Protest against Austerity Sheffield 8th July

[phoenixboy]

May I reiterate that I have just returned from Athens. When you watch TV and see the reporters in front of the parliament building I walked through that crowd and into the Hotel Bretagne, from where I watched the demos.

 

That great city is broken, shops stand empty everywhere, nothing is getting repaired cleaned or otherwise fixed.

 

People are living on 40 euros a day. Soon they will actually run out of money, people will starve.

 

This because they have refused to address the problem of government overspending and poor administration of tax collecting.

 

The party is over, the piper has to be paid.

 

People on this forum who rail against Cameron and Osbornes plans are crazy. If you doubt me get on a plane and go and take a look. It is truly chilling.

 

U already said ud been to athens..

[mort]

Please don't use text speak, it's against forum rules because text to voice programs can't handle it and many of our members use such programs,

[woodmally]

May I reiterate that I have just returned from Athens. When you watch TV and see the reporters in front of the parliament building I walked through that crowd and into the Hotel Bretagne, from where I watched the demos.

 

That great city is broken, shops stand empty everywhere, nothing is getting repaired cleaned or otherwise fixed.

 

People are living on 40 euros a day. Soon they will actually run out of money, people will starve.

 

This because they have refused to address the problem of government overspending and poor administration of tax collecting.

 

The party is over, the piper has to be paid.

 

People on this forum who rail against Cameron and Osbornes plans are crazy. If you doubt me get on a plane and go and take a look. It is truly chilling.

 

The only thing I ever agreed with Thatcher on is this quote "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money."

 

This sums up Greece perfectly. The general public didnt pay taxes they borrowed too much and are now in ruin. Lets look at other "Socialist paradises". Russia under communist rule. Remember the queues for food.

[AlexAtkin]

May I reiterate that I have just returned from Athens. When you watch TV and see the reporters in front of the parliament building I walked through that crowd and into the Hotel Bretagne, from where I watched the demos.

 

That great city is broken, shops stand empty everywhere, nothing is getting repaired cleaned or otherwise fixed.

 

People are living on 40 euros a day. Soon they will actually run out of money, people will starve.

 

This because they have refused to address the problem of government overspending and poor administration of tax collecting.

 

The party is over, the piper has to be paid.

 

People on this forum who rail against Cameron and Osbornes plans are crazy. If you doubt me get on a plane and go and take a look. It is truly chilling.

 

That's funny. because I really wouldn't think that the best way to reduce government overspending is by increasing MPs wages and STILL not clamping down on tax evasion!

 

Being an MP should not be a cushy job, you should do it because you care about the country and its people. Austerity should start in their own house.

 

Nurses don't go into the job for the pay, so why should MPs?

[Anna B]

May I reiterate that I have just returned from Athens. When you watch TV and see the reporters in front of the parliament building I walked through that crowd and into the Hotel Bretagne, from where I watched the demos.

 

That great city is broken, shops stand empty everywhere, nothing is getting repaired cleaned or otherwise fixed.

 

People are living on 40 euros a day. Soon they will actually run out of money, people will starve.

 

This because they have refused to address the problem of government overspending and poor administration of tax collecting.

 

The party is over, the piper has to be paid.

 

People on this forum who rail against Cameron and Osbornes plans are crazy. If you doubt me get on a plane and go and take a look. It is truly chilling.

 

What you describe is after 6 years of EU imposed austerity. So it obviously isn't working. Borrowing still more in bailouts from the EU is not going to fix the problem either, it's going to make the problem progressively worse.

 

I don't blame the Greeks for wanting to try something different.

 

Neither do I just blame the Greeks for the mess they are in. They were offered the money by the EU who were all too eager to lend it to them. It actually speaks volumes about the standards of management and competence within the EU itself.

[S8 Blade]

Very few working class people 'make it' to the top because they aren't in 'the club' like their middle class counterparts. Middle class kids have parents that know other parents that work in professions like Law and Accounting and so they can arrange placements. They can also afford to provide their children with funds to live on - working class parents do not have these luxuries.

 

Hello - just wanted to wave at you and say 'working class family person over here'. I grew up with working class parents, on a council estate and went to the local council estate infant & junior school. A decent secondary school covers the council estate however I CHOSE to go to Abbeydale Grange. Yep, the one deemed to be the worst in Sheffield during its time - and I chose to go there! However I studied hard, because I enjoyed school and loved learning and came away with several decent grade GCSEs (I can't even tell you what they were as they have so little relevance now).

 

I went to college and got a part-time job in a call centre. After 8 months at college I dropped out as the call centre were offering me full time hours (and a pretty decent wage it was too - around £6 an hour back in 2001). I saved the majority of my wage as I was living at home, in a council maisonette and knew I'd be thankful in the future. So in truth, my educational background is nothing more than GCSEs.

 

From that point on, I've worked everyday, apart from a brief unemployment spell of 3mths, where I spent most days trying to find another job. One of my siblings actually said "Just have a couple of kids, you won't need to work". To be fair, he was a single dad and did whatever he could to support his kids - if he got more money by staying on benefits than working then who could blame him? This was during the Labour years - say no more. The system shouldn't be set up this way - how can benefits pay more than minimum wage?

