Year: 2012

Standards

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local , , , , ,

Last week the Joint Standards Committee of Babergh and Mid Suffolk issued an Advice Note  “‘Blogging’ & Social Network Sites”. Nearly five hundred words of what should be obvious. Of course  we all have to observe the Seven Principles of Public Life; selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
However, some of the advice seems to encourage an atmosphere where personalities and  policies do not matter and thus honest debate is silenced. For example:

  • make political points, but be careful not to be too specific or personal if referring to individuals
  • general comments about another political party or genuine political expression are less likely to be disrespectful than comments directed towards or about an individual

Where is the respect for the people when their representative is hypocritical, misleading or less than competent. Local politics like many organisations can be maelstrom of ideas being advanced and like it or not it can be a zero sum game. If there is only a limited amount of money to be distributed why should monies go to the Dance East Boys in Babergh programme in preference to Home-Start Babergh? The Boys in Babergh programme speaks for itself. Home-Start Babergh  is an independent charity that operates as part of Home-Start UK. They recruit, train and provide volunteers that work with families in times of need.
More importantly their support is given through home visits by volunteers and through support group meetings, where children can play together, supervised by a play leader, whilst parents meet with each other and with Home-Start staff. In many cases, their support is complementary to that of the professional agencies. Their volunteers are there for the family as a friend and confidant during a time of stress or difficulty. See: http://www.home-startbabergh.co.uk/.
Similarly why should the Dance East Boys in Babergh programme take precedence over the Kernos Centre. It provides counselling and support services to people with emotional and psychological difficulties from a wide variety of causes.
One of the main aims of counselling is to guide people from feeling victims of circumstance to feeling they have some control over our lives. See: http://www.kernos.org/
So, returning to the advice from the Joint Standards Committee: I hear what they say but it will not stop me from speaking out in a forthright and robust manner when I deem it appropriate.

Dusty the dog is man’s best friend

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things

A happy story to brighten your day.
The EADT reports (Matt Hunter Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9.00 AM ) as follows:
The saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend – and in one Suffolk village those words are particularly true. Jason Bloomfield, of Creeting St Mary, is celebrating after he was allowed to keep the puppy he saved from an A14 lay-by bin last month. The council worker discovered the aptly-named Dusty during one of his shifts but had an anxious 28-day wait before he knew whether he could keep the pup. It remains a mystery as to how Dusty ended up in the bin but it is believed his previous owners must have dumped him there. He said: “When they said he could stay we had a little party and a get-together to mark the day. “I walk him every morning at 5.30am and he’s up waiting for me – he’s an energetic little dog. Everyone takes a liking to him, he’s a lovely old boy. “He is absolutely brilliant, he loves his ball. I think he has done a little bit of training, he comes bounding back all day. I love him to bits.” Mr Bloomfield will take Dusty to the vets in Stowmarket to be vaccinated and micro-chipped in the next few days. “He does miss me during the day,” he said. “He knows exactly when I’m coming home, he gets up and goes to the door at 4pm. “He loves getting on my lap but if I’ve got tea he looks up to see if he can come up – but he won’t until I tell him.” Dusty and Jason have now become local celebrities, with people approaching them in the street to see how the pair are. “It’s weird being famous, I go into the dentists and Asda and they say, ‘tell us about the little dog’. “I find that everyone seems to know me at lots of places, they say ‘you’re the bloke off the telly’.”
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/creeting_st_mary_dusty_the_dog_is_man_s_best_friend_1_1351915

Population is the key

Brian Riley Political - National and other, Quotation of the day , ,

“Population is key. If you don’t take care of population, schools can’t cope, hospitals can’t cope, there’s not enough housing – there’s nothing you can do to have economic development.”
Peter Ogunjuyigbe, a demographer in Nigeria, where women have an average of more than five children.  The quote is taken from the New York Times today. However the message is true whether you are talking about Hadleigh, Babergh or the world at large. It’s all about housing, jobs and infrastructure and the driver is population. Otherwise we open the doors to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/world/africa/in-nigeria-a-preview-of-an-overcrowded-planet.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120415

