(and my birthday).
It's going to be great. The government are going to tell me they're going to condemn me on my bloody birthday. Well, I suppose it's got to be on somebody's birthday, but why mine?
So. I'm not as political as others (although I've voted every time I've been eligible). I'm not as erudite (but hey, I can spell it!). I'm not as active. But I count. I count as much as anyone. But not to this government. According to this government I'm some kind of meta-person. If I was cute and small and had (eg) cancer then I'd get sympathy and people running round raising money for me. But I'm not.
I'm me.
I've had my bipolar diagnosis for nearly a decade and it was at this point two years ago I was coming to the end of the viral crisis that caused my ME, by overloading my immune system to the point that it said "enough is enough" and is currently still lying on the floor of the Numbskulls office throwing a tantrum.
And during all that time I've worked. I've paid tax. I've contributed to society. I've been a (relatively) responsible person. I don't drop litter (because "A Guide leaves nothing behind except her smile"). I insure my car - even though the fine for not having insurance is always considerably less than the cost of insuring the damn thing in the first place. I hold doors open for people. I give seats on buses to those less able than me.
Yes, I get DLA. And because I get DLA, and work over 16 hours a week, I get Working Tax Credits.
But that might all change in the future.
Boo has the potential opportunity of a lifetime coming up - a wonderful job in one of her industry's leading lights. And I SO want her to take it. But it's in London. So she'd have to move.
Which would mean I don't get my support. I can't write down everything that Boo does for me here - normally it takes a whole DLA form to get it across. She makes sure I have clean clothes to wear - and on occasions (which are becoming more frequent unfortunately) she helps me get into them. She makes sure I have a clean body - helping me in and out of the bath; rinsing my hair when I run out of energy with shampoo running in my eyes - she's even shaved my legs for me before when I just couldn't manage. She makes sure I eat properly - when she's here I have the ability to cook, because I KNOW that if I can't lift a pan, or forget that I've started something, or just collapse halfway through, she can take over; when she's not here I just eat fruit or chocolate or microwave meals. She does the tidying and the cleaning and the washing up.
And all of this means I can manage to work - and work part time, too, because of the DLA and WTC. If Boo wasn't here - or I lost the DLA and WTC, then I'd have to go full time to be able to afford to pay my bills. And if I was working full time, then I wouldn't have the energy to keep the house in a fit state. And then I'd start being ill: having to take time off work here and there because I am not well enough to work full time. And as I only get ten days' paid sick leave, I'd only get SSP - if it was a time when I had more than three days off in a row. In the past, there's been a couple of occasions when I have a week or two at a time, but because of the nature of my disabilities (and the work ethic my mother instilled into me!), it's more likely to be a day here and two days there. So I wouldn't get paid for it.
And of course, this would mean I lost my job.
And then I'd be ENTIRELY dependant on state benefits.
Because of a short-term decision decision by people who should know better, I'd go from being a contributing member of society, to being someone who is entirely dependant on handouts. I'd go from being able to look after myself (admittedly with support from my best mate) to having to depend on the kindness of strangers.
Which seems better to you? I know which option I'd choose - but am I biased because it's me that would be affected?
My political mantra is quite a simple one, stolen in part from Ken Clarke back in the 80s..."equitable taxation with responsible social welfare". But I have a small hankering for real communism: From each according to his ability; to each according to his needs. I have NO problem paying taxes. I have NO problem working. But I do have a problem when the government is coming after ME when it'd be more effective to either ask Philip Green or Vodafone to pay their taxes; or work more efficiently across departments; or IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF PUBLIC WORKS.
I've thought this for ages. I even tried playing with that government budget thing that let you do it your way. But it didn't work properly.
What I'd do to kickstart the economy is:
Start building (or repairing/renewing the ones we have now) roads, prisons, hospitals, schools. Yes, it's an initial outlay but we'd have to start employing people to do it. At all levels, from construction workers to finance staff, administrators etc, to architects. And when they're built - more doctors, teachers, nurses, prison officers. And the people who did the building would either transfer to the next project, or would work on repairs etc. Like the Forth Bridge. Once we'd completed it, there'd be things need repairing, or new projects.
And all these people would be being paid rather than taking benefits. So they'd be paying tax. But there'd be more money generally, they'd be spending and saving and activating the economy in areas OTHER THAN those directly affected.
If I can see this - why can't anyone else? Is it that stupid an idea???
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