AN ODE TO GREED

There was a group I heard about
They called themselves New Labour
They spent our money fast as light
And thought it was their favour

They spent on beams and toilet seats
On furniture and carpets
They spent on plants and security
With no accountability

They spent on nappies and bath robes
And thousands more on big TVs
And Christmas decorations and other vital needs
They spent our money on themselves
And other applications

They bought new houses
And spent it all on doing up
Their second or third homes
They even spent it on dry rot
But not upon a lobster pot

There was another group I heard
And they were called the Tories
And from the press there came
Even more horror stories

This lot were spending just as much
They spent on moats and tennis courts
And bulbs and dog food too
And I heard that one of them
Spent hundreds on horse poo

On chandeliers and flower seeds
On swimming pools and other needs
There’s one who built a portico
And more who claimed for council tax
And even claimed for chauffeurs

They claimed as much dough as they could
They claimed for ovens and for food
They claimed for debts they didn’t have
And even for their personal slaves

And then there was another lot
They called themselves Lib Dems
They claimed for bedside shelves
And even for the bed

They claimed for parking and court costs
They claimed for rocking chairs
They even claimed for relatives
Who lived in second homes

They claimed for gardens and repairs
For stamp duty and new kitchens
They claimed our dosh for all they could
And thought that we all understood

They all say sorry, it was a mistake
We didn’t mean to take and take
An accidental claim we made
The public purse we have betrayed

We claimed your cash because we could
And on reflection perhaps we should
Have kept our hands deep in our pockets
And not submitted all these dockets

And now that we have all owned up
You will forgive us for our greed
The thoughts of us they will recede
Our motives you perhaps misread

We did it for the best of reasons
For accommodations and acquisitions
We spent your money on ourselves
We thought that you were all fools
But truth be known we did no wrong
Because it was within the rules


“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”-Erich Fromm


Angus


NHS Behind the headlines

Angus Dei politico

Angus Dei-NHS the Other Side

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Health and safety gone mad, a couple of tales:

First up; Female police officers told not to wear under wired bras on duty - Telegraph

Female police officers across England and Wales have been told not to wear underwired bras on duty in case the wiring becomes driven into the skin by the force of a bullet.

Although body armour would stop the bullet itself, officers have been warned that the impact could force the underwiring in products like Wonderbras into their bodies.

Julia Roper-Smith, the Sergeants' National Police Women's representative of the Police Federation, gave the warning in the organisation's magazine, called Police.

Miss Roper-Smith, of Derbyshire Police, wrote: "There is no such thing as a bullet proof bra.

"Body armour has to be close fitting and you should wear a bra that does not contain metal objects.

"You should not wear underwired bras as the metal can be driven into the skin causing more damage."

The Home Office has also issued official guidance on what underwear to wear for duty.

The memo reads: "The Home Office Scientific Development Branch have always advised officers that body armour should be close fitting to the body and hard objects such as metal buttons, press studs, badges and the like should never be placed beneath body armour.

I seem to remember posting a blog where a woman’s life was saved by an under wired bra which deflected a bullet; still experience is obviously not as acceptable as advice. http://angusdeionallandsundry.blogspot.com/2009/04/fingers-crossed.html

And the second: Health and safety: police force sells motorbikes Northumbria Police is getting rid of its £200,000 motorcycle fleet over health and safety fears.

The police force decided to sell off all the Honda and BMW bikes after deciding that officers using them were "particularly vulnerable to collision".

The force has been criticised for losing a valuable resource but senior officers have insisted that the move will "maximise officer safety".

One serving officer, who asked not to be named, added: "I guess with all the health and safety red tape surrounding the police service these days their days were always going to be numbered.

"It's a great shame we won't be able to use them any more – cars just aren't the same. Maybe they'll offer us push bikes instead – as long as we can produce our cycling proficiency test certificates, obviously "

So it’s all right for the public to ride these dangerous machines, but not the Police force, I guess protect and serve depends on the HSE.

Here is a story from the Telegraph about greed, families and a lack of the sense of smell.

Florida woman keeps mother's dead body in house for six years A Florida woman has been charged with fraud and theft after she kept her dead mother's body in a bedroom for six years while collecting more than $200,000 in pension benefits, US prosecutors said on Thursday.

Penelope Sharon Jordan of Sebastian, Florida, was charged by a federal grand jury last week with Social Security fraud and theft, the US attorney's office in Miami said.

Police found the decaying body of her mother, Timmie Jordan, on a bed in a spare bedroom at the mother's home in late March, when they were called to investigate a report of nuisance cats.
Miss Jordan, 61, told police that her mother had died in 2003.

