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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8406670.stm


Defence, Housing, Transport and Higher Education.... these are the areas that are to bear the brunt of cuts in public spending from 2011.

Speaking on behalf of Higher Education.... what the hell did we do to deserve this?????


Are we the ones that have been decadent, selfish, corrupt, greedy, unethical????? NO!

So why has Higher Education (along with defence, housing, transport) been chosen for this punishing role?????


Higher Education (in my experience) is struggling to deliver high standards with ever increasing student numbers and decreasing budgets.


Why us??????? I have to say I am fcuking furious!!

To be fair, public spending was cut in the past two recessions when other factors were to blame. So I think a certain amount of public belt tightening is always inevitable. Although this time that 1% pay cap for some public sector jobs must sting a bit given I don't think Darling went far enough with the banks - they've gotten off way too lightly and I think it's just plain wrong. Even those that kept a fairly clean balance sheet like Barclays, JPM and CS benefited indirectly from massive UK tax payer support.


The CEO's of all the major retail and investment banks are meeting in secret this evening to discuss a unified response to the PBR. One's already considering a move back to the US in the huff at Darlings windfall tax. These are people with five homes and a seven figure take home (without risking any of their personal capital) who are having to take a 4M bonus instead of 5M and threatening to leave an empty wasteland in Canary Wharf. It's obscene.

The other slight unpalatable truth is that for much of the past 10 years tax receipts have been enormously boosted by the wreckless behaviour of the banks and that has underpinned much investment in the Public Sector...hence Sir Fred's Knighthood etc. Sorry, but as this boom has been proved an illusion so must some of the governmant spending that it underpinned. To varying degrees and without total realisation we've all been in a Faustian pact with the whole casino/charade and benefited from it...sorry, but that's the truth.

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The other slight unpalatable truth is that for

> much of the past 10 years tax receipts have been

> enormously boosted by the wreckless behaviour of

> the banks and that has underpinned much investment

> in the Public Sector...hence Sir Fred's Knighthood

> etc. Sorry, but as this boom has been proved an

> illusion so must some of the governmant spending

> that it underpinned. To varying degrees and

> without total realisation we've all been in a

> Faustian pact with the whole casino/charade and

> benefited from it...sorry, but that's the truth.



Indeed it is. New Labour had to court the banks to pay for the improvements to public services (the ones the tories pretend do not exist). Sadly, we can now sit back and watch it all unravel!

I'm intrigued as to what spending can be cut on transport?


Network Rail - not for profit

TOCs - privatised

Tube - budget controlled from City Hall (within a PPP) with maintenance privatised.

Air Traffic Control - Sold off

Roads - expansion had already slowed to nothing


Crossrail would be an obvious candidate since much of the funding comes from central government.


Other than that spending elsewhere is a drop in the ocean.


Housing funding could be cut leading to a shortfall in affordable housing and council refurbishment. Bad news for the poorest in society.


Defence is an easy target withs some big budget projects (Future Carrier, Trident, FRES) but most are already committed to and would cost more to stop now than to complete. Frontline budgets have already been trimmed to the bone and further cuts would potentially have devastating consequences for those serving overseas. Moral is already low.

Huguenot [quote name=To be fair' date=' I don't think anyone in the public sector has been "decadent, selfish, corrupt, greedy, unethical", but when tax receipts are down UK PLC only has control over these areas.

]



Bloody hell Huguenot.... I thought you knew me better than that!!! I did not mean other parts of the public sector had been "decadent, selfish, corrupt, greedy, unethical".... I was talking about the bloody banking sector and government...


It just seems deeply, deeply unfair to penalise Higher Education... we have not kept in line with increased levels of funding for schools... we are desperately over stretched, government want to have over 50% of the population in higher education (a niffy way of keeping inflation figures down of course)... HOW are we supposed to continue to deliver a decent quality of educational experience????? There are people in HE who really really care about the quality of experience that their student receive and this is such a deep blow..... I am beside myself with disbelief...


OMG I think I am about to had a tantrum.... http://www.hadd.ie/userfiles/image/iStock_000004176290XSmall.jpg



-----------------------------------------------

still fcuking furious!!

-----------------------------------------------

no... but thanks for the offer, too fcuking furious to do anything but fume...


I suspect the temper tantrun will pass... or maybe I'll turn into a modern day female Guy Fawkes

http://nickbaines.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/guy-fawkes-anarchist-poster.jpg

david_carnell



and incase anyone thinks I am not concerned about the other proposed cuts, yes David, the notion of selection Housing as a way to try to rectify the debt crisis is utterly disgraceful... of course I realise that the money has to come from somewhere, and we are all party to the mess we are in to a greater or lesser degree.... but pleeeaase!!!! London alone is expecting a population increase of a million in the next 20 year...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/london-leads-the-way-in-uk-population-increase-419879.html


http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/maps_and_graphs/2009/10/21/Population.gif

charliecharlie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> boy... am I in a bad mood today... sorry folks...

> but at least it only happens about once a year...

>

> *thinks... must get an early night tonight...*


Must be the red wine, vodka and late nights. You youngsters..

could be that karter, or could be the effing politicians getting right up my nose...


Thanks for the Christmas pressie Darling (no not you Kater, I'm talking to you Alistair)

would you trust a man who dies his eyebrows? http://www.yesloansuk.com/news_images/Alistair+Darling+_1727_18744674_0_0_7011211_300.jpg

Nr Ben said



I got an idea... why don't they expand on the idea of a micro tax on currency trading (which is being considered as a way of raising funds to combat poverty in developing countries/deal with the costs of carbon reduction etc) and up it, say, from the proposed 0.005% to 0.01% on UK based transactions. Then use the monies raised to chip away at gov. borrowing for the quantative easing... instead of taking it out of the budget for housing, transport, HE, etc. What do you think? sounds genius to me... but then I have got my Saturday brain on....

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4c205dc6-e428-11de-bed0-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=d68cb1fc-a38d-11de-a435-00144feabdc0.html

That's the problem... tax the city too much, and you're in danger of killing a huge chunk of the UK's income.


You'll also inevitably be punishing lots of people - and even whole companies - who had nothing to do with the credit crunch or mortgages, and never received any government cash.

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