To think the level of state involvement many posters expect is bonkers?

[FaeryRing]

It seems like there is nothing the state shouldn’t be responsible for any more! Feeding your kids, getting them to school, hiring ‘behaviour specialists’ for every classroom because parents don’t want to discipline their own children, giving you money towards virtually anything you ask for because it’s not fair you have to pay for anything yourself.. I find it absolutely wild and don’t think it’s at all realistic or representative of what most adults believe?

You tell people before the procedure Its called informed consent

The countries with less state involvement in protecting their citizens from the negative effects of neoliberalism are the ones lurching towards fascism. At least, that's the opinion of Nobel winning economist Stiglitz.

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Freedom-Economics-Good-Society/dp/132407437X

That looks like an interesting read - thanks 😊

You’d think. It was pretty obvious to me that I couldn’t drive following cataract surgery.

I think the gummerment should pay for everything 'cos my granddad fought in the war 😡

How many people are paying tax to that service they are using though

My daughter was thinking about a law career and I went with her to court to explain what was happening etc ( not that I have any idea). Anyhow there was a lad out on licence whilst expected to comply with some judges conditions before sentencing . One condition was to claim universal credit as he kept taking money from his grandma who every now and then shouted out ‘I’m 62 you know’. The lad had not done this and just my his responses and demeanour it was clear that something was amiss. To me, it looked like an Ed Psych report would have been useful but instead he was going to jail costing the tax payer tens of thousands a year. What person does not claim free money when out of work?

I felt really sad that evening - it all seems so stupid.

Do you know many adults that are allowed on a SCHOOL bus?

Most but not quite everyone. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56906654

What percentage is that of the population though? I’d wager not the same % who aren’t potty training and brushing teeth.

Over 65s mostly, so you're probably right.

The words of my DM who is in her 80s "i dont want wires and cable trailing everywhere and endless engineer visits"

I just happened to see an example of false economy and Shit Happens in Active when I logged on to check on this thread. A woman needing to flee DV with her child. She might have to give up her job and claim benefits to go into a refuge. Why? Because of the lack of social housing. Apparently her housing association and her council say there's no homes available for a transfer. So there you go. Someone forced to be dependant on the state, through no fault of her own. When instead there could be investment in social housing, so people in her situation wouldn't have to give up their jobs and need to claim benefits.

@Againname

From an older thread.

The Elephant and Castle neighbourhood is being physically, socially and ethnically transformed. This started with the demolition of the Heygate estate, a classic for stigmatised perceptions of council housing and the people who live in it. As the local 35% Campaign has meticulously documented, a succession of promises to Heygate residents were broken to arrive at a situation where 1,214 council homes were demolished, to be replaced with 2,704 new homes, of which only 82 (3%) are for social rent. The HA partner was London and Quadrant. To be eligible for the cheapest one-bedroom home built by them on the Heygate site, people needed a minimum household income of £57,500. The average household income in that part of Southwark is £24,324

If only - I have my GC for almost all holidays and half-terms. There are a very few short (4-5 hour) days of clubs that are free but a waste of time for a working mother, my DD gets some of these but obviously isn't free to collect them, so I do it.

Plus some adopted children

I am much the same. I've never had an ambitious bone in my body, and wasn't passionate enough about anything to want to make a career of, so went into basic office work at 16. I did own a house, but due to the timing of a separation when house prices were skyrocketing I am now renting, and will do for life. After taking voluntary redundancy from my last full-time job, I worked part time or temp jobs for a few years, and then retired a year early. I don't travel, have holidays, expensive hobbies etc. but I am happy and content, and my mental health is very good. I prefer a simple life and always have done, but so many people seem to think that is not a desirable way to live anymore. If people wish to look upon me as a failure that is fine, but I like my life and don't actually care what others think.

I am glad there is someone else happy with the simple things in life. I also don't care what people think, I grew up in a family of high flyers, managing directors and doctors etc, all totally money focussed and they were all astounded at my life choices, but I never had the drive and ambition they did and that is okay. I wish you all the best and may you have a long and happy life.

It's another nhs in waiting for the amount of invisible expense.

An ideal is adopted, and then the tax payer pays for it, without ever being consulted. Nor is that ideal being measiured up against other competing needs.

It's why refugees are being put up in hotels - because a basic level of care has been stipulated - and needs to be fulfilled at inflated levels of contract cost and tax payer expense.

NHS? You know how hard it is to get a GP appointment?

Once a person gets a GP appointment, who does not have English as a first language, they can get a tax payer funded interpreter for every visit.

You would imagine if they can't speak English well, they would not be able to get an appointment in the first place. Nope, they always find intepreters for that part.

There is no such common sense rule as "If only there was enough money to give every single person their sense of utopia and meet their every desire" BUT there is not.

Education and NHS needs to be brought back to basics - This is what we can and will provide.

Everything else falls under the category of competing needs. And only if the money is available this year to pay for it.

@JenniferBooth That's really awful. What happened to the residents? Were they moved out of London? I wonder how many had to give up their jobs if that happened.

@Againname Replicated several times over but there are STILL people who will insist its lone pensioners rattling around four bedroom council houses who are causing the shortages.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/3647056-George-Clarkes-Council-House-Scandal

There’s a post about someone whose son hit a boy who was bullying him on the school bus and the parent said ‘should they not have someone keeping an eye on the kids on the bus?’ and everyone jumped on her saying’why don’t you volunteer?’ but to be fair a parent volunteer or in a crazily ideal world a teach or sna accompanying isn’t a bad idea as a lot of kids wouldn’t try it on with an authority figure on the bus.

@OldPerson Asylum seekers need to be given accommodation. The standards are very basic. There is no reason why they need to be in hotels. That is a government decision that costs a fortune.
And no immigrants do not get an interpreter for every GP appointment. In reality people take along friends or family to interpret. You may get an interpreter for serious appointments e.g. someone telling you you have cancer.

I think the downsizing thing was so badly thought out. It doesn't solve the problem, which is not enough social housing of all sizes. I knew someone, a pensioner, who wanted to downsize from her 2 bedroom flat. She couldn't find any 1 beds for ages. Also where do single people and childfree couples live if everyone downsizes?

Exactly I was told on another thread that i shouldnt be in social housing as i dont have children (child free by choice)