At Last - A Chance to Say Something as to How Your Tax Money is Spent

I had an e-mail today from my nephew. He was forwarding a message he had received from David Cameron.

David Cameron's message was all about public spending - and, of course, the necessity of cutting it down.

Whilst I can remember many times in the past when cuts in public spending needed to be made - or were made willy-nilly - in order to avoid an economic crisis, I can't remember any Government asking me for my opinion as how those cuts might be made fairly and responsibly, or inviting me to comment on the waste of public funds. So the message was a 'newbie' for me - and it's probably going to be 'newbie' for you as well.

Don't miss this opportunity to have your say and make yourself heard! Go to Spending Challenge and tick the boxes, check out all the tags and ideas - and submit your own ideas.

In his e-mail David Cameron remarked that it is, after all, your money that your Government spends - and that's true. Having a Government that admits it? That's new.

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com

Secrets of the Job Hunt - Something For Everybody, Everywhere

Weeks - actually I think it's more probably months! - ago, I mentioned something called Secrets of the Job Hunt . If you didn't join - and it is free to join! - take the time to look at it again, even if you don't happen to be based in the United States.

In the first place, joining means that you will get e-mails with Pod Cast attachments. The Pod Casts address a lot of issues. Don't be parochial when you listen to them. There are nuggets of information in there that apply to everyone who is looking for a job wherever they happen to be based. Just because you don't happen to live in New York, for example, doesn't mean that there isn't something in that particular Pod Cast for you.

Secondly, there are a lot of blogs there. I was particularly impressed by the one written by Lizandra Vega entitled "Six Unusual Things That Will Blow Your Job Interview" - not least because I've interviewed people who've 'blown it' in one or another of those six ways.

If you look for her page on Secrets of the Job Hunt, you'll also find that she has made a video entitled "Job Interviewing Tips - Appearance, Behaviour and Communication", which is also well worth a visit.

I have to say that I get more impressed with this particular site every time I visit - and never mind that the jobs advertised there are in the USA. The site is 'cross border' and has many things to say that are valuable to everyone.

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com/

Could be Worse - You Could be Unemployed in France

Quite a lot of France wasn't working today because the retirement age here is going to be raised from 60 to 62. Few of the trains were running, not too many schools were open - and quite a few private businesses were closed.

In the United States the retirement age for everybody is 65 - and a lot of people prefer to keep on working past that age if they possibly can. In England many people complain they have to retire at 65 whether they want to or not.

And a lot of people in all three countries would like to have a job to retire from at whatever age.

The budget wasn't thrilling - a rise in VAT and a downgraded benefit system isn't going to please anybody - but there was a lot in the budget that gave business (and particularly small business) an incentive to hire people, and a lot there, too, that could help people to set up a small business of their own.

And despite the downgraded benefit system, you can still keep a roof over your head if it doesn't cost the state more than £400 a week, and get quite a lot of other assistance.

And your qualifications, if you have any, will allow you to stand on a level playing field with everyone else who has the same qualifications.

• There is no incentive for businesses in France to hire people, and legislation has made it very difficult for anyone to get hired on a permanent basis however good their qualifications.
• Everyone who passes their Baccaleuréate examination in France has an identical qualification to everyone else who passes that examination anywhere in the country - but in fact its value depends upon where a person passes it, so that it is less valuable to people who have studied for it in poor communities.
• Taxation makes it virtually impossible to set up a small business and still earn enough to live.
• There is no such thing as Housing Benefit - if you don't have a job here you can say 'goodbye' to your apartment, or your room, or whatever else you are renting to live in because the state will not pay for it if you cannot pay for it yourself.

There is a lot wrong with Britain - but there's a lot right with it as well. Things could be worse - you could be unemployed in France.

Emily - http://www.therapypartnership.com