War of words over council cuts (From Swindon Advertiser)

Quote 'Leader of the council Rod Bluh admitted these were the toughest financial times facing Swindon but said they were needed to make a ‘minimal impact on frontline services.’ He blamed the current financial crisis on the recession but also on the mounting costs of adult services and care which are soaring due to our ageing population.'

Doesn't anyone know how many old people we actually have in Swindon then and why haven't they provisioned accordingly? I thought this was the purpose of budgeting but the fact is they got it wrong to the tune of £12m so who is responsible and accountable?

You could save £0.5m if you were to sack the Chief Executive and his Deputy and revert to historic practice of having departmental heads reporting directly to the Council Leader. Or alternatively if the bonus benefiting Chief Executive, rewarded for failure, is not accountable maybe the Cabinet are and should accordingly resign. Surely someone should take responsibility for this mess?

Or are we in the same situation as nationally, the only difference being that we are incompetently led by a Tory Administration locally and a Labour Government nationally. Will someone please explain the difference as I am not very bright.

Quote 'Coun Peter Greenhalgh, cabinet member for transport, said that the cuts to Dial A Ride were about increasing efficiency and that the council was prepared to work with them to achieve this without cutting services.

He said: “They have got to be smarter about what they're doing.

“People have been taking some very cheap jibes at the council, but what we're trying to do is make them a model of efficiency.'

Taking the last paragraph I ask the question of Councillor Greenhalgh, isn't this your job anyway to deliver to cost effective efficient services. If you are incapable of delivering and only react to a crisis I suggest you resign immediately.

Will these people ever stop moaning..... do they not realise that if these cuts are NOT made, the Councillors will be forced to review their expenses budgets, and that would negate their whole purpose for being in office in the first place !!!

Quote 'Leader coun Rod Bluh added: “Just because we reduce the amount of money doesn’t mean we reduce the service."

again an amazing admission - obviously we are led by someone who doesn't know what the meaning of delivering cost effective efficient services and should move over for someone who does. Resign now Councillor Bluh before someone pushes you.

How about the Councillors and its council leader Rob Bluh leading by example like in Ireland and take a 20% pay cut?
I agree we all have to share the pain, that includes the decision makers!

Were the Swindon Tories born stupid or did they attend courses at Bath University in Swindon?
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Tory voters tend to older (than say Labour/Liberal voters), a lot are pensioners. Older people go out and vote.
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So the one thing you don't do if you're Tories is cut services to the elderly.
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I'm sure UKIP and BNP will be overjoyed as they'll be able to make a fair bit of political capital out of this.
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Passphrase pain-seek...

I know it sounds callous but these services are extras which people have come to expect as essentials. They improve the quality of life for disabled people but when finances are limited can we afford this. Personally I would like to see the care for disabled people improved rather than worry if granny can get to hospital or the shops.

We have been failed this administration for a long time and the consequences are now coming home to roost.

There is no evidence that pensioners vote Tory. Many pensioners remember the Thatcher years years with horror .

We need councillors who are not tied to political dogma and take decisions based on considered argument.

We should elect a mayor with executive authority, stop paying councillors and above all have meaningful consultation with taxpayers about how all services are delivered.

The current lot are a pathetic shower.

trustnopolitician wrote:
We have been failed this administration for a long time and the consequences are now coming home to roost. There is no evidence that pensioners vote Tory. Many pensioners remember the Thatcher years years with horror . We need councillors who are not tied to political dogma and take decisions based on considered argument. We should elect a mayor with executive authority, stop paying councillors and above all have meaningful consultation with taxpayers about how all services are delivered. The current lot are a pathetic shower.

good point, This council is run like the country, we vote in few representatives who have very little regard for the community they should be serving because they are no longer accountable to us until the next election!
The way decisions are taken at council or national level dismiss voters, and this cannot be good.
It wouldnt be so bad if we had a proportional representation, which would destroy the quasi monopole of Tory, labour, libdem on the decision making process, by introducing small parties into the decision making.
The fist past the post system is not only unfair, it is dangerous!

ooh another way to reduce the cost of our Council is to reduce the size of it. Do we really need 59 Councillors? What do they do for their expense as all the decisions are made by a few individuals in Cabinet. I hear that back benchers have not go a clue what is going on and or are being kept in the dark? They are therefore sperfluous to our future and and an unecessary and unwelcome expense in these difficult times.

