'Popeye' has a vision - get your wallet out!

Visions can be costly things. When Mary Beirne had a vision at Knock, Co Mayo they ended up with a massive airport that no one really needs. So when ‘Popeye’ (aka Alex Allinson) says people are seeing ‘a five year vision’ up at the MUA at Ballacottier it fills me with trepidation. Allison is holding forth about ‘rebalancing’ tariffs on MTTV the more he says the more I would like to rebalance a political baseball bat over his head.

MTTV is the is place for news at present the newspapers are either having a pre ‘Awards for Excellence’ sabbatical or ‘Scoop’ is working on another FOI extravaganza. Meanwhile Manx Radio is just buring the news of the latest losses down the pages with pap.

No! MTTV is the place to be even if Paul has gone electric (car) and wants to mention it in every interview. If this was Transnistria with real ‘telly’ Paul would have the equivalent of ‘The Late Late Show’ by now.

‘Popeye’ drones on about ‘rebalancing’ and how everything is above board we are only going to have CPI increases for the next five years. That is if Chris Thomas MHK hasn’t come up with a new inflation measure by then

Alex confesses that we have a debt of £470 million at the MUA - ‘no we don’t you cheeky bugger it wasn’t us that ran it up it was you THE GOVERNMENT’ that took its eye of the ball. Everyone accepted what someone like Alex said just as when he puts his latest proposals to Tynwald they will all nod it through like the ‘nodding dogs’ they are.

‘Rebalancing’ is not going to increase costs says ‘Popeye’ so I wonder why they are doing it. I didn’t believe ‘Colonel Cannan’ when he was running the MEA and I certainly don’t believe the latest incarnation of order up their even if he is disguised in an RAMC doctors uniform.

Allinson is going to increase business charges which should fill me with glee but it doesn’t because the businesses impacted will be the ones that employ real workers not the ones that employ morons in suits like KPMG of the ‘Pokerballs’ etc. Why no frantic squealing from the Chamber of Conmen I wonder at this ‘added cost’. You just know this government and its agencies are hand in glove - there is obviously a side deal on the agenda for parts of the finance sector service industry like tech - later on ‘Popeye’ alludes to this.

Allinson rules out water metering (remember that) and then witters on about smart meters that are going to pass on ‘savings to the customer’. I muse it's a shame J K Rowling has cornered the fantasy fiction market otherwise he his and co writers at the MUA would be in with a chance.

A modest part of the bloat at the MUA are the senior salaries many times what even the Chief Minister gets I bet Allex hasn’t taken his scalpel to them!

Punchline in the interview is when Moulton presses him to sum the changes up for the punters - nice one! Its ‘minimal pain for maximum gain’ says ‘Popeye’ cheerily. That is YOU feeling the pain and the MUA getting the gain. Time a bit of pain was felt up there!

Fortunately I have finished my toast when Allinson says in terms of getting his changes passed ‘nothing is an easy ride with Tynwald’ any shred of credibility he has just drops away and I thank my lucky stars I’m not taking a swig of tea. ‘Ted the tramp’ would have given this more of a coat of looking at than those self obsessed sycophants in Tynwald.

I watch the interview (unusually) until Alex fades away ‘would that real life was as easy’!

The link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IibYRF-DN90&feature=youtu.be

Image: MTTVs Paul Moulton interviews ‘Popeye’ about ‘minimal pain’!.

Bernard Moffatt