We're All in this Together
 

We were all shocked by the news in last months LET.

"MORE than 6,000 jobs are expected to be lost after Lancashire County Council announced a massive programme of spending cuts.

The council’s directors, who were asked last year to identify possible cuts in their departments, have now been dispatched to come up with ways to make extra savings."

So how, we wonder are they getting on in their search for savings? Not very well, judging from tonights LET.

"Lancashire County Council has promoted its resources boss the top job of chief executive.

Phil Halsall has landed the post, which comes with a salary of £194,655."

or about 105 quid an hour.

Oh Dear! :(:( Back to the Drawing Board.

As our esteemed PM is often heard to say "We're all in this together!"

Re: We're All in this Together
 

thats how theyre making cuts ...

17 East Lancashire council bases shut in bid to save cash (From Lancashire Telegraph)

By the way i heard on the radio by one of the head honchos on the council the bloke they've given the job as chief exec was the deputy chief exec .. and the post of deputy chief exec is to be abolished ...

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Well that's good news. It will save the Council money......but hold on...

Knowing how local government works, it will give the directors below deputy chief executive level more responsibility, so they will each get more cash.......

So the first move by the "directors, who were asked last year to identify possible cuts in their departments" is to take advantage of the fortuitous departure of the chief executive by grabbing part of the cash for themselves, and presenting the rest to the Council as a saving. So everybody's happy!

That's why the guy is worth 195 grand a year!

Allegedly :confused::confused::confused:

Re: We're All in this Together
 

I don't know how you can be so cynical. Doesn't everyone in Local Government have the best intrests of the ratepayer at heart.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

To be honest the same operational work would be done by half the staff it takes at county hall, in the private sector, anybody ever been round county hall, how many people do they employ, I've never seen so many people walking around aimlessly holding blank pieces of paper looking important

Re: We're All in this Together
 

If they can find 6000 jobs that were not strictly necessary so easily, it kinda makes you wonder how many more they can find if they are really pushed. It also makes one wonder, if these 6000 jobs are deemed not strictly necessary, why we have been paying for them for years and years and years?

Parasites, the bluddy lot of em!

Re: We're All in this Together
 

There's a hell of a lot more in Westminster.100.000 at least.:eek::confused:

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Don't get me going on Westminster Beni:mad: 800, 000 new jobs were created between 1997 and 2100

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John what are the lottery numbers on Friday & Saturday?! :D:rolleyes::D

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Don't know, they don't print them in the press were everybody can read them ;)

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You must know them if you can see to the year 2100!!!! :p

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Looks like we've all got fat-finger-itis today.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Every day for me Bob:D

Re: We're All in this Together
 

There seems to be one minor point missing from this thread / comment. I'm not defending high salaries but there has been a saving made. LCC has, in it's own terminology "disestablished" Halsalls previous post of Director of Resources. This it is claimed equates to £500,000 over the next 3 years. Net gain to Halsall £30k per year, gross saving to LCC £166k per year. Like I say, I'm not defending it, just keeping it objective.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

194K is still a crazy amount of money for that role, the PM doesn't earn that IIRC. OK he will make it on Memoirs etc but its still far too much for the role.

As others say, why has it taken global recession for these people to start spending OUR money as if its their own. even in my job where the money is just numbers on a spreadsheet I wont spend it if I think its too much for what I get. I could have spent nearly 200K last month and it would have been authorised but it simply wasn't value for money for what we got so I worked out a way to do it that cost me all of 500 quid using old decomissioned kit.

All I ask is our politicians and councillors do the same.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

I spent 30 years witnessing that, jaysay. The first thing anyone embarking on a career in local government is taught is to how to grab a piece of A4 and say you are going to the print room. It can only be done if you put on a superior air that discourages anyone from asking why. I admit that I got away with it myself for many years.

Local government is built on jobsworths and self importance. Our friend Mr Halsall probably strolled round county hall looking important and earning a mega salary for being deputy sheriff, or whatever the title was.

Now he tells us the job was unnecessary and we all congratulate him and give him more money.

It's all smoke and mirrors. And the savings are there in spades, believe me!

Re: We're All in this Together
 

And so "we" are all in this..we the British public who will suffer massive job cuts can find billions to give to Ireland?.. if we are in deficit and owe trillions were do we find the billions to give to Ireland?.. do we borrow it?

Re: We're All in this Together
 

What did I tell you?

"Finance director Gill Kilpatrick is being given a pay rise of £15,000 - up to around £90,000 - because she is taking on extra responsibilities as part of the shake-up."

Meanwhile, the new Chief Executive is settling in to the post, saying he was ‘pleased and honoured’ at his new job, where he will be in charge of 42,000 staff.'

Shortly to become 36,000 staff. So more money for him, less staff to look after. No wonder he's pleased!

I agree with Sandra Blight, a regional officer for the GMB union, who said

“It’s sickening news when we’ve got so many people potentially losing their jobs.”

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Maybe they should have got rid of the County Council when they had the chance. I say they, because some of us were arguing for that when Local Government Reorganisation was last on the agenda.There simply isn't any need for a two tier Local Government Structure.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

You are 100% right, Bernard. And what a complete dog's breakfast they came up with, giving unitary status to Blackpool and Blackburn. It was the stuff of Yes, Minister.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Bernard, at last, something I can totally agree with, like yourself I was against LCC at the last reorganisation, I'm all in favour of the money being raised through the Council Tax being spent locally, on the households that pay it, at present only approx 19 pence in every pound is guaranteed being spent here the rest is designated through County Hall, as you say there is no need for a two tier Local Government Structure, Unitary Authorities are the way forward

Re: We're All in this Together
 

and don't forget the various signs telling you whether your in Lancashire or not right in the middle of the county:rolleyes:

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....and the County Council have absolutely no responsibility for collecting the Council Tax. They just slap a bill on the district council's table every year, and tell them to collect it for them.

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Absolutely, can have the poor lambs at county hall dealing with the plebs out in the sticks:rolleyes:

Re: We're All in this Together
 

Don't they all, local and national have their snouts in the same trough? Unless they prove otherwise they are all bent, never mind "Innocent until proven guilty". With all the scandals in my lifetime the opposite applies.:mad::mad::mad: