Council services cuts.

[haplesshacker]

I might be a cynical so-an-so. But I'm getting the impression that some councils are deliberately cutting back some services that will grab the medias and publics attention, just to have a go at central government, and make them less popular.

Childrens crossing patrols, sure-start centres for example.

Now I know that money has to saved from somewhere, but for gods sake, lose the paper-pushers, the 'Teenage Lesbian Mothers Integration Officers'. Seriously, Portsmouth was advertising for them at £35k a year, and the like.

Councils went pc mad under his Tonyness, during his 'lets buy votes by creating jobs in the public sector for everyone' era.

Stop wasting money on jollies to 'Twin Towns', What flipping use are they to us tax payers?

Stop wasting money hiring meeting rooms in hotels, and use the flipping huge buildings you already have.

Stop sending naughty kids on safaris or 'Outward bound' weeks in Scotland.

Stop the final salary pension scheme.

Stop the 'allowed sick days' rubbish.

But no. The councils have to go for the public sympathy vote by shutting down some worthwile causes and blaming central government.

Tossers.


Good. That's out of my system.

Sorry needed a rant!

 

[dieseldave]

I could not agree more.

 

[GB72]

Totally agree.

 

[Parmo]

Life must be tough reading the Daily Mail.

 

[Golfmmad]

Life must be tough reading the Daily Mail.

Whether it was in the Daily Mail, The Times or The Independant, I still agree with every word!

Golfmmad.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree. Not sure where they draw the line though as the minority causes are good publicity (lesbian, refugee, drug user, rehabilitated asbo yobs etc). Get rid of these scheme and you will save huge amounts of money and create a lot of publicity but sometimes these may provide a decent service. Where do the less fortunate get help if these schemes go?

 

[haplesshacker]

Life must be tough reading the Daily Mail.

Nope. Sorry. I don't read the Daily Mail. Just my own independent ramblings.

Perhaps the mainstream news is just too gullible and doesn't ask the right questions regarding these cuts. Or just public manipulation through the media.

But it's the councils that are feeding this rubbish to the media to prove a point that really gets my goat.

 

[SS2]

but for gods sake, lose the paper-pushers, the 'Teenage Lesbian Mothers Integration Officers'.

Hapless, less of your right wing nonsense. I used to be a TLMIO and it was a very rewarding job. Unfortunately I got the sack for making a tasteless joke.

 

[viscount17]

I came from Brighton originally. They practically invented the game of job creation for the utterly unnecessary. Whatever your bent you could find a 'specialist' department not just a liaison officer.

Oddly they never seemed to have enough money to look after the place.

 

[19th]

No Health Care - Unless it can be afforded (gets rid of poorer people, the ones that cause the trouble)

No Higher Education - unless fees can be afforded up front ( Keeps all top jobs in the correct hands)

Reduce All Benefits - We are all in this together (gets rid of poorer people, we did not ask them to produce offsprings)

No Sick Paid - Keeps the workers chained to their desks until they need Health Care.(See above)

Councils should direct services to the areas paying the most in Council Tax ( You know that makes sense)

State pensions are too heavy a burden for higher tax payers.(The pension age to be 70 for men and women but must be followed up six month down the line with the blue pill - you know that makes sense - how can we afford to fund someone out of work for longer than a short time, without it impacting on our investments)

All Capital Gains and Tax on investments over £10000 to be done away with.

The Higher tax rate to be abolished (you know it makes sense)

The only downside is perhaps caddies will be less plentiful or unable to keep up carrying two sets of clubs.

 

[haplesshacker]

but for gods sake, lose the paper-pushers, the 'Teenage Lesbian Mothers Integration Officers'.

Hapless, less of your right wing nonsense. I used to be a TLMIO and it was a very rewarding job. Unfortunately I got the sack for making a tasteless joke.

You joshing?


Aren't you?

 

[surefire]

After reading the above post, just to play devils advocate, if someone has worked hard and amassed a lot of money, why should they have to pay to support others who have not?

 

[haplesshacker]

I think we're creeping into idealology and political leanings there. Which I was hoping to keep the thread away from.

Though my main point about what services are being cut by councils does seem to be a way of getting at central government and getting the public sympathy vote locally. They do appear to be cutting in some areas but not looking at where they can make cuts within.

Regardless of your political leanings, cuts do have to made. But the councils appear to be going about it the wrong way, deliberatly.

 

[surefire]

Yes, sorry, got a bit off course.

One interesting thing I did hear about was a county council making cuts, but not touching any of the multiple millions it has tucked away in savings.
Clearly there is some agenda behind this kind of behaviour.

 

[bluenose10]

To be fair I work at a county councl and work within finance, primarily pensions and may well come under the risk of redundancy in June time would you call me a paper pusher that should be made redundant? We calculate employees pensions payment and authorise payments amongst alot of other things. I feel I deserve my job and my office and team work hard, even more so with all the redundancies looming and people wanting estimates we are really busy. Yes there are people that abuse sick leave etc. But they are the ones with the long service record and because it will cost alot to get rid of them they will look at the people who have less than 5 years service I think. Since working here the problem is that there are loads of people who have worked in the council for years and years and they are the ones that take the mick and work at a snails pace, our team is young an we are very productive however with the other teams not so dynamic we are tarred with the same brush

 

[Parmo]

Oo lord this site has gone politial.. Innit.

 

[bluenose10]

Oo lord this site has gone politial.. Innit.

hahaha not taking this too political and to be fair agree with the majority of what Hapless has said, it's disgraceful that sure start centres are being cut and that a lot of the higher managers have not been affected at all by cuts. I see myself as a "paper pusher" in a sense and therefore feel that that statement is too general however there are some jobs which are ridiculous.

 

[DCB]

Let's get rid of all the town hall politicians/councillors or whatever you call them. It's them that are doing the damage. They make the decisions on what to keep and what to axe. They set the budgets and if I'm not wrong they are still operating within the budget they set shortly before Labour lost power. This time next year they can blame the current government, but it all boils down to incompetence by the town hall councillors pretending to be on a big stage.

As always one side tries to gain political points by provoking the other side. The end result is that we, the electorate who put them there are shafted by both sides !

And don't get me started on those idiots at Tram City, wasting money like it was going out of fashion

 

[haplesshacker]

Bluenose. I've been on the wrong end of redundencies, last one was 2 years ago to the day pretty much. So I do have sympathy for individuals in that situation.

Reading between the lines though, I get the impression that you also see wasted expenditure within the system. But sadly, as you say, it's often the ones who've been there the longest and know how to milk it. And ironically will cost the most to lose.

Losing staff is never a pleasant experiance for those doing it, or for those that are going. However, I'm afraid that over the last 10 years, there appears to have been an explosion in numbers of public sector workers. Which is fine if the country can support them, but if not, something has to be done. It happens in the private sector.

 

[haplesshacker]

Oo lord this site has gone politial.. Innit.

Sorry Parmo. I ain't biting.

I didn't start this thread as a party political broadcast, and I don't intend on making it one. I was just curious to see if anyone else wondered what the councils motives are behind some of the cuts, and making it a party political cirus feeding frenzy for the media and public.