Council cutbacks,what would we all cut,

Anything to do with imigration,as when we fail to look after our own people why should we subsidise foreigners coming here.

Sports centres,should be provided by the private sector,if theirs a need they will fill that need,and charge,

Libraries,outdated,with all the internet access available now.

Nurseries,same reason as for sports centres.

Social services,paid by results in the private sector,

Mayors and half of the councillors,

Council publications in welsh and swahili.

I worked in local government for 6 years – the amount of wastage is amazing. Money is wasted on all sorts so that budgets arent lost the following year,

Also staff sickness – there is a big sickness mentality especially for depression/stress with some staff (i have seen this) going of for sick for 6 months, coming back when there sick pay is reduced – taking holiday they are entitled for normally 2 weeks then coming back to work for a week and off again with stress.

They also pay consultants thousands for bollocks like marketing and PR. My local and the one I worked for actually spent 500k producing a magazine about their good work but then shut down all elderly persons day care centers due to a 500k budget deficit.

pensioners' bus passes – get unemployed people to push them round in wheelbarrows
roads – let people pay for their own helicopters
police – just pay the local mafia to kill anyone who bothers you
bins – sell your valuable waste to the highest bidder
schools – kids could be out selling their bodies to sex tourists
etc

Surely you forgot:
Art galleries – who needs them?
Care homes – much better to leave them at home
Parks and recreation – build shopping centres on them
Planning departments – total freedom to build what and how you want
Trading standards – caveat emptor
Road maintenance – nope, don't need that either
Must be some more…..

First point agree, somebody will call me a racist now

2nd point agree

Third point, books are for keeps so semi agree
Fourth point, more accountability for sure and get rid of the managers, well most of them.

Final point a definate yes.

They could stop turning stony bridleways into 8 foot wide smooth pedestrian motorways round here, that would save a few quid…

Councillors mostly a bunch of sponging good for nothing wasters who never get anything done and full of their own self importance.

Had one round here, the local council sent out a load of mug-coasters promoting their recycling scheme. Not very green for a start, making all them. Anyway, much writing to the local paper about what a waste of money. Man from the council was interviewed and said

"It won't cost council-tax payers a penny. The funding came from DEFRA." 😯

Who does he think pays for DEFRA?!

project – Member

Anything to do with imigration,as when we fail to look after our own people why should we subsidise foreigners coming here.

Sports centres,should be provided by the private sector,if theirs a need they will fill that need,and charge,

Libraries,outdated,with all the internet access available now.

Nurseries,same reason as for sports centres.

Social services,paid by results in the private sector,

Mayors and half of the councillors,

I would cut the education budget, and look forward to more threads like this.

Art galleries and museums could be sponsored by various big companies,Tate modern,sponsored by some refuse removal company etc.

Road maintenance – nope, don't need that either

I think they've been implementing that for quite some time.

Most the managers, all who seem to have a culture of waste.

Anyone who wears a cardigan.

Cut the cushy holiday/time in lieu deal and get them back in the real world.

Sack the bin-man who drove over my fence.

I also think most the job cuts will be natural wastage over the next couple of years and it will be business as usual.

Anyone who wears a cardigan.

I belive this obscene practice is not restricted to council workers ?

Well said Barry.

Its really rather laughable – I think its a poor attempt at a troll but it might just be project and his petty prejudices and ignorance.

Final salary pensions

Planning; let people build what they want where they want. Would certainly make our town more interesting!

Planning; let people build what they want where they want

my first project shall be a 7 foot speed bump outside my house, I'm fed up with buses and cars speeding past 🙁 The machine gun emplacements will be purely advisory

Pensions would be the first to go. Crystalise everyones and put them on a career average. Perhaps too big a risk to manpower, but where else will they work? No where else offers the benefits of working at 'the council'. Ie 9-5 with an hour lunch, flexiskive and a laissez-faire attitude towards performance management

Pensions would be the first to go

IMO this will happen to everyone

So TJ, you dont want cuts in public spending ? how do we pay for all these services without getting further into debt, apart from taxing those who have worked hard 50% of their earnings or risked personal failure by investing private money into busness.

Public services are a waste of money in the curent guise and should be made more accountable and not just a byword for easy life, big holidays and easy pension.

TandemJeremy – Member
Well said Barry.

Its really rather laughable – I think its a poor attempt at a troll but it might just be project and his petty prejudices and ignorance.

Posted 5 minutes ago # Report-Post

Sorry no troll just trying to save us council tax payers some cash,all the departments listed could be abolished or sold off,and run by the private sector,if theirs a demand for the service,if not it doesnt go ahead,easy.