Local media reported that Miss Jordan told police that her mother died of old age and she kept the remains because she could not afford burial expenses. An autopsy found no signs of foul play.

Nasty!

Another “what recession” article from the telegraph:Hollywood sign for Kent sparks anger A council has been criticised for planning to spend £12,000 on a giant Hollywood-style white sign in Medway, Kent.

Medway Council wants to spell out the name of its district in huge white letters on the side of a hill.
Recently it spent £2,000 erecting the enormous letter 'E' from MEDWAY to get an idea of what the whole sign will look like.

Medway council has defended the scheme saying it will put Medway on the map. "While people are familiar with the five towns very few outside the south-east know where Medway is," said a spokesman.

Oh yes it wil let the rest of the country know that Medway coucil will waste their counciltax payers money on stupid schemes.

And finally:

Some people never learn-Tory leader David Cameron has bicycle stolen for a second time David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, has had his bicycle stolen for the second time, this time from right outside his home in west London.

The Tory leader saw his silver and black Scott bike chained to railings at 7.10am but an hour later it was gone, a spokeswoman said.

Mr Cameron borrowed another bicycle from Desmond Swayne, his parliamentary aide, and cycled to Westminster as usual.

The last time his bike was stolen it was outside a supermarket near his home.

All I can say is that I am glad I don’t live where he does; the place is full of criminals.


“Misfortunes do not flourish on one path, they grow everywhere.” American Indian proverb

Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

Angus Dei politico

NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

MPs MAKING SURE THEY ARE ALRIGHT JACK

The bits you don’t hear about:

MPs vote to keep homes expenses MPs have voted to keep their £24,000 second home allowances, but have decided not to award themselves above-inflation pay raises.
They rejected tougher auditing and an alternative expenses regime proposed by a Commons review.

June 2008 Cabinet couple face expense probe -Cabinet ministers Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper have been referred to Parliament's standards watchdog.
Standards Commissioner John Lyon's office has confirmed it has received a complaint about the ministers, who are husband and wife, and is investigating.
It is understood the complaint relates to their use of the additional costs allowance to cover MPs' second homes.

March 2008 MPs' £10,000 kitchens on expenses MPs are allowed to claim expenses of up to £10,000 for a new kitchen, £2,000 for furniture and £750 for a TV or stereo for their second homes.
Other claims allowable include £6,335 for a new bathroom, £299.99 for air conditioning units, £300 per rug, £50 for a shredder and £1,000 for a bed.

Feb 2008 Expenses details 'intrude' on MPs Greater transparency over MPs' expenses could put people off standing for Parliament, Commons authorities say.
Resources boss Andrew Walker said rent, phone, food and other bills could offer a "peephole" on MPs' private lives.
MPs need not provide receipts on items under £250 or food claims of up to £400 a month. The Commons is fighting a ruling that more details are published.


Feb 2008 MPs 'should get free Blackberrys' A Labour MP has called for handheld Blackberry computers to be made available - for free - to herself and everyone else with a Commons seat.
Sharon Hodgson, like all other MPs, can borrow a personal digital assistant (PDA) from Parliament's IT department.
But the gadgets loaned were "not in the same league" as a Blackberry, she said.

Ok, that’s enough, what it shows I think is that the people we elected to represent us and protect our interests are taking the piss.

Hands up those who would like a food allowance of up to £400 a month, or ten grand for a new kitchen, how about two grand for new furniture or even £299.99 for an air con unit.

These are the allowances for MPs “second” homes, they seem to believe that because they work in London and live somewhere else they should be entitled to our money, they seem to believe that because they have to stay at the Palace of Westminster until late at night they should be entitled to furnish, refurb, eat and keep cool at our expense.

How many of us commute to work? How many have to pay the exorbitant rail fares? How many leave home at four in the morning and don’t get home again until six at night?

Millions.

How many of us get an allowance to pay for food during the working day? Or the chance to own a second home closer to work, and in owning that home are paid by the Government (us) to live in it?

I’ll tell you: Bugger all.

What is the problem with MPs commuting, and paying their own transport costs? They keep telling us how good public transport is so why don’t they prove it?

And I know that security will be vomited out as an excuse, but to be honest who really gives a shit, most of them are virtually unknown and could pass among us in complete anonymity.

And come the next election when half of them are made redundant will they repay our money they have spent on their second homes, to refit the kitchen or bathroom, or furnish it?

Of course they won’t, they will keep all the goodies and make a killing selling it with all the upgrades we have paid for (that’s if the housing market ever recovers).



“All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.”- Joseph Conrad

Angus