Does anybody here take the Greens seriously?

[Psamathe]

Happens in all industries. If it is permitted/poor contracts/poor specs.
Some companies I've had dealings with had entire teams devoted to finding contractural holes to exploit.

Through the commercial part of my software development career we never pursued that (ie never quote low then exploit holes).

To avoid it before quoting, before customer awards contract we quote only to work with them and write a detailed Functional Specification (normally minimally above cost but being clear with them of the basis).

Only once Functional Specification was written (by us) and agreed would we quote to develop system and customer award contract (they could take that Functional Specification to other developers if they wanted).

So any shortcomings were as much our fault as theirs.

Maybe we benefited as most contracts were being delivered and installed within 12 months of agreeing the Spec.

Subsequently customer often did request changes but almost always as their business needs changed eg one system specified and developed for their warehouse export business but after 6 months they wanted to expand it to additionally be used for their UK business which operated differently.

 

[icowden]

True, but a quick Google gave me plenty of other examples including the NHS IT project in 2013 that was abandoned after 7 years, cost over £10 billion and only delivered a fraction of the promised services,

But quite a big fraction. It tends to get talked down but it successfully introduced smart cards, the NHS Spine, Choose and Book, Summary Care Record and a network of COmmunity Trusts who could all share data.

Where it failed was with Hospital systems. For GPs, Mental Health and Community it worked pretty well. Could it have been done better and more cheaply? Yes, of course. But that was largely due to the Tories insisting that market forces would work well and trying to divide the country up into packets.

the West Coast Mainline upgrade where budget soared from an estimated £2.1 billion to over £10 billion, contributing directly to Railtrack's bankruptcy,

Which I think again was linked to the Tories idea of market forces and having different companies run different lines, rolling stock etc..

 

[icowden]

Through the commercial part of my software development career we never pursued that (ie never quote low then exploit holes).

Unfortunately there are plenty of companies willing to do that, and they often benefit from contractual loopholes in public sector procurement.

 

[briantrumpet]

Which I think again was linked to the Tories idea of market forces and having different companies run different lines, rolling stock etc..

Putting ideology ahead of pragmatism and experience was also behind Grayling's absolutely disastrous attempt, with no pilot scheme, to outsource a large chunk of the Parole Service to private enterprise. Total shambles, and cost far more than what was there before. An expensive, jaw-dropping failure.

 

[Ian H]

The Greens have rattled the Economist.

which is amusing.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

I'll put this here for Zack (has he got a logon?) and @Stevo 666
(Paywalled unfortunately)

https://www.economist.com/by-invita...ueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

 

[briantrumpet]

I'll put this here for Zack (has he got a logon?) and @Stevo 666
(Paywalled unfortunately)

https://www.economist.com/by-invita...ueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Well done for finding such an unbiased commentator! And what a coincidence that he shares a name with the person who sold the world the idea of the Laffer Curve. Amazing!!

 

[briantrumpet]

Well done for finding such an unbiased commentator! And what a coincidence that he shares a name with the person who sold the world the idea of the Laffer Curve. Amazing!!

Sad we can't read it all, as I'm sure he'd point out that Reagan added 184.9% to the national debt.

 

[Ian H]

I like the Economist. It's reliable on most things, but not economics, where its invariable remedies are deregulate and cut taxes/benefits.

 

[UglyWithaSidePart]

Sad we can't read it all

https://archive.ph/1xUZk

 

[Dorset Boy]

NCAP tends to love to only focus on the failure of trickle down among the highest earners, who tend to save any extra income rather than spend it.

Where trickle down really works is lower down the income scale - at the point people start to pay tax or move from basic to higher rate tax. These people will spend any increase in income due to income tax cuts (or increases in the tax bands). You then get the multiplier effect.

Freezing the income tax bands for over a decade is not good if you want to generate economic growth, which only comes about through individuals and businesses spending money.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

NCAP tends to love to only focus on the failure of trickle down among the highest earners, who tend to save any extra income rather than spend it.

Where trickle down really works is lower down the income scale - at the point people start to pay tax or move from basic to higher rate tax. These people will spend any increase in income due to income tax cuts (or increases in the tax bands). You then get the multiplier effect.

Freezing the income tax bands for over a decade is not good if you want to generate economic growth, which only comes about through individuals and businesses spending money.

Is this satire?

 

[Dorset Boy]

Is this satire?

In what way would it be satire?
It's what happens - are you seriously suggesting that people at those margins don't spend the extra income they would receive if the income tax thresholds weren't increased?

 

[bobzmyunkle]

It's what happens - are you seriously suggesting that people at those margins don't spend the extra income they would receive if the income tax thresholds weren't increased?

Not at all.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Not at all.

So why did you ask if it was satire? Seems a really strange thing to have said.