Comments on: The gang-rape of commonsense

By: JM Bartolo

JM Bartolo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:11:12 +0000

Allright I respect your views but the human race is not made up of end users only.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:35:24 +0000

@ Mario Debono: “habib fis suq jiswa daqs mitt skud fis-senduq” , so the Maltese saying goes.I can tell you from my personal experience that if I am doing some work in a government department and I find an acquaintance or a friend with whom I worked before and ask him for a photocopy of my documents, “Hey presto”, I get it . I would be fortunate if I get the same service in an hour through the official channels.
Ideas are important but without contacts you will only find people opposing you and putting obstacles in your way. If on the other hand you copy other people’s ideas and have these kind of contacts helping you , yes you will surely “succeed’.
Where has david s gone?

By: Maria c

Maria c — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:19:42 +0000

Maria..I dont think that I ve nothing to redeem but I can only speak for myself and I manage to read this blog only because Im on Maternity leave:)Anyway I spent the last 9 years of my life working hard and it hurts to see that some people are ready to use these ridicilous measures that will lead to no where apart from destroying the image of our profession.Our union should fight to improve the conditions of how we work as this will result in better care for our patients. Well as for the students I hope that they enter nursing/midwifery with the right reasons because really this is a hard job with long hours but at least for me it leaves me with a great sense of satisfaction.
Just for the record the person who found the mouse is a nurse and not a midwife

By: Mario Debono

Mario Debono — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:31:25 +0000

David S, envy is such a waste of time, is it not. I am not envious about large companies, because I do operate in other markets, and difficult ones at that, without the hassle that the Maltese Civil Service brings about, so I dont need to be. Whatever ideas do not come to mind I buy in. I am a small entrapreneur in the family mould, who incidentally introduced ready mixed concrete in Malta in the 20’s for example, only a month after the first plant started operating in the UK.My great great grandfather traded in a Maltese Schooner as far away as Peru…. (as an aside, if I am right re your identity, you should know I am a bit different on the local market)

I have many friends who operate small companies who are literally crucified by Governmnet debt, be it for medical goods, services, roadworks, carpentry, pavements, and the list goes on. Govt does not like paying, and some people have to resort to a “grogg” to get paid.

Chris II got it right when he said “The problem is that our civil servants have become an independent kingdom within the government. They take their time, they impose their position on others, departments disagree between themselves about legislation and its interpretation, and then when it comes to take action on any one of us, they come down like a ton of bricks.”

Whoever is in Government, the civil service remains its own little empire and most times Ministers are befuddled by it untill they start chasing their tail.

Daphne, I dont agree wholeheartedly with you regarding contacts. They are everything, as long as you take the hard work and the risk to make them.

Even you cant deny the Old Boy Network in Malta and the existence of the Masunerija. Its there, it exists, and transcends political and business barriers. I daresay some bloggers in this blog form part of it. I’m sorry John, you are partly right. Contacts are important, friendships even more, especially in business. But Contacts alone do not make a business.Ideas do. But i wouldnt call you silly for thinking so.

By: Maria

Maria — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:46:29 +0000

Where are the nurses? How come none of them are contributing here? Are they so overworked that they are not trying to redeem themselves? Are they going to let just two men………….Paul pace and Colin destroy the good work that most nurses do?

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:59:04 +0000

So according to Daphne & david s , the contacts Berlusconi had in the P2 do not count..
Success in business needs loyal support by a good network of contacts,
I do not envy such people.If you have eyes to see. then have a close look around you and you will make the same conclusion.
There were people who had great ideas but found innumerable obstacles created by the same network of people who put a red carpet for the ideas of their ‘brothers’.
I cannot admire the latter, can I ?

By: david s

david s — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:14:02 +0000

@ John Schembri – You are a silly man, probably the envious type too.
FYI Berlusconi had a great idea and it made him rich. When national private TV was illegal in Italy , he bought or franchised several small TV stations throughout Italy, and used to broadcast the same programmes simultaneously from these small local stations, and hey presto he was not breaking any law, but was in effect competing with Rai for national advertising – but such an idea would never cross Mr Schembri’s mind.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:15:41 +0000

@ David S : success is the result of good contacts Primarily not political), and not only in Malta. Just look at Berlusconi. Need I elaborate?

[Daphne – Bullshit.]

By: JM Bartolo

JM Bartolo — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:57:34 +0000

Daphne – I am a UHM member and I heard our Secretary Gejtu Vella say that on the utility tariffs issue there was no meaningful social dialogue as has happened on the Budget.
It was after the demonstration that things began to untangle. On the nurses issue I reiterate that the Health Division is to blame for industrial action because things don’t start if strike action is not taken. Take also the case of UHM pharmacists’ claim. UHM has been requesting counter proposals from last OCTOBER and the union had no option but to revert to strike action. It is NOW that MPO intervened.You have to be balanced in your arguments.

[Daphne – I am balanced on the side of the end-user, sorry. Unions don’t float my boat.]

By: Moggy

Moggy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:30:20 +0000

Yes, D. Fenech, read all about Baby P. a few days ago. It’s appalling, isn’t it, especially when one considers how many social workers/ nurses/ doctors actually saw to the child and noticed nothing untoward?