On Friday I learned that our local area health authority in Worthing had closed 25 beds at the Hospital and cancelled a number of operations because they didn't have the funds, yet whilst driving in the car I heard on the radio that Tony Blair is sending another £33million in aid to the earthquake in Pakistan, having previously sent £25million, with another £30million earmarked over the next few months.
Call me old fashioned but as terrible as the situation is in Pakistan, and whilst I don't begrudge sending them some kind of aid, surely should we not put our own house in order, ie the NHS, before sending this kind of money overseas?
I know of one local pensioner who was looking forward to getting her op done and then enjoying Xmas, now that's all out of the window.
We discussed this in the pub on Friday and the local do-gooder was all up to tar and feather me, she said my views made me a racist.
I abhor racism in any form, but I also think the people of this country who have worked all their lives deserve decent public services, specifically an NHS that actually looks after them.
Does that make me a racist?
Call me old fashioned but as terrible as the situation is in Pakistan, and whilst I don't begrudge sending them some kind of aid, surely should we not put our own house in order, ie the NHS, before sending this kind of money overseas?
I know of one local pensioner who was looking forward to getting her op done and then enjoying Xmas, now that's all out of the window.
We discussed this in the pub on Friday and the local do-gooder was all up to tar and feather me, she said my views made me a racist.
I abhor racism in any form, but I also think the people of this country who have worked all their lives deserve decent public services, specifically an NHS that actually looks after them.
Does that make me a racist?