Episcopalian’s Guide to Airport Security

Brian Riley Money Matters, Quotation of the day

Today’s Daily Reckoning (e-mail publication by  Moneyweek) contains an article by Bill Bonner  first published on 3 June 2002 discussing airport security and from there to why the policy of attacking enemies first tends to be flawed.
Historically Bonner refers to Napoleon and Hitler but the sub text is Iraq. The article is (as usual) well written and contains the following gem:
common sense finds few buyers… while absurdity is over – subscribed.
The full article is found on http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/economics/us/bill-bonner-the-episcopalians-guide-to-airport-security-21400

 

Touched by Angels

Brian Riley Quotation of the day

I have just finished reading Touched by Angels written by Derek Jameson in 1988. Jameson began life as an illegitimate in Hackney (East London) in 1929, was educated at very basic schools and started work at the age of 14 (as many did) as a messenger in Fleet Street (Reuters).
He ultimately became editor and managing editor of many popular newspapers including the (now defunct) News of the World. In 1984 he lost a slander case against the BBC who referred to him as “an East End boy made bad”. The phrase was considered defamatory but also fair comment (and therefore) not actionable. Jameson was bankrupted with the  £75,000 total costs of the action.
The autobiography is summed up by Jameson’s own words: “It is really the story of a fight for survival. What makes Jameson run is not a desire to lie on the beach in Bermuda nor drive a Rolls. Rather to make people aware of my existence, to be considered as good as the next”
And that for the most part defines us all.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/touched-angels-derek-jameson-Books/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=touched%20by%20angels%20derek%20jameson&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Atouched%20by%20angels%20derek%20jameson&page=1

Monetary Trends

Brian Riley Uncategorized

Moneyweek is as the name suggests a weekly magazine looking at money trends.
Its contributors include gold bugs, bond fanciers and equity analysers.
The 24th February edition (I’m a slow reader!) contained the following three contributions:
My money goes on Tim Price (the third contributor) especially for his last sentence:
Simon Caulfield wrote:
James Grant, publisher of Grant Interest Rate Observer, likens inflation to tomato ketchup. You can shake the bottle for ages and nothing happens. Then suddenly, your dinner is drowning in the stuff. My advice? Own investments that gain from a weaker pound and rising inflation – and buy Asian currencies and gold.
http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/economics/global/what-if-this-is-not-a-financial-crisis-57740
Matthew Lynn wrote:
Countries with low debts are more stable – just as companies and households with lower debts are. With balance sheets in decent shape, they are better placed to withstand fluctuations in the economic cycle. Nearly all the low debt countries are emerging markets. Slowly investors are realising what is happening. Emerging markets offer greater security and now higher yields. With younger populations, smaller governments, less welfare and lower taxes, they grow faster. Increasingly, the question may well be not how much money you want to have in the emerging markets – but why leave any at all in the developed world?
http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/stock-markets/universal-truths-of-investment-turned-upside-down-57718
Tim Price wrote:
Whenever the market anticipates yet more quantitative easing, markets go risk-on. Whenever the market fears the withdrawal of quantitative easing, markets go risk-off. And governments and their central banks are either pumping the accelerator or toying with the brakes. If, like me, you fundamentally fear money-printing, hold gold. If you think the printing will stop, hold quality bonds. Depending on your views of China, it may make sense to hold (or completely avoid) commodities, and in most circumstances it makes sense to own quality blue-chip stocks. But if you can foresee what lies ahead, you’re a better man than I am.
http://www.moneyweek.com/investment-advice/how-to-invest/strategies/investing-in-an-age-of-monetary-anarchy-57726
The above commentary is for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon by individual readers in making (or not making) specific investment decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Always seek personal advice if you are unsure about the suitability of any investment.

