The BillyB, Aster & JR8 roundtable!

[JR8]

Amen

[aster]

Here is what I believe to be a fact: NO country will ever pay down their debt in any meaningful manner... none... zero... nada... least of all... Greece... UK... USA.

...

I can't find a better way to spread the debt pain than monetize the debt.

Good point. It's been discussed before in no uncertain terms, here's a "classic" answer that doesn't beat around the bush so to speak:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_N0Cwg5iN4

[JR8]

European Council president Herman Van Rompuy - speaking this evening.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html, quoted at 18.28hrs in the feed.

'I am convinced that this experience will have an impact on the way the Union operates beyond the crisis, on the way we shape the Europe of tomorrow. Sixty years of integration has taught us that Europe is not built by dissolving Member States, but by infusing them ever more deeply.'

So like it or not, Greece ain't goin' nowhere anytime soon, in fact if anywhere they're going to get subsumed even more deeply.

p.s. Note the turn of phrase 'member states', instead of member countries.

[JR8]

The EU, standing upon the shoulders' of giants...

[aster]

After 8 years of this:



It almost came to 4 or more years of this:



Then America and the world would REALLY be in trouble.

[JR8]

So where is the correlation between good pay for politicians and results? Hmmm!


---------------
12.48 'And you thought our MPs were bad. Chief business correspondent Louise Armitstead highlights this jaw-dropping claim in today's Open Europe press summary:

On his Coulisses de Bruxelles blog, French journalist Jean Quartemer claims that Greece’s 300 MPs are the best paid in Europe, with a post-tax monthly of salary €8,500. The MPs also receive monthly expenses allowances of €4,900, a €1,200 allowance for participating in parliamentary committees, a €1,800 allowance for office expenditure, while transport is free.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html
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[BillyB]

So where is the correlation between good pay for politicians and results? Hmmm!


---------------
12.48 'And you thought our MPs were bad. Chief business correspondent Louise Armitstead highlights this jaw-dropping claim in today's Open Europe press summary:

On his Coulisses de Bruxelles blog, French journalist Jean Quartemer claims that Greece’s 300 MPs are the best paid in Europe, with a post-tax monthly of salary €8,500. The MPs also receive monthly expenses allowances of €4,900, a €1,200 allowance for participating in parliamentary committees, a €1,800 allowance for office expenditure, while transport is free.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html
-----------------

I've never understood MP's salary breakdown - same for UK MP's - they get additional pay to go to parliament?!

[nutnut]

That one confused me, what do they do if not go to parliament? Surely the whole idea is that they are representatives of their constituency and as such need to actually represent them at Parliament.

[JR8]

That one confused me, what do they do if not go to parliament? Surely the whole idea is that they are representatives of their constituency and as such need to actually represent them at Parliament.

Try telling that to the likes of Gordon Brown and David Milliband who after having been kicked out of government don't bother attending parliament at all (well, I think each of them has once). It's like they believe they are now too big for such things... still happy to take the pay and perks though.

[nutnut]

It should be mandatory! At least 90-95% attendance or dock wages from them, not the other way around and pay them more to come. Although, I guess that is the same thing... They should have to answer to the public for their non attendance too, giving acceptable reasons.

[aster]

It would be nice if they published an attendance list according to time spent in parliament. Maybe even in reverse order and call it the "List of shame"...

[JR8]

Taaaa-daaaa...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gordon ... tingrecord

p.s. I'm not sure if such a league table is available directly from the site, but journalists do write articles with such league tables, and derive the data from this site...

Edit to add:
One concludes on looking through that that for the man who personally 'saved the world', having a constituency surgery meeting with say Kircaldy resident Nora McSporran about her garden fence dispute is not really at the top of his priorities. In fact he hardly seems to spend time in the UK at all, a la Tony Blair. One wonders why he is so viscerally hated.

[JR8]

'By the way, Greeks work an average 42 hours a week, one of the highest in Europe. Just want to put the record straight on that.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html - section at 11:50hrs

[BillyB]

'By the way, Greeks work an average 42 hours a week, one of the highest in Europe. Just want to put the record straight on that.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html - section at 11:50hrs

They might work hard, but they still don't pay their taxes!

[JR8]

'By the way, Greeks work an average 42 hours a week, one of the highest in Europe. Just want to put the record straight on that.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt ... -live.html - section at 11:50hrs

They might work hard, but they still don't pay their taxes!

Yes agreed. It seems weird that there is a culture where that is accepted. Perhaps the Greeks just don't do law and enforcement.