bdikkat

There was recently a whole hubbub about the presence or otherwise of money trees. They were disparidged by Mrs May when the Labour party tried to shake one. She was less so when she had to cross the DUP's hand with silver (they wont take notes, too modern).

Now there is a money tree, its called 'taxpayers'. The governments kitty comes from what they can squeeze out of citizens, businesses and investment. Shaking the money tree is a complex excercise involving offsetts, deferrals and things that look a bit like a three card trick where money disapears from one place and turns up in another, sometimes before it left the first place.

Things are always in billions. This is because noone has a real handle on a billion. So when Mrs M find a billion for DUP smoozing there is little understanding of what it is, would it build a school, a hospital? We know a billion is a lot. But relating it to everyday life is difficult.

Last year the HMG budget had 720 billions.

Still means nothing does it.

Well. If you look at HMG like a person earning, say, 25K pa a million translates to 62p a week or 32.38 a year. So a billion is a bit like someone commiting to buy a small chocolate bar each week.Of course Mr Corbyn was going to spend hundreds of millions (about £63 a week equiv.) Of course you cant spend what you haven't got. Though £1B was found for the DUP or 2 or 2.5 depending who's doing the sums. And you still have to get the money, though there is usually some under the chancellors bed.

I just think it would be good idea if big numbers were expresed as things people can relate to. Say 'a billion' and people start panicking saying its equivalent to 62p a week and people start to wonder if its worth it. It might work with other stuff as well. When D Cameron (PM ret.)spoke of taking 5000 Syrian refugees he hoped this would placate some people as it was a Big Number. If he had said it was enough to half fill the Wycombe Wanderers fotball stadium people might have said 'is that all' or 'thats a disgrace'. I think relating all government money stuff to, say, average ernings equivalent and all migration/refugee/ benfit numbers to a scale based on the capacity of a minor football stadium might help to stop some of the more frothy comment we get when numbers are involved.

Oh, if anyones interested I have this spreadsheet now that convers government expenditure to annual earnings equivalents.

Hi.
We have a small problem which someone might be able to help with. Due to lights being left on car has flat battery (what shape should it be I hear you say).
Does anyone have either jump leads - preferably with care available to do the jumping? Or perhaps a battery charger?

Any help appreciated