Editor's Blog July 10th 2012
Budget Time
It’s the budget, and for one who lives like there is no tomorrow, budgets have been a thing of mystery to me since I cashed my first wage and blew it all on Airfix aeroplanes.
My mother went mental of course, and she has always said I have a hole in my hand when it comes to money. Money, my friends, is a means to an end. I have never given money much thought, I would work and get paid at the end of the month and then I would spend it.
The most money I have juggled with was not my own. It belonged to someone else. I did a reasonably good job managing these finances and in some cases made savings. I suppose that when the money is not yours, you probably would do a better job of staying in the black.
Most of my financial issues today are centred on the cost of living. Basic things like food are getting expensive beyond belief. A trip to Morrisons will send shockwaves down my pocket and into my wallet, and last week I actually burst out laughing in disbelief at the £83 I was charged for a single basket of groceries.
The lady at the checkout actually looked nervous. I would look nervous after mugging someone too. I know the prices are not set by the lady in question and many a reason have been given by Morrisons management for the continual rise in prices, citing transportation and manufacturing costs.
With a continued hiking of prices in the retail sector and a paltry 0.5% increase in the minimum wage as opposed to the increase granted to civil servants, 2.7% for this year and another increase of 2.9% for next year, it kind of makes you think “its ok for some”.
The disparity between Civil Service and private sector minimum wage increases are laughable. The Civil service are getting approximately five times more in the way of an increase in basic wage, as opposed to those who live day to day on a minimum wage.
The civil service in my opinion is a lumbering Dinosaur; top heavy and inefficient. Pick any Government department where you have to go and pay your minimum wage for the services they provide and you will see a few windows manned by a single person.
The conditions and terms for civil service personnel are of a diamond standard, and that is not a bad thing, but when compared to everybody else it seems that you have civil servants and then everybody else.
The Government must start looking at the monopolies that operate locally and intercede when blatant overpricing is the norm. When people revolt its because they have no way of providing for their families.
Ed.
