7 October 2010 (Thursday) - More Stuff

Our new coalition government is beginning to let us know about the cuts it intends to make. Some I agree with. The whole question of child benefit needs to be reviewed. We quite happily took child benefit for our two children. In retrospect I would like to have had more children to claim for, but I knew that a third bub would be beyond our budget, and so we didn’t go for a third child. It would have been nice to have had more, and the state would probably have funded more (hypothetical) children to an extent, but I believe I should pay my way. Much as it pains me to admit it, I’m in agreement with the Culture Secretary who says that people who breed like rabbits should pay for breeding like rabbits.

Mind you I don’t agree with Lord Hutton who’s reviewing public sector pensions. He may well feel it unfair that pensions are based on a person’s final wage, and that individuals are contributing far too little to the pension funds. It could well be that pensions based on a career average wage with higher contributions may well be a better way forward for the economy. However I for one am paying into the scheme as it was sold to me some thirty years ago. Am I alone in thinking the government’s being a bit cheeky by trying to move the goalposts when I’m almost three quarters of the way through paying for my pension?

Meanwhile this evening I’m “home alone”. ‘er indoors ^TM has gone to the scout group’s annual general meeting. I’ve been thinking all day about whether or not I should go. On the one hand I’d like to see some old friends and find out what’s been going on in the two years since I left the group. On the other hand I’m still rather insulted that the chap who does nothing but collect the subs got a formal award for his services to scouting, and rather miffed that after thirteen years of my being a leader they gave me a five years service certificate. Also I know that if I went along tonight I’d be asked to start helping again, and that I would feel that I couldn’t say no. Even though I don’t want to help again.

Meanwhile, following on from yesterday’s nostalgia, I’ve found my holiday snaps from the Boys Brigade camp in 1983 and have put them on Facebook. Somewhere there are photos from even earlier Boys Brigade stuff. If only I could find them…..