Death by a thousand cuts
Discussion
ds.chris watton said:
Quite depressing really, knowing how low some of these councils will go just for political point scoring.
For the benefit of their constituents of course. 
If it is proved, that profligacy went uncheked and front-line services were deliberately derailled, those responsible should be sacked. I doubt whether Mr Pickles will be backward at comming forward with a similar suggestion.
Hi Tank,
I couldn't agree more, it is an easy of scrapping stuff they don't want.
Surely the government, just tells councils how much they must save, what is cut is up to the council in question is it not? Why don't the media focus on this? Because the media are generally the biggest bunch of lefties in the country. IMHO of course.
I couldn't agree more, it is an easy of scrapping stuff they don't want.
Surely the government, just tells councils how much they must save, what is cut is up to the council in question is it not? Why don't the media focus on this? Because the media are generally the biggest bunch of lefties in the country. IMHO of course.
TankRizzo said:
Easy money for Labour councils. Close swimming pools and libraries, blame it on the nasty Tories. Job done.
Blatantly obvious what liebour councils are up to. But i think the public have wised up to them. Hopefully this should be the kick local people need to get involved in local politics and fight every duff and dumb proposal put forward 
I wasn't sure which of the above comments to attach this to. Most of them probably.
Kent County Council, one of the most efficient councils there is, Cons run, are to close 13 residential care homes.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2010/d...
Obviously just doing it to score political points
Kent County Council, one of the most efficient councils there is, Cons run, are to close 13 residential care homes.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2010/d...
Obviously just doing it to score political points
Sticks. said:
I wasn't sure which of the above comments to attach this to. Most of them probably.
Kent County Council, one of the most efficient councils there is, Cons run, are to close 13 residential care homes.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2010/d...
Obviously just doing it to score political points
Those plans have been around since June last year though, so not sure they're simply down to "Tory cuts" are they?Kent County Council, one of the most efficient councils there is, Cons run, are to close 13 residential care homes.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2010/d...
Obviously just doing it to score political points
paddyhasneeds said:
Those plans have been around since June last year though, so not sure they're simply down to "Tory cuts" are they?
Not sure what you mean tbh. Point was, cuts are happening and aren't just Lab councils making a political point etc. I read recently Kent is one of, or the most efficient councils in the UK, so it's more likely to reflect Govt funding than earlier waste imho.Sticks. said:
Not sure what you mean tbh. Point was, cuts are happening and aren't just Lab councils making a political point etc. I read recently Kent is one of, or the most efficient councils in the UK, so it's more likely to reflect Govt funding than earlier waste imho.
There's a care home up the road from me that shut down 3 years ago. I didn't hear any talk of "labour cuts" at the time. The fact that Kent are doing what they're doing may not be indicative of "tory cuts" it may be indicative of them deciding there are better, more efficient ways of providing care, or it may be down to cuts, I honestly don't know.However we both know there are elements out there who when told they need to save money will happily slash and burn libraries, swimming pools and the likes and point score with the "tory cuts" mantra - I don't know what people expect, that once a service is provided it's never reviewed, changed, altered?
Mon Ami Mate said:
Reading that, the blatant hypocrisy that it points to shows just how out of control local government has become.paddyhasneeds said:
There's a care home up the road from me that shut down 3 years ago. I didn't hear any talk of "labour cuts" at the time. The fact that Kent are doing what they're doing may not be indicative of "tory cuts" it may be indicative of them deciding there are better, more efficient ways of providing care, or it may be down to cuts, I honestly don't know.
However we both know there are elements out there who when told they need to save money will happily slash and burn libraries, swimming pools and the likes and point score with the "tory cuts" mantra - I don't know what people expect, that once a service is provided it's never reviewed, changed, altered?
Possibly so. Hard to get to the bottom of it very often. However we both know there are elements out there who when told they need to save money will happily slash and burn libraries, swimming pools and the likes and point score with the "tory cuts" mantra - I don't know what people expect, that once a service is provided it's never reviewed, changed, altered?
But close examination of Haringey's payment records shows that, in the single month of December 2010 alone, the council spent £226,000 on "food and drink" and £83,000 on taxis. The council says the food and drink was mainly meals on wheels and school dinners. The taxis, it says, were mostly "contact and escort visits for looked-after children, and school runs". But, unlike some rural fastness, this London borough has abundant public transport. The council's spending on Tube travel, though, was just £13,000. What's more, the schools were on holiday for half of December – which is why it's perhaps surprising that both the food and drink bill, and the taxi one, were vastly higher that month than in November. Could the figures possibly include the odd staff Christmas sausage roll?
or maybe the money paid in December was for services rendered in November? You know, 30 days payment terms and all that....
or maybe the council was telling the truth when it said the money was for meals and wheels and school dinnners? I mean, a cursory look at the expenditure quickly reveals that the two main recipients were "J J Food Service" (a private sector company ranked 72nd in PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100) and Sodexo (a company which provides schools, colleges and universities and a balanced diet tailored to individual needs, and other services facilitating the management of schools)
or maybe the money paid in December was for services rendered in November? You know, 30 days payment terms and all that....
or maybe the council was telling the truth when it said the money was for meals and wheels and school dinnners? I mean, a cursory look at the expenditure quickly reveals that the two main recipients were "J J Food Service" (a private sector company ranked 72nd in PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100) and Sodexo (a company which provides schools, colleges and universities and a balanced diet tailored to individual needs, and other services facilitating the management of schools)
Sticks. said:
Not sure what you mean tbh. Point was, cuts are happening and aren't just Lab councils making a political point etc. I read recently Kent is one of, or the most efficient councils in the UK, so it's more likely to reflect Govt funding than earlier waste imho.
They may well be Conservative in name, but would a true Conservative council advertise the following job(part of the Sustainability and Climate Change team)?http://jobsearch.kent.gov.uk/pages/job_search_view...
Don
--
I'm helping a council who use my firm to decide how to cut our service level to them.
Whereas most organisations want to lose elements of our service that will not really be obvious, this council want to cut the things that members of the public can see, so they can see that cuts are being made.
Multiply by lots of services and contractors and you get the idea.
Whereas most organisations want to lose elements of our service that will not really be obvious, this council want to cut the things that members of the public can see, so they can see that cuts are being made.
Multiply by lots of services and contractors and you get the idea.
don4l said:
Sticks. said:
Not sure what you mean tbh. Point was, cuts are happening and aren't just Lab councils making a political point etc. I read recently Kent is one of, or the most efficient councils in the UK, so it's more likely to reflect Govt funding than earlier waste imho.
They may well be Conservative in name, but would a true Conservative council advertise the following job(part of the Sustainability and Climate Change team)?http://jobsearch.kent.gov.uk/pages/job_search_view...
Don
--
Well, balance that against them being one of the most efficient councils in the UK, not a train usually associated with Lab councils.
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