Sudden Stop Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 The money that has been promised by the proposed windfarm will more than likely be handled by The Charitable Trust. This has got me thinking, it currently has over 200 million pound in the bank and the potential to have 25 million extra added to that a year if the wind farm goes ahead. What would you like to see this money used for??? Is there anything that it shouldn't be used for (and don't say Smyril Line - it's far to obvious!)??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 The money that has been promised by the proposed windfarm will more than likely be handled by The Charitable Trust. This has got me thinking, it currently has over 200 million pound in the bank and the potential to have 25 million extra added to that a year if the wind farm goes ahead. What would you like to see this money used for??? Is there anything that it shouldn't be used for (and don't say Smyril Line - it's far to obvious!)??? Let's wait until the money is in the bank before we decide how to spend it... This project also has the potential to reduce reserves to a lot less than 200 million! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudden Stop Posted March 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 Okay, yes yes. Don't count your chickens and all that . But, lets say that it goes ahead as planned or doesn't ever start and therefore doesn't cost us anything. What about the money that is already there? What should or shouldn't be done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabiaTerra Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 I always liked the way they handled Alaska's oil money. Some of it went to the State, but most was paid as a dividend to everyone currently living there. All inhabitants used to get a cheque, once a year, for a few grand, from the State as their share of the oil money. Then they could spend it on what they judged was good for them rather than what the government judged was in their best interests Just a thought.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 ^^^ Agreed, lets see the colour of it before we decide where it's headed, counting chickens and all that.... Speaking purely hypothetically, and supposing at some indetermined point down the line 25 big ones are lying there burning a hole in the pocket of the Charry Trust, I say give every Shetland resident a £1000 annual Christmas present. It would pay most or all of most people's annual power bill at least, or if spent elsewhere would do the Shetland economy a whole lot more good than just about any "scheme" that might appeal to trustees, if past peformance is any indicator of future prospects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 25 big ones I think that is pre tax... This is from the VE website: " A quick summary of the financial implications of the overall project would be that the costs are substantial, the risks are substantial and the potential rewards are remarkable" I agree with Ghostrider and Arabia Terra that any profits should be distributed, in cash, to the people of Shetland. Perhaps an annual payment of £10 per year lived in Shetland - this would benefit the elderly (the Christmas bonus could finally be scrapped!) and might not encourage too many scroungers to move north purely to take advantage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styles Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I say this amazing gold rush (belive it when i get the cash) should just go to Shetlanders, screw anyone who moved here they can watch us go Wah hoo and blow the cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Undoubtedly there would be more than Styles who would "blow the cash". However, I believe that the distribution of profits to the population of Shetland would achieve a larger net economic benefit than accumulating funds in a Trust and "investing" in no-brainer schemes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudden Stop Posted March 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I like the idea of giving money directly to Shetlanders but can't see it happening, can you imagine the size of the council department that would need to be set up to decide who was actually gonna get what? And should someone from Sumburgh who never travels north of Lerwick be compensated from a windfarm/oil terminal in delting? Tricky one to sort out in practical terms. When i started the thread, I was thinking about things like a new hospital, or schools. Infrastructure, dare i say it: bridges or tunnels. Terminal buildings at access points to the islands, like sumburgh and holmsgarth (although the new northlink building is quite good already). The kind of thing that can be built and used by everyone. I'm not suggesting that these kind of thing be totally funded by the chary trust because the council should providing facilities, but trust money could be spent to turn these places from functional to comfortable. If you know what i mean?? I think the recreational trust is a good example, but it's been done and i don't think there is anywhere left to build a swimming pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoichkov Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I always liked the way they handled Alaska's oil money. Some of it went to the State, but most was paid as a dividend to everyone currently living there. All inhabitants used to get a cheque, once a year, for a few grand, from the State as their share of the oil money. Then they could spend it on what they judged was good for them rather than what the government judged was in their best interests Just a thought.... I think the problem with that was that they found a lot of people just pissed it up the wall and it was never put to any long term good use, it actually caused more social problems than good. Yeh it would be good to get an extra bit o money now and again but i think that the council etc. has put the money to much better use for future generations of Shetlanders. Would there be £200m in the bank now if they'd handed out loads o cheques to people in the seventies, most o which aren't even here anymore coz their wealthy oil jobs have gone too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoichkov Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 To what would i like to see reserve fund £££ spent on, i think they should get their butts in gear and build either a bloody bridge or dig a bloody tunnel to Bressay just to end the debate!I am a fan o the idea o tunnels to the isles. I hate the ferries and it takes too long. I know Norway has loads o tunnels and it makes things much more convenient. I don't about somewhere like the Faroes? Are many of their islands connected by tunnels?I think it would be good to get ones to Bressay, Whalsay, Yell from the mainland and another one fae Unst to Yell. But then im not from the islands, are there any outerislanders on this forum that disagree with the tunnels idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 If you're willing to save up £25M a year then in the medium term you could have all those tunnels, but you'd be likely be spending £150M to £200M total depending what a tunnel is reckoned to cost you these days...... Is it the best return for the money? £200M "in the bank" would get you another £15M or £20M in interest to spend each year..... would the benefits off better fixed links come out at that kind of level? A nice job for some consultants.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoichkov Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Well i don't know if the populations in the isles are declining or not but it might attract more people to live there if there was quicker access to the mainland. At the moment everything seems to be migrating towards Lerwick and its surroundings. The only reason stopping me from living in Unst, Yell or Whalsay would be the ferries, i hate them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Surely the aim for the isles ought to be to have a sustainable economy within the isles so that people did not need to rely on a ferry to get to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styumpie Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Surely the aim for the isles ought to be to have a sustainable economy within the isles so that people did not need to rely on a ferry to get to work. You Sir, Hit the nail on the head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.