'A REPEAT of the ‘flying banana’ controversy has been avoided after a last-minute intervention by the new Chief Minister. Senator Ian Gorst stepped in to stop taxpayers’ money being spent employing a private design company to create a logo for a website used by States employees.
Earlier this year, employees were asked to come up with a name for the new States intranet service, a system that allows them to communicate using their computers. The competition was won by a civil servant at Home Affairs, who came up with the name MyStates. When the winning entry was announced, all States employees were told that a professional agency would design a new logo to go with the name.
But when St John Constable Phil Rondel heard of the plans, he contacted Senator Gorst to point out that spending money on designing a logo was not appropriate while some Islanders were struggling to make ends meet.'
Firstly there is some good news, Phil Rondel doing the usual stand up job for the people of Jersey and Ian Gorst showing that he can listen to a reasoned argument and make decisions. Why you need a logo for an intranet service which one presumes no one but States Employees will ever use is beyond me...
I am sure it is just one of the many ways that our Civil Servants devise to waste taxpayers money. There are big budgets and all the money needs to be spent. I am sure that there is something hidden in there... as far as I knew all States employees could already communicate using their computers. I certainly have no trouble e-mailing them.
Secondly though there is the repeat of the 'flying banana' idea. Clearly the logo looks nothing like a banana. I submit to you that it is in fact a golden bird in flight, stylised none the less, but without doubt a golden bird, perhaps even a golden goose.
The message is clear - Jersey is a place to land your gold safely. The trouble with marketing Jersey in such a way, rather than pretending to be the village idiot who has been taken advantage of by 'evil bankers' is that you invite attention. If you establish your intentions as to attract Capital away from other jurisdictions then you invite others to seek to prevent you from your aims.
Once the government becomes involved in supporting certain industries, it inevitable invites other governments to interfere.
The bad news for Jersey is that the United Kingdom by vetoing the EU deal appears to be laying the groundwork to become the offshore financial centre for the European Union and the United States.
As a potential safe haven for your Capital the United Kingdom is far and away a clear favourite. Is it becoming clear that the the UK financial services sector have used Jersey as a sandbox to develop and test the future of the UK financial sector.
Rondel did the right thing bringing this up before it got vetoed. Gorst is also right not letting it get vetoed.
ReplyDeleteWhoever came up with the idea that a logo is required and needs money spending on it should be up for a ticking off at the minimum.
I am not saying this from the point of it just being a waste of money and not even being worthwhile when they can use the logo from the states internet site but rather what person decided they had tax payers money to do with as the like. The persons or persons who wanted a new logo designed are typical of the way civil srvants up high see a budget as having to be spent rather than make some savings.
Lastly, all businesses i have worked for with an intranet site use the businesses logo. It's plainly obvious that they would use it yet for some reason somebody decides thats not good enough for the states intranet. They just wanted to spend money and were dare I say it hoping for some kudos which has unfortunately for them backfired. Good.