This island is trying to do too much for such a small population

All current and future leaders of Guernsey should pay careful attention to the following facts.

Why is Guernsey plc heading for insolvency?

n Because its income is too low and its expenditure and overheads are too high.

What actions would a serious company undertake to avoid insolvency?

n They would seek to increase income, if possible. Guernsey’s only option to increase income would be to raise taxes even further. Their recent draconian increases in TRP and mooring fees shows signs of desperation and giving rise to growing taxpayer resentment and resistance. Guernsey’s leaders would do well to remember Winston Churchill’s famous quotation, ‘For a nation to try and tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle’.

n They would seek to make immediate and draconian cuts in expenditure and payroll headcount. Here the Guernsey leadership has its head in the sand and is ignoring the elephant in the room. Instead of decreasing its payroll headcount and cost they have increased it dramatically in recent years even though there has been a minimal increase in population over that time period. The island is simply trying to do too much for such a small population and must make draconian cuts now or go under. There are plenty of good jobs available in the private sector to soak up surplus from the public sector and that would greatly reduce our need to import foreign labour. The States could also greatly reduce unemployment benefit costs by assisting the unemployed to get work-from-home jobs.

If we keep going as we are we will soon reach the ridiculous situation where all the island’s reserves belong to the States Employees pension fund.

Why is nothing being done by this States? For example, a simple matter like applying the UK traffic noise laws to Guernsey has been discussed and consulted about for more than 10 years and still nothing has happened.

Act now, or you will never be forgiven for presiding over the insolvency of this island.

Why should we vote for you and pay you if you do nothing?

R F WHARTON

St Andrew’s