Interesting thread I read earlier about 'austerity' that might interest Bordo...
This guy used to be deputy chairman of Bradford Council. I’ll copy the full thread for ease of reading. He doesn’t mention the specific problem of immigration but it is implied because the council has a statutory to to provide support:
It is budget time so Guardian columnists are writing about austerity. This is one of those subjects on which they are consistently wrong but they are Guardian columnists so we should allow them some leeway.
Service cuts aren’t austerity.
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The core problem for Britain is what we might call Free Stuff Socialism, the rising number of broad entitlements to public funding enjoyed by most – in many cases all – the population.
This is what causes austerity.
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Your local council closed the children’s centres, public loos and day care facilities because these are non-statutory and they can make savings.
Your council can’t cut entitlements
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The child with an SEN statement is likely to be entitled to free home school transport. Prior to receiving that statement the child was taken to school in the parents cars. After the council pays for a taxi. In most cases this is an entitlement.
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There are entitlements to school dinners, childcare, domiciliary care, equipment, transport, bus travel all of which take funding priority over visible services and facilities like youth clubs and adult day care
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The same problem plays out within national departments and agencies. With the result that the broad health and welfare system pushes out services like defence, policing and infrastructure maintenance.
This is not austerity.
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Free Stuff Socialism is the problem. The public are bought off by politicians who respond to Guardian columnists calling for more free stuff only for those same columnists to mither about austerity when it is clear the books won’t balance.
There is no austerity
https://twitter.com/SimonMagus/status/1 ... 58238?s=20
