Sunday, November 20, 2011

"Workers of the World Unite ...."

The present Banker led capitalism is crumbling –“Workers of the World unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains” – is still as true today as when written in London 150 years ago. ‘Students of the World Demonstraight, you have all to gain for your future’ and a new mixed economy working for all. Can be added.

From St. Paul’s to Wall Street and many Cities across the World Hundreds of thousands of workers and students are marching and demonstraighting against the stranglehold the 1% of the population has on the Banking system that has evolved over hundreds of years.

The Arab world is in turmoil over its ‘Masters’ and dictators, wanting more control over their lives and destiny.

I have always maintained that ‘evolution’ would bring about a fairer system, for life, than the present capitalism we now endure with its greed, instability and wealth for the few. As a young man, 60 years ago, I joined the Labour Party being impatient and wanting to try and hurry this along. Far from a socialist party I saw this as a step along the way. Every family is a practicing Socialist unit, (well most) the fit and strongest looking after the young and weak until they are able to care for themselves, and then add to the community. ‘To each according to his need – from each according to his ability’

The last 50 years have been the worst we have had to endure with deregulation of the Banks, selling off public utilities’, demutualising the people’s assets and general privatisations throughout the world allowing the grip of international institutions to tighten round the throats of workers the world over. In the UK the selling of the public utilities proved to be a catasrafie, it is immoral that the basic elements of life, fire and water, should be used for profit making for the few.

‘The wicked witch of Finchley’ will have a lot to answer for when her day of reckoning comes. Starting her career in government by stopping milk in school for children then as PM her disastrous housing policy of selling council houses, and not allowing councils to spend the revenue building more, mainly the cause of today’s housing shortage.

It was the Thatcher government that brought in expenses for Members of Parliament causing the scandals of recent years. This so she could not be blamed for raising the MP’s salaries. Another ploy of the then government was to increase disability and sick pay to keep the unemployment figures down. All this at a time the city, where banks eat banks getting bigger and bigger, becoming full of directors, boards and yuppies piling riches and fortunes in obscene figures.

A new Banking system, with a mixed economy is now the only way out, instead of worldwide leaders spending months and months arguing, achieving nothing trying to patch the present failing one.

Friday, September 16, 2011

'Crises what Crises' - it's a Catasrophe!

After 10 years of steady growth and improvement in the British standard of living, under a Labour Government, the world wide banking financial crash of 2008 brought the banking chaos throughout the world. Even the pinnacle of capitalism, USA, began to crack and crumble, their house purchase/mortgage system setting off a chain reaction by offloading their debits to other international banks.

I wrote in this column at the time, a new kind of Banking was urgently needed to sort out the chaotic results of global banking. The banks were allowed to grow too big, a case of dog eats dog, dictate their own terms of business generate vast profits to pay intolerable bonuses.

In the UK this was exasperated by the extreme right wing Thatcher Government of the 1980’s by demutualising the building societies, to get the hands of her rich city friends on them to make even more money.

Before then people could get a 20/25 year mortgage according to their income, hard to pay back at first but getting easy as you progressed through your career with promotion or wage increase. Now it’s all short term mortgages so the bankers can charge even more arrangement fees each time.

Adding to the looming crises was her sell of ‘Social Housing’, council houses to you and me, and not allowing the councils to spend the revenue made on replacement housing, thus the main cause of the shortages today.

The current, Tory led, coalition (LibDemCon) government just propose tinkering around the edges of our banking system, when what is clearly needed is a radical reorganisation of banking with one of a full mixed economy. Even the bank with much public investments remaining nationalised.

The latest catch phrase used by LibDemCon ministers when they don’t know what to do or say is “We'll do whatever it takes”

In the years to come historians of the time will have a lot to say on the ‘Thatcher’ years it was she who sold off the public utilities, electricity, gas and water after the tax payer had paid for the pipe lines, electric grid and reservoirs.

It is morally wrong that a basic human need, like water supply should be sold off for profit making for share holders. It is also ridiculous that the same gas and the same electricity coming down the same pipes and cables to be sold to the consumer at different prices, to make bigger profits for share holders.

The Major government, following Thatcher, realising they would lose the next election rushed through continuation of her rail privatisation, resulting in the hotpotch of rail companies we have now. This costing as much public subsidy as British Railways did, mainly going to their share holders as profits.

Today's crises throughout the World's stock exchanges show they have become no more than the rich man’s betting shop, to gamble with the poor man’s savings and pension funds. ‘Sell’ they yell, to make a quick profit no matter the consequences to the firms, organisations and workers concerned.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

A Personal Note

I have been having considerable trouble in getting my new award agreed, there appears to be to many administrators and managers passing bits of paper from one an other and desk to desk. In all the words they use they do not seem to know the two simplest words in the English language ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in covering their backs.

I should add here that in 21 years, unfortunately, as a major stroke victim having to rely on the NHS I have nothing but praise for the medical treatment I have received over the years. I give them 10 out of 10 for all their help and consideration. As for administration both NHS and Council social workers, there are far to many and the result dismal, I give them 1 out of 10.

