“Ps "training" in stacking shelves? How many shelf stackers does Great Britain really need?”

“Wally, how did you imagine all that from sending a link? Ive said that I think companies (particularly large profitable and weathering-the-storm ones) like Tescos should give back to the people of the country that helped make them successful and start properly employing people to help kick start growth. Not expect government subsidy or slave labour to sweeten the pot!”

“Wally37,
The government is currently considering the need for libraries. So, as I say, the argument has not been lost. Lots of people were saying that the library campaigners had lost the court case before it had even gone to court. After we won, there were still people who claimed that we had lost, or who (like you) blamed us for supposedly wasting public money, when that was what the council had actually done (as evidenced by the judge's ruling).
You appear to think that I am a librarian. I am not, and never have been, a librarian of any kind.
I think that visiting the library is the same as using it, but there may be some semantic difference. If you go there to order a book, you are still using the library. I can't see why it would take six weeks to obtain a book, unless it was out of print and they were waiting for it to be printed, in which case a charity shop might well offer a better chance of obtaining the book.
Lot's of pre-school children get books from the library. Sometimes the child will like one particular book so much that the parents then buy it from a bookshop. (I have a friend with a three-year-old, so I know about these things).”

“Tim

You have confused me. Are we talking about Tesco's or A4e? Are we talking NEETs, or the long term Unemployed who are on benefits?

Are you against the government paying for training?

Who would you employ in your small family business?
A 17 year old (NEET) who has never been to college. Never worked and only has GCSE grade E in art.
Or
A 17 year old (NEET) who has never been to college. Never worked and only has GCSE grade E in art. Who has been in an unpaid work experience programme with TESCO's, and has a glowing reference from the employer?

Next, you will be telling me that the government should be paying all 16 - 18 year olds to attend Gloscol college and that they should be paid the minimum wage for attending.

If you want to pay 16 – 18 year olds the minimum wage for learning then next you will be telling me that children in school are being exploited and that they too should be paid for working in school.”

“Stop press: http://tinyurl.com/6rguafk”

“Wally37, I would lead your idea of saving public money blah blah blah some credence. Unfortunately after thousands of public sector redundancies our government thinks the best idea to reduce unemployment is to PAY major retailers to employ untrained, unskilled young people to stack shelves NO salary. How does this benefit anyone but the retailers? Unfortunately it is BS like this that exposes the sham of "cutting back" on "wasteful public expenditure". Apparently it's only wasteful when you are spending on services for the needy, NOT when you are throwing money at major companies who should ALREADY AND WITHOUT SUBSIDY be trying to ease unemployment to balance public sector job losses.”

“Kay Powell

The argument was lost many years ago when library usage was in decline and you had to have gimmicks like DVD and computers to try and bring in the punters. The fact that private companies make a profit providing the same services you are and that we have free education, means that your services are no longer required.

I visit the library. That is not the same as using it. The choice of books is limited. When I did try to get a book I had to wait 6 weeks because it was not in stock, I ended up buying it in a charity bookshop.

So how many pre school children are actually getting books from the library ? The government already pays pre school nursery vouchers so children go to a pre school nursery where they can begin the rudiments of reading, Once again a service provided by the library is duplicated.

Action for Employment or A4e, are one of those companies that takes public sector money to help the unemployed find work. It is part of the training course for the unemployed person to spend a couple of hours a day sat in front of a computer job searching and writing up their CV.A4e get paid by results.

There is no need for a library to have computers for the unemployed? Unless your librarians are also teachers and qualified to give advice and guidance and know the job market, they are not required.

So let's leave the money with A4e who are paid by results and take it from the library who are not paid by result?

Finally, the only reason we are not yet in the same boat as Greece is that at least someone is trying to cut back on public expenditure that we can't afford.

The good old days of borrowing just to provide nice things have gone.
Cuts to local libraries are unfortunately necessary to protect other far more important services.”

“Wally37,
The argument over the need for public libraries has not been lost. It is still being considered.
Why have your previous comments (last summer) repeatedly referred to your use of Charlton Kings Library, when you also claim that small, local libraries are not needed?
Pre-school children and home-educated children can't obtain books from a school library.
I don't have any knowledge of A4e, but it sounds as if this organisation is sucking up a lot of public funds. Perhaps libraries could be put to better use and A4e abolished instead. Is that where you work?
Many of the books that can be found in a library are not the same ones that can be found in a charity shop.
I don't think that we are in the same boat as Greece.”

“Really?
I got up early Saturday morning especially to offer my opinion.
Ended up cutting my hand on the escalator as well!”

“Kay Powell,

I expect my government and my council to live within its budget. I happily pay taxes for those things that we as a society need, even if I don't personally use them.

The argument over the need for public libraries has been lost; as each one of their services is either duplicated by the state and or provided by the private sector.

I fully support reference libraries in the main centres of population, and I will be stood shoulder to shoulder with you if the council ever tried to take them away.

However, I will always choose to stop money being wasted on small libraries so that;

A few OAP's can be kept occupied when their local church has a coffee morning each week ,

A few mums can sit and have a chat whilst pretending to teach their children to read books, that can be obtained in the school library.

Men and women use the internet to email their lover without leaving a signature on their home PC

The unemployed can shop on ebay and claim its job hunting when A4e provide the same job hunting service and have just paid their boss £8 million from the taxpayer.

Children can be taught to read instead of at school and the Sure Start Centre

That DVD's can be borrowed, instead of getting them from Blockbuster , Lovefilm etc.

Finally, so that you can borrow second hand books that are very cheap to buy in any charity shop.

Today Greece has agreed to unelected foreign technocrats overseeing the running of its budget.

Keep on wasting our money and soon we will have the same.”