harryhw

You're completely wrong and misguided - very easy to play a stereotype. Some of my comments are tongue and cheek, however anyone with any commercial experience in Sheffield should recognised the issues I am raising and the broader issues at a national level. I am not interested in the daily mail - I rather see, observe and learn by creating businesses and dealing with people from all manner of backgrounds and countries. What you argue about in your last section is exactly what I oppose - CRONY CAPITALISM where by vested interests have power! Wake up! ---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 14:09 ---------- whether it's vested interest from people in the public sector, the banking industry or the energy industry it is all the same. This creates distortions and is bad for us.

This is what really frustrates me. It has nothing to with Labour, Tory, Ukip or whoever. Without going all Russel Brand and boring too many people on this I will outline the poltical/economic backdrop I see at the moment. I have no affinity to any party – both are rooted in confrontational arguments largely irrelevant to the modern world we are in and completely fluffing around the edges. They all want to increase their involvement in my and your life, even the tories. Look at the tax code, the numbers of laws created and the general level of forms you have to fill to do anything and you should realise how much the government are involved in your life – don’t get wrong we certainly need them to some extent, but things have certainly progressed in the near 50 years I have been in this world. The biggest cost you ever have will likely not be your house, it will be the money you have paid for government and the state which I think is absurd given the kind of world we are now in where you could probably teach yourself how to code and how to speak Mandarin over the internet – ask yourself why given all of the technological advances the microchip has given us, the availability of oil, and the various other inventions that have made our life better that many people seem to have to work longer, harder and often both parents work in order to support a relatively modest lifestyle? Debt is enormous and has never been on this scale ever, and it’s only been since government money was introduced based on nothing but faith (i.e. FIAT MONEY) which is then used in order to stuff the self-interested lobby groups and get votes so the government can grab power, whoever they are tory, labour, lib dem, etc. It’s not sustainable and it’s not how mankind should operate. Debt has been used to keep people happy for the last 30-50 years essentially in order to promise us all the things we come to expect as standard without any consideration for long term stability. it’s quite clear to me and many respected people I know that the current system will radically change in the next 25-50 years by itself organically if not done by force and that will revert any argument about cutting 0.5% instead of 0.6% public spending and whether we give benefits and tax credits to John and Jill, or bedroom tax irrelevant. The political debate is a complete con – anyone with any form of education about basic economic realises that we are in situation where money is being devalued and financial repression is occurring which is making inequality far greater and essentially frothing up the nest for those lobby groups closest to the political/banking elite. We have a very loose form of capitalism in this country, it is crony capitalism not real free market choice capitalism which is as the majority of people think probably works pretty well with some regulation to make sure people don’t step out of line and get too powerful. Many people confuse the cause and effect – providing a service that people are willing to pay for and like and that is exchanged for some other benefit (be it money or something else) is a fundamental requirement for humans in order to derive survive and prosper. In my view everything should be about creating an environment where by that exchange is helped and fostered so that greater innovation occurs. Everyday political issues such as the reduction in the top level of income tax as benefiting “millionaires”….it might do for some, however the tax is on income not wealth – which is fundamentally different. In short if people wanted to write the wrongs of wealth distortions in this country and mankind they would argue for one flat land tax for all land in the country since land (and as such vast wealth) is held by a few small minority. Also people would argue for low taxes for the rest of us who are actually doing something productive as such, since all other taxes would be able to much reduced from the huge take from land value tax. People would have more money in their pocket and they could spend £5 on a swanky sandwich in Sheffield city centre. You could create natural control of government expenditure by insisting that there were competiting currencies (so I have a choice if I want pay in £ or bitcoins or $ or euros) which would mean that governments didn’t run up huge debts – if they did run up huge debts they would be punished by the natural exchange rate. It’s not rocket science, but because there are so many self interests around form bankers to the arts it means we are all poorer as true choice and dynamism cannot flourish in such an environment. And because people are so concerned with what private school or what mining village they come from they don’t actually bother looking at the real issues, it’s all utter bravado. Sheffield is an example of some of the worse of this with low business start up, which is partly to do with poor educational attainment, low level of high paying jobs, dependency on both welfare and low paying jobs and a self fulfilling cycle. In cities like Sheffield and to an even greater extent places like Glasgow, what I am trying to get across is quite apparent. Glasgow was one of the leading centres building ships and a major force industry, until a large welfare dependent portion of society was created as a result of downturn in economic fortunes. A good example would be how you treat a child, you can either do everything for them so that they are kept safe and have stable existence or you can teach them and allow them to fall over and get back up and to make mistakes and learn in order to create an individual who can adapt to change and is all the more of a rounded individual. It’s not about being for or against an ideology, it’s far deeper than that and fundamentally about human behaviour to want to exchange ideas, goods and services. This environment is out of balance and in my view we are heading in really bad direction. If anybody seriously has any suggestions how this can be addressed and the way to do this please message me. I have never had any political involvement, but I do want to get my voice heard as it were because I feel my experiences and observations are valid. Why not take the lead and try something for a change? ---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 08:35 ---------- Utter despair if that's your real view. It's not about the city! It's about Sheffield and making Sheffield prosper into the future. ---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 08:37 ---------- Same as I commented above, it's not about poltics. Politics in the way we know will be dead soon.

