Comments by Gemma Birch

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

In my comments I have not attakced anyone personally- that is not what the forums are for. I state again that I have not said celebrations should be stopped I just wish people would not drink and drive (as James stated at least we are all in agreeance on this one).
However, it is such a shame I have had sarcastic comment made about me as to what I am like to work with- very unproffessional I must say!

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

I have not disagreed with celebrating but if someone is going to be driving then I believe that a zero tolerance on drinking should be taken. If I had paid a business to carry out work for me and I found out that they were celebarting a case etc in work time I would not be impressed at all and would wonder if they were capable of doing their job after.
Has it come to the point that to celebrate we HAVE to drink? Can humans not celebrate without having alcohol?It is as simple at that there is no grey area. If a a member of my family was hurt AT ALL and the one responsible had drunk just even a small glass of wine I would still come down on them like a ton of bricks. Their celebration could be lethal. If you want to drive drink soft drinks. If you want to drink take a taxi.

Technology will soon no doubt come up with a way to keep those selfish people who have had a drink be stopped from driving as clearly responsibility to do this themselves is far too hard.

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

I do not think ANY drinking at work is acceptable at all. Whether you have clenched a big profile business deal or its a festive time of year etc. By having even a small glass of 'bubbly' you are putting other peoples and your own lives at risk. I think it is a very selfish thing to do and I think it makes it even worse that you are openly admitting to drinking and then driving home!!
The only sensible thing regarding this is DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. If it is your Birthday wait till you get home and drink and then get a taxi to wherever you are going or coming from. The regualatons say certain units but zero alcohol is much better. You are not super heroes! Who is to say a dribble of bubbly wont cause that driver to kill someone- we are all different chemically so there is just no excuse at all!
Thousands of lives arer wrecked every day by those selfish people who think that they are above the law. You dont have die after being in a car crash. I think any of you who touch a drop of drink should rethink your actions. It might help you to get this to sink in if you take into account people such as Jacqueline Saburido who was hit by someone like you and who has had to rebuild her life, constantly in pain. How selfish can you be??

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

I totally agree with you Carole.
This just another excuse for the government to get out of what they are actually there for. I think they would be hapopy to pay for nothing except line theirt pockets- I am glad that when they are old they will have enough money to feed on.
I really look forward to working till I am helped by a zimmer frame and then using my own money from my house to do what a pension should do anyway.
Where is the quality of life there then? We work, pay taxes and now we are being told by Mr Blunkett that the money that should be safe in our homes, we should use by way of equity release!
And what about the many that are too lazy to work in the first place. I do not want to work till Im hardly able to work and give away my hard earned money on taxes to the government.
If that is what the government are now proposing then I do not want my taxes going on things such as paying those who do not work.
I would like my taxes to go on repairing roads etc.
Its very sad but I can see why so many people are leaving Britain. We get nothing and pay for everything!

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

I think a vital point is being missed here.
When you go to buy a property whether it is for residential or business use, the ratings show you how to improve the property.
What the energy assessment does is give the purchaser an idea of how much it will cost if they were to implement energy saving ideas into the property.
If I was looking to purchase a business property I would be very interested in how much I would need to invest in for the building to be more energy efficient before buying it.If you ahve a building that has a bad rating and the assessment shows you what to implement and how much it will cost, I am sure you would rather buy a property that had taken those steps as it would mean you wouldnt be spending your money from the business on making the bills cheaper each year.

Would you rather have an energy eating house/property that cost you a fortune to run from your businesses profit or indeeed your own hard earned money if it is residential, or would you rather choose a property that does not need much work energy wise and gives out manageable bills throughout the year?

Obviiuskly if the building has a low rating you can implement changes but why would you want to pay for that?
There are no big red signs on buildings telling what power usuage etc are in them so how else can you see the good form the bad?

With the rise in bills all over the country and indeed the world now, I know that I would arther purchase a property residential or business where I would not have to pay out a lot of money in order for my property to save energy and money on bills each year.

Therefore I do not believe that it is a total waste of time and a means of just showing how rubbish a building is or indeed of sqeezing the public for money. Yes it is a bit frustrating to have to pay for a HIP pack (if residential) and and energy assesment (if commercial) but it has to be done and moaning about it isnt going to change it. It is information for all the buyers, investors out there. We should all be more enegry efficient and at the end of the day it will save you money. Isnt that something everyone wants especially with prices nowadays?

Gemma Birch
Member - 7 posts

In this climate I find it very frustrating that the government has said "Employers should be encouraged to provide services to get sick people back to work."

I think it is the Government should be working on getting more people in to work in the first place. I worked in a financial institution previously and the amount of people that came through the door to get their benefits with a handful of children and countless shopping bags was a disgrace. I cannot belive for a second that they cannot work yet claimed they couldnt find a job or were unable to work. They could walk rouond the shops for hours though and spent my hard earned money on things.

Ther eneeds to be help for the employers in this situation as they are the workers.How can the Government justify not helping employers with people off sick yet can give out free houses and monetary benefits to the many who dont and never have worked.

The Government has said it is not the right climate to put into place this bill for employers yet they have given out millions to those who cannot be bothered to work at all.I am not the only one with the view and I hear it everyday.

People are fed up working and then their money being given away to those who sit at home or, get given up to four thousand pounds for a new car when they come into the country.

When will the Governemnt start helping those that work and pay for all those who do nothing? I like may others have always worked, never had benefit and pay for everything yet it seems that this country has gone backwards. Soon there will be no one left in the country barr those who reap the benefits as all those that work are slowly getting out and going to countries where they are rewarded for working not for sitting at home and shopping all day.

Reward those that work and the employers, not the ones who dont??