Small Successes

Brian Riley Local Colour, Money Matters, Nice Things, Political - Local

Today’s meeting of Babergh District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny (Stewardship) Committee was a quite sparky meeting with much debate focussing on the  Finance, Risk And Performance Management – Quarter 3 Monitoring Report (35 pages of facts and figures). The general complaint was that although we are told when targets are not being met – we are not told what is being done to correct the position. Cynics would say that the mushroom principle applies. The view being that it is not the Councillors’ role to understand what is going on but merely to note (and if appropriate approve) the reports. But deep in the data is the wonderful news that Babergh Matters (The Council’s publication for residents –sometimes up to 24 pages of photos and pufferie) has not been published this financial year generating a saving of £41,000. It’s possible that the £41,000 could be carried forward into 2012/13. But a saving is a saving and I have campaigned against the publication since I was first elected in May 2007. Consequently my day was cheered up immeasurably.

 

FIND (Families in Need)

Brian Riley Church matters, Local Colour, Money Matters, Nice Things

Tomorrow (Saturday) FIND (Families in Need) is holding a fund raiser at St. Mary’s Church Hadleigh from 10 until 2. With the current changes in the economy FIND is having to provide basic necessities like food to families in need. This is a local charity which deserves our support. If you’re free and in Hadleigh on Saturday, drop in to the church and see what’s happening. Short term (three hours) car parking in Hadleigh is free until noon on Saturdays. Thereafter parking is free for all of Saturday afternoon and evening. If you are visiting Hadleigh be careful of using the long term car parks which although they are also free for the first three hours will require a parking ticket up to 5 p.m. FIND is a Christian based charity that was founded in 1990 to provide emergency assistance to families or individuals affected by poverty or dispossession. FIND is also able to offer ongoing friendship and support to those in need. WHAT DOES FIND OFFER? The charity provides, free of charge: food; cooking utensils; clothing, toiletries; baby equipment & nappies; bedding; survival sleeping bags; curtains & furniture; white goods; Christmas hampers & gifts, etc. FIND also befriends people without judging them, offers advice when required and gives support for as long as it is needed. WHO DOES FIND HELP? Anyone living within 25 miles radius of Ipswich who is deprived of a minimum standard of living, be they single, families, lone parents, children, elderly, sick or disabled. Referrals may come from: Social Services; General and Psychiatric Hospitals; The Homeless Family Unit; Victim Support; Salvation Army; Asylum & Refugee Support Agencies; Women’s Aid; The Probation Service; YMCA & YWCA; Ipswich Community Resource Centre; Family Centres; Health Centres; other charities.

Not the Whole Truth (2)

Brian Riley Church matters, Nice Things, Quotation of the day

Not all cardinals have spotless reputations. “Not the Whole Truth” (1971) the partial autobiography of Cardinal John Heenan contains the following vignette:
“One of our escapades (invariably leading to an official complaint to the school) was to change compartments (of the train) between stations. This involved climbing out of our compartments and walking along the footboards. It can be dangerous even to lean out of a window…We foolish boys were unaware of the potential suicidal aspect of our exploits – misadventure is never very far from youthful adventures. We were delighted to shock the adult passengers. We were not malicious. It was only that we were too immature to appreciate that it was not very clever to alarm our elders.”

Not the Whole Truth

Brian Riley Church matters, Political - National and other, Quotation of the day ,

I recently read “Not the Whole Truth” (1971) the autobiography of Cardinal John Heenan up to the point when he was made Bishop of Leeds in 1951. In many ways it is a book with bits worth skipping. On the other hand he did visit Russia and Germany prior to 1939. (In both cases travelling incognito). An interesting extract relative to the current debates as to whether England is a secular or a religious society is as follows:

“When Mr Butler (1941 President of the Board of Education) began to outline a new education bill (which became the Education Act 1944) it was obvious that the Government intended to give religion a more prominent place in the curriculum. It is impossible to be certain of other people’s motives but I think the politicians were genuinely alarmed by the paganism of Nazi Germany and felt that the British as Christian crusaders should teach young citizens more about Christianity…That is why in the new Act  it was proposed to include a daily act of worship and an agreed (non-denominational) syllabus of religious instruction.”