Friday 11 September 2009

I suspect you could draw a similar graph for any taxpayer-funded activity

If that doesn't just piss in some fucker's chips, then I just don't know.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brown would give his other eye if those bottom lines showed electorate approval.
As it stands, a similar graph based on Labour's popularity at the moment would look like Kerry Katona's legs at the end of a good night out on the Lambrusco and charlie.

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner said...

Piss in some fucker's chips? Those with their snouts in the trough are so busy pissing in our chips, we're starting to suffer from pissitis! And furthermore, our chips have gone all soggy.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Nope.

There is a narrow class of taxpayer funded 'activities' that return a 'profit' (by whichever measure).

The fact that most taxpayer-funded activities (e.g. education) show an overall loss shouldn't encourage you to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Joe Public said...

That's just a graph of monetary Inflation.

bayard said...

Them Yanks should learn from our Dept of Education: the way to prevent those sort of statistics is to make the tests easier as time goes on, so that results get better in line with the increase in spending - simple!

Obnoxio The Clown said...

@MarkW: please enlighten me.

@Joe Public: what about the "constant 2008 dollars"?

Joe Public said...

Oops!

Confused by the 1970 - 2003 data, on a graph compiled in 2009.

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner said...

Like I said, our chips have gone all soggy.

Mark Wadsworth said...

What I mean is that there are 'core functions' which the state should definitely do, like police, law and order, defence, immigration controls etc.

It's easy to compile the list of 'core functions', it's the sub-section of two lists, being 'Things that have to be done collectively and by force' and 'Things that add value'.

Therefore, things like forcing people to carry ID cards is on the first list but not the second, ergo is not a 'core function' and shouldn't be done.

The state certainly should not provide education, although I think it's OK for it to dish out 'education vouchers'.