Mossack Fonseca in the JEP, 4 days before the Panama Papers story broke

The story of the "Panama Papers" leak broke on the 3rd of April, 2016. Here was a little article in the JEP just 4 days earlier.

I love a good coincidence, don't you?

Department of Expensive Cock-Ups

How often does a States department have to change its name?

States Main Roads Department
Department of Public Buildings and Works
Public Works (Dept)
Public Services
Transport and Technical Services
Department for Infrastructure

I feel I really don't have to say any more!

Price, Beckham, and the value of opinions

On the State Radio this morning, we were treated to the illogical utterances of Matthew Price again. Apparently a Mr Beckham had been reported elsewhere in the media as having given his point of view about the Scottish independence referendum. Price questioned why anyone should care what Beckham thinks on the matter. Beckham's opinion is neither here nor there, according to Price.

Yet, strangely, we are forever being given the benefit of Price's views on so many things. We are constantly reminded that he likes show tunes, grammatical pedantry, but not chocolate or curry - something of an own goal (excuse the football reference in the circumstances) because, by constantly reaffirming how proud he is to be so very different to most of us, he is reinforcing our beliefs that he really is a very odd bloke.

So it's OK for Price to weigh in on just about anything that's up for discussion during his show, yet it's not OK for Beckham? Beckham being the rich, good looking (apparently) and successful man with whom many of us would be quite happy to trade places (I can't tell you how much my teeth were on edge typing "with whom" - no-one talks like that except human oddities) and Price is the guy for who many of us would say "err, no thanks" for the offer of a life swap, I suspect. Very strongly suspect..... but maybe I'm wrong? :) 

Having seen the fascinating documentary of Beckham's travels through a jungle with his friends, and liking the revelation of what the man is really like (away from the distortions purveyed by the 'accredited' media of the world) ...... I know who I'd rather spend an evening with, over several pints in a comfortable bar.

The Price isn't right!

Leah McGrath Goodman loses cred

I saw this on Clever Trevor's blog comments, after having read about it already on my usual daily news sites.

"It would appear that Leah McGrath Goodman has either just broken one of the biggest stories on the planet, or seriously overplayed her hand.

http://mag.newsweek.com/2014/03/14/bitcoin-satoshi-nakamoto.html

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/07/satoshi-nakamoto-denies-inventing-bitcoin

On the sites where people get to comment, there has been a strong backlash against Leah, saying this was a very low thing to do. On one site I even found a predictable reference to HDLG :

"The journalist was sniffing around the island of Jersey because of alleged financial malfeasance and, more bizarrely, supposedly murdered children at the now infamous Haut la Garenne childrens home. I know from my reading on this matter that this is abject bollocks, and made me question her wisdom."
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2014/03/06/bitcoin_inventor_satoshi_nakamoto_revealed/

( a second story on The Register is about Nakamono's denial : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/07/nakamono_man_denies_inventing_bitcoin/ )

The evidence for him being the inventor seems to be a matter of opinion, hardly anything concrete. Even if he was behind BTC, what right does Leah have to expose him? From being a champion of truth and justice, it seems she has immediately sunken to gutter press levels of self interest. So that's a big "Whoops!" and a blow for the cause of the abuse victims. How sad.

Maison de Ville in the sloppy news

More sloppy reporting again - the Maison de Ville care home is to close  - but where is it? Would it kill them to actually say, for those of us who may be hazy on such things?

Does the basic journalism of "Who, what, why, when, where?" no longer apply to our local media?

It's here on Google Maps (Streetview), up La Pouquelaye.

(btw, look at the website for the home at www.sthelier.je and compare the photo they've used with the view Streetview - looks familiar?! Can we wonder "copyright theft"?)

Oh, and as for the "nearby" St.Ewold's (maybe on the map, but it's still a long-ish indirect walk for even the fittest youngsters) that involves taking a right from Trinity Hill here (Streetview) and it looks like this (Streetview).

Digital Jersey Divide

Digital Jersey was set up to promote the island's digital economy and make the most of future IT opportunities. Would you expect membership to be open to anyone interested? No...... from a look at their website's registration page, we see that you have to be a Jersey-based company, partnership or sole trader.

• What if you're retired from the industry but still interested, wanting to have some input and pass on some of your wisdom accumulated over the years?
• What if you're currently out of work, hoping and waiting for the next IT job to come along - and would benefit from being able to attend their events to network and get your face known?
• What if you're 'just' an employee, not management?
• What if you work in another industry but want to switch, or are keenly interested for any reason?
• What if you're a student or school leaver also eager to embark on a Digital Jersey career?

Sorry.... but it looks like you're not welcome! Jersey's legendary lack of inclusivity strikes again. Just another one of those "them and us" divides that crop up all too often.

Stuart the Prophet of Doom - was he right?

On a day when the radio this morning mentioned the decline of Jersey's Trust Industry and the 2000+ unemployed are growing in number all the time, I vaguely remember back when Stuart Syvret started blogging in 2008 that he forecast the collapse of Jersey, mass unemployment, etc.

I have found it hard to find the real foretelling of doom, it may have been on other forums or website comment sections, but it's worth re-reading his earliest blog entry -
http://stuartsyvret.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/introduction-to-microcosm-it-seems.html

.. and others -
http://stuartsyvret.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/growing-problems.html

http://stuartsyvret.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/in-your-name.html

http://stuartsyvret.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/jersey-election-special-7.html
"an island so wrecked, expensive, and economically knackered that your children and grandchildren all emigrate."

So far we haven't had a total collapse, but one has to wonder just how close are we to a runaway "tipping point"?

Far too many people are out of work, and finding it impossible to find any, facing the loss of their home and the slide towards the state of having almost nothing left - the point at which Income Support may finally help you; once you've finally lost your home and seen your savings dwindle to 20% of sweet F.A. and need a States flat because you're out on the street, but sorry there's a waiting list as long as St.Catherine's breakwater.

All this, while reading in the paper that there are bucketloads of jobs available if only you were qualified enough to tick all the many boxes on the forms pushed around by the HR dept in question, and apparently jobs are easy to come by if only we weren't so lazy and were prepared to do those menial seasonal jobs that the European imports are so happy to do.

All very well doing a 'summer job' .... what happens in the autumn then? What use is that to someone with a mortgage to pay? Everyone I know says they are struggling, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

So I'm wondering, how much of Stuart's Doom and Gloom was correct, 5 years ago, and can anyone provide any links to support their views?

Fire away!