Tax Rises or Public Sector Spending cuts?

mizzbiz

There's so much waste of tax money in the public services.
Not to mention the needless consultants, failed IT systems, multi-million pound call centres to name but a few.

Why not keep taxes the same, keep spending on essentials the same, but ditch the spending wasteful items. I believe we'll save billions, as we're not in the business of providing jobs for the hell of it.

Spiv_2

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roost-for-our-public-finances-1627085.html

"Until a few months ago, you could have a debate as to whether the burden should be borne mainly by cutting spending or mainly by increasing taxation. Now it is clear it will have to be both. It would be nice to say that this is a political choice, but actually this has gone beyond politics. The harsh arithmetic makes radical measures inevitable, and the difficult task for the next government will be to sustain support for these measures."

Pont

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Just cut government waste. That would save hundreds of millions if implemented correctly.

By government, I mean NHS, Police, Civil Service etc. Don't neccesarily mean staff, I mean waste on procedures, red tape, targets and contracts that require 20 people to sign something off just to get given a biro.

Yonks ago I worked as a nurse for the NHS. I remember noticing a lightbulb was out over a patient's bed so, as instructed, called the works department to change it. Firstly a man appeared to check that the bulb was out, then two more appeared to change the bulb, then another turned up to check that it was now working properly, then another turned up to check the work had been completed! It must of cost around a £100 to change that one lightbulb. I did suggest that if a supply of bulbs were kept on the ward I could have changed it myself but 'nah, it's all down to elf 'n' safety innit?' Sorry, but if I was deemed sensible enough to inject drugs, perform personal procedures etc., surely I was sensible enough to a) ascertain that a bulb needed changing, and b) able to change the said bulb (plus could have done it in 5 minutes rather than the 5 hours it took)!

A friend of mine still works for the NHS and recently told me of tens of thousands of pounds worth of repeat prescriptions for dressings still arriving in her department due to the fact that nobody has cancelled a deceased patient's order. She has written to, emailed, telephoned to inform the 'managers' but still they continue to arrive daily!

I now work for the education department and believe me it's no better!

hermanmunster_3

problem with those of us in the public sector is that we get taxed too, so raise the taxes and who will have to pay?
yes the government... they'll just get back the money they gave to the NHS to pay us and then cos we put up the rates they'll have to pay us more to make up for the xs tax and so it goes on...........

moonrakerz

Having worked in both the public sector and in private industry can I relate two instances which just shows the difference between the mentality of the public sector and private industry.

1. Ministry of ****** is moving from old wooden huts to nice modern purpose built offices, complete with nice new modern purpose built furniture.
Old furniture from wooden huts to be sold "to the best advantage for the Crown".
Old fashioned wooden desks, not worth much, reasonably modern office chairs, worth something. Furniture is to be auctioned to get "best value". Takes months to organise auction - has to be done properly, approval to be granted to dispose of Govt property, advertised in right journals, etc. By the time furniture is removed to auction site, having been left in unheated wooden huts for months, it is covered in green mould - absolutely worthless !
Cost to Ministry of ***** (taxpayer !) thousands; return, next to zero.

2. Large motor company. German name with a hyphen in the middle !
Lots of office and meeting room chairs being replaced. Staff leaving on Friday afternoon find display area for cars full of lots and lots of chairs. £5 each to staff, mark the chair you want, pay next week and collect it.
Cost to company next to zero, return to company, some hundreds - AND a lot of goodwill from the staff !
I got two cracking chairs !

Just to show that the Ministry of ****** is catching on to these new fangled ideas - recently they decided to replace thousands of flat screen PC monitors. Instead of throwing them away or "auctioning" them, they offered them to staff on "indefinite loan". Good idea ! but I just wonder how many people are employed writing to all those who borrowed these monitors to make sure that they still have them !!

JP45

Spiv wrote: »

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roost-for-our-public-finances-1627085.html

"Until a few months ago, you could have a debate as to whether the burden should be borne mainly by cutting spending or mainly by increasing taxation. Now it is clear it will have to be both. It would be nice to say that this is a political choice, but actually this has gone beyond politics. The harsh arithmetic makes radical measures inevitable, and the difficult task for the next government will be to sustain support for these measures."

Absolutely right. The massive rise in the budget deficit and the overall level of debt means any future government is going to have to implement both tax rises and cuts in public expenditure. And I don't think we're talking about minor adjustments.