ONE RULE FOR THEM....

It must be nice to be able to claim £22000 towards your expenses. That's more than most people earn.
Take this example to how it works for ordinary people.
Last year my wife received her Yorkshire BS account statement, interest for the Tax year 2007/8. She'd paid £45 in Tax. So you may say , well she had registered with YBS for GROSS interest. Forms duly signed and taken to the Branch where it was all noted. A year later we find out that they "had errored and not done it". Well we can always claim it back off HMRC as my Wife doesn't earn enough to pay tax.
Contacting HMRC they say "no you can't, well not till next Tax year 08/09!!" WHAT?
SO, we have now put in our claim for our £45 back!. HM Government via the Tax man have had our £45 for over a year now. Of course they need it more than us? To pay all these damn MP's expenses no doubt.
So there you have it. Mr or Mrs Average can't have their Tax back for over a year after it was paid to HMRC. Think of the Millions of folk in this position, and thus the Government has benefit of our money for a year when it should be in our pocket or better in a bank earning us interest. Oh I forgot - us savers only get 2% interest if we're lucky now and if the Bank etc. is as incompetent as YBS then we pay Tax on it as well.

MP's Expenses

I wish politicians would get real!
I mean how many folks like me get their expenses paid by the company, for a 2nd HOUSE? None.
In the real world folk like me (on a 3rd of an MPs salary, and I do have sympathy, I wouldn't want to be an MP) get their expenses for working away from home, don't you?
So why shouldn't they?
Yes - but the same as me!!
I get my Hotel paid and Breakfast, plus a generous Dinner allowance, £9.95 - (WOW what a slap-up meal that buys?). I've just been on a training course and for using my own car the generous allowace is 14p per mile! That hardly pays the petrol let alone the other running costs. Even HMRC says 40p is allowed Tax Free - but I work for the Council so don't want to over do it for the poor Council Tax payers do I? I'll subsidise it on my inflated Council Salary eh? Oh I forgot my Gold Plated Pension didn't I (I will get - when I'm 65 - if I survive - two thirds my Inflated Salary), (by the way I get less than the national average wage).
SO, lets see MPs award themselves exactly what Local Govenment NJC guidelines say is the rate. (I don't think so).
Ha!
Maybe they'll bring us into line with them?

More Hardship for the Poor thanks to Brown and Darling

Gordon Brown and his Mate Darling are a Merry Band of reverse Robin Hoods, robbing the poor to give to the Rich!
Now in the budget we see where he's getting his money from, you and me.
He gives £200 billion to the Rich Bankers who award themselves bonuses and pensions and now we have to pay for it with higher taxes for the next 10 years. Also in the small print Local councils are expected to find another £500 000 in savings this year! It can't be done.
Local councils are not companies that can "sell " more and work more profitable, they deliver services to local people, do they want less services? because that's what they will get for less but there are more unemployed claiming benefits - explain that one Mssrs Brown and Darling.
I don't know the exact figures but lets say there are 200 councils in England. That equates to total of £100 million Mr Brown has got back of his £200 billion, so he has just got back 0.1% of what he gave to the banks. Whoopee but at what cost to councils - most Council Workers earn less than the average wage so rank as the poorest earners officially on "Poverty Wages". So that's great Mr Brown Labour Primeminister take money off the poorest to pay for your incompetences.
Thanks

SOS - Save Our Shoreline

Yes I know times are hard (for Bankers!!) - but what about the Coast?

The Environment agency would rather we all forgot about Coastal Erosion after all who does it affect? Well it affect us that live on the East Coast in Lincolnshire.

The Government can give out Billions to failed Banks who then rush away and fill their pockets rubbing their grubby hands. BUT ITS MY (and your) MONEY!!

Who are they really helping? Why can they not just spare 1 Billion to spend on our Coastal defences? That would see us out! Anyway if the sea does come in there will be less land for the rest of you, less land to share with the immigrants, less land to grow crops - so quality of life will suffer for you all. Food will be even more expensive - despite what you're told about inflation - FOOD IS going UP.

SO look at the DoE web site and make your feelings known.

http://www.hecag-smp2.co.uk/

They will take notice when the Square Mile starts to get a bit soggy!

say NO to Fluoride in Water

I see on the BBC news that another area is to be poisoned in the name of Dental health.
Have a look at this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7631272.stm
I know the Lincolnshire PCT still has plans to put Fluoride in our water here in East Lindsey and I vehemently say No Thank You.
After all - when everyone has access to an NHS Dentist then maybe I'll relent. Until then they should spend any money on providing the Citizens of Lincolnshire with dentists.
I could go on. But I won't.
Research the evidence and the morality. You decide.

The sunset view from Sandilands Lincolnshire, the day after Midsummer 2008.
The Day before it Rained!