As the recipient of a final salary pension, am I allowed to say:

1. Final salary pensions.

?

2. I would also bring the working week back up to 40 hours and fire 10% of the staff.

3. I support extra funding for councils with a new Socialism tax – anyone who votes Labour gets to pay 33% more council tax than they would otherwise have to – can't see any true socialist complaining about being given the opportunity to contribute more to society.

Cranberry – That works for me,

The 85 rule is a good one – over 55 and 30 years paying into pension you can walk out 10 years early on full pension IIRC. Think this may have recently been abolished for new staff but I may be wrong.

Whilst I'm not agreeing with him, I cannot see any prejudices in his post.

For Simon F Barnes,and his road,

Project – running services in the private sector always costs more. Save money elsewhere if really needed – outside consultants, vanity projects such as council magazines and target waste. The amount of money spent saving the banks is far more than anything that could be saved off council tax.

However it is clear that cuts on the scale people are wanting cannot be done without significant cuts in essential services. There simply is not the waste that people suggest

Don't think I'd like to see Social Services go as I think they do an invaluable job.

As a nurse who works alongside Social Workers employed by Social Services I see lots of wastage mainly in management and consultancy. The mojority of Social Workers I see do a brilliant job, and yes it is stressful. I have worked in the private sector and not many of my ex colleagues from there would work as hard or with as much dedication for so little money.

Big part of our spend is funding health or social care for people who can afford it but would rather Social Services or the Trust pay. Personally I think that if you have a big house, expensive car and an affluent lifestyle then really other tax payers should not be paying for your loved ones, you should. Also, no loophholes to allow people to not fund their own care so they can leave a big nestegg for their family.

Dangerousbeans – "if you have a big house, expensive car and an affluent lifestyle" then they have already, and are currently contributing more than average to society.

It's like the councils now bitching and whining that they are having to find places in schools for pupils that have up till now been educated privately – there's no mention of all the years that the parents have paid twice for education ( both times out of taxed income ).

Personally I think that if you have a big house, expensive car and an affluent lifestyle then really other tax payers should not be paying for your loved ones, you should.

But surely they are paying for their loved ones, through the extra tax they pay on the earnings that allow them to have a big house, expensive car and an affluent lifestyle?

Why should they pay twice?

So dangerousbeans you expect people who have paid into the system all their lives to dip into their pockets to pay for their care while others who could not be arsed to lift a finger go straight to the front of the line or even worse someone who gets off a plane at Heathrow with an illness wanders straight into the nearest hospital and receives care in front of a local tax payer or council tax payer. FFS no wonder there is no Great in Britain now, lets all sit on our backsides and wait for the State to feed, cloth and look after us.

Just pointing out where a majority of our budget gets spent.

Barry Bethel – Member

project – Member

Anything to do with imigration,as when we fail to look after our own people why should we subsidise foreigners coming here.

Sports centres,should be provided by the private sector,if theirs a need they will fill that need,and charge,

Libraries,outdated,with all the internet access available now.

Nurseries,same reason as for sports centres.

Social services,paid by results in the private sector,

Mayors and half of the councillors,

I would cut the education budget, and look forward to more threads like this.

Post of the year, that! 😀

I dont mind paying tax, i dont mind paying VAT, i dont mind paying road tax, i dont mind paying airport tax, i dont mind paying tax on everything the Labour Tax inventors think up but FFS give me the services i am paying for dont continue to carry out the equivalent of pi@@ing up the wall the budget you receive and above all dont spend my money on non contributors and above all stop giving it away to Third World Governments who pass it straight on to Mercedes dealerships and Swiss bank accounts. Look after Britain first.

Ummmmmm I'm not sure your county council gives money to dictators mate. Oh wait, they pay headmasters don't they?

Look after Britain first.

OMG you are right! If only we just did what you said and we wouldn't be in this mess….INTERNET GENIUS! 🙄

Britain does not exist in a microcosm – it is part of a much larger jigsaw.

Your attitude to immigrants is deplorable.

Opera – it's just subsidised shouting.

It all goes in the same pot to run the country and how much local money has been spent on organisations linked to or frequented by individuals linked to International Terrorism or with ideals that threaten the UKs security, Culture, Tradition which would have better served a local hospital, school or care home. ? The services now that face cutbacks.

Mustn't bite!!

There was an article on BBC Scotland news the other day about the efficiency savings that councils up here have had to make for the last few years. The report concluded that councils have managed to save more than the target they were set:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8376046.stm

The council I work for won't even give us stationary, we have to buy it all ourselves (aside from pens and paper!) 🙄