The States just don't get it

What are the Minister's intentions with this
latest budget proposal? Revenge? 

There have been several instances recently which have displayed the ignorance of the States of Jersey. They simply do not get the realities of life in Jersey.

Firstly, Home Affairs Minister, Ian Le Marquand was distressed to find that several people had chosen to perform the service of enduring imprisonment instead of paying fines. The simple reality is that every statute is simply a means of regulating the operation of government and raising revenue through stealth taxation.

We are all born free and no statute ever tells us we cannot do something, it simply states that if we do perform certain acts then the government will tax us through financial penalties, but that we have the choice to accept imprisonment instead of paying these taxes. It should come as no surprise that people are choosing to endure imprisonment.

Secondly, Social Security Minister, Francis Le Gresley, indicated that 'benefits cheats' had stolen from all of us. This again is not the reality of the situation, it is the States of Jersey that steals from us when they collect taxes from us. As long as there is a benefits system it will be gamed, the only solution is to do away with the benefits system in its entirety.

Finally the Treasury Minister, Philip Ozouf, has set forth what can only be described as a 'F*** You All' budget. The projections for growth of 5% per year and for interest rates of 5% which will be required to 'balance the books' over the next three years are out of line with all thinking from international bodies. It is almost as if they have made the forecasts to support their planned increases in expenditure, rather than plan increases in expenditure based on 0% growth and 0% interest rates, which is still a forecast on the 'upside'.

Perhaps Senator Ozouf has decided that as he is not getting re-elected he is going to bring the whole system down by working towards a plan that can only end in disaster... there can be no confidence in the future of the States of Jersey.