So, Jacqui Smith is our Home Secretary and what exactly has she done in her term of office?
She pissed off the entire police force by denying them a back dated pay rise that they truly deserved and then had the gall to to state in parliament what a brilliant job they do, and how we as a country should support them. What about you supporting them Jacqui? How about you giving some more money to them?
But yesterday I was alerted to one of the biggest wastes in tax-payers money I have heard since I posted about the crisis hit NHS.......
.... National ID cards. By now you should have heard about them. The government is pushing to get them passed (probably at some point before they get voted out) and Jacqui- in her wisdom decided to have an open forum online for the future adults to have their say.
You can read the article in The Register here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/16/yoof_id_site_shuts/
The article said that the forum was opened at a cost of £76, 249. Yes, you did read that right, £76, 249. And just incase you don't read the article, the website was open for a grand total of 4 months. Now, most of the nations youth that actually signed up for this utter piece of crap said that they don't want ID cards as they are a waste of money. The government stands by them saying that they will help combat terrorism. How? How the fuck is a piece of plastic going to stop terrorism? We have specialised police forces, soldiers and MI whatever agents to deal with them- so how exactly is an ID card going to make things any better? In the Southwest last year a muslim convert from Plymouth tried to bomb a ton of people in a restaurant in Exeter. The only reason he did not succeed is because as he tried to set them off, they blew up in his face. They were home made nail bombs- so what would an ID card do to stop him? He wasn't schooled by Al-Queda, he didn't go off to Pakistan to be trained in the art of terrorist war-fare. Just a somewhat normal bloke that you wouldn't look twice at in the street. No-one did in that packed restaurant as he took his backpack into the gents with him. So once again I ask, how would a card prevent him or anyone else doing it again.
Now back to the story at hand. We, the tax-payer, paid 76 grand for a website which stayed online for a whole 4 months. 76 fucking grand. Now, if the forum was up for a few years- I can see why it would cost that. But 4 months? And they have taken it down to 'collate' the information left there. According to the register the site was supposed to remain up with the results of the consultation- but as it didn't go the governments way- it has been taken off air all together.
Isn't about time she just disappeared into the sunset along with the rest of the Labour government. It is clear to me that they are not listening to the nation or to the idiots that voted them in in the first place. Although 76 grand would not have covered even a small percentage of the police back pay- it could of helped towards it. A pay rise might just enable the already over-worked men and women out their do their jobs that little bit better. If you reward your workforce- they will reward you by giving results.
It's all about good management.
Jacqui, you quite clearly have lost the plot. You haven't put the money where it is most needed. If you want to combat terrorism- give the money to those that deal with it- because quite frankly, I don't think a bunch of 16 year olds are the ones you should be asking to do it.
Luna Pixie
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