Barmy Bureaucrats throwing away our cash - Page 2

janet · 01-06-2004, 14:39

Excellent idea Bazf.

Tealeaf · 01-06-2004, 15:27

I've started started a poll on this nonsense up at the Globe Centre....Good Idea, Bazf

ShortStuff · 01-06-2004, 19:54

Trouble is - will they listen to us? I think not........

ANNE · 01-06-2004, 21:32

My husband needs an operation but they cant find the cash to buy more beds.
Humph they make me see red.

Perran · 01-06-2004, 21:55

All this reminds me of the trouble HBC went to to celebrate the centenary (?) of Oakhill Park. Thousands were spent on renovating the rock gardens and renewing the "water feature" . Anyone who has visited recently will know it has not been switched on since. Everything is clogged up and probably past saving again.

Also think about the thousands spent on Haworth Art Gallery. Well worth a visit but take a stroll more than 25 yards from the gallery and the park is in dire need of attention. Not a good advert for Hyndburn as a whole.

Acrylic-bob · 02-06-2004, 05:42

Good point! HBC seem to specialise in short term fixes, rather than spend money on sensible program of maintenance. All the parks and public amenity areas are in the same dreadful state. I wonder how many claims for compensation they get from people injuring themselves on the paths in Milnshaw and Oakhill Parks? Must run to a good few thousand a year.

Retlaw · 20-08-2004, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

Speaking of wasting public money on useless projects, I noticed that all the traffic bollards, you know the yellow and white ones in the middle of the road, are all numbered. They all have self-adhesive numbers on them ---- WHY??? What possible use can this be to anybody?

Is because the plonkers that service them don't know where they are sited if you report a fault on one, they will ask for its number. Same with street lights, report a fault give aa precise address & it will never get mended, they want its number.

All this keeps more pencil jockeys & paper shufflers of the Dole.

Walter.

Ifty · 21-08-2004, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I've just read saturdays Telegraph website. The Bureacrats at County Hall in Preston have decided to spend money on putting up road signs reading "Welcome to Lancashire" on all the major roads coming out of "Blackburn-with-Darwen". They're already up on the roads coming out of Blackpool.

A mate of mine saw these signs coming along from Blackburn to Accy and thought Blackburn had moved into a different county now cos you get Welcome to Lancashire when you leave.

pendy · 23-08-2004, 13:07

HBC is collectively so thick, that if it had piles it would wear its arm in a sling (think about it..) I have just had a run-in with them. I sent them a direct debit form for my Council tax for this year. I then got a demand (not quite with menaces) for my Council Tax. I e-mailed them on 2 July. I e-mailed again (telephone is useless, you can't get through) on 7 August. I got a reply saying they were looking into it. The next thing was, they were taking me to Court on 26 August for non-payment of Council Tax unless I coughed up the whole amount for the year (less the first payment made by cheque).

As you can imagine, I protested extremely loudly. This morning I get a communication from them. All it is is a direct debit form, no amount, and a return envelope. What do I do now? Try to get through on the phone yet again, no doubt, to find out whether they want a new amount per month, or whether I have to pay the last couple of months which THEY have not bothered to collect, or what?

You give them a direct debit, they don't bother to action it, then they threaten you> Best practice NOT!

lettie · 23-08-2004, 15:49

They did exactly the same to me several years ago Pendy. I set up a direct debit for council tax, they didn't take the money and tried to make me pay the whole lot at once for non payment. I rang the bank who said that the direct debit was all set up but the money hadn't been taken. I then went to the Council offices and they tried to blame the bank by saying the DD wasn't set up (good job I'd been to the bank first) I had a few choice words to say to them about their overall incompetence and have been going to the town hall to pay ever since. Been today to be told that I will have to pay by an alternative method, as they will no longer be accepting payments from October. I have a new DD mandate, and I think it will be accompanied by a 'please don't screw up again' letter when I finally send it in.

Acrylic-bob · 23-08-2004, 16:15

Can they refuse to take cash? Or are they trying it on in the hope that everybody will believe their lies? Sounds to me like they need challenging on this.

Bazf · 23-08-2004, 16:19

Think about HBC the people who work there are probably paid a poor wage, except to top end, and so couldnt give a flying **** about you or your problems, "pay peanuts get monkeys".
Working for the goverment has got to be the best thing around after you've been there a while they can't sack you because of discrimination. Just think of all the things they can't sack you for.......sexual, age, racial, handicapped, the list goes on, Sorry about the tiraid but I am currently disputing my fathers council tax via e-mail with the most incompetent, under trained, surly little Google Page Ranking*** I have ever come across, his/her last e-mail said....... ( as I mentioned a few times I was out of the country ) "why dont you just come in to the office to explain the problem"!!!!!!!!!!!!

pendy · 23-08-2004, 16:35

Have you heard about the new Ministry of Defence missile?

It's called the Civil Servant, because it won't work and they can't fire it.

Bazf · 23-08-2004, 21:29

Opps Maybe I will have to take it back, b*gger, my dad just called and said he had a letter from the council and his council tax has been sorted out of course no apology for putting a 77yr old man through hell but hey a victory for all us little people

Darby · 24-08-2004, 04:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazf

Think about HBC the people who work there are probably paid a poor wage, except to top end, and so couldnt give a flying **** about you or your problems, "pay peanuts get monkeys".
Working for the goverment has got to be the best thing around after you've been there a while they can't sack you because of discrimination. Just think of all the things they can't sack you for.......sexual, age, racial, handicapped, the list goes on, Sorry about the tiraid but I am currently disputing my fathers council tax via e-mail with the most incompetent, under trained, surly little Google Page Ranking*** I have ever come across, his/her last e-mail said....... ( as I mentioned a few times I was out of the country ) "why dont you just come in to the office to explain the problem"!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't you invite them to come to your house and you can then explain the problem to them!! But wait....probably the whole council would turn up at taxpayers expense!!

Frustrating ain't it?

The last time a civil servant (over here in Germany) asked me to come into her office, I turned up and handed her a bill for £200. That being the equivalent cost of my 2½hours of time (as a consultant I charge by the hour). She never asked me back again!!! Problem solved over the phone!!