Cameron launches "Big Society"

[DotCommunist]

bus school services have been under attack for fucking years. The school run is the most onerous and least profitable of all services. Given that half the kids flash a random piece of paper at the bus driver and spend the bus fare on sweets and he hasn't the time or inclination to check every pass. It is one no bus company running to profit not service dreads. They'd fuck it off in a moment if they could.

 

[weltweit]

post offices, yes
libraries, not sure
transport services - possibly (bin done)
housing projects. not sure

dedicated civil servants - why?

a local buy-out of a rural pub, - sure why not - can be done now
volunteers to keep museums open, - maybe
speed up broadband supply, - eh what

dynamic" charities, - already there
social enterprises - what is one of those?
voluntary groups - already exist
the running of public services. - not at all sure about that.

 

[butchersapron]

bus school services have been under attack for fucking years. The school run is the most onerous and least profitable of all services. Given that half the kids flash a random piece of paper at the bus driver and spend the bus fare on sweets and he hasn't the time or inclination to check every pass. It is one no bus company running to profit not service dreads. They'd fuck it off in a moment if they could.

Them ones are subsidised. Not anymore. Let's make tory wives doors tremble.

 

[8ball]

I've spoken to some of my less politically savvy mates about this 'Big Society' guff and my "research" seems to indicate that this scam is fooling absolutely no one.

 

[butchersapron]

I've spoken to some of my less politically savvy mates about this 'Big Society' guff and my "research" seems to indicate that this scam is fooling absolutely no one.

I think they're obv less sophisticated than some tory wives on here.

 

[Callie]

bus school services have been under attack for fucking years. The school run is the most onerous and least profitable of all services. Given that half the kids flash a random piece of paper at the bus driver and spend the bus fare on sweets and he hasn't the time or inclination to check every pass. It is one no bus company running to profit not service dreads. They'd fuck it off in a moment if they could.

of course, whats the point in providing a service when there is no profit in it?

Given that half the kids flash a random piece of paper at the bus driver and spend the bus fare on sweets and he hasn't the time or inclination to check every pass.

sounds like most buses in london

 

[miss minnie]

...
housing projects. not sure

There are loads of housing co-ops already, its one of the most established co-operative ideas to have matured and stayed. Along with a lot of commercial leeches and parasites ready to alleviate them of their funding in return for some pretty feeble services. Such as this lot who are no doubt rubbing their hands with glee at the idea of even more victims, er, I mean clients.

 

[klang]

this might be a daft question, but has the possibility of no-one volunteering been considered? how much are they relying on people wanting to work without pay?

 

[weltweit]

There are loads of housing co-ops already, its one of the most established co-operative ideas to have matured and stayed. Along with a lot of commercial leeches and parasites ready to alleviate them of their funding in return for some pretty feeble services. Such as this lot who are no doubt rubbing their hands with glee at the idea of even more victims, er, I mean clients.

How do the housing co-ops work?

Where I grew up would be an ideal place for some help, there was little work and no way to afford the house prices. The only people who could afford the houses were people retiring from London and trading down as it were.

 

[Refused as fuck]

whats the point in providing a service when there is no profit in it?

Amazing.

 

[weltweit]

this might be a daft question, but has the possibility of no-one volunteering been considered? how much are they relying on people wanting to work without pay?

Well the only thing is that there are already loads of people volunteering in local ways, in their local villages and towns. Whether a lot more will suddenly get the bug I am not at all sure.

 

[DotCommunist]

of course, whats the point in providing a service when there is no profit in it?

sounds like most buses in london

not sure if you are being serious here, but we should have some things provided at cost and propped up by progressive taxation simply because they are necessary to a polity. That includes school bus runs and point of care health. Literacy and numeracy also. Fuckit, nationalise everything. Profit has no place in society unless it is plowed back in.

 

[weltweit]

of course, whats the point in providing a service when there is no profit in it?

I assume that is cynical ...

Lots of services are not for profit.

 

[DotCommunist]

Amazing.

It's almost like some people think that appropriation of surplus labour value is the only way shit ever gets done.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I wonder how long it'll be before Job Seekers will be "invited" to volunteer on pain of losing benefits.

 

[stethoscope]

I think callie was being cynical looking at her previous post.

 

[weltweit]

I wonder how long it'll be before Job Seekers will be "invited" to volunteer on pain of losing benefits.

There is a thought

 

[Callie]

I assume that is cynical ...

Lots of services are not for profit.

and those are the ones that recieve funding so they can exist. profit was the wrong word apologies

 

[stethoscope]

There is a thought

What sort of thought?

 

[butchersapron]

Amazing.

Oi, careful, one of us.

 

[Callie]

Amazing.

youre too kind

 

[weltweit]

Our local village had a minibus, funded I am not sure how (but locally by volunteers), but we were in the sticks and many people relied on it to get to the local town and back.

 

[Callie]

Oi, careful, one of us.

Oh please, I am a tory wife if ever I saw one.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I wonder how long it'll be before Job Seekers will be "invited" to volunteer on pain of losing benefits.

Oh not long. I imagine potential Big Society Providers are already asking about it.

 

[rover07]

Im volunteering to take over all the dormant bank accounts in East Sussex.

Im really fired-up and passionate about this idea.

 

[weltweit]

What sort of thought?

It is the kind of thought that welfare reformers might have.
No job, then on to the volunteering for you.

Of course some people might actually like to be busy while they were out of a job, but I suspect people like that would just get on with it themselves anyhow.

 

[Callie]

It's odd how this all ties in very nicely with the fact that people I know that work in libraries have been told numerous times recently that there is no guaruntee their jobs will survive restructuring, I guess that threat has just become even more real.

 

[miss minnie]

How do the housing co-ops work?

Where I grew up would be an ideal place for some help, there was little work and no way to afford the house prices. The only people who could afford the houses were people retiring from London and trading down as it were.

Co-ops register themselves as charities and sign up with The Housing Corporation for funding. They are required to have a set of policies, accounts, audits, a committee, quorate meetings etc. I lived in housing co-ops most of my life. The last one had assets of £20m and housed about 200 people.

In practice, most people in a co-op are happy for others to do all the work which usually falls to a small number of dedicated souls. The successful ones are often a sort of benign dictatorship. Others get torn apart by in-fighting or get committeed to death.

 

[slake]

I quite fancy running a rural Post Office. Where do I sign up?

 

[weltweit]

I like my local library, I sometimes use the modern computers in there. In the two years I have lived here I have yet to take a book out, despite that there are about 8 that I want to read.

It usually seems quite busy when I am in there. (not that frequently)