Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Banks' charitable donations: charity that sticks in the craw

Twice recently deserving causes have asked me to vote for them in a competition to win some money from a high street bank. In both cases, the money they want replaces money that the government would have given them, but no longer does.

The same principle lies behind Barnet council's so-called "Big Society Innovation Bank".

I find this really galling. Isn't the reason that we are having our public services, student finance, etc, butchered is because we bailed out the poxy banks in the first place? You don't see the people at the top of the banks tightening their belts.

I won't name who is bidding for what, because I don't want to embarrass anyone - or even jeopardise their chances! However, I feel very disinclined to join in this competition. The causes my friends are competing against are almost certainly deserving as well.

We need to stop competing against each other. We need to draw tighter together and show some solidarity in the face of a more formidable foe. I know that the people asking for my support basically think so as well so don't let's get distracted!

7 comments:

Mr Mustard said...

Great new name Vicki. I fear that in Barnet I am now less than a full citizen as my FOI requests get special treatment - and not especially good either.

Mrs Angry said...

Congratulations on your new name, Citizen, from the other fishwife-blogger-tricoteuse ...

baarnett said...

I'm pleased to see that you have followed the ideologically correct vanguard leadership given by, ahem, myself, on 14 July:

http://citizenbarnet.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-name-for-my-blog.html.

You have stood boldly and bravely against the incorrect political posterings of the discredited Gang of Four (Madame Angry, Mr Mustard, Roger, and Mr Reasonable).

baarnett said...

(I suggest you create a new blog with the old URL name, which merely tells people what the new URL is.)

Mrs Angry said...

baarnett: don't call me madame?

baarnett said...

Despite the seriousness of the accusations against her, Madame Angry appears unrepentant. She has not confessed her guilt, something that the Barnet Press and Times have emphasized to show her "bad attitude".

During her public trial at the "Special Court", her defence's argument has been that she obeyed the orders of Chairman Richard Cornelius at all times. It was at this trial that she made the famous quote: "I was Souperman Offord's dog. I bit whomever he asked me to bite." (Chinese: 我是主席的一条狗,主席要我咬谁就咬谁。).

Citizen Barnet said...

Good advice, Baarnett, about setting up a blog with the old url. I got an email today from a friend saying where's your blog? I have now set up vickim57.blogspot.com to direct people here.