Topic: What are your council cutbacks?

[ACE]

We are loosing half the public toilets, big mistake as loads of people retire here and they need them close together. Most of the libraries, tourist information centres, great for holiday makers! 500 to be made redundant on the council with no hope of another job without moving away.

Think about it if you feel the need for a holiday here. You will not only be walking about on your own with your legs crossed but you will also be lost. You won't even be able to tear the flyleaf out of a book when you feel the need to duck down behind a bush. Not even in the botanical gardens as they are going too.

They are even charging the free bus pass holders on some routes which they class as scenic tours. Theatres and concerts halls are going to close if nobody takes them on,  these old buildings have suffered years of neglect from the council owners, so they will be knocked down to provide even more retirement homes.  If you think you are likely to have an accident, book the ambulance early as it is likely to already in use.

But the weather will be nice and in the summer with the light evenings you won't  be needing streetlights anyway. Oh and leave your car at home as the visitors parking permit will be about £90 for the week plus the £120 it will cost on the ferry.

The best bit is if you bring your passport, you can park at Southampton Airport (it's on the way)and fly to Spain it will be cheaper.

Come on then what are you losing in your area?

[rugbypost]

Nothing at the moment Ace the monthly news letter will be out week friday so will wait and see.King was saying that no one should expect a high pay rise , and yet no one is willing to up set the bankers over there bonuses. I understand they are allowed to gamble   but at what cost to everyone

[SMP1704]

Nothing definate but rumours are the the public hall will close, following a recent refurbishment, same with the still being refurbished leisure centre and library.

But the parks will be lovely as the council have just entered into a 10 year deal with Laing.............

Couldn't make it up ::)

[Ninnyscrops.]

I'm sure you can look up West Sussex cuts........................

My question is has ANYONE on these councils, and even higher up the fiscal mountain, thought about taking a pay cut? I think not. I'm not talking about not voting on the annual rise that seems to be endemic.

Must have at least one holiday abroad etc. etc. keep the old pension pot going!

Would they even consider it knowing there are so many people that depend on services that they are able to offer. I think not.

Hubby and I have taken drastic pay cuts as the revenue on our business is simply just not there. If the pennies aren't there we can't have them!

We are taxpayers, employing all of these folks, tis time for frugal living for a while.

The old chestnut rears it's head again, you can pick your friends, but not your local council!

Sadly, Ninny

[Digeroo]

The problem with closing public loos is that people find unsuitable places instead.  Venice has very few public toilets and they close very early, but any dark corners stink something awful.  

 I don't think there will be many opportunities for those made redundant elsewhere because there will be lots of people made redundant everywhere else.  They are looking at closing our library.   I think they are expecting volunteers to run it for no pay.

They have been threatening to cut the funding for my disabled daughters residential home.  They seem to expect the staff to be paid the minimum wage with no holidays etc.  I don't know what sort of care they think that people on the minimum wage would give.

£120 for the ferry seems a lot, it is such a short distance.  It seems to cost more than the channel tunnel.

Having worked at an organisation with some employees on local authority pension plans the contributions were crippling.  When ever they had a payrise or promotion it upped their pension but there were no past contributions to cover for it so the future contributions became ever higher.  In my opinion they need to get rid of the pension plans and making people redundant is just an excuse.

[dtw]

Why are councils making cutbacks?
They haven't put the poll tax down.

[jennym]

.......
The old chestnut rears it's head again, you can pick your friends, but not your local council!
Sadly, Ninny

Erm - you CAN choose your local council - use your VOTE!  ;D

[ACE]

Erm - you CAN choose your local council - use your VOTE! 

True, vote them out, then watch them get co-opted back in by their mates >:(

[saddad]

Come on then what are you losing in your area?

I daren't look.....  :-X

[lillian]

Two thirds of Suffolk libraries face closesure. Rural bus services maybe axed....... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[caroline7758]

If you live in Birmingham:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-12279218

 >:( >:( >:(

[Mr Smith]

             Thanks for the update ACE,  having been going over to the I-o-W for a number of years with the caravan cheers  you have put me right off just glad we have booked up for Whitstable and Herne bay with the caravan this June, :)

[tonybloke]

well, the council cut back a few trees nr the golf course!

[Paulines7]

ACE, we are coming to the IOW in May as one of the places I have always wanted to visit is the Botanical Gardens.  I hope they are still open then.    

:-\

My question is has ANYONE on these councils, and even higher up the fiscal mountain, thought about taking a pay cut? I think not.

Must have at least one holiday abroad etc. etc. keep the old pension pot going!

