Cutting the Grass According to Our Means

[steveL]

60 job losses to save £4m with another £15m still to find - yet CAB tries to make out that the only tangible impact will be that we may see the grass getting cut less often.

We're down to doing away with lunchtime lollipop ladies but still that public funding of union reps receives a wide berth.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/60-council-jobs-axed-to-save-4m-1-6353277

[Land Phil]

Executive pay rises ahead of child safety ...the caring council !

[fred c]

Ohhh Yes... "The Dear Leader" is prepared to spend the thick end of £100,000 of Rate Payers cash on funding a full time & several part time Union Representatives, but can`t fund school crossing patrols.

A Disgraceful moral position by the leader of the council supported by his fellow labour councilors some of whom, like him are members of the union concerned.

[tankerville]

What if....A child is knocked down during said lunchtime removal of Crossing Personel?

I ask because my brother aged 10 years ran out of the school in front of a bus and was killed instantly my father had to identify him by the clothes he wore for shool that morning. Try living with that.

H.B.C. are putting lives at risk by allowing school children to cross busy roads without proper supervision a saving of lives is more important than a saving of money.

It's about time someone got a grip on these councillors and informed them that we live in the real world here in Hartlepool.

Hell bent on 20 MPH in streets throughout the town, and coming up with a stupid and idiotic idea such as this outside schools just beggers belief.

[Watching57]

My first post on here.  I've watched for a long time, but never felt compelled to write anything before! 

In my view, the budget position the HBC are in is an unenviable position and there really does have to be some serious consideration of all aspects of Council expenditure.  Whether you believe the existing crop of Councillors / Senior Managers are up to the task of doing this properly is another matter!

In relation to the potential of the removal of lunchtime school crossing patrols, it would be interesting to know how many schools actually allow pupils off their site on a lunchtime.  To my mind, I can't think of many schools that actually do.  In that case you could actually question why the patrols are there in the first place?  Is the removal really going to be detrimental to road safety?  If a site warrants a patrol then it should remain.

If the removal of lunchtime crossings means all crossing sites remain in the morning / afternoon periods when all pupils are arriving / leaving school and the roads are substantially busier then surely that should be the priority?

[mk1]

If the removal of lunchtime crossings means all crossing sites remain in the morning / afternoon periods when all pupils are arriving / leaving school and the roads are substantially busier then surely that should be the priority?

I am afraid you fall into their trap. The initial choice of what to cut was the problem. Child safety should be well  down the list but the SCABs have decided they  need to subsidise their Union and the kids will just have to take their chances.
Stop dancing to their tune and  see it for what it is, blatant favouritism.

[for fawkes sake]

I'm not sure if 'lollipop' personnel are assigned to senior schools but I would guess from the number of students hanging around the nearest pasty shop at lunch break that there are few restrictions on leaving the school site during lunchtimes.

It's not really the point though, is it? When you look at some of the council spending still going on I'm sure a lot of people will be wondering why school crossings managed to be so high up the 'hit list'.

When I got married twenty odd years ago the ceremony was in lower floor of the Civic Centre. Since then the Registry Office has moved to The Willows in Raby Road, then back to the Civic Centre and now it's going to cost another £90,000 to move it to a different floor in the Civic Centre. Some councillors were even arguing to move it back to The Willows in Raby Road.

It would be interesting to know just how much was spent each time the Registry Office was relocated. I would guess that we're probably talking in excess of £1/2 million over recent years. When a council shows itself to be this indecisive and so devoid of any long-term planning then it's little wonder that it's in dire financial straits even though it charges us the 2nd highest council tax in England.

Likewise, in two years it looks like we'll probably be forking out interest charges on the loan used to buy Jacksons landing and we'll probably be heavily subsidising the café in the crem by then just to save the embarrassment of certain councillors.

[ARC86]

It will be very interesting to see what choices the opposition will be opposing, and also letting us know what areas they think should be for the chop.. we have identified 100k from the full time union official, where do PHF propose the other £4m of cuts should fall?

[ARC86]

I think the harsh reality here is down to the block grant and Mr Pickles' localism agenda, whoever was in charge at the council would have to make these decisions to ensure we "live within our means".

What exactly are we saying here, these cuts are all the fault of CAB? The council has a workforce of around 4000 people, this latest round of cuts are nothing in comparison with what is too come. I agree with watching57 on the school crossing patrols. Parents send their children into a safe environment at school everyday. If schools allow children out at lunchtime then the school is responsible and the school should fork out for warden patrols.

[fred c]

A fine example of a caring sharing socialist.........ARC will be justifying the civic car next.

As a supposed trade unionist & socialist how does he explain Council Tax Payers having to fund a full time union official.

Surely a union members monthly subs should be funding their elected representatives ?

[ARC86]

Fred i think ive said this before on here.. council tax payers should "NOT" have to pay for a full-time Union Official. Im merely asking which services the other parties think should be prioritised, its alright slamming Labour but nobody is coming up with an alternative.. its about choices and priorities, what are yours?

[marky]

It will be very interesting to see what choices the opposition will be opposing, and also letting us know what areas they think should be for the chop.. we have identified 100k from the full time union official, where do PHF propose the other £4m of cuts should fall?

According to the Mail story. the council has already saved £19.5 million over the last 3 years. Now be honest - has anyone noticed a difference?....and doesn't that indicate that HBC was engaged in unnecessary spending of at least £19.5m?.....and doesn't that in turn indicate that there's more to be found?

[ARC86]

Not necessarily Marky its the other services such as youth provision that have changed dramatically, i dont know if you have children but if you do they now have fewer places to go.. the council will only have two youth centres operating in the town in future.. one at Rossmere and one at Throston.. i think it would be a smart move in future for youth provision to move across to the voluntary sector under current council guidelines kike we do now at various youth projects in town.. the reality is most council workers are moving over to the private sector where possible such as dinner ladies and cleaners, for me this was all part of the tory localism agenda from the start.. shrink the state and procure those services to make private profit, its not rocket science.

[clav 73]

I Can't believe any one in hartlepool  with half a brain cell would think after mra more voluntary sector is what the town needs

[mk1]

Not necessarily Marky its the other services such as youth provision that have changed dramatically, i dont know if you have children but if you do they now have fewer places to go.. the council will only have two youth centres operating in the town in future.. one at Rossmere and one at Throston.. i think it would be a smart move in future for youth provision to move across to the voluntary sector under current council guidelines like we do now at various youth projects in town...

Yes and who would be best placed to get control once this sort of thing once the contracts start going out?

Clue: 'he looks so handsome in his robes'.