Are Turkeys going to vote for Christmas and reduce the number to a more sensible and manageable figure or are we going to continue to subsidise this unecessary and expesive club in perpituity? I don't think so.

Time for an elected Mayor - at least then the electorate would feel they have a say..........

and finally I just wonder if the people of Dorcan will actually return our Council Leader at the elections next May but wonder if the Tories will remove him beforehand as they have form. I doubt it because that means making a decision!!

If the level of Council Tax is the main reason behind cutting tiny wedges out of the budget, which affect the needy, then raise it a little. They used to say at one time, a penny rate would bring in X amount of extra to the coffers, though this is not spoken of these days, maybe there should be a more open evaluation of what a small increase in CT would do to alleviate some of these cuts?

We are not so stupid as to ignore the main reasons for keeping CT down, it is to try and win enough votes to keep the Tory seats, which come up for local election next spring. They got away with it in 2009 as there were no elections in which the public could display their annoyance at a very poor Tory led Council administration!

No wonder the councillors are hidden away in the old railway tunnels in Queens Park.
They squander cash on Town Centre developments that never happen, pointless Wi-Fi schemes , and frippery as opposed to real developments.
They all need replacing with a Government Commissioner.

I was at a loss to understand how an organisation whose revenues derive from taxation could possibly blame a £12m deficit on "the recession." Then I found Table 2 - Unbudgeted Recession-related Cost Pressures, in the council's Revenue Budget Management 2009/10 report.
It says that the "Unbudgeted Recession-related Cost Pressures" consist of:
Loss of Land Charges Income
Loss of Building Control Income
Loss of Car parking Income
Loss of Adult Social Care interest on contractual funding arrangements
Cost of Benefits Administration over and above additional grant.
And the total for those 'unbudgeted recession-related cost pressures' is £1.489m.
So what is Coun. Bluh going to blame the other £10.511m deficit on if it clearly isn't 'the recession' as he claims?

gonefishin wrote:
I was at a loss to understand how an organisation whose revenues derive from taxation could possibly blame a £12m deficit on "the recession." Then I found Table 2 - Unbudgeted Recession-related Cost Pressures, in the council's Revenue Budget Management 2009/10 report. It says that the "Unbudgeted Recession-related Cost Pressures" consist of: Loss of Land Charges Income Loss of Building Control Income Loss of Car parking Income Loss of Adult Social Care interest on contractual funding arrangements Cost of Benefits Administration over and above additional grant. And the total for those 'unbudgeted recession-related cost pressures' is £1.489m. So what is Coun. Bluh going to blame the other £10.511m deficit on if it clearly isn't 'the recession' as he claims?

Please, please don't bring Sir Mike Pitt back, we don't want another Gavin Jones or do we?

The Dial A Ride service has been providing an efficient service in Swindon for a many years. In terms of the needs of it’s customers, the users will tell you that it is 100% efficient. It meets their needs. It enables people with all manner of disabilities to carry on with their ‘normal’ lives. The passengers use this service to travel to work, attend doctor’s appointments, do shopping and all other recreational and physical activities the rest of us take for granted.
If the council reduce the funding for this essential service, this vulnerable group of people will be further disenfranchised.
If these people cannot get to work cost effectively, or need carers or social services to do their shopping or other activities, that will cost the council much more in the longer term.

The council has been run by the same Tories for years. So I think the real question should be: Who got us into this mess? Recession aside - to use an old Tory phrase maybe they should have fixed the roof when the sun was shinning - now the Chickens have come home to roost...

It doesn't really matter what political persuassion got us into this trouble. The fact is we are now where we are now.
Cuts will be needed but let's not be cruel.
There is a whole load of waste and folly projects that could be cancelled or delayed.

