Since reaching 18 I have as often as possible made my vote count. Whether it was in local, European or national elections if I could vote then I would vote. The reason I have done this is that how dare I complain about the state of the nation and use thewhat about me argument if I dont actively engage in the democratic process we are lucky enough to live under. I was raised in a very poor family with parents that worked as hard as they could to provide for me and my siblings but sometimes its just not enough and the state had to help. Due to this fact my political leaning and vote has always gone to the left, although my own personal opinions are very much centre and on the odd occasion to one bench or the other. The past five years have been hard for all working class people but the very poor have struggled tremendously and I do not claim to know how it feels to be in their position but I and my family have not been without struggle and the fear of how to pay certain bills or put food on the table. I know that some of my friends and maybe my family may look at my lifestyle and think that I am well of but I am not. We are comfortable and that is due to damn hard work. Now this leads me to my rant... Single room subsidy (AKA the bedroom tax) - Firstly this is not a tax!! It is an attempt to reduce an over inflated benefits system that has been abused by SOME people for far too long. The fact that it is not perfect has not eluded me and the 1/2 bedroom housing stock is not available for people to move into. But here is the big picture that many have missed. Yes you will have a £15 per week reduction (not tax) on you benefits but the government have said that you can rent your spare room out. From my own experience of living in shared housing in the south east this room can be let for £75-£100 per week this would provide you with a minimum of £60 more per week then you would have had before the single room subsidy came into affect. Do the maths and read the literature and you could be considerably better off then you are now. Now I know that this is not applicable to all people and I am sorry that you are falling between the cracks in the system but there are ways to deal with the issue. How many of you know who your local MP or councillor is? If you actively engaged in the political system you would know. Find out and contact them! Regardless of the bench they sit on they would not be where they are without local voters and will on the most part so what they can to win more votes. Now you may sit there and say but its my home and you would be right, but its not your house! Its the states house and they have the right to do with it as they please! Suck it up!!! Government sell off of historic student loans to debt collection agencies - How is this a bad thing? These loans are from the 90s so the oldest ones I would have been 5 years old when they where given out! We were in boom times where towards the end of the decade the cost of living was low and personal wealth on the increase, jobs plentiful and post graduates in the best position they had ever been in. Now there could only be a handful of reasons these loans are outstanding and in my opinion the route cause is this; you did a cop out degree in historical lit and beer pong! If you had actually spent more time thinking about your future and what you would do with your degree after uni then you would be flying right now instead of flipping burgers at McDonalds™. Dont blame the government for coming knocking! If I dont pay back my debts the collectors come knocking in a week, you have had a minimum of 13 years! Public sector workers and unions - Now this one is hard. 3 services should be protected from cuts and changes police, fire, and armed forces. These services are vital to the protection of the peace and as such those in positions now should be immune from any cuts or changes in terms, but not new joiners. The right to change terms of employment for new joiners to the company should be on par with the private sector. Although I am completely against striking and believe it to have no place in civilised society unions do a lot for the rights of workers and protect them in legal situations. Unions are great in principle but union leaders like Bob Crow are scum! Bob earns £350.000 per year minimum and has a net worth for exceeding most labour MPs. Bob lives in a council house that he refuses to buy as he knows his mortgage will be higher than his monthly rent so would rather remain as an incumbent tenant then let a needy family live there! Bob sends his workers out on strike just to prove a point half the time and stands with them on the picket lines while they loose a days wage yet he still gets paid for that day by them! This is a perverse system that needs to change drastically for the betterment of working people. The elderly and politics FACT - all political parties do what they can to appease the older population as they are the predominant voters. They will always provide them with as much as they can until the younger voters actually start voting. In the last general election less then half of all registers voters below the age of 35 voted where as over 75% of all pensioners voted. If you want a fairer deal from the government then get of off your butts and vote! If you dont want to vote for a specific party then amend/spoil your ballot paper but be counted! Well Im sure i could say more but I have covered the core of my disdain for the opinions of non voters. I hope I have not upset anyone as it is direct at no one and Im sorry if I have.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 09:26:29 +0000
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