Dave's cuts are going be deep and they will hurt

[FellatioNelson]

I've been hearing this all day on the radio. I can't take the suspense any longer. They are going to affect the lives of 'every one of us'

I feel like a person wincing and clenching my teeth in anticipation of the big fuck-off needle the school nurse is wielding, and I'm next in the queue....

Come on then, what's it going to be?

We have had the discussion before about where the £4 for every £3 figure has come from

It seems it is based on nothing more than thin air

Whitehall? mama for a start?

I've heard that one council is replacing front line staff with volunteers

so you'd save a load of money replacing library workeres with pensioners or the unemployed and just graduated unemployed, ditto council park wardens, gardeners , street sweepers etc

would suck but might be what they'll do?

Children dying would look very bad though, so I genuinely do not believe they will be at any more risk than they currently are, as you are seeing throwing money at private companies has not been the answer.

that would be such a terrible policy, LucyJ.

make people redundant so they can become dependent on the state/benefits, then force them to do their old job for free, as a 'volunteer'.

ffs.

Well they call itnatural wastage

they don't replace people when they retire or leave for new jobs and if they do replace them use volunteers

Riven - I think the Atlanta games was profitable because it was sponsored by Coca Cola. So all we need is a really good sponsor! (Tetleys? Boddingtons?)

Seriously though, as well as all the immediate cuts the Government needs to think of the future. And whatever we think of the money being wasted spent on the Olympics, it will bring a huge amount of hopefully positive advertising for this country. I understand Sydney continued to feel the benefits in extra visitors to Australia for years.

As a public sector worker I would rather pay extra tax and take a pay cut than lose the olympics.

Here you go, Southampton library staff to strike due tonthreats of being replaced by volunteers

what sort of person could volunteer though? are there that many rich people that don't need to work?

makes me laugh that there is such a rich/poor divide in this country, about time the high earners started paying more no?

Well I've spoken to Dave and he's given me a sneaky preview. Anyone interested in hearing it?

(1) All new benefit claimants will be required to be buggered by Brian Blessed while he sings the national anthem so we are sure they really, really want the money.

(2) Only top 5% of students will be allowed into university unless they choose vocational subjects, choices will include: 'call centre science', 'hygiene reinforcement studies' and 'table science' (only available through clearing).

(3) Pregnant mothers will be offered counselling if they do not have a plan to return to work and reminded of the Brian Blessed factor.

(4) To offset childcare costs and to counter the lack of playing fields, megabuses will take children to 'farm care' programmes where children can enjoy outdoor time and learn about nature while growing potatoes.

(5) All children with existing CTF will be expected to pay fully for any education after the age of 16 by taking out loans borrowing against the fund.

(6) Over seventy year olds will be required to reapply for their pensions in person to the benefits office at the top of Mount Snowdon.

Really Katie? Why? I can't help feeling that at best we'll only break even on it, and we can't really afford to just have it for the enjoyment alone.

Come to think of it the last summer Olympics were in Greece, and look what happened to them!

Well, the unemployed, of course, south. People think they should do these jobs for free rather than paid employees.

Now that is what I don't get.

Try to shrink government by making more people dependent on JSA.

PMSL, whomoved!

I work charity sector,in health...we have been told there will be a funding cut accross the board in January. We are already running at a slight loss. I predict many small local charities which look after and support vulnerable people - and in many cases keep people out of more costly statutory services - will fold.

'and unemployed people - maybe newly graduated, maybe not - hoping that it would be something they could put on their CV to apply for all those jobs that didn't exist'

Rules around JSA prevent people from volunteering in some cases, too.

at WMMC.

I'm absolutely serious about cutting subsidies to opera. I absolutely loathe the bloody thing but have to sit through it at least twice a year as a corporate guest. They seem to think it's a treat but it's absolutely bloody purgatory.

God that's a lot of absolutelys in one paragraph.

I don't want to see cuts to museums either, free trips are a Godsend to families, particularly when times are tough. I suspect funding will be cut.

SEA - i manage a team of volunteers. We have dozens of graduates who have no jobs looking for experience to put on their cvs.
And scores of people made redundant. We are paid £40 for each volunteer we take from the job centre.
then of course, we invest time and money getting them trained and CRB checked and then they obviously leave us as soon as they can get employment.

i also work with volunteers and the only reason they do it (ime) is because there is a job at the end of it.

and very few apply when they realise what the job entails. |