The day of the Quango is ……

…… coming to a close, thus spake the treasury.  Central Government has previously said the numbers of quangos was falling, a lie of enormous proportions, since Brown became PM 40 new obscenities have been created, almost one for every month of misrule. Total cost, a miserable £34 billion during 2008, and they get increases every year, £34 billion of taxpayers hard earned money to non-accountable organisations. Now back at the Bay of Pointlessness, Cardiff Bay home to the Welsh Assembly, the question of quangos is poignant, the piquant smells, emanating from the half a billion edifice to the mediocre, overwhelm the sensibilities of most Welsh people, it is only the Nationalists who gain from the pungent odours of unaccountability. Which might be quangos to go-go, now that prudence is descending on the Welsh Assembly?  Newspeak has arrived amongst the not so clever of the Assembly, no quangos to be found, they have been renamed, now we must search for Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, 12 of them. Don't look away, there is another deal of this particular deck of cards, we have Advisory Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, another 14.  And there are 5 Tribunals.  Last but not least 3 Executive Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies have been absorbed into government departments, Education, Tourism and Development. New names, still non-accountable organisations, undemocratic, paid for by the poor of Wales. I wonder how many doses of flue vaccine could be provided by this incestuous family of unaccountable government? … …

Parliamentarians snub ……

…… the Queen at Holyrood, despite having 9 months notice of the event to mark the Scottish parliaments 10th anniversary. I wonder if the spiteful ingrates would have stayed away if the Elizabeth had been the 1st rather than the more polite 2nd. … …

Jim Murphy speaking of ……

…… Trooping the Colour said …… There they were, fourteen hundred men and women working together as one, marching, turning and playing with impressive precision. But looking more closely at their cap badges I could see that the seven regiments which make up the Household Division come from all the nations within the United Kingdom. I saw the Grenadier Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards, each with their distinctive identities and histories, working together in seamless unity. For me this serves as a powerful metaphor for modern Britain. This ability to maintain a distinct identity, to celebrate a particular history and yet act to a common purpose without losing any element of particular identities. In many ways it mirrored what I most like about modern Britain. We're a nation of immense diversity. Not just English, Scot, Welsh and Irish, but French, Spanish, Polish, African, Indian, Asian. Each of us with our own cultures, our own faiths but a common commitment to working hard for ourselves, our families, our communities and our country. Today at the Welsh Assembly Ieuan Wyn Jones took leave of the people, he chose to avoid the question, pass the buck, showed his true colours, the cowards yellow.  Read here. … …

A PLAN to drive youngsters away ……

…… from congregating at a shop by playing classical music failed — when the children became fans. Bosses at the Co-op store in the Cove area of Aberdeen became fed up with the youngsters causing trouble outside. They invested money in a music system which played only orchestral sounds in the hope it would keep them away — but it failed. Duty manager Craig Singers said: “It had the opposite effect. "On nights when the music wasn't playing the kids would come into the shop and ask why it wasn't on". They grew to like it. That wasn't what we wanted to happen. "We've decided to stop playing the music now because there was no point. It didn't work." … … Or did it work, the shop managers in reality were involved in music appreciation but didn't realise. … … Is there a message for Rhodri Morgan and Meri Huws of the Welsh Language Board, and the other Assembly Members, I think so ………… … …

The All Wales Convention, parts 1 and ……

…… 2 are now complete, or so we are told. Part 1 was to increase understanding of how the National Assembly works at the moment.  The number of people in total who enjoined with Sir Emyr during the road show would indicate the level of success. In my opinion, only when all the children of a generation become grandparents, can we be certain there will be an understanding, and then only if the "National Assembly at work" becomes a subject in the curriculum. Part 2 was to ask you what you think about the National Assembly for Wales having more law-making powers.  Sir Emyr is quoted as describing the level of competence in understanding of the issues as very low, how do you ask a question knowing the person being asked probably doesn't understand the issue. Sir Emyr and partners were probably give an impossible task, knowingly or unknowingly, or did the convention creators imagine it wouldn't matter. … …

Sir Emyr Jones Parry, an honest man ……

…… who when interviewed stated …… "I don't think the settlement itself, the detail of it, is understood by most people". As this is the case, a referendum for further powers would be by definition undemocratic, as the electorate would be asked to vote for something not understood. Did the members of the Welsh Assembly realise this as push after push for constitutional destroying legislation was being made, do these very same members now realise the electorate are not to be abused, do they now realise they have no right to impose minority protocols on others. Might they now begin a process to end the imposition of minority programmes across the Welsh Assembly Government together with its Quango empire. … … Full interview … …

Dani Rodrik,

…… Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard University lectured at the London School of Economics last Tuesday, 16 June 2009.  The subject of the lecture was Capitalism 3.0, but in amongst the gems was a particularly important issue.

Countries have the right to protect social institutions, but not impose them on others, this is a perfectly legitimate guideline for peaceful coexistence between cultural groups.

Could this be applied to internal Wales where institutions are imposing themselves, should we be asking that the impositions be halted. … …

The curse of those who ……

…… would be great To move too fast can be a grievous error, the learned young and the old know this.  But not to move far enough, or fast enough, or with enough strength, these are the bane of those who would be great. How bitter it must be during a sleepless night to wonder what chances have been missed, what chances lost. The curse of those who would be great, Rhodri, Adam, Bethan, Leanne, Ieuan. … …

Squeeze the poor until the pips squeak ……

…… is Adam Price's objective when he suggests a referendum should include a second question on giving the Assembly financial powers. Not satisfied with £15 billion budget, he wishes to have the right to borrow money to invest in capital projects, as well as introducing tax-levying powers. Now contrary to what Price might hallucinate on the Westminster gravy train, he rides a very comfy compartment in 1st class, there are no rich corporations to suck dry, no amount of wealthy citizens, excepting those that prefer a warmer tax shelter, there are just ordinary people, the little people, the people of Anglesey who are poorer than the poles, he wants to wring us dry to support his delusions of independent grandeur. He also wants more power for the Cardiff trough, the ones we cannot trust to educate our children, the people who cannot even organise an extra 6000 social housing units, and let us not forget who sponsors this representative at parliament, Plaid Cymru …… Party of the Past. For an alternate vision of the future …… … …

 

Guilty of "moral turpitude" ……

…… said the US Embassy when music publisher Arfon Gwilym was invited to take part at the Smithsonian Institute. After a seven-hour wait at the US embassy, in London, his visa was refused because of his activities as a former member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society). And there you have it, a crime is a crime and is never spent if you want a Visa, his crimes :

possession of stolen goods breaking and entering climbing TV transmitters occupying court rooms

…… yes, moral turpitude, the definition is …… …… conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty or good morals. … …