Parliament V The People

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So with the current mess in parliament and the majority of MP's no longer representing the public as a whole, we now have the privileged, rich, metropolitan elite old duffers at the House of Lords, telling us we should rob poor old age pensioners to give more freebies to Millenials.

Apparently there are no poor pensioners in the UK, even though the UK state pension is woeful compared to most other Western countries, at £8,700 a year. How many students can live off that?

WT Actual F is going on with politics in this country?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48046595

[Ste]

The tried and tested "rob Peter to pay Paul" method.

The cost of providing free TV licenses to over 75s is about 0.1% of public expenditure.

[DRZ4Hunned]

Just had a barny with my GF over this, she thinks young people deserve it more because they haven't worked all their lives so don't have savings etc. But my argument is that old people aren't as fit as young people and can't easily just walk or cycle like a youth can.

My generation are extremely entitled. I reckon it's down to finance and PCP where everyone has the newest thing like phones and cars without really being able to afford it.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[Diggs]

For young people to contribute to society they have to earn enough to pay tax. Unless that is you are advocating a return to National Service or the old Manpower Services Commission route of getting unemployed people to do unskilled work the rest of society won't, for minimal pay.
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

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[Diggs]

As much as it pains me and not for the reasons you state, I agree that young people should get jobs as soon as they can, even if those jobs are to fund themselves through a degree in a non-vocational subject like Philosophy or Ancient History. There is more chance of a kid getting a job in the media than as a philosopher btw.

My eldest kid is at University. Since starting he has worked for builders and now has his semi-skilled ticket. He's also done bar work, crowd control at major events and is currently doing shifts at an airport, loading planes with food, duty-free etc. He is typical of the kids at university I come across - they have to work whilst studying to survive.

My next eldest is at college. He works for a landscaping firm and in a lab testing food products to support his festival habit. Again, most of his mates have part time jobs.

My youngest is at school and she works in a shop at weekends. Probably half of her mates work also.

Your latest group to attack are far more industrious than you think, and I suspect that you never went to University and hold a grudge as a result.
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[bhinso]

I've got mixed feelings. Certainly the OAP's on the poverty line need more help.

But there are a lot of Baby Boomers that have had it better than Generation X. Even Janet Street Porter (the first to complain on behalf of the former) admits the better off have been pampered, in order to secure their vote.
E.g. Winter fuel allowances for ex-pats living in Spain.

One thing that occurs to me, is that our generation onwards now have to work longer. Surely this will create more unemployment as older people continue to occupy jobs?

[Polarbear]

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[BTTD]

If you've paid into the system you should get the benefits, and wealthy pensioners have most likely paid more tax in their lifetime.

[chris-red]

Counter point, why should I be subsidising entitled pensioners that didn't make proper arrangements for their retirement?

Age shouldn't really have anything to do with the benefits you get. My parents are pretty comfortable off. They both have decent pensions no debt whatsoever and a house worth 6-700k all paid off, they regularly go on holiday. I'm not knocking them, they both worked long and hard for this and are very generous with me & my sister (I'm getting married next year and my mum has already told me there is a big cheque coming my way...) but should they be getting all these freebies? Should the likes of *insert old famous rich person here* be getting this stuff?
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[chris-red]

[Polarbear]

[chris-red]

RE millennials, don't believe everything you read...

I have a group of 12 mates we were all born in 86/87. Only 2 of us have cars on Finance. One is a classic 'millenial' the other being a nurse gets a preferential rate essentially making it stupid for him not to have a new motor.

We all work 'proper jobs' possibly barring 2 one whom is a self employed guitar teacher and in a band (who are signed), think what you will but he has a house and owns his own car, and the 'millennial' mentioned previously. Despite being a despite being a classic millennial as described by the media he is probably the hardest working of all of us, he has 3 or 4 different jobs and is still following his dream of becoming an actor.

I think we are a fair representation of our age group, wages probably vary from 18-60k with an averaged of about 40k (total guesswork).

I think the millennial caricature is something the media purports to sell papers/get clicks from enraged gammons. There's an element of truth to it but in reality it hardly represents any of us.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Polarbear]

I don't think there are many people on BCF that are typical of 'their' group whether it be millennials, OAP's or kids.

I don't think bikers are very 'normal' anyway and the BCF versions are even more off piste.

I have 2 daughters, one is very much my child who holds down 2 jobs to fund her lifestyle and horses. The other is typical what I would call a millennial. Has kids when she wants them and expects the state to help. Wants, no expects, a big telly, nice car and her husband is the same. They to me are what I think of as millennials.

New generations, new and different ideas. I doubt many older generations were that impressed with the ones that followed and expect the younger generation feels the same about us fuddyduddys.

Sadly the politicians don't seem to understand either.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

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[Polarbear]

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[duhawkz]

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[Shaft]

[Sister Sledge]

Coming in on a slightly odd angle to this (might have mentioned it elsewhere too).

Northumberland County Council are skint (b*ll*x). They've been having 'meetings' about saving money. They've decided to plonk council tax onto everyone - that's including the most poverty stricken people in the county. It includes folk having to use food banks because zero income, it includes the severely disabled who have 24 hour care and are bed ridden.
They claim to have asked the public what they thought and claim that results came back as a yes tax them too. They cannot/will not provide data on who they asked.

Those who didn't originally pay council tax must now pay almost £90 per year. It's not a lot... is it??
Let me explain. This means four weeks without food for those people each year. It means that those who cannot physically earn must now pay for a tax from their care budgets.
The infirm cannot simply do an extra hour per month as overtime to absorb this increase - they cannot work at all.

Northumberland County Council is Tory led. Let that sink in for a minute. The decision will soon affect your villages and towns if it hasn't done so already.
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CCM 404 DS

[BTTD]

Re teachers.
Just like any industry there are broadly two categories:
1. The ones who really enjoy it and put in the extra effort for the kids.
2. The ones who see it as an easy career with decent holidays and do the minimum they can get away with and still scrape through inspections.

My sister is a primary school teacher with 20+ years experience. She complains about some of the trainees coming through now - one of them missed several days at the end of term of his teaching practice through illness, and then posted pictures on his facebook of his holiday in Spain while he should have been teaching a load of kids. The school made a complaint to the university he was training with and he counter claimed that he was being bullied (total BS). They'd had numerous problems with him and he'd claimed he was being bullied by uni lecturers when they criticised his work.

As an outsider to teaching I've looked at it as an easy job with a lot of holiday and I've met plenty of teachers that treat it as such, but I've also met some that really enjoy and put the effort in.
I sometimes think my sister's a mug for the extra she does in her job and the stress she creates for herself, but she's consistently the most respected teacher in her school. If a kids being troublesome they'll be threatened with going into Ms ....'s class. All the kids know she won't take any sht, and the parents really like her. The kid's like the boundaries and the parents appreciate that she gives a damn.
The lazy teachers won't enforce discipline or reward because it's a hassle so the kids don't respect them and actual learning goes downhill.
Her pay is decent enough and the pension while not as sweet as it used to be is still pretty good by any standard.

My brother in laws wife is also a teacher and is forever complaining about what a hard job it is and how other people just don't understand. It's like she's constantly asking for a fcking medal for choosing to do that job. She works three days a week.

[piazza]