Bushman LeGros

This is my first visit to this forum. I would be pleased to find a local chat room where I could find serious answers and comments to what I consider to be important issues concerning Jersey.

I am totally disillusioned with local politics over the last few years. To be candid I'm unsure as to how to go about making the changes that are neede to improve the lives of the average Jersey person.

My initial thought would be to remove virtually all our current politicians and possibley change the present system of government.

The JEP recently reported " anyone not working in the finance industry will NEVER be able to afford to buy a house". If this is true then the people of this island have been (in the language of Frank Walker) SHAFTED.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone with an interest in this subject.

Haggis

While i'm all for serious debate on this issue (personally i think it should be more of a surgical approach to removing CERTAIN members of the states rather than a shock & awe tactic of getting rid of the whole lot of them) might i suggest an alternate states cabinet...

Chief Minister - DCI Gene Hunt

Economic Minister - Alan Sugar

Home Affairs - The Pub Landlord, Al Murray

Environment - Jeremy Clarkson

Planning & Development - The Doozers from Fraggle Rock..

Health - Johnny Vegas.

Bet that lot could do a better job?

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You aint seen me, Roight...!

UserName

LOL, with that lot in the States I'd PAY to sit in the public gallery and watch!

(only a couple of quid mind!)

Paul

One is probably as bad as the other, whoever we vote in they have to bring back party politics it would help out a lot.

Jersey Spud

I'll repeat the post I made on your other identical thread...

That is simply not true. I know of many many people working in sectors other than the finance industry that buy houses. It would be naive to think otherwise. Jersey has many independent businessmen and women (in teh broadest sense) who do not work in the finance industry. Indeed, many tradesmen in Jersey also earn a fantastic living (although some of this is down to the benefits of there being wealthy businesses and residents commissioning the work). Many people working in the civil service in jobs such as Police, Fire service, and teaching earn more than the average finance industry wage. And there are people whose wealth is independent of the industry who, for instance, may inherit property.

There are also those who just work bl**dy hard for a living, saving and doing without the luxury that people seem to demand as par of the course nowadays. A madeiran friend of mine, who I would best describe as a self taught gardener, works as a one man band, and now owns his own 2 bed flat in town, and is building another back home in Madeira.

As you'll see in another post of mine, I question why there is suddenly a standard that everyone must have a three bed house. That sort of expectation is just not workable in this day and age, not just in Jersey, but in the UK and any other country. Can kids not share rooms anymore?

I find the statement used in the JEP offensive because it discounts people's entrepreneurial skills generally. Whilst the finance industry is there in your face, its not the be all and end all so far as earning a living is concerned.

Haggis

You may need to humour me here - has there EVER been party politics in Jersey?

I've only been here 8 years and didn't start reading JEP or paying attention until about a year later and since then i haven't seen any.....?

Party politics may help...but do they not do enough sniping now...?

Just need to hope that some honest, decent folk put themselves up for election...there's got to be some people out there, whether their backround is financial, legal, medical, manual who could do a better job than some of the Durrell rejects currently incumbent????

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You aint seen me, Roight...!

Bundy

Jeremy Clarkson on transport,

Harold Shipman on health

D.B.Cummins(demolition) on environment,

that would be my only changes to your selection

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en830

I know of one family who lived in Victoria village, they rented a two bedroom cottage, their son and daughter, 12 and 10 at the time shared one room, their youngest slept in the same room as them.

It wasn't until the fathers mother died a year later that they were able to afford to buy a property, Two years later they sold that and moved to the UK where they bought a large 5 bedroomed house outright.

My point is that even back in the 1960's not everyone could afford to buy a property here in Jersey, however through one way or another they somehow manage to. My other point is that house prices in Jersey have historically been higher than in the UK, it stands to reason with land being at a premium.

The people above were my parents.

It does annoy me that people seem to think they have a god given right to have something without a little effort and in the majority of cases sacrifice.

Jersey Spud

Agree with you entirely, en830.

Bushman LeGros

I think you took my quote from the JEP too literally so with regard to housing.

1975
With both myself and my wife working at very ordinary jobs with one child we saved the required deposit of £2000 in six years.

We then purchased the following
3 bed states loan house price £12000
Mortgage on a states loan 10% reducing to 3% depending on income
Deposit £2000
Income average £40 to £50 per week per person full time
This repayable over a 40 year period.

This with some effort was possible

2008

Average price for 3-bed house on an old states loan estate £460000 to £470000
Mortgage circa 6%
Deposit required (just to make the repayments possible) £150000
Average income £500 per week per person full time

Now just to save the deposit it is going to take a couple both working full time at least 10 years
Repayments over a 30 year period at 6% would then be the best part of £600 per week assuming that the interest does not rise.
If the above calculations are near correct they show that house prices are close to 40 times higher
And wages 10 time higher

I think that the above figures speak volumes

I now find that after lifetimes work all of it self-employed and always a lot more than 40 hours per week I have two choices.
1.Reduce my pension and subsidise the cost of my children’s / grandchildren’s homes
2. Advise them to leave the island we were all born in
I find both choices distasteful to say the least.

I would say that my original post was more about an uncaring and selfish government than it was about the above subject. Housing is just one of the problems there are many more.

I would also say that I have no problem whatsoever with the finance industry in Jersey. I would just like to be led by a responsible and caring government a government with enough intelligence and foresight to realise that everyone in the community is able through hard work and determination is given the opportunity to achieve their ambitions regardless of their station.

I would ask again does anyone have any idea are any of our current politicians worthy of retaining or do we need a good clear out and possibly a new system of government.
Please lets hear your reasons for keeping them or replacing them.
And it would be good to see some new people coming forward to fill these positions.
I live in hope.