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Not Apathetic

Tell the world why you're not voting - don't let your silence go unheard

They're not voting because...

I am single and what the parties would...

I am single and what the parties would term a high earner. They all wish to tax me and waste my money in providing in a very inefficient manner the services that I shall not use. Why should I and my colleagues (M and F) slave on whilst we now see others get 12 months off for maternity and force flexible working on us for the next x years.
On health the Labour party will waste billions on stupid politically dreamt up initiatives. They will employ "Project Managers" and "Diversity Managers" and all at the same time as deriding management generally. They will leave the service undermanaged and underfunded due to a system that causes units to fight each other. None of them will admit that it is not possible to fund the service that the people expect any more i.e. they want the new drug/treatment, they want it now, they want it local, oh and if in your best endeavours they are injured they will sue the service that provided the care. The National Programme for IT is a runaway train.
They all pay too much attention to the newspapers.
None of them do any impact analysis of one policy on another.
They are all odious characters that one would choose to avoid if presented with their company in a public house. Blair looks like a nice chap alright, but Brown isn't, and Reid, Prescott and Kelly are a joke. Howard has had a makeover but look under the covers and you find Letwin, a greasier purveyor of drivel you will not find on a long summers day. Kennedy, well he's had a baby and that's all I know about him, nuff said.
I possibly will vote, but only because I will then be one of the numbers against the big three and I think that counts. I could not vote for Labours waste, Conservatives slime, or Liberals tax tax tax.

written 4th May 2005

Responses

cinsky replies: why should i pay for hospitals, when i'm wealthy enough to go private?
Why should i pay for education when i don't go to school?
why should i pay for welfare when i'm earning lots of money and don't need it?
why should i pay for mothers to take time off work to look after their children?
why should i pay for public transport when i've got a 4x4 which gets me everywhere?

jeez, when did we all got so selfish?

the only "why should i" that carries any weight is: why should i pay for the goddamn monarchy? Fact!

written 4th May 2005

Alex replies: Speaking for myself I've always been self interested, but I only got this selfish (rouhgly the same as the original poster) more recently. It started about the age of 17 when I saw just how much tax was taken out of my lowly wage! When I saw how they squandered it I was well on the way. A couple of Ayn Rand novels and an economics degree later and here I am, opposed in principal to the redistribution of wealth, and to any interference in free contract.

written 4th May 2005

Anonymous replies: As you are American why don't you just go and vote in the US elections and leave us alone?
I don't wish to pay nothing for services, I just wish them to be run efficiently, non-politically and fairly funded pro rata. I happen to work in the NHS and can see the waste for myself. I certainly have no desire to "go private" and am a supporter of the principals (as such I am against the Conservative proposals).
Your reactionary response indicates to me that you actually will be voting for one of the extremes in fact and therefore wonder what you are doing here.
I am not against maternity leave as you suggest, but certainly am against 12 months of it with all guarantees and flexibility going one way. I can no longer back fill vacancies for these roles as they cost the full salary for the whole term anyway (minus the statutory) and all temp contracts that go over 12 months assume full rights. Another great European law. If you want to leave work, then leave.

I am also against the monarchy and 4x4s so you don't have me badged right at all. Maybe it's your American upbringing?

Things I would support are: a fair taxation system; a responsible environmental policy; a sound public transport policy; a realistic health policy; sound public finance management not politically driven; non-interference with moral personal and lifestyle choices; anti-nanny state; decisions made by experts not politicians and tabloids. Oh, and I would review use of speed cameras and only put them exactly where there is a proven accident blackspot within 100m, and generally review all limits. Free public transport for the elderly.
I don't believe any of the 3 do any one of these.

written 4th May 2005

About Not Apathetic

NotApathetic was built so that people who are planning not to vote in the UK General Election on May 5th can tell the world why. We won't try to persuade you that voting is a good or a bad idea - we're just here to record and share your explanations. Whether ideological, practical or other, any reason will do.

A lot of users would like us to mention that if you spoil your ballot paper, it will be counted. So if you want to record a vote for "none of the above", you can.

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