Decisions of a dictatorship
WHAT an interesting debate in the Assembly at the last few sittings of the States. I listened with great interest between dozing off at just about everyone saying the same thing over and over again. To be honest, one person could have put it on tape and it could have been played repeatedly throughout all the sessions.
Is it beyond anyone to just stand up and say the last speaker has said everything I was going to say so they just support it and then sit down and not take up all that time repeating it almost word for word? Good grief it has only taken a few years of discussion for the deputies to come to a non-decision on paid parking.
It is amazing how they can buy a painting with our money, buy an airline with our money and buy boats with our money in the blink of an eye and yet it takes them years to decide whether to have paid parking and where. All this when in fact there are already areas where they have introduced paid parking. Organising a what's its name in a brewery comes to mind when organising something by the States is on the menu.
People who have been running this island over the past few decades have nothing to be proud of. They have got rid of two perfectly good cinemas, one for parking and the other for finance. We have only a few visitors to the island in the summer time because it is so expensive. We have lost all the lovely floor shows that took place in some of our hotels during the summer months and, as for Liberation, for many shops it is just a normal trading day. Some with the exception they pay double-time and others who pay normal rates because of the use of foreign labour.
We used to have people with big heads on in a parade past what was Woolworth and the small harbour opposite Woolworth was emptied for small boats to be done up and paraded. There used to be a fake crocodile chasing swimmers around and lots of other amusing things that cost nothing to enjoy. What do we have on this day of celebration now? We have stalls that cost an arm and a leg to buy from and food beyond paying price of any people with a larger family. Today this island is only good for new schools being built because some of the old school buildings are falling down (supposedly) and yet we see some of these buildings renovated and still being used. We are good for telling people their cars are too big and they will have to pay extra to use them, but the buses and lorries are okay. We are good for dictating (or trying to) what transport we should use.
We are good for having money taken off us and being left to struggle in later life, and one of the best we are good for is struggling to subsidise our children as they grow up by feeding and clothing them only to be told once they are 16 (if you live in a States house) and start working and a parent can charge board and get a little back – the rent goes up or they have to get out. Then there is the total fact that if two people are working but earning more then they are allowed to stay in their States house – but they will not be earning enough to go into the private extortionate rental system saying one of them will just have to stop working and being told they are not allowed to do that.
What a load of rubbish. If that is not dictatorship I do not know what is. I know what is required – deport all the locals – get foreign labour in to pay a pittance for their hard work and rename the island millionaires' rock because that's what it appears the States want.
ROD HAMON,
5, Rosemount,
Mont Arrive,
St Peter Port,
GY1 2AF.
