Wednesday 19 October 2005

Letter to the editor

I have a letter in today's Scotsman.

1 comment:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

IJ
That's why central banks are being encouraged to take the initiative. 
 
Otherwise there's no hope for needed reform in the public sector - so far postponed indefinitely.

20 October 2005, 09:12:21 GMT+01:00
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dave t
Sack em all - let Gord sort em out....

19 October 2005, 23:52:53 GMT+01:00
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IJ
The ECB will need to give more information on: "after a certain period of time". Nationals will reasonably want to know how long a period of sacrifice is needed before benefits will be forthcoming. 
 
However there are signs that central banks are in a position to stabilise global finance. Last week the it was reported that Hungary's central bank had blown the whistle on its own government's attempt to mask the country's deficit. "So Hungary's estimated public deficit for this year has now been revised sharply upwards from 3.6 to 6.1 per cent of gross domestic product."

19 October 2005, 22:17:35 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
I think it's the first since I started the blog back in 2002. Before then I had a few published over the years.

19 October 2005, 20:48:21 GMT+01:00
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Kenny McCormack
Yes I was leafing through the Scotsman this evening and I seen the bit about Scottish public spending in the letters page, glancing at the writers names (which I often do with the Herald to filter out the usual loonies)and saw the name David Farrer, and thought 'oh that must be the David Farrer who writes Freedom & Whisky', so I started reading and found that it was the same thing Mr Farrer posted a few days ago on his site.  
 
David do you often send your posts to such publications, or was this just a one off?

19 October 2005, 20:21:25 GMT+01:00
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IJ
Very interesting theme. And will taxpayers ever be refunded the many billions of pounds they have been overcharged? After all, it could be electoral suicide for politicians to reduce the waste that has built up over the years.  
 
Last year, there was an offer from the European Central Bank to do all they could to help governments and parliaments with structural reforms: "We are fully aware of the difficulty of implementing the reforms and of the resistance of some components of society. We understand why. They do not see the link between these structural reforms and growth and job creation. It is up to us and others to help demonstrate that after a certain period of time those countries that have embarked on structural reforms, and that had mass unemployment before, will benefit from the reforms and may see a significant fall in unemployment." (Page 16) 
 
Is there a mechanism for Scotland's people to approach the ECB directly to learn of the assistance available? Running a pilot for the EU is surely an opportunity not to be missed.

19 October 2005, 17:00:38 GMT+01:00
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cuthhyra
A very well crafted letter, let us hope it provokes some thought in the general readership of the Scotsman. 
 
Certainly having recently completed a postgraduate course, the general outlook of the private sector does not seem good. The pay is less and although I do work for a private firm in Scotland, a large proportion of our contracts come from south of the border.

19 October 2005, 10:24:57 GMT+01:00