I arrived on this Island in 1976 as an immigrant. England was suffering in the early seventies and jobs were hard to find. Jersey offered sanctuary and employment.
A mild spring became a long summer and the Island was alive with holidaymakers. There was cheap booze, cheap jewelry, cream teas and endless sunshine. Tourism thrived, agriculture produced the finest tomatoes, potatoes, carnations and Dairy products. The finance sector amounted to a few trust companies and banks but it gently grew in the background. Halcyon days. But you can’t put your foot in the same river twice. Times change.

Now tourism has dwindled away, the Hotels have closed down and there is little evidence of the vast numbers of people that once graced these shores.
Agriculture struggles to find its place in the global economy. The tomato industry has closed its doors. The carnation farms are reducing their exports. The potato farmers and the Dairy industry wonder how they can survive in the face of cheaper imports and rising costs.
Where did it all go wrong? What is responsible for these declines? How do we solve it?
Ask those questions and most eyes will turn to those Government’s of the day that lacked the vision to forecast these problems. To make provision for the change in the Island’s fortunes.
To be honest no one could have forecast the great global changes that have gripped the world over the last few years. Few had the foresight to see the latest crash in the financial markets. But the Government must address these issues locally as quickly and as effectively as is possible to prevent further decline.
The building blocks are there and we have both the intellect and the ability, what is missing is the vision and the leadership.
In this next election we need to vote in sound individuals who have a vision of the future for this Island. People of keen intellect and ability who can connect with the people, to secure what we have and find what we need to create a better future for Jersey.

I urge everyone to find their champions, find their best candidates and on the 26th of November give them your vote.

The one element that locked me into the McCain-Obama’s race to the Presidency was the excitement it generated. People began to talk about politics and for the first time in a while they saw opportunity, fresh beginnings. A way to wipe the slate clean and start over.

Where ever your loyalties lay the race to the White house opened up the channels of dialogue and they began to talk about what mattered to them most. Great tribes of people spread across a continent finding common aims. It was wonderful to witness. It traversed age, race, creed and gender.

Words like Hope and Audacity fell into the ear’s of people hungry for something new to hear. Politics was discussed everywhere and you can guarantee that both McCain and Obama heard stories they won’t forget in the future. Ideas that will colour their decisions. Neither of them will forget Joe the Plumber.

Once you light the fires of expectation in peoples minds they are hard to put out. They will start their own fires. Before you know it, as happened in America, the whole country is ablaze. It’s one thing to read and study history, it’s another to to live through it, to be a part of it.

Can it happen here? Yes. Most definitely. Why? Because it has to. Because a few of us are dedicated to making it happen. You can be cynical about it or you get on board. Get engaged. Become a part of it.

If you feel that no one listens to you, do something about it. Ring up a politician or a candidate and give him your thoughts. Tell them your story. What have you got to lose?

There is one element in Jersey politics that you won’t find in America, accessibility. Our politicians walk the same streets. You can call them up, email them. It gives you opportunity. Take it. Make them listen. They are not obliged to agree with you but once something is said it’s hard to forget. Give them your point of view.

If they do a good job tell them that too. We all need a little praise. To know we are having an effect.

Seek out those candidates that have that tenacity, that energy and vote for them. Find those that are audacious enough to challenge the status quo when they are wrong and vote for them. Find those people that share your views, your aspirations and if nothing else give them a chance. Spread the word.

There is an opportunity in this small election to choose the right people for the job. I hope you take it.

This is a Blog site and differs a little from a true website.

It is a living document. I will add articles as the weeks progress towards the election.

You can either select pages at the top or scroll down or select articles from the bottom left.

Thank you for stopping by.

Rod Bryans

“Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.’

Margaret Mead

“Move a grain of sand and you change the world.”

Anon

“Find a way or make one”

Hannibal

The first is a galvanising thought for anyone wishing to create a collective. Jake Hipwell with his desire and passion for a Skateboard Park is closer to the realisation of that dream by getting together with like minded individuals to make it happen. Finding passionate community champions is a good way of tackling Government bureaucracy.

The second helps articulate the idea that change doesn’t have to be radical. That the smallest of tweaks to an existing situation can have the most profound effects. Jamie Oliver’s recent “Pass it on” campaign is a classic example. You start with small beginnings and it grows into something meaningful.

The third amplifies the idea of movement. Of every problem having a solution. How we need that in this government.

So it’s official now. Both the Bank of England and Gordon Brown have uttered the R word. Recession.

Why did it happen? Because a subprime butterfly flapped its wings and a global tsunami ensued. Money was lent to people who couldn’t afford it and were never going to be able to repay it. The Banks got greedy and financial mechanisms that are difficult to explain or understand were loosed upon unwitting institutions. The inmates are in charge of the Asylum.

What does it all  mean? The older of us have been here before. But each recession has been different. Each has its own unique flavour.

In essence it’s a kind of “this is the house that Jack built scenario.” Here’s a kind of explanation:

The Banks have virtually ceased lending. To keep their own house in order they must lay off staff.

Businesses exist on loans. The loans have dried up. People can’t find the cash to buy houses.

New houses aren’t being built because there is no cashflow and no people to buy them anyway. Construction companies now lay off their workers.

People either unemployed or in fear of a redundancy pull in their horns. Money becomes scarce. They tighten their belts. They don’t buy retail goods. Manufacturers that make goods end up stock piling and laying off staff.

Retailers can’t sell their goods and so it goes on and on….

So what has the UK government done? Basically they have found some spare cash, taxpayers’ money, and have primed the pump in the hope it will start lifeblood flowing through the veins of the economy. A kind of financial CPR. They have also bought the banks on our behalf. So far it seems to be working. But everyone is holding their breath and looking nervously at each other. It’s a critically fragile situation.

Will Jersey suffer? Not initially as this seems to be a middle class recession but as the inevitable axe’s fall there will be job losses. And as the ripples spread, it will creep into the high street. There are already signs of early sales at the shops.

What do we need? A Government with a steely will, vision for the future and a proactive agenda to cope with its community. We need people with experience, a prudent nature and a caring empathy that can react in the right manner before things become too difficult. My own suggestion is to consider freezing the position on 20% means 20%, freezing the reduction of allowances to give us some breathing space. Open up dialogues with the local community, retailers, bankers and find out what can be done. Create a form of triage or prioritisation and make it public. Start now.

I’m in no doubt that interest rates will fall but the cost of living will inevitably increase. Inflation will rise but provided everyone accepts and understands their roles there is a route through this. As I said at the outset, most of us have been there before, it’s tough but doable.