"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 00:21:30 +0000 (UTC), Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 22:37:49 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:34:24 -0000, ":::Jerry::::"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

[ re the British tax system ]


The whole setup needs to be dramatically scaled down.


Tax cuts are very popular..... until the service you need is done away
with...


With the exception of services such as defence, emergency services,
judiciary and others of that ilk, there is no need for government
involvement beyond making sure that there is directed funding for
those unable to make their own arrangements to be able to obtain them
- e.g. healthcare and education vouchers.

My opinion is that ALL of the basic "core" services - water, gas,
electricity, health, defence, emergency, judiciary and
telecommunications are entirely appropriate to the public sector.

Out of those, having *any* of them apart from defence, judiciary and
emergency in the public sector is a demonstrable disaster.

Why don't we have private armies? we have private companies running prisons
and escorting people from prisons to courts, etc.

Consider the UK telecommunications
industry prior to the privatisation
of BT - a total shambles with customers
being referred to as
subscribers

What balls.The uptime rate of the system was far higher.

- that alone tells the story.

Now look at the water industry. What a shambles. The service levels are
appalling. Every house should have 50 litres/min of water at 4 bar. Do we
get it like other countries? Not on your Nelly. We spend a fortune on
antiquated tank and cylinder systems to cope with the appalling water
supply. To have a shower in which you don't have to run around in to get
wet we have to install pumps.

I know of new houses which still only have 1/2" plastic mains pipes fitted.
Unbelievable.

A Yorkshire water company was erecting stand pipes and cutting off supplies
as the reservoirs were too low. Over 30% of the mains were leaking, so all
their money should have been repairing the leaks and replacing mains. Not
on your Nelly! They paid a dividend shareholders and paid an extra special
divvy as well. How can these people pay dividends when the system requires
millions to make it work. Total rip off merchants. I would burn em all.

The private sector exists to make a profit rather than provide a
service - I have no problem with that. "Enhanced services", such as
the internet are fine in the private sector, where real competition
can take place "for fun".

The basis of competition is not for fun, it is for improvement of
shareholder return.

Exactly. Service levels should be first, and only first. Profit is a bonus

That only comes about when customers choose to
buy the product or service from that company.

Or have no choice to, like water or drugs.

The Internet is far from being an
enhanced service, it is absolutely
core and fundamental to business
today and even to the creaking public
sector. Competition has been one
of the key factors for the survival
of the fittest

The service levels given by ISPs is appalling. It is all geared to make
money, not provide a service.

and it should be that
way in almost all service
industries, especially healthcare,
education and energy.

This man is mad. He wants the NHS to be like Wannadoo.
God forgive him as he knows not what he does.

I entirely agree with many assertations that there is a lot of
inefficiency in the public sector, but fail to see any "service"
improvement by turning to the private sector.

Where the customer has a genuine choice and there is competition,
there will almost always be an improvement in what the customer gets.

With water and drugs you don't.

The usual reason for problems is continued government
meddling.

NO. the problems are because it is in profit making greedy hands.

It's a nonsense to have a situation where when the government is in a
sector (e.g. health and education) that the customer is forced to pay
for that, then if he wants something better/different has to fund it
himself without contribution for the most part from the state, even
though the state system has been unburdened.

That is your choice if you want to feed your petty snobbery mind then do so.
You get a tax break to feed your Little Middle Englander mind.