Don’t deny us our pleasures

Thursday 29th October 2009, 3:00PM GMT.

From Andy Lane.
I LISTENED in disgust to the new Budget proposals from Senator Ozouf.

Whilst I appreciate he has, I quote, the best interests of Islanders at heart, what gives him the right to price the hard-working Jerseyman out of his life pleasures? His proposals are a joke.

It is every man’s right to drive to work should he wish to or indeed have a pint and a cigarette after work but with the majority of wages being frozen at the moment how is the average working man, like myself, going to be able to carry on enjoying these simple pleasures.

We are not all blessed with a considerable disposable income but it appears we are being priced out of the Island we live in.

Indeed, how do we intend to attract what few visitors may still be interested in coming here when our already sky-high cost of living is about to soar even higher if Senator Ozouf succeeds with these outrageous proposals? Will the last one to leave the Island please switch off the lights (we can’t afford to keep them on).

Over to you Senator. Please think again!

1
Magnolia Man

October 29, 2009 at 3:53 pm

Andy Lane asserts “it is every man’s right to drive to work should he wish to or indeed have a pint and a cigarette after work but with the majority of wages being frozen at the moment how is the average working man, like myself, going to be able to carry on enjoying these simple pleasures”.

There is absolutely no reason at all why “every man” (or every woman, come to that) should not continue to indulge himself as he wishes.

However, with the “rights” demanded by Mr Andy Lane come obligations.

In this case, those obligations include paying additional duty on the luxuries demanded by Mr Lane.

He would do well to remember that drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking tobacco and driving are luxuries. One does not require them in order to stay alive. They are NOT essentials.

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2
Nathan Jordan

October 30, 2009 at 10:05 am

I suppose it’s the right of us non smokers and drinkers to pay out of our tax money for alcohol and tobacco related illnesses then? These account for over a quarter of hospital beds, which given the already huge strain on the NHS puts the cost at some billions. The revenue we get from alcohol and tobacco sales doesn’t even make a dent in this vast sum.

I try to be understanding with regard to driving as I don’t have a licence and don’t want to be seen to be making a virtue out of a necessity. Naturally it’s much more convenient to slip into a car than wait around for a bus in the rain.

That said, this kind of indulgence results in huge congestion at certain times of day in Jersey and no one seems to benefit from that – surely though if 30 people are sat in one bus rather than 30 separate vehicles this would allow everyone to get where they want faster?

NJ.

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3
Leah Holmes

November 2, 2009 at 3:33 pm

#1 Please remember that smoking and drinking are ALWAYS a luxury, driving is a necessity for me and for many others, NOT a luxury!

#2 Nathan, I’ve come to realise over the years that smokers and excessive drinkers are quite happy to push health services to the point where we have no option but to charge for treatment (where the condition has been entirely self-inflicted). I have noticed increasing approval of an American style health system. I doubt they’ll be so happy when it occurs though.

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4
Warren J

November 2, 2009 at 9:59 pm

I agree with #1 that driving is not a luxury, considering that I have to drive to work to earn a living because I was not born into money ! Also driving my 4 year old son to school, and running errands for my elderly parents again is not a luxury !

Driving is very much an essential part of modern day life for many of us. Why this facination in going back to the dark days ? I also have an automatic washing machine; Should I also get rid of that and revert to washing my clothes in the brook ?

Use of a car invariably results in spending money on other services like eating out and shopping, thus helping the economy.

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