Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
But Howard - Ross and I are not politically aligned, far from it - but we do both have financial knowledge from our different political and professional experiences so when we do agree, as frequently we do in respect of the Reg and Keith show, I would suggest it is quite significant.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Energy Profiteering by the Big Six have increased their profit margins by 733 % in just 3 months last year.
In the first 6 months of 2011 the Big Six profits were £ 3.5 billion.
A campaign is launched to force Big Six energy companies to share their profits with the needy.
5.5 million households are suffering under fuel poverty,many having to chose between heating or eating turning their heating down when still cold.
3,000 deaths are caused every year by fuel poverty.
Take overs shrank 20 energy companies at privatisation to six.
Lack of competition means the rish get richer and the poor get colder.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Howard - as Barry says he and I are politically poles apart, however as he rightly points out we both work in financial services and understand how the system works.
Reg - whilst the bald figures look to be offensive how much was intentional and how much due to unseasonal fluctuations in input prices stretching profits? I agree absolutely that excessive profits should be shared with their customers, so lets try to define excessive shall we?
a market of 6 entities is still competitive, unless you can (you cannot) prove market collusion or the operation of a cartel, then it is what it is.
From my perspective I would prefer a market of two, one supplying gas and one supplying electricity....
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
barryw
(maybe even ross)
whilst you both may work in some kind of financial affairs, that doesn't mean other posters are lacking in financial knowledge.
knowing of reg's background there is no way he would have achieved as much as he has if he didn't have that knowledge.
but i'm sure reg can defend himself
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
barryw
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
barryw
(maybe even ross)
whilst you both may work in some kind of financial affairs, that doesn't mean other posters are lacking in financial knowledge.
knowing of reg's background there is no way he would have achieved as much as he has if he didn't have that knowledge.
but i'm sure reg can defend himself
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Keith, try putting a new needle on the record!
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
They also say a little knowledge is dangerous - and if you only have a little knowledge, you can make some very bad decisions/comments.
Roger
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yes roger.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,883
Oh dear!!!!!!!!!!!!
#348. That means I should keep my opinions to myself since I often comment on things where I only have a little knowledge, which is the same for ALL of us at times.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
A little Learning is a dang'rous Thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring:
There shallow Draughts intoxicate the Brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Fir'd at first Sight with what the Muse imparts,
In fearless Youth we tempt the Heights of Arts,
While from the bounded Level of our Mind,
Short Views we take, nor see the lengths behind,
But more advanc'd, behold with strange Surprize
New, distant Scenes of endless Science rise!
An extract from An Essay on Criticism, by Pope. What he expressed in the early 18th century still holds today, except that nowadays many of the subjects we discuss are far more complex than in his day. But we can only learn more if we understand the shortness of our knowledge, so nobody should feel unwilling to venture an opinion on a subject of which they know very little.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
I am always surprised that we are always surprised that "nothing is new" in Heaven and Earth. The more we know the less we know, and the only way to know more is to ask the right questions and have conversations. That is partly why this forum works.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Yes but it only works properly if people realise their knowledge and understanding are limited. I really do try to refrain from posting on subjects of which I know SFA.
'Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself' - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
# 350...........agree...perhaps we should apologise each time we post...............
# 333 & 343.....thanks for reply....financial systems like all systems need monitoring..........and wnen they
``blip``it needs to be exposed.
Courtesy..........``The Week``
FTSE top 100 CEO`s pay increased by 13.7 % on average while their companies themselves grew by only
1.7%..........the current uproar is not driven by politicians or the media it is coming from grassroots up.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
As always only part of the story from Reg with your love for big, bossy and domineering government getting into every aspect of our lives and businesses. You would have done well in the Soviet Union, look what happened there - not a model we or any country would be wise to follow.
We should be welcoming business growth, we need it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
reg is right about public opinion driving the current discontent with the elite.
we now have bob diamond with his £.3 million admittedly barclays were run in such a way that they didn't need to dip their hands into our pockets but the basic fact is that profits are down and his bonus goes up.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
And who controls/drives public opinion if it isn't the media? They set the agenda.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Public opinion is being driven by the media; which in turn is being driven by who?
Think about these things:
How do we find out about the growth in executive pay?
Who keeps pushing the information at us?
What do the purveyors of the information want?
What is the underlying agenda here?
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Would the agenda even exist if it were journalists who earned multi-million pound bonuses?
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i don't think the agenda really matters, the press report things and if a chord is struck with the public they will make an issue of it.
they are there purely to sell newspapers, the public at large are up in arms over the vast salaries and bonuses of those at the top whilst the rest are struggling.
this is particularly true where the performance of the companies they front bears no relation to their bonuses.