A Dollop of Salfordian Irony
Hilarious – the council’s latest Life magazine has a big section on (I kid you not) how to cut back on spending and make savings so as to avoid getting into debt. A council that is well over £600,000,000 in debt and who fritter money away like there’s no tomorrow are providing the citizens it serves so badly with patronising financial advice like ‘make a shopping list’ and ‘buy ingredients which will work for several meals’. Best all they’re provinding this profound advice at the expense of the people reading it.
Best money saving advice for the residents of Salford – vote Labour out of office; it’ll save millions on spin, marketing, councillors’ allowances, risky ventures and council junkets.
10:36 pm on March 9th, 2009
`ingredients that will work for two meals, well I hope the flashy buffets are now off the agenda for meetings. But we still haven’t seen this “rag” and I am in dear Mr.Toads ward. That said we dont even have an up to date east salford community committe page, says a great deal for Labour.
I just hope the next by election shows them up for what they are!!!
12:00 am on March 10th, 2009
Well said Steve.
8:54 am on March 10th, 2009
Next they will be telling us to eat the magazine, they make us try to swallow that much already… good source of roughage I suppose.
12:53 pm on March 10th, 2009
I just received my council tax bill. As if the fact that it’s now over £1,000 for my Band A home wasn’t enough, they’ve had the cheek to include a leaflet entitled “Investing money wisely IN Salford – A guide to council tax and business rates 2009/10″.
Well, I have looked over the enclosed leaflet and I can’t see evidence of how Salford Council have invested money wisely. I can, however, see evidence of increased borrowing (page 10 of the leaflet), increased spending on financing/levies/charges and cutbacks in Adult Social Care, Community Development, Enviromental Services and Housing.
I await my IN Life magazine with baited breath!
6:47 pm on March 10th, 2009
For the final time Salix Tenant give us your address and we will make sure you get a copy. We managed to produce a budget Steve that had no cutbacks in services in the areas you describe unlike the Lib Dems who needed an adjournment of the Council to even produce a legal amendment.
7:28 pm on March 10th, 2009
You know it’s funny. Prepare a budget put out a statement around five pages,nothing contentous about the ruling group add a breakdown of the Labour budget and the Liberal alternative,and of course show how it would effect a BAND D property in Salford ,and the labour Front bench say well at least the Liberal Dem’s are having a go. This Year highlight the disgracefull waste,£399.000 on Mobiles, Over a million on car users, over Six million on sick pay,over three million on consultants,£299.000 on barristers, Salaries for top exec’s the list goes on. Refactor into childrens services, putting people back to work,training ,environmental projects,social workers etc. Stick in How a band D property will be effected and what have we got Labour having kittens, Lets be honest John if we were in power do you honestly think i would have to work with the elderly all day forefill all my casework and write a budget. No i would get those high powered people Like Bill as to write it for me.I will say one thing john if i get you jumping i know i am doing my job. By the way you will see the replies i had to my questions to two of your officers on my next leaflet. Sleep well 2010 Will soon be around the corner
Regards
Joe
10:17 pm on March 10th, 2009
John, you will be spending less in 2009/2010 than you did in 2008/2009 – so can you explain how there has been no cutbacks in the services I mentioned above?
If, as you say, there are no cutbacks – was it just that 2008/2009 was a particularly wasteful year for Labour’s Salford Council?
Your spending less on Adult Social Care………….if that isn’t a cutback, what is?
I might not be the financial whiz that you are John, but your argument simply just does not stack up.
9:19 am on March 11th, 2009
Steve this is not the first time we have had to correct you. Do you recall attacking John Ferguson for having stood in other wards when it transpired your candidate has done the same. In regard to social care your are aware are you that we are rated the best in the country by the Audit Comission? Due to changes in financeing, procurement and management of Central Government Grant there are changes to the overall amounts allocated but there are no cutbacks in the services provided in Social Care. Do you not think that your councillors would have claimed so if it had been the case?
9:37 am on March 11th, 2009
I do not remember “attacking” John Ferguson – where did you find such a statement from me? Actually, if you surf back on Steve C’s blog you will find 1 question, I quote “John, the confusion is understandable as John Ferguson stood in the Worsley ward last time around. Is he doing a round-robin of the area until he gets in?”
That is not an attack; that is a question.
Being rated well by the Audit Commission and cutting back on services are not mutually exclusive – it is possible to do both.
At least I did get an answer to my question about cutbacks, but you have to understand that the majority of the populous in Salford have the same information as me. If you are spending less on services than you did the year before – questions will be asked. That is democracy.
Labour need to be more open, with less spin – otherwise how can we trust you? After you accused me of attacking John Ferguson above, how could I ever trust you again?
I await my apology.
9:53 am on March 11th, 2009
How can you trust Labour? The answer, after the Iraq war, the abandonment of Labour principles in favour of marketisation and privatisation, and the ditching or breaking of so many manifesto commitments is ‘you can’t.’ They’ve lied to parliament; they’ve lied to the press; they’ve lied to their members; and they’ve lied to the population at large. I stopped trusting Labour a long time ago and every time I’m tempted to reconsider they do something new to show me why they’re rotten.
12:22 pm on March 11th, 2009
Steve you argued that he stood in Worsley and therefore had “gone round doing a round robin until he got in” that is a critical remark and was even more annoying as your candidate had done the same. I think you need to think about your post and how that might be an attack. Steve C dont get me started on Lib Dem campaigning methods . Having seen your leaflet that yet again uses the cynical headline “An apology from Labour” when there is no such thing I am not takeing any lectures on lieing from your party.
12:56 pm on March 11th, 2009
John – you don’t take lessons from anybody. That’s the problem with Labour.
3:07 pm on March 11th, 2009
Not true Steve I have been taking lessons from Norman on politeness and what the”aperture under my nose” is for
5:48 pm on March 11th, 2009
The last paragraph of my previous comment asks that Labour be more open with less spin and what do I get in return?
Misquoted!
And then the meaning of my comment twisted for John Merry to score a cheap point at my expense.
I’ve taken your advice and thought about my post – it was a perfectly valid question which was answered. There was no attack, contrary to what you might think or say.
I still believe I’m owed an apology (in fact I now count 2). Is the leader of the council so stuck in his unchangeable ways that he cannot admit being wrong, just once, and say sorry.
What do you say Cllr Merry?
10:16 pm on March 11th, 2009
I am always happy to admit when I am wrong but I honestly dont believe I was on this occasion . I felt you were takeing a cheap shot at our candidate and if you read what I said I gave Steve credit for editing his comment. If you knew me better Steve I think you would find that I dont have a belief that politics should be about personal attacks but I am fierce in my determination to defend those who I believe to have been wronged
10:54 pm on March 11th, 2009
Loathe as I am to defend Cllr Merry, Steve, you are rather making a mountain out of a molehill here, and in any case you are the one pounding the streets delivering literature which spells the ward name incorrectly and entirely fictional scenarios.
11:34 pm on March 11th, 2009
Iain, I doubt you’d be as quick to agree with Cllr Merry if it was you he had misquoted and accused of doing something you hadn’t.
12:03 am on March 12th, 2009
I’m sorry Steve, but the insunation in your “question” was quite clear, and more than a bit hypocritical, given that your candidate is I believe now onto his third ward, whereas John Ferguson has now stood in two. Don’t play all innocent now.