Talking of follies the Adver has not followed up on the Highworth WiFi. Is this a more worthwhile project than Dial a Ride???

qualia says: "It doesn't matter what political persuassion got us into this trouble. The fact is we are now where we are now."
That's exactly the kind of apologist BS that the likes of Gordon Brown and his jokers are spouting in the hope we'll all forget the fact that he was chancellor for the 11 years leading to the worst recession this country has faced in living memory. Of course it matters. The fact that it matters is the raison d'etre of all Politics.

I would never apologise for any politician or political party. They are all dire. They have no imagination, courage or integrity.
As for the worst recession in living memory, gonefishin must be very young indeed. The 1980s were far worse for normal people. This time around, people are bleeting because they can't have a huge bonus this year or the latest mobile phone or can't get more credit to buy more rubbish.
Wake up!

qualia wrote:
I would never apologise for any politician or political party. They are all dire. They have no imagination, courage or integrity. As for the worst recession in living memory, gonefishin must be very young indeed. The 1980s were far worse for normal people. This time around, people are bleeting because they can't have a huge bonus this year or the latest mobile phone or can't get more credit to buy more rubbish. Wake up!

With 3 millions unemployed, 2 wars, and a budget deficit bankrupting us, a stalled economy, coupled with terrorism threat and immigration problem, I think that you should seriously reconsider your opinion on the current crisis.
The only difference being that Brits of the 1980s were a courageous breed, not afraid to turn to the street to topple governements policies.

politicrat wrote:

qualia wrote: I would never apologise for any politician or political party. They are all dire. They have no imagination, courage or integrity. As for the worst recession in living memory, gonefishin must be very young indeed. The 1980s were far worse for normal people. This time around, people are bleeting because they can't have a huge bonus this year or the latest mobile phone or can't get more credit to buy more rubbish. Wake up!

With 3 millions unemployed, 2 wars, and a budget deficit bankrupting us, a stalled economy, coupled with terrorism threat and immigration problem, I think that you should seriously reconsider your opinion on the current crisis. The only difference being that Brits of the 1980s were a courageous breed, not afraid to turn to the street to topple governements policies.

Firstly, I understand the current economic crisis all too well. It's far greater than most people realise and much more worrysome than the story the media peddle.

Secondly, I agree that the 1980s demos were productive. I should know I was at most of them.

The apathetic nature of modern Britons is a symptom of 20+ years of dumbing down.

Lets get back to the point. Politicians should not be trying to take a few quid away from the most vulnerable because they think that they are easy targets. This thread is about our local council, bankrupt of both cash and ideas who are trying to save £50,000 by taking an axe to an essential disabled community transport service, while a £12,000,000 hole in the local public finances are being compounded by WiFi, Disneyworld trips and town centre water feature projects.

qualia wrote:

politicrat wrote:

qualia wrote: I would never apologise for any politician or political party. They are all dire. They have no imagination, courage or integrity. As for the worst recession in living memory, gonefishin must be very young indeed. The 1980s were far worse for normal people. This time around, people are bleeting because they can't have a huge bonus this year or the latest mobile phone or can't get more credit to buy more rubbish. Wake up!

With 3 millions unemployed, 2 wars, and a budget deficit bankrupting us, a stalled economy, coupled with terrorism threat and immigration problem, I think that you should seriously reconsider your opinion on the current crisis. The only difference being that Brits of the 1980s were a courageous breed, not afraid to turn to the street to topple governements policies.

Firstly, I understand the current economic crisis all too well. It's far greater than most people realise and much more worrysome than the story the media peddle. Secondly, I agree that the 1980s demos were productive. I should know I was at most of them. The apathetic nature of modern Britons is a symptom of 20+ years of dumbing down. Lets get back to the point. Politicians should not be trying to take a few quid away from the most vulnerable because they think that they are easy targets. This thread is about our local council, bankrupt of both cash and ideas who are trying to save £50,000 by taking an axe to an essential disabled community transport service, while a £12,000,000 hole in the local public finances are being compounded by WiFi, Disneyworld trips and town centre water feature projects.

