Councillors expenses

[Duke Fame]

Earlier this morning, I looked up how many FOI requests Ms Oliver had to her name (answer: 341 and counting   )  In the process I was distracted by the titles of some other FOI requests which caught my eye.  Such as this one:  http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/some_people_think_im_bonkers

...and this one:  http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/rubber_knickers

It may seem mildy amusing at first, but when you reflect on the taxpayers' money which is being squandered up and down the country on dealing with Mr Pickles and his ilk, it's quite depressing.   

Now Ms Oliver of Reddish may not be quite in the same extreme category of wasters-of-public-money as this guy Tickles, but surely in these straightened times, we need urgently to do something to protect our dwindling band of civil servants and local authority employees from this nonsense, and let them get on with doing something more useful? 

There is a serious side of this and not just money. We've had the odd  public enquiry recently where MP's of both political sides have  implied that they simply missed the odd e-mail, some being very important. I think it's imposible for our elected leaders to have to trawl through a lot of irelevent tosh in the hope there may be something important.

[Dave]

Earlier this morning, I looked up how many FOI requests Ms Oliver had to her name (answer: 341 and counting   )  In the process I was distracted by the titles of some other FOI requests which caught my eye.  Such as this one:  http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/some_people_think_im_bonkers

...and this one:  http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/rubber_knickers

It may seem mildy amusing at first, but when you reflect on the taxpayers' money which is being squandered up and down the country on dealing with Mr Pickles and his ilk, it's quite depressing.   

Now Ms Oliver of Reddish may not be quite in the same extreme category of wasters-of-public-money as this guy Tickles, but surely in these straightened times, we need urgently to do something to protect our dwindling band of civil servants and local authority employees from this nonsense, and let them get on with doing something more useful? 

[Duke Fame]

Someone went to the Bredbury councillors (not Syd Lloyd who always helps).  They asked about a dangerous footpath for over a year. They got nowhere - one did nothing, one is 94 the other one wouldn't come to the door for whatever reason

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/footpath_at_the_side_of_woodley#comment-23822

As you will see, they are now proposing to put right the danger presumably because I asked. I don't know why we pay some of these councillors anything. The LibDems accuse me of wasting public money by asking about such matters. I don't - I get things done.

Shiela, a ceiling tile came down, it's not colapsing, you are being meladramatic and you know it.

now it is too late.  Kids will die.

http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/s9848/Vale%20View%20Executive%20Summary%20Sheet%20and%20Report.pdf

Can we negotiate Shiela? the kids are innocent in this, it will not help you to make them martyrs.

[Sheilaoliver]

Someone went to the Bredbury councillors (not Syd Lloyd who always helps).  They asked about a dangerous footpath for over a year. They got nowhere - one did nothing, one is 94 the other one wouldn't come to the door for whatever reason

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/footpath_at_the_side_of_woodley#comment-23822

As you will see, they are now proposing to put right the danger presumably because I asked. I don't know why we pay some of these councillors anything. The LibDems accuse me of wasting public money by asking about such matters. I don't - I get things done.

The traffic around the Toxic Waste Dump school, which has suffered a collapse and is haemorrhaging pupils after just one term, is causing serious concern to police. I raised these matters in time to have done something about it. Now it is too late.  Kids will die.

http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/s9848/Vale%20View%20Executive%20Summary%20Sheet%20and%20Report.pdf

[alan@marple]

And how many public officials cowering in the corner because of it?.

Tony Blair may well regret it, perhaps he has good reason to: generations to come will suffer as a result of his "gung ho" attitude to other peoples lives and families.

Blair, Brown, Prescot- the unholy trinity!

Have a nice day

[Duke Fame]

I think my council tax bill would be far lower if she didn't have an e-mail facility.

... if we were all like her, nothing would ever be done. She's like a dog with a bone over irrelevant concerns.

Blimey Duke, I think we've found something we agree on at last    It's interesting that when Tony Blair is asked what regrets he has from his ten years as prime minister, he refers not, as one might expect, to the invasion of Iraq, but to the FOI Act.  I shudder to think how much taxpayers' money has been squandered because of it.   

Yep we agree here, there is a point at which we accept that we have elected people to run things and they must get on and do it.

Ms Oliver has campaigned against all sorts of f developments to the extent that she seems to be a professional complainer but how much has it cost. The improved road networks she's campaigned against must have cost loads of jobs, not only in contruction but in the improvements to business.

[Duke Fame]

But irrelevent to who?.

I think that probity in all matters concerning the community is essential and demandable.

The kids of Reddish North have been awaitong a new school for some time, Ms Oliver has pretty much held them back for all this time.

[Dave]

I think my council tax bill would be far lower if she didn't have an e-mail facility.

... if we were all like her, nothing would ever be done. She's like a dog with a bone over irrelevant concerns.

Blimey Duke, I think we've found something we agree on at last    It's interesting that when Tony Blair is asked what regrets he has from his ten years as prime minister, he refers not, as one might expect, to the invasion of Iraq, but to the FOI Act.  I shudder to think how much taxpayers' money has been squandered because of it.   

[alan@marple]

But irrelevent to who?.

I think that probity in all matters concerning the community is essential and demandable.

[Duke Fame]

In my opinion it's a pity we don't have more people like Sheila Oliver, she does not back off, nor does she hide behind
pseudonyms, I believe she is a woman of firm principles and sound judgement. She may well make use of the FOI- and so do I and it's just as well that we have it.

She maybe of firm principles but if we were all like her, nothing would ever be done. She's like a dog with a bone over irrelevant concerns.

[alan@marple]

In my opinion it's a pity we don't have more people like Sheila Oliver, she does not back off, nor does she hide behind
pseudonyms, I believe she is a woman of firm principles and sound judgement. She may well make use of the FOI- and so do I and it's just as well that we have it.

[Duke Fame]

Sheila Oliver's FOIs are a joy to read regarding this matter !

Shiela Oliver is ma.....interesting. Miss M, when I first joined this forum, I thought you were Shiela Oliver! I think my council tax bill would be far lower if she didn't have an e-mail facility.

[Miss Marple]

Sheila Oliver's FOIs are a joy to read regarding this matter !

[Duke Fame]

I don't have a problem in councillors claiming expenses for legitimate council business that would lead to the betterment of the ward / area as a whole. I don't want the councilor having to pay for expenses out of their own pocket as this will lead to having councillors that becomes a rich man's toy or are influenced by outside forces such as trade unions.

I do however, object to expenses being claimed as an entitlement in lieu of a salary or spent on a self fulfulling jolly. A comparison to Manchester and their Town Clerk's expenses claim suggests we're getting good value but the claims must be transparant.

I object to the likes of this from Manchester's town clerk Dickie Leese - Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, has splurged £4,000 on a back-slapping dinner for a new member of staff, Lib Dem councillors have claimed. According to Cllr Paul Shannon, Sir Richard issued 270 invitations to wine and dine Manchester’s ‘cultural elite’.

[Dave]

Because I can't make any sense of this:

Marple North did a survey recently, it showed two-thirds where against and one-third for another supermarket in Marple.

The only meaning of 'Marple North', AFAIK, is as a ward, which returns three councillors to SMBC.  However, wards can't conduct surveys, obviously, so Carl must have meant something else, and I was interested to know what it is.  I'm still wondering......