Originally Posted by MargaretR (Post 870340)

Now you have learnt to google
..step two - learn how to use the quote facility

Originally Posted by Neil (Post 869167)

I think that depends on who you work for. At my place lunches and such are provided sometimes depending on the meeting or activity taking place.

Last night was our Christmas party, a couple of thousand of us at a private party in London with as much food and drink as you wanted. Train down and back and overnight accommodation all paid for.
A couple of X Factor contestants were singing announced by the x factor voice chap, I still don't know who Shayne Ward is but even I knew it was Westlife when they came on stage at 9.

The company probably see it as a big thank you for its staff who go the extra mile to make it one of the best, if not the best in its field.

Originally Posted by RHFOY (Post 870345)

i have no idea what Neil does and dont need to or want too, (knowing too much about folk can change the way you answer from a respect point imho) Neil works for a large operation Neil was offered all these perks when he more than likely was offered his position... Neil is ambitious im sure, his chosen career offers more perks than most as he prob- has to deal with and make difficult decisions daily... is it neil whos wrong or the system.... i have only met two employees in 19yrs who a, have rejected a pay rise and b, given me a bonus back... my question is this?? how many people om here would have turned down the night out and given the tickets back???? and b, people who go the extra mile or 2 deserve great rewards from their bosses, as all workers are the reason why all busineses ARE SUCCESFULL.. the owner,md or chairman are the ideas people and the drivers, the people make it happen!!! p.s. hope you had a great evening :-)

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 869437)

And if it was just ham sandwiches that Scaitcliffe Towers were squandering money on, that would be bad enough. How much taxpayers money is wasted paying for non-jobs? How much is wasted paying for Agency Staff to cover for not-really-sick, sick leave? How much is wasted paying for jobs that overlap or are duplicated? How much is wasted on paper and printing costs and pointless self-advertising projects. I do not need to be constantly reminded at every turn that HBC is an excellent council, according to some faceless and unaccountable quango. I would rather see the evidence on the streets. I just want them to get on with the job and empty the bluddy bins! Is that asking too much?

I don't need grandiose regeneration schemes that cost millions which we haven't got nor are ever likley to have. This council, sadly, are not alone in proving that when it comes to anything more complicated than emptying the bins or keeping the streets clean they invariably make an arse of things and you end up with a situation that is worse than the one they were trying to remedy - take a walk along Broadway. Come to think of it, they are no great shakes with the bin emptying or the street cleaning either.

Originally Posted by lancsdave (Post 868957)

I reckon the army of hand gritters the council employs will be first to be cut :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by RHFOY (Post 870347)

some good points imho, untill councils are given back to independent communities nothing changes, what do you believe is the solution to some off the points you raise???? i

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 870556)

In my humble opinion, Local Councils are far too big and attempt to do far too much. I would much rather see them stick to providing basic services: street cleaning, planning, etc. The danger in attempting to be all things to all people is that one inevitably ends up giving superficial service rather than truly excellent service because one has spread ones resources too thinly.

The current shape of Accrington, both physical and social, is largely the legacy of our Victorian forebears. Constructed largely by entrepreneurs, charities and industrialists with minimal interference from the borough council of the day. I do not believe that it would be a bad thing to relax many of the controls that councils have accrued over the intervening years and once more give those who have the drive, vision and money the opportunity to take a more hands-on role in reshaping the borough to make it a place that welcomes business and enterprise. Freed of the dead hand of beurocracy the town would once again flourish and the petty tyrants who infest the party political system would have to look elswhere to get their ego's stroked.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 869438)

I do my best not to disappoint my devoted readership. You have no idea just how hard it is finding all that spleen to ventilate. A martyr to my cause is what I am. It's me that deserves a medal, not Britcliffe.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 870786)

If I were swinging the axe, and oh, how I would relish the opportunity, Among the first swathe of the fallen would be counted Lollipop Ladies and.. persons.

I am regularly out and about delivering between 8am and 10am and the chaos these oblivious harridans cause to traffic flow is unbelievable. I really do not see the point of them, much less having two of them patrolling the same crossing (it is becoming more and more common), twice the expense for the same result - madness!

But then the bleating bleeding hearts will be sure to pipe up with the heart rending argument "but a child could be killed". What utter tosh. Children die every hour of everyday of the week and many of them manage it quite easily all by themselves with no interference from adults whatsoever; it is one of the things children do - get over it. If we must take steps to preserve the snot-nosed urchins the answer is surely not to wrap the little darlings up in cotton wool but to teach them how to cross a busy road safely on their own. What is the point of installing Zebra and Pelican crossings at enormous expense if the precious brats are not taught how to use the wretched things as intended?

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 871313)

Weening people off this ridiculous and costly dependence on the State is going to be difficult, but a start must be made and I think that Lollypop persons are a very good place to start.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob (Post 871313)

Not especially, Jaysay. I just don't like to see money wasted on schemes that are of little practical benefit to society. God knows money is hard enough to come by, so why are we spending it on not teaching kids to cross the road safely on their own? I had to learn how to do it, my parents and my grandparents made sure of that. And, as a consequence, though I have lived and worked in Central London and Paris, I can happily report that I have never been run over by a car and killed. not once - result!

It used to be included under the general heading of "looking after your kids" and it was what responsible parents did, without having to think too much about it. It came along with other nuggets of sage advice such as 'Don't stick your fingers in the fire, you will get burned.' and 'Don't talk to strangers.'. That was of course before the Nanny State stepped in and decided that everyone needed cosseting from the harsh realities of modern existance. Weening people off this ridiculous and costly dependence on the State is going to be difficult, but a start must be made and I think that Lollypop persons are a very good place to start.