jokes when I was living with them in Northfield..... One was based on ERIK THE AWFUL by Ray Stephens. If you've never heard of him, try it out! It was a big house and if I wanted Martha I would just imitate his horn.....

[Tripps]

I've had a very nice personal message from Professor Martha.

I expect the instructions for the secret handshake will follow in due course.

[Stanley]

She says you are a nice man. She's never told me that!

[Stanley]

Bumped. Well worth reading again!

[Tripps]

She says you are a nice man

Well worth reading again!

And I have done so, with some enjoyment. Rare that anyone says that about me -

Trying not to wander away from a very interesting and scholarly essay, but it's hard. The rest of it all ranks high on the serendipity scale. I thought it was longer ago than that actually. I took Uncle Jim to see the building (he's a retired Chartered Surveyor) with an interest in such things, and the plaque. Time for him to achieve posterity on the site.

Jimplaque.jpg

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

Bumped.....
I love Ken's reference to the Canterville Ghost! (LINK)