It is down to national government as well, which begs the questions what would the situation be like if we had no government? When you have individuals who actually can't function and participate in making Sheffield better then surely having these people is a negative and therefore we would be better off without them?

Sheffield is good, the place has real character but surely I am not the only one who can see that this is not sustainable to have a self congratulating parasitical lobby elite who serve no purpose other than exercising power? I am angry and wondering how to change things.

So what is the point of all these measures if the situation gets worse in Page Hall, Wincobank, Pitsmoor and a few people in Fulwood and Ecclesall get richer?

I'm sorry, but this is more relevant now then ever. Even Sheffield is becoming a city of big contrasts. Do you want your kids to grow up in a city of such inequality? Because I don't.

I recognise this, but even Councils in Manchester and Leeds are moving forward. I think the insular nature of these individuals could be the reason. I sometimes question whether they have ever left South Yorkshire?

No it's not politically motivated at all. I run two businesses who serve customers worldwide and I truly fear for Sheffield. I think 95% of politicians are a waste of space. In fact the politics in Sheffield is probably part of the problem. I certainly believe in the free exchange of ideas, goods and services and limited interference in my life but would not trust any politician. If it was up to me we would have 1/5 of the government and there would much more regional true responsibility.

I start this thread by saying that there is a lot in Sheffield to be pleased about, in terms of there being some lovely countryside, friendly locals and lovely areas in the south west of the City, low cost of housing, and low crime rate, etc. I am not from Sheffield, however have lived here for the last two years and also spent several years in the early 90’s here. However whenever I return from visiting other cities around the Uk and travel far and wide to Asia, Europe and the US I just feel Sheffield is being left behind in so many ways and it hurts me. Whether it’s the culture imbedded in the town hall, planning department or the general ambition of many of the population but I don’t see that great strive for self-improvement and betterment that is so vital to mankind. There is something that is stopping that retail scheme being built, speculative schemes being developed, big companies being attracted to this city on a big scale, and talented individuals from being attracted to this city. This has to change, because the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and even Liverpool are making big leaps forward which Sheffield seems to be incapable of doing at the moment. I am talking from a business and commercial side. You can see this in a very simple way by looking at the type of retailors and leisure occupiers who are in Sheffield city centre. It’s damming and it is embarrassing for a city which is supposed to be one Britain’s biggest and best. I think it has to be the council and the way that they have made it so difficult to do business in this city. These people seem to be on a complete different planet. Now why I understand that all councils from those in Kensington and Chelsea to those in Sheffield are at times slow and bureaucratically stifling, the powers at be in Sheffield in my view are seriously damaging the long term future of the city. Not only minimising future growth prospects, but also creating an environment where more and more people are being sucked into either being dependent on this status quo of limited dynamic entrepreneurialism and state mediocrity or being forced to leave to seek the highest paying jobs. And what is sad about this is that these powers at be in the council are very comfortable on large salaries paid by the rest of us who are then punished by living in a less dynamic environment for our children and children’s children. Radical steps need to be taken. It’s actually pretty scary to think these people are controlling the destiny of Sheffield and I encourage everyone reading this to actually participate and vent the views to their council to try and hold them account when they decide that they want to hold up development of an old derelict workshop in some dead part of Sheffield, or they want to hire 20 parking attendants to patrol a sleepy residential road during the day, when they want to take 6 weeks to message back about an enquiry about council tax/parking charge, etc, or when they want to insert a claw back provision on anyone purchasing a property to develop and then sell on a profit. Sheffield city council incompetence is all around, every day. We need a modern forward thinking council who have not been captured by a sense of indulgent self worth and play it safe mentality that makes big radical change almost impossible. Sheffield city council is costing us money and making the broader economic and social environment far worse for the majority in this city. Sheffield city council seems to behind the curve in recognising the situation at every step. They have been behind the curve on everything from the retail scheme, the ghettos in page hall, city centre living – talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Sheffield will lose out as talent decides that it doesn’t want to come to a city which shuts down at 7pm and is like a ghost town after 7pm on a Wednesday because the only people living in the city centre are students and too skint to go out till midnight after they have necked a bottle of cider. Some sort of dynamism needs to be injected, not just JSA centres, drug rehab centres and pound shops and bookies. Take a walk from the moor down to castle market and up the High Street. This city has many strengths and a strong heritage of entrepreneurialism so why is it that we are now in a phase whereby we are letting the pointy heads at Sheffield city council and the planning department stifle the true potential of Sheffield to innovate?