This really made me smile, the Californian Government is having a ‘garage sale’ in a bid to raise some much needed cash to help ease the massive budget deficit that the State is facing, California’s State deficit for this year alone is $10.5 billion dollars.
Items for sale include Cars, Trucks, Blackberry’s, Laptops, Office Furniture, a piano and even prison uniforms. The sale is on for two days and the sellers are expecting a big demand for products on offer.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
STV opt out, could this help ITV Wales?
Central Scotland's ITV franchise STV is dropping many ITV Autumn dramas from its schedule such as Wuthering Heights, The Fixer, Doc Martin, Blue Murder or Agatha Christie's Marple following on earlier this year axing more established programmes like the Bill and Midsummer Murders in an attempt to create more quality Scottish programming and a unique Channel 3 brand for Scotland.
The move by STV management who took over two years ago said in announcing the axing of programmes that “This is a long-term strategy for STV. We have been investing in and developing high quality productions since the start of the year and they are now starting to hit TV screens in strong, high profile time slots. So far we’ve seen some great results. We’ll be rolling out more of our Scottish productions and acquired series we believe will appeal to our viewers into 2010.”
ITV still control Scottish Border region and Scottish viewers will still be able to see ITV’s schedule if they have satellite TV, but it’s certainly a bold statement of intent on behalf of Scotland’s independent broadcaster to put Scottish programmes ahead of UK ones.
Could this move help here in Wales where the discussion on the demise of ITV Wales and the public subsidy from BBC Wales to keep going are about the only option on the table is there anything we can we learn our Scottish cousins.
The move by STV management who took over two years ago said in announcing the axing of programmes that “This is a long-term strategy for STV. We have been investing in and developing high quality productions since the start of the year and they are now starting to hit TV screens in strong, high profile time slots. So far we’ve seen some great results. We’ll be rolling out more of our Scottish productions and acquired series we believe will appeal to our viewers into 2010.”
ITV still control Scottish Border region and Scottish viewers will still be able to see ITV’s schedule if they have satellite TV, but it’s certainly a bold statement of intent on behalf of Scotland’s independent broadcaster to put Scottish programmes ahead of UK ones.
Could this move help here in Wales where the discussion on the demise of ITV Wales and the public subsidy from BBC Wales to keep going are about the only option on the table is there anything we can we learn our Scottish cousins.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Leaving it to the Others
It’s fair to say that the Welsh Conservatives have been slow in reacting to the NHS row that has erupted over the last week or so, maybe they were hoping to get away with not saying anything at all, as that seems to be the default position of the Tories in Cardiff Bay on a whole range of issues at the moment.
I guess they finally realised that they needed to say something and so Andrew RT Davies the Tories Health Spokesman has an article in the Western Mail today on the Conservatives position on the NHS.
Its pretty tame and says nothing new to Welsh politics followers and while the article is welcome why is it being left to the Health Spokesman to spell out the party’s position, does Nick Bourne not realise that the issue of the Tories running the NHS for some people in Wales remains uneasy, especially following the scrapping of prescription charges announcement.
David Cameron didn’t leave it to Andrew Lansley to spell out the UK Conservative position because he knew it is still a sensitive area for the Tories, its telling the Leader of the Opposition Nick Bourne doesn’t have the same political nous.
I guess they finally realised that they needed to say something and so Andrew RT Davies the Tories Health Spokesman has an article in the Western Mail today on the Conservatives position on the NHS.
Its pretty tame and says nothing new to Welsh politics followers and while the article is welcome why is it being left to the Health Spokesman to spell out the party’s position, does Nick Bourne not realise that the issue of the Tories running the NHS for some people in Wales remains uneasy, especially following the scrapping of prescription charges announcement.
David Cameron didn’t leave it to Andrew Lansley to spell out the UK Conservative position because he knew it is still a sensitive area for the Tories, its telling the Leader of the Opposition Nick Bourne doesn’t have the same political nous.
Monday, August 24, 2009
A new(ish) face for the same old agenda
For those like myself, who are interested in the Welsh Labour leadership to see who will be the next First Minster and rather than the next Labour leader in Wales and hoping that the leadership battle may go beyond the usual welsh political topics of public services, public services and public services, to addressing some of Wales wider needs it’s been disappointing to read recent Western Mail articles on the Labour leadership, especially when you consider whoever is elected is likely to be the most senior elected Labour representative in the UK, if the Conservatives win the next General Election.
Leaving aside the candidates are being allowed to spend as much as they like on their campaigns, which is odd as they are likely to be variations on the same theme, the Western Mail’s list of who will fund the leadership campaigns of Carwyn Jones, Huw Lewis, Jane Hutt and Edwina Hart shows the main donors will be the Trade Unions, other such as elected Labour members and the Co-operative Party will contribute, but it’s the Unions who still have the final say on who get to be Wales First Minister.
It also ensures that Labour’s interests are still firmly driving the Welsh political agenda by continuing to make public services the main policy focus of the new First Minister whoever he or she maybe. It seems as if the contest which could offer some real changes will be little more than window dressing when real changes could be put forward to address the needs across Wales.
Leaving aside the candidates are being allowed to spend as much as they like on their campaigns, which is odd as they are likely to be variations on the same theme, the Western Mail’s list of who will fund the leadership campaigns of Carwyn Jones, Huw Lewis, Jane Hutt and Edwina Hart shows the main donors will be the Trade Unions, other such as elected Labour members and the Co-operative Party will contribute, but it’s the Unions who still have the final say on who get to be Wales First Minister.
It also ensures that Labour’s interests are still firmly driving the Welsh political agenda by continuing to make public services the main policy focus of the new First Minister whoever he or she maybe. It seems as if the contest which could offer some real changes will be little more than window dressing when real changes could be put forward to address the needs across Wales.
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