Big Issue

[Manky Monkey]

I was walking through a local shopping precinct this morning & there was an Indian woman selling copies of the Big Issue, (a charity newspaper if you've not heard of it).
No-one was really taking any notice of her as they trooped into Tescos. "Big Issue, Big Issue" she called in very broken English.
I would've done the same, but as I walked past I heard "Big Issue, Big Issue ...Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you".
No-one else even batted an eyelid & I realised they'd completely tuned her out -she could be saying anything & they wouldn't notice.
Made me grin enough to go back & give her all my loose change -yeah, I know, she probably makes a fortune from that, but it amused me at the time. 

[the coppersmith]

Guy in Plymouth got caught, nipping away in his Lexus to sign on.  oops

[BikerGran]

I thought selling The Big Issue was supposed to give people a leg-up so they could get back into proper work, proper accommodation etc.  But there's a woman in our town been selling it for about 4 years!
I'm not buying a magazine I don't want just so she can carry on doing next to nothing!

[JayJay]

I was walking through a local shopping precinct this morning & there was an Indian woman selling copies of the Big Issue, (a charity newspaper if you've not heard of it).
No-one was really taking any notice of her as they trooped into Tescos. "Big Issue, Big Issue" she called in very broken English ...

That annoys me. Why aren't British homeless people selling them? That's why it was created. Like Biker Gran said it is to help homeless people to help themselves.  I know it's not begging because the sellers have to buy the papers themselves first and then make a profit on what they sell but I rarely see a British person selling them now.

Why do we even have foreign homeless in this country to start off with? Let's be more like Australia, if you haven't got a job or a way to support yourself then you don't get in. If you go on a holiday visa and overstay, they seem quite good at finding you and deporting you.

I am sure some of you will think ooh JJ's nasty but when I donate to the Sally Army, I want it to be for our own youngsters or ex service people or people who have hit a bad patch and have been caught up in circumstances beyond their control. We have enough homeless of our own who need our help.

I feel the same way about all this money Cameron keeps giving to other countries when we have many elderly, ill children, cancer patients, a crumbling mental health service and of course the NHS, to name a few, in great need. The list seems endless. I haven't heard of any funds from other countries to help the flooding in the North (do we ever).

I even wrote to Cameron a few months ago on both these issues.  Someone replied (No. 10 on the envelope) and said they would pass it on to the Home Office. I'm probably being bugged now!
One of the things I said to him was that the British public are a very generous bunch and surely it is up to us where we donate our money. Our taxes should be spent on us. I told him not to let his ego spend money on Britain's behalf just to make him look good. I also reminded him we no longer have that type of money and even if we had, we are only a small country and he shouldn't try to match or better, bigger countries' donations to pretend we are still a nation capable of playing with the big boys.

I think I am definitely on a watch list now!


Of well Andy, you did mention it! 
JJ

[Manky Monkey]

Mmm, hit a nerve there I think!

[hunter]

I'm with you all the way JJ.
So that's two of us on the hit list.

[the coppersmith]

Dare we mention a certain Mr. Trump in this conversation ?

[morrag]

Obviously, a hugely contentious issue, however it would be sobering if everyone looked into their family history to check exactly when they were first immigrants, for they undoubtedly were! from Ireland, Europe, etc........ it has to be the case. As far as the "BigShoe" is concerned, it could just be that our "own" are happy enough with their state benefits not to need, or want, to sell same..........Morrag

[Archie]

Big issues normally a pretty good read

[oldmetalhead82]

I'm with you all the way JJ.
So that's two of us on the hit list.

Make that three.

[JayJay]

Big issues normally a pretty good read

I've no problem with the Big Issue, I have bought it before now and I think the idea behind it is a good one.

... however it would be sobering if everyone looked into their family history to check exactly when they were first immigrants, ...
... it could just be that our "own" are happy enough with their state benefits not to need, or want, to sell same ...

I am not disputing that the backgrounds of many of us could be quite colourful. I'm just saying that if someone wants to come and live in Britain then they must be able to prove they can provide for themselves and their family.

As for benefits, who doesn't get them? You don't need to be British. It seems you do better if you aren't! The Citizens Advice Bureau in our area is full to capacity mainly by people from other countries. What is the CAB helping them with? How to obtain housing,  benefits and grants to set themselves up here. How do I know? I've witnessed it firsthand. 


Anyway, that's it from me on this subject as I know we normally do our best not to be too contentious on MMM. I'm probably just cranky after coming back to this really depressing weather. 

[trev]

I'm with you all the way JJ.
So that's two of us on the hit list.

Make that three.

four now.

[poprodder]

I was walking through a local shopping precinct this morning & there was an Indian woman selling copies of the Big Issue, (a charity newspaper if you've not heard of it).
No-one was really taking any notice of her as they trooped into Tescos. "Big Issue, Big Issue" she called in very broken English ...

That annoys me. Why aren't British homeless people selling them? That's why it was created. Like Biker Gran said it is to help homeless people to help themselves.  I know it's not begging because the sellers have to buy the papers themselves first and then make a profit on what they sell but I rarely see a British person selling them now.

Why do we even have foreign homeless in this country to start off with? Let's be more like Australia, if you haven't got a job or a way to support yourself then you don't get in. If you go on a holiday visa and overstay, they seem quite good at finding you and deporting you.

I am sure some of you will think ooh JJ's nasty but when I donate to the Sally Army, I want it to be for our own youngsters or ex service people or people who have hit a bad patch and have been caught up in circumstances beyond their control. We have enough homeless of our own who need our help.

I feel the same way about all this money Cameron keeps giving to other countries when we have many elderly, ill children, cancer patients, a crumbling mental health service and of course the NHS, to name a few, in great need. The list seems endless. I haven't heard of any funds from other countries to help the flooding in the North (do we ever).

I even wrote to Cameron a few months ago on both these issues.  Someone replied (No. 10 on the envelope) and said they would pass it on to the Home Office. I'm probably being bugged now!
One of the things I said to him was that the British public are a very generous bunch and surely it is up to us where we donate our money. Our taxes should be spent on us. I told him not to let his ego spend money on Britain's behalf just to make him look good. I also reminded him we no longer have that type of money and even if we had, we are only a small country and he shouldn't try to match or better, bigger countries' donations to pretend we are still a nation capable of playing with the big boys.

I think I am definitely on a watch list now!


Of well Andy, you did mention it! 
JJ

Big Issue

[BikerGran]

And me!

[hunter]

This has now become a bigger issue.