Qualia, you have forgotten the Big Weekend that adds another half Mill to the total.
Quite a record I suggest, but the the really worrying thing about this episode that all blame the Labour Government for its record but we have a Tory Local Government. The Tories are supposed to be the party of business so will someone please explain the difference? I cannot see so much as a fag paper to differentiate the scale of their mutual incompetence and this leaves us all with a horendous decision next year if indeed we vote at all. I suggest it will be the lowest turnout in our history.

Grimwald wrote:

qualia wrote:

politicrat wrote:

qualia wrote: I would never apologise for any politician or political party. They are all dire. They have no imagination, courage or integrity. As for the worst recession in living memory, gonefishin must be very young indeed. The 1980s were far worse for normal people. This time around, people are bleeting because they can't have a huge bonus this year or the latest mobile phone or can't get more credit to buy more rubbish. Wake up!

With 3 millions unemployed, 2 wars, and a budget deficit bankrupting us, a stalled economy, coupled with terrorism threat and immigration problem, I think that you should seriously reconsider your opinion on the current crisis. The only difference being that Brits of the 1980s were a courageous breed, not afraid to turn to the street to topple governements policies.

Firstly, I understand the current economic crisis all too well. It's far greater than most people realise and much more worrysome than the story the media peddle. Secondly, I agree that the 1980s demos were productive. I should know I was at most of them. The apathetic nature of modern Britons is a symptom of 20+ years of dumbing down. Lets get back to the point. Politicians should not be trying to take a few quid away from the most vulnerable because they think that they are easy targets. This thread is about our local council, bankrupt of both cash and ideas who are trying to save £50,000 by taking an axe to an essential disabled community transport service, while a £12,000,000 hole in the local public finances are being compounded by WiFi, Disneyworld trips and town centre water feature projects.

Qualia, you have forgotten the Big Weekend that adds another half Mill to the total. Quite a record I suggest, but the the really worrying thing about this episode that all blame the Labour Government for its record but we have a Tory Local Government. The Tories are supposed to be the party of business so will someone please explain the difference? I cannot see so much as a fag paper to differentiate the scale of their mutual incompetence and this leaves us all with a horendous decision next year if indeed we vote at all. I suggest it will be the lowest turnout in our history.

Sadly there is no difference anymore. All political parties are preoccupied with being "on message" at all times. They propagate a bland media image punctuated by soundbites of meaningless NewSpeak and we, the electorate, blindly inch towards our totalitarian distopian future.
As for voting next year, we can only really cast our vote for the least irritating candidate on that day.

"So what is Coun. Bluh going to blame the other £10.511m deficit on if it clearly isn't 'the recession' as he claims?"

I reckon they spent it on Euro millions lottery tickets in a desperate attempt to hit the jackpot!

Does my memory serve me correctly that Councillor Greenhalgh was 'mothballing' the North Swindon Park and Ride.
To the best of my knowledge it hasn't even merited a mention in this year's budget. I bet everyone is hoping it is long forgotten.
What a waste of an expensive public asset and raises the question as to why it can't be used as a car park from which the public can access the local buses.
Also what costings were done to ascertain the usage as originally conceived but only available from say 7.30am to 9.00am and 5.00pm to 6.30pm. Surely this would reduce the traffic in town and would help Councillor Greenhalgh attend to the traffic chaos over which he presides. Perhaps he should spend more time doing this rather than worry about what Nick Martin did before his removal some twelve months ago?
Shame we do not have an opposition worthy of the name to raise these issues on our behalf!!

I fear Swindon may have to wait a bit longer before the Central Canal is installed ! Oh dear - I mean Hooray !

Imagine the central canal, with a mock, mississipi paddle steamer, featuring Disney characters.
I hope you can imagie it, because that's as much as will happen.