To Whom It May Concern

In 2007 it was suggested I took up the direct payment scheme for my personal care and quality of life. This I agreed and a method was worked out with the help of the Rowan Organisation.

I was awarded £1231.60 (varying by days in the month) This worked very well and efficient until my last admission to Hospital, despite a decrease, in real terms, of some 5/6% due to inflation and increase insurance costs. On discharge I needed help getting into and out of bed and applied for an extra 1 hour a day at the rate I paid my PA (£9.50) for this help.

Over the next 6 months or more my physical condition rapidly deteriorated with the ageing problems compounding on my stroke of 21 years, and many visits were made to my home by Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists and others. Many visits to Kingston Hospital and the Distinct Nursing team continued to call twice weekly.

All these visits reporting I needed more help than that provided and I had asked extra for. Both senior Therapists reporting, in a written report, that now my right and only good arm, was causing concern and not able to be used 90 degrees (the reason for my Hospital visits throughout the last 9 months). These reports were sent to my care manager.

My balance was very bad, and I was a danger to myself trying to cook, and could not reach to get items from the cupboards or fridge. My career now has to cook my main meal each day out of the three hours a day allowed for in the original agreement and award (in fact has been doing many hours’ unpaid help)

In July 2010 I was asked, and supplied a diary over a period of three weeks to show the care my career was giving on a daily basis. Since then I recently supplied a list of the extra help I need as was suggested at the many visits to me at my home by the various agencies.

My December remittance advice shows a sum of £1598.89 an increase of £363.49 (£88.12 a week) over my payments since I first opted for direct payments. This barely covers the extra I asked for in March, and the employer NI contributions increase of £2.10 per week, leaving £19.52 for all the extra help I now need and that recommended.

I want my award looked into again, together with all the reports made into my physical condition over the last year.

To Whom It May Concern continued additions January 2011

With time to reread the above and study with old papers it appears the confusion seems to have arisen by an administration error.

The award made in 2007 for home care and quality of life living was based on the formula of –
75 hours @ £0.00p and
45 hours @ £00.0p
Total payment of £0,000.00p per month to be spent at the reciprocants discretion.

This being worked out with the help of the Rowan Organisation and agreed by the Council @ 3 hours per day for personal care and help in the home, the balance to be spent in maintaining as near a life style as possible. I.e. Attending meetings, attending monthly committee meeting, Theatre visits and participating in the local community as fully as possible as in the past.

On my discharge from hospital and deteriating physical condition I asked, in March 2010, for an extra hour per day for help in getting into and out of bed @£9.50 at the rate I was paying for personal care. All agencies now agree I need more hours than I asked for nearly a year ago now.

It appears the award made December 2010 is based on the draught of ‘My Support Plan’ by Support Broker, Jo Munday, only on the figure I paid my Carer/PA of £9.50 and not on the original hourly rates. I understand m/s Munday had not seen the Occupational Therapist’s report before draughting the plan.

I hope this helps to clarify the matter, although I am very physically affected, mentally I am still 110% fit and quite happy for my carer to bring me to any meeting at any time to meet and discuss this further.

Kenneth Elmes January 2011

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The LibDemCon Government

The LibDemCon government . . .

Well!! Where do I start? - cracks of seismic proportions are appearing all over the place. The right wing conservative senior partners leading the LibDems ‘up the path’ by the nose.

David Cameron and his millionaire cabinet members (mainly Thatcher’s children) carrying on where she left off dismantling and destroying the welfare state. Thatcher saying there was no such thing as society and selling off social housing and starting the demutualising of the Building Societies to the capitalist system of her rich friends in the Banking world of dog eat dog.

Before Thatcher one could get a mortgage of 20/25 years that got easier to pay as you progressed through your working life with promotion and/or wage increases. Now it’s a case of short term mortgages with their arrangement fees, each time, to add to the bankers profits.

Cameron’s speech today (Feb. 14th. 2011) on his big idea of the “ Society” was no more that a lot of wind and hot air with no substance, a smoke screen to take away one’s mind from the pending cuts. For 55 years from my teens I have always tried to ‘do my bit’ for society with the Scout Movement, Teddington Old Peoples Welfare Committee, Rotary Club, a Borough Councillor (when councillors were unpaid) and a committee member and officer of members clubs.

The schools policy is now under fire with backing for many Councils from the courts over the cancellation of the school rebuilding programme of the previous Government to feed the cash to the new free schools.

The government Forestry sell off policy has been cancelled/postponed by public pressures.

All this, and more, after the work of a Labour Government’s 10 years of steady growth brought to an end after its struggle with the world wide financial crisis caused be greedy banks and bankers with their snouts in the trough.

I predict, that when the next election comes and the Conservatives drop the LibDens, Nick Clegg will join his millionaire friends in the Conservative Party.

To be continued. . . . .