crisis

What crisis Patrick? Lol

You will see that we 'Brits' won't comment, take it all in our stride.......maybe?

that's not healthy Ron !

talk about it. Let it all out !!

I don' think its about your freedoms as much as it is the economy....and I'm

reading about it right now..with pictures of protesters on Downing street. Fear

not...while they showed the Memorial Coliesum packed full for Pres. Obama,

they did not show almost as many outside in demonstrations also. This whole

world mess...and it is that...comes from bad thinking in the past...along with

an unhealthy denial be some people to think about the things they put into

motion. I am reading here Britain's running one of the highest debt factors

at 11.5 per cent  then even the U. S. with it's 10.7 per cent.  It looks as if it's

not so much the cuts, but the cutting jobs that has everyone in an stir perhaps...as many of these cuts ...we have lived with for years over here.

But to help you all along, here's some things that I think are not hurting with

really helping......and I don't know how your infrastructure runs to know if they

would be of any help to you people...but closing down all ouor Government

offices one day an month...except for necessary services such as "fire stations..etc...has reduced costs with little suffering for not being open one

day an month...many employers are doing this also now...during thier "slow"

time of the year...my hubby's doing it at work...we keep an week's vacation

and he takes the day pay out if to make up for lost wages...and it gives him

and three day weekend for about an month and an half....if you have say

even 50 employees...this saves the company considerable money and

benefits...and isn't as harsh s those big lay offs...same for what the local

utlity depts are doing...they switched to in company reading of monthly meters

and are scrapping the use of an fleet of vehicles to maintain to send people

out to read them instead...both the electric company and the water company

has started this summer to do this. Doctors are are now into not requiring

as many nurse's following them around with chart work also....as they went

into transcribing what the docotor says into an tape recorder device with

headphones...they can replay the instructions during slow times when he's

not around...it is also an particular boon to health care in court cases also.

Of course our stores these days have started with self-check out...and they

are ok for small purchases...there is ussually someone present for an couple

of machines to help customers through it all if they don't understand or need

help. Some of the Junior high students now do their written assingments for

school on computers at home so they don't waste using the schools and

helping costs in lights and such during the day...they can also acess other

students on line for help in thier studies. So what do they do to make up

for some of this not at work..selling firewood helps off set money out here..

and load of firewood is $150 per pickup load depending on what kind of

wood you buy...usually fir...and it in like helps to keep heating costs down.

Some teachers babysit working parents children....babysitting out here is

tax deuctible expense for most parents...if parents aren't working then there's

no need to pay out baby sitting costs...and mothers are increasingly baking

goods to sell for an little money also. It kind of takes everyone helping everyone.  If everything is Government run over there think of what giving

up one day of work an month would represent in savings. Just some suggestions to get you through it all without an lot of suffering going on

unneedlessly if possible...I don't know if they woould work for you like they

do for us over here. Families are also moving back in together to help costs

also...sometimes it can help in half the costs of some things one household

would normally pay...providing the people show responsibilty and help

the household as an whole. It does not work if one sector doubles the

cost of maintaining one house. Debt does not go away...but it can accumulate

unless it's stopped. It helps if goods and services are not over-priced to begin with...and the aim here is to better balance living expenses with income.

Wow! Shirley for President eh?

I think the employment factor is the big issue here Shirley and the silly 'billys' are going on strike to defend their jobs!! I say get real, the last Government got us into this mess along with the bankers, who in my opinion should all be shot at dawn!

Good job Cameron and Osborne are there to get us out of the 'mire'.

I hope you have better unions over there then we do here...because over here

they are company ran for the most part..and cater likewise. They result in the

most part more money going out the door for union dues. Better an good boss any day then an union....they play dirty. I back the teamsters for the

most part...but this union  they got for retail and nursing homes "stinks".

They never helped me in the past.  I told them in 1983 or so when they

asked for suggestions about the work place benefits to add to those that

had worked 3 years guaranteed paid union dues in case of not enough

hours worked to stop from beign laid off after Christmas....they chose an

crappy wage in raises that ended up costing them more in taxes and to

meager to do any good...and now they have hardly any hours...they have

made everyone work "part time" hours and then prorate their beneifts to

the hours worked....and partimer may be the lousiest hours and be made

to work twice the amount of time for the least of benefits. Not good. Say I

never cheated them in my work...I made them some $38 every minute all

day long in the old days...but they ended up cheating me and I don't forget

it ...to this day...I don't shop there. They started me on more money but as

the years went by...they were still hiring people and by the time I left I wasn't

making the comparable wages as when I started...and I felt why work so

hard....you get what your pay for.... it ended up an nasty hassel in ways.

have you guys thought of doing "stress" excerises...... instead of crisis forums...LOL. It's all in your breathing technique.

I thought when I left there that I'd really be out bad in things...and I was told

that as long as I  had seniorty I could not get another job making less then what I

did there as an retail clerk...back then the minum wage was so much less.

But I knew that when I went into grocery section to see the guy that had hired

me and I heard what was the sound of millions of people in anguish that I

was hearing all the wrongs commited in the world...and I could never in good

conscious "worship" the god of "Gold"...or money. I did everything I could in

the end to make them profit by helpine me...and they turned it down...because

they wanted to show me their "authority" over me. Well, those there back then

lost the company eventually. They pulled off an shady deal on the new owners

also...I doubt they ever forget them either. if you don't have compassion and

reason and can be an good boss without an union...you won't' be one with.

The unions biggest contribution was in doing the paperwork for the employess and that helped to keep down office staffing... but as guardians of their rights...forget it.

I didn't say that correctly....I was asking them for people over three years of

continous employement...if they wwere laid off after Chirstmas....to pay their

union dues for them.  After three years most people were never laid off...but

there were "times" they might of been and if thier unions dues were not kept up ...they lost their health insurance also...or were made to pay out the pocket

for it themselves...rather they never or did use it. Most of them never used it.

But if they let it lapse....they had to start from the bottom up again...and it was once again health benefits per hours worked.  So what's the big deal if

employers have to pay out health benefits...its completely tax deductible most

the time as are most all employee expenses. It takes an business on it's

last lap to me to deny such an thing. I can see them limiting it in some cases

of extreme problems but I think on many long term problems the Government

picks up the medical care anyway. People....all people....need the basic

life sustaining necessity of food, shelter, utilties, health, and transportation if

possible. If you need it....others need it. So what's with doing things like they

are being done these days?.... Necessity doesn't mean over- priced.....it means "livable" circumstances.