But seriously, why not just scrap SBC altogether. They claim to have no say in stopping yet another hotel being built. No say in preserving the towns heritage. They waste massive sums of money, on features that most people seem objectional to.
They seem to serve nobody, but themselves.
If we get rid of most, if not all councillors, it would save a fortune.
Let's scrap SBC

The problem as with all politicians is that they are elected and not neccessarily qualified, thats where the voting system falls completely flat! Just because a lot of people put their cross on a slip of paper doesnt mean that the person they voted for is competant or capable of actually doing the job! Most of the councillors (and senior SBC Managers for that matter) couldn't manage a car boot stall, let alone a town the size of Swindon and that is your problem, ther really dont know what they are doing, they lurch from one crisis to the next with no plan other than when is the next meeting and how much can I claim in expenses. Maybe we should put them all on performance related pay, so if they dont deliver they dont get paid? How many would apply for the job then? Probably none of them as they would all be broke!
Code word is part-fail, sadly not enough letters for total-fail.

real -life wrote:
The problem as with all politicians is that they are elected and not neccessarily qualified, thats where the voting system falls completely flat! Just because a lot of people put their cross on a slip of paper doesnt mean that the person they voted for is competant or capable of actually doing the job! Most of the councillors (and senior SBC Managers for that matter) couldn't manage a car boot stall, let alone a town the size of Swindon and that is your problem, ther really dont know what they are doing, they lurch from one crisis to the next with no plan other than when is the next meeting and how much can I claim in expenses. Maybe we should put them all on performance related pay, so if they dont deliver they dont get paid? How many would apply for the job then? Probably none of them as they would all be broke! Code word is part-fail, sadly not enough letters for total-fail.

The trouble is real life if you put them on performance related pay Gavin Jones and his merry Bonus would end up paying us to work at SBC.
I just wonder who is going to fall on their sword and accept responsibility for this situation or do we have to wait for the elections. The only trouble is we cannot remove the administration with its fat majority there are not that many seats up next year. Time for a rethink, does anyone know how we, the electorate, can demand all out elections for 2010? We deserve nothing less.

Grimwald wrote:

real -life wrote: The problem as with all politicians is that they are elected and not neccessarily qualified, thats where the voting system falls completely flat! Just because a lot of people put their cross on a slip of paper doesnt mean that the person they voted for is competant or capable of actually doing the job! Most of the councillors (and senior SBC Managers for that matter) couldn't manage a car boot stall, let alone a town the size of Swindon and that is your problem, ther really dont know what they are doing, they lurch from one crisis to the next with no plan other than when is the next meeting and how much can I claim in expenses. Maybe we should put them all on performance related pay, so if they dont deliver they dont get paid? How many would apply for the job then? Probably none of them as they would all be broke! Code word is part-fail, sadly not enough letters for total-fail.

The trouble is real life if you put them on performance related pay Gavin Jones and his merry Bonus would end up paying us to work at SBC. I just wonder who is going to fall on their sword and accept responsibility for this situation or do we have to wait for the elections. The only trouble is we cannot remove the administration with its fat majority there are not that many seats up next year. Time for a rethink, does anyone know how we, the electorate, can demand all out elections for 2010? We deserve nothing less.

Unfortunately, the way our Democratic system works at local and national level is very poor.
The first past the post means that a large proportion of voters are not represented
Also once elected there is very little accountability to voters and almost not power of recall
I do not even know if there is such a thing as an popular initiated referendum/Law like in USA France Switzerland.
I find that in the UK the system of representation is actually not representing citizens very well and this in turns frustrate large part of the democratic body hence the low voting turn out, lots of people are desillusioned with Democracy because we need an overall reform of our Constitution.
Do we want to keep our elected parliementary representation system (with the failures we know), or do we want a more direct system?
We need 2 chambers system, and we need voters to be able to initiate Laws and referendums, we also need to have the power to recall (Remove) MPs, elected representatives in between election.

It is that time of year. Threaten severe cuts to any service that may be emotive. The vulnerable, children, the elderly, liesure facilities etc.
Then come March you can announce that all services have been saved by a proposed hike of 6% in the rates.
This is standard practice for SBC, it saves having to make staff cuts of 20% or more.

Never mind folks - just think the good people of Dorcan will have the opportunity to remove our council Leader Rod Bluh next May. He couldn't even beat a newcomer Tory last year so will come up for election first. This could be a very interesting campaign but will the Tories beat the electorate to it and remove him first? There doesn't seem to a shortage of contenders to replace him and remember the Tories havee form.

Rumoured that SBC have identified eighty Repugnancies for January. If true, a step in the right direction. Probabley be the low paid front line staff, the trouser polishers will be safe enough.