Would they even consider it knowing there are so many people that depend on services that they are able to offer. I think not.

Hubby and I have taken drastic pay cuts as the revenue on our business is simply just not there. If the pennies aren't there we can't have them!

We are taxpayers, employing all of these folks, tis time for frugal living for a while.

The old chestnut rears it's head again, you can pick your friends, but not your local council!

Sadly, Ninny

From my experience, the majority of local government workers do not earn a lot of money and like others in the public and private sector often find it difficult to make ends meet.  Pay cuts could mean that they could get into difficulties paying their mortgages and end up with considerable debt.  

As for holidaying abroad at least once a year, I don't know where you are coming from.  My OH and I were married for 26 years before we could afford a trip abroad.  We only went then because our son was getting married in Cyprus and we wanted to be there.  My OH has been a civil servant for over 40 years and I have been a civil servant, a local government employee as well as a worker in shops and offices and as a carer in the private sector.  When did I earn the most money?  Answer.... when I was self employed.

Ninny, I am sorry that your business is not doing well.  Why not give it up and get a job doing something else?  Despite the recession, there are always vacancies for care assistants or support workers and training can be done on the job.  At least it would give you an income.   :D

I don't know what cuts my council will be making, but their cash from the government has probably not been cut so much as elsewhere because we have a Tory MP.   ::)

[SamLouise]

This was on the front of our local rag today:

Sam's Council wields axe in cost-cutting budget

PARKING fees will rise, public toilets will close and up to 20 jobs will be lost as cash-strapped Sam's Council prepares to wield the axe in next month’s budget.

The authority has identified the need to make savings of £2.1m during the next financial year in the wake of devastating cuts to its Government grant settlement.

Other cost-cutting proposals revealed yesterday (Wednesday) include a half-hour reduction in the working week for all council staff, cuts to employees’ mileage allowance and a hike in the cost of planning applications.

But despite the cutbacks the authority has pledged to freeze its share of council tax for the second year running. And discretionary services including The Playhouse, Pets’ Corner and The Local Museum will stay open.

Pretty shocked about the IoW cuts, Ace.  Some of those changes are going to have a rotten effect on tourism for your little island. I love my visits to the IoW (usually every 3-4 years) so I guess now I'm gonna have to bring my own bucket to carry around for when I'm caught short!

[telboy]

I also enjoy the I.O.W.
Was there New Year - walking hol!
Ace, did you know you were paying £3.50 a pint for Goddards (before VAT rise)?
The hotel I was staying in were selling beer for £1/pint 2nd.Jan. to get rid. Could
you drink Carling or Worthington gas. No, nor could I!
Bless.
Glad to be home.
(and the dogshit in West Ventnor has to be seen to be believed)
Rant over.

[ACE]

The dog bins are not emptied anymore, but that is not an excuse for lazy owners, mostly old retired codgers who can't bend down anyway. But they do an extendable handle scooper, so still no excuse.

The countryside rangers are getting their cards now. I suppose other services needs the money more than they do. But our countryside is one of the draws for visitors which keeps the hoteliers  working, so another well thought out idea. I think our council have wasted £30 million on madcap ideas these last few years and now with nothing in the pot they need to save £18 million to break even.

We will all be leaving soon as there will be nothing here to keep us, all I ask is that the last person to leave is to turn the light off.

[lillian]

Two thirds of Suffolk libraries face closesure. Rural bus services maybe axed....... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Add to the above the proposed clossure of it 7 out of 18 of its household waste and recycling centres.  >:(

[Ellen K]

Ninny, I am sorry that your business is not doing well.  Why not give it up and get a job doing something else?  Despite the recession, there are always vacancies for care assistants or support workers and training can be done on the job.  At least it would give you an income.  


Yes Ninnyscrops take Pauline's advice and give up your revenue generating tax paying business and go and work in the public sector. The problem is that too many people have already done that and now we have massive public spending with no tax revenue to pay for it.  Of course Gordon Brown thought that this didn't matter because City of London activities would make up the shortfall in GDP and it did ... for a while.

Some of the links posted on these threads make interesting reading.  Disastrous as it is, you also have to recognise that some of these quangos (like CAB) took for granted that the flow of tax payers cash would be limitless and became complacent.  We are reaping what GB sowed unfortunately and of course it is going to hurt.

[BarriedaleNick]

It's going to be painful in Lewisham esp for those on lower incomes (obviously I suppose)..
60 million over the next few years is the stated aim with 446 redundancies..

The riot squad has already been called during one council meeting and I expect there to be much more confrontation before this is done..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/30/lewisham-anti-cuts-protesters