I'm getting a bit cross with Howard!

I’m becoming more than a little annoyed with Howard Quayle the Chief Minister which is sad because I was starting to warm to him especially now his ‘Two Ronnies’ double act with Paul Moulton was rivalling ‘Unforgotten as the high point of my weekly viewing.

I mean Howard can come across as smugly indifferent especially when you learn that people are starving on his watch (link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/the-big-table-welcomes-e...

Peel is getting a depression era dining hall which I suppose is the next step on from food banks and yet we are told we are ‘living an economic dream’ not a depression.

I mean fair play to those who spend time and effort or give support to the Peel initiative or the foodbank but what's Howard government doing. I mean I’ll take his word for it that they are not all on holiday. However the plight of the needy seems to be on the backburner behind allowing tax breaks of giving grants to their business chums .

It's not as if Howard and the COMIN crew are unaware of the issue, Back in 2017 he did seem a tad indiferent when questioned on the matter but by this year when it came up again he said it was ‘very troubling’ and ‘no child should go hungry’ (links):

http://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/no-child-should-go-hungry-says...

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=36166&headline=MHK%20disappoin...

So what is the government doing?

A colleague of mine was at a government thingy the other evening at which they were touting ‘The Year of Our Island’ and almost begging people to apply for money so there is obviously cash about. Surely the government should be handling food aid if its necessary or at the very least providing free premises (I understand the Foodbank pay ‘a shed load of money’ just for premises) how many tins of beans would that free up.

There is of course a bigger debate here about what sort of society we want why aren’t Manx Radio and the other media stimulating it instead of entertaining us with drivel such as Jane Hughes latest antics in the courts. Manx Radio has a key role as the PBS it should lead the debate not just suborn. Let’s be blunt media items such as reports on food banks or food aid are reported as if they are great initiatives instead of in a thought provoking ‘ how have we come to this’ manner.

I’m very cross with Howard and you should be to! Its 2018 not 1718!

Image: Depression era dining room the future ‘Year of Our Island’

Bernard Moffatt