Am I wrong to say that part of the disability living allowance is for motability ie transport?
I also believe this is around £30 or £40 a week ? Well it doesn’t cost that to take a taxi to a doctors appointment or shopping and the other point I would like to make is why is it when ever you see a Dial a ride bus its empty or has one passenger? And has this service taken the place of the families helping out, lets face it some one in the family drives. Do they pay the drivers? if yes, why cant this service be run by volunteers? I would like to see money saved from this service and used for better things.

TIME FOR BLUH AND HIS BLUH PARTY MEMBERS TO GO.

GET OUT NOW

If Alaughaminute is correct and £35 quid of motability is available to the old dears why not hand it to dial-a-ride, would surely defray the cost of diesel. If I want to use the Oasis, I pay. Use a council car park - I pay. If demand for the service is insufficient - scrap it.
Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury, etc. will deliver all manner of goods to your door, generally free of charge.

Alaughaminute wrote:
Am I wrong to say that part of the disability living allowance is for motability ie transport? I also believe this is around £30 or £40 a week ? Well it doesn’t cost that to take a taxi to a doctors appointment or shopping and the other point I would like to make is why is it when ever you see a Dial a ride bus its empty or has one passenger? And has this service taken the place of the families helping out, lets face it some one in the family drives. Do they pay the drivers? if yes, why cant this service be run by volunteers? I would like to see money saved from this service and used for better things.

The mobility component of the DLA claim can only be initiated before the persons 65th birthday.

Also the following criteria are applied:

Either
•you are unable to walk OR
•you are virtually unable to walk OR
•the exertion required to walk would constitute a danger to your life or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in your health OR
•you have no legs or feet (from birth or through amputation) OR
•you are both deaf AND blind OR
•are severely mentally impaired, display severe behavioural problems and are entitled to the higher rate care component.

There are large numbers of service users who do not fall into the above categories.

You may well sometimes see empty buses for a number of operational reasons. Start/end of shifts, after school drop offs and before school collections etc. The diversity of the users and their journey requirements may make it look inefficient as an observer from the outside. Not everyone wants to travel from the same place at the same time to the same destination.
Many user's families live hundreds or thousands of miles away. Families move away to find work. This phenomenon is not new and will undoubtedly increase further in the future.

A high proportion of Dial a ride drivers, support staff, management team are volunteers.

What better things do you have in mind to spend the money on. Disney twinning, WiFi, £250,000 water feature in the town centre, politician's expenses or banker's bonuses perhaps.

I hope for your sake that you never suffer from a disability or age related mobility restrictions and need such help from others or maybe you are just rich enough to pay for all of your future care needs yourself.

We all pay tax and national insurance to provide compassionate services in times of need. Dial a Ride users have paid their share of taxes and national insurance all of their lives too.

You have made some goods point but the money will have to be cut from some where so where do you think that should come from....Age concern, the schools, childrens services (do you know they are closing down a childrens respite centre because there is no money to update it?) We could make the able over 60's pay for the bus service they now recieve for free, lets have our bins emptied every 4 weeks, better still we could all pay more council tax and no I don't think spending 450k on wifi, 250k on water feature or any thing to do with Disney is where the money should go. I think Dial a ride have charities and private donations and youve said your self volunteers, you also sell your services such as claimed on your website. You can make the choice, what one of the other services would you like the money cut from?

Alaughaminute wrote:
You have made some goods point but the money will have to be cut from some where so where do you think that should come from....Age concern, the schools, childrens services (do you know they are closing down a childrens respite centre because there is no money to update it?) We could make the able over 60's pay for the bus service they now recieve for free, lets have our bins emptied every 4 weeks, better still we could all pay more council tax and no I don't think spending 450k on wifi, 250k on water feature or any thing to do with Disney is where the money should go. I think Dial a ride have charities and private donations and youve said your self volunteers, you also sell your services such as claimed on your website. You can make the choice, what one of the other services would you like the money cut from?

I think you have answered your own question with my previous suggestions and your agreement.
The cost of the WiFi and water feature alone would enable SBC to maintain the Dial a Ride grant at current levels for the next 14 years.