 

My other sibling lost their driving licence, and ultimately their job, when they were caught drink driving. They've never worked a day since - has to 'care' for their partner. Their eldest child had her own child when she was 19, and has never worked a day because she has to 'care' for her parent. So my in-law has two full time carers (hmmmm). My sibling has a motability car and actually tells me "Ha, at least I don't have to pay for my car unlike you". Funnily enough, I didn't want my life to be like this, I didn't want to live my life on benefits, sat on my backside doing nothing, I wanted to work like I saw my dad do everyday, and be proud of what I've achieved.

 

I now have a professional job, highly respected where I work and earn a decent salary. I've bought a house in a desirable area of the city. Who'd have thought it? I also pay into a pension to look after myself and my family in years to come. The council estate child who went to Abbeydale Grange, who given your comments, couldn't possibly do well for themselves because they're from a working class background.

 

If you want to succeed, you will. There are more ways to succeed than just by going to university. Everyone has that opportunity, they just have to want it. Those kids who are now born into the 'benefit culture', what hope do they have? Cuts have to happen to reduce the benefit amounts paid as it's getting out of hand. 21yr old I know of who doesn't work as is 'too ill' - married recently, pregnant instantly and been given keys to a council house straight away. Not a flat or a maisonette - a house. Husband doesn't work neither.

 

So benefit cuts, see my comments above, I'm all for it. Proper testing to ensure those who truly can't work are supported and those who could, like those above, are forced to work to earn their keep.

[phoenixboy]

Hello - just wanted to wave at you and say 'working class family person over here'. I grew up with working class parents, on a council estate and went to the local council estate infant & junior school. A decent secondary school covers the council estate however I CHOSE to go to Abbeydale Grange. Yep, the one deemed to be the worst in Sheffield during its time - and I chose to go there! However I studied hard, because I enjoyed school and loved learning and came away with several decent grade GCSEs (I can't even tell you what they were as they have so little relevance now).

 

I went to college and got a part-time job in a call centre. After 8 months at college I dropped out as the call centre were offering me full time hours (and a pretty decent wage it was too - around £6 an hour back in 2001). I saved the majority of my wage as I was living at home, in a council maisonette and knew I'd be thankful in the future. So in truth, my educational background is nothing more than GCSEs.

 

From that point on, I've worked everyday, apart from a brief unemployment spell of 3mths, where I spent most days trying to find another job. One of my siblings actually said "Just have a couple of kids, you won't need to work". To be fair, he was a single dad and did whatever he could to support his kids - if he got more money by staying on benefits than working then who could blame him? This was during the Labour years - say no more. The system shouldn't be set up this way - how can benefits pay more than minimum wage?

 

My other sibling lost their driving licence, and ultimately their job, when they were caught drink driving. They've never worked a day since - has to 'care' for their partner. Their eldest child had her own child when she was 19, and has never worked a day because she has to 'care' for her parent. So my in-law has two full time carers (hmmmm). My sibling has a motability car and actually tells me "Ha, at least I don't have to pay for my car unlike you". Funnily enough, I didn't want my life to be like this, I didn't want to live my life on benefits, sat on my backside doing nothing, I wanted to work like I saw my dad do everyday, and be proud of what I've achieved.

 

I now have a professional job, highly respected where I work and earn a decent salary. I've bought a house in a desirable area of the city. Who'd have thought it? I also pay into a pension to look after myself and my family in years to come. The council estate child who went to Abbeydale Grange, who given your comments, couldn't possibly do well for themselves because they're from a working class background.

 

If you want to succeed, you will. There are more ways to succeed than just by going to university. Everyone has that opportunity, they just have to want it. Those kids who are now born into the 'benefit culture', what hope do they have? Cuts have to happen to reduce the benefit amounts paid as it's getting out of hand. 21yr old I know of who doesn't work as is 'too ill' - married recently, pregnant instantly and been given keys to a council house straight away. Not a flat or a maisonette - a house. Husband doesn't work neither.

 

So benefit cuts, see my comments above, I'm all for it. Proper testing to ensure those who truly can't work are supported and those who could, like those above, are forced to work to earn their keep.

 

The benefits cuts are falling on working people. Does anyone get this fact? Its got f.a to do with benefits culture or jsa claimants persay

7/8 of claimants are working!

 

---------- Post added 08-07-2015 at 08:22 ----------

 

You know child benefit and the like, which most people get, working or not.

[S8 Blade]

The benefits cuts are falling on working people. Does anyone get this fact? Its got f.a to do with benefits culture or jsa claimants persay

7/8 of claimants are working!

 

---------- Post added 08-07-2015 at 08:22 ----------

 

You know child benefit and the like, which most people get, working or not.

 

Absolutely understand that it affects working people.

 

Child benefit is another one - should that be capped at two children? Maybe three?

 

However, if we look at the amount of people who don't work and are claiming benefits (and I don't mean those who genuinely can't work) then there's a great saving to be made!

[phoenixboy]

Cuts are falling everywhere...whether fit for work or not.

[S8 Blade]

Cuts are falling everywhere...whether fit for work or not.

 

Indeed, and lots of monies should be re-directed into other services that are hugely underfunded.