Council Cuts - Page 5

shillelagh · 14-12-2010, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

Just a point about those buffet lunches. That is actually supplying work for the caterers who are a local business. Whilst you're seeing it from one point of view i.e. cushy lunches, you could also see it as keeping small, local businesses in business.

BTW - not actually saying that they shouldn't stop buffet lunches, just pointing out that as usual there is another side.

A friend of mine earlier on this year went to a meeting at hyndburn borough council re their grants for the year ... hyndburn council was telling them that they had no extra money and the grants would be cut ... also at the same meeting was someone who had worked in manchester and went to similar meetings with manchester council .. and a buffet lunch was rolled out, spud pie, cheese and onion pie, variety of sandwiches and salads, desserts .. and the manchester girl was shocked .. she said that when she'd been to meetings at manchester it was accepted that they either brought their own or went to the shops for their dinner rather than catering in ... she asked the caterer how much it cost and they said they were told to cater for 40 people and at £9 per head.

If that is a sample of how much it costs how many meetings do they have a catered lunch for ... now think where that money could be used elsewhere in the borough ... plus the money that could have gone in the local shops .. as people going round to the butty shop might have called in elsewhere ..

steeljack · 14-12-2010, 21:57

I'm supposing, but maybe I 'm wrong , that most of these HBC employees scoffing the free lunchs during daytime meetings are 'professionals' doing it during an unpaid working lunch (in their own time) , would have thought most of these folks are on a salary and are not paid overtime like hourly workers. Maybe its cheaper to spend the odd £9 per head than pay overtime at time and a half for someone on £50K + a year .

£50 K per annum @ 2,000 hours (50weeks @ 40 hours per week ) = £25 per hour

Ken Moss · 15-12-2010, 06:28

The buffets are primarily for councillors and it seems to me that there are too many meetings deliberately scheduled at dinner and teatime just so that free butties can be arranged.

Gayle, while you're correct that the buffets provide business for a local sandwich maker it hardly seems proper that the business in question is run by a Baxenden councillor. We've spent over £15,000 on buffets in the past five years to that business.

entwisi · 15-12-2010, 07:06

err, How long has said business man been a councillor? If its who I think its not exactly been very long now has it.........

gynn · 15-12-2010, 07:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

it hardly seems proper that the business in question is run by a Baxenden councillor. We've spent over £15,000 on buffets in the past five years to that business.

Does the councillor in question attend the meetings?

It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

accyman · 15-12-2010, 07:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Gayle, while you're correct that the buffets provide business for a local sandwich maker it hardly seems proper that the business in question is run by a Baxenden councillor. We've spent over £15,000 on buffets in the past five years to that business.

had a look at the hynburn website to see who the baxenden counilors are and i see there are only two and both are tory so we have a tory led council awarding contracts to a tory councilors buisness and semingly arranging meetings deliberatly to drum up buisness for the tory councilor.

is that the jist of it ?

whats wrong with a bag of chips after the meeting at their own expense ?

i would expect a buffet at a christening but not at work.Peopel tend to have to buy their own lunch or pack a lunch for work

gynn · 15-12-2010, 07:58

....and presumably there will have to be a lot more meetings in the coming weeks to decide where the cuts will fall. Such decisions cant be made on an empty stomach......

accyman · 15-12-2010, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by gynn

....and presumably there will have to be a lot more meetings in the coming weeks to decide where the cuts will fall. Such decisions cant be made on an empty stomach......

the only cuts discussed will be wether or ot the sandwiches should be squares or triangles

DaveinGermany · 15-12-2010, 08:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

the only cuts discussed will be wether or ot the sandwiches should be squares or triangles

Triangles, definitely triangles ...... with the crusts cut off !

On the face of it, it sounds a bit necky. Maybe a little more enquiring before assumption takes over & the peasant horde with flaming torches & pitchforks waving descend upon town hall to carry out their orgy of destruction, tarring & feathering, then the running out of town of the perpetrators ! (Well isn't that what the contributors of "Revolution in the air" want ? You'd probably be able to enlist the assistance of those poor oppressed students too.

)

entwisi · 15-12-2010, 08:46

I believe we are talking about Terry Hurn here who has been a councillor for what a month or so. I'd love to see that 15K broken down to how much prior to his election and how much since he took up post.... I bet these figures aren't so forthcoming...

Whilst i will not stand by whilst mis-information is being bandied I do agree that they could/should provide their own food at lunch times. Its not exactly like they are working away from home and don't have access to a kitchen to make something now is it.

The problem as I see it is as Neil posted earlier, we have a lot of people who are elected yet have no actual experience in running a company teh size and budget of HBC. They are quite simply out of their depth ( and that stands for all colours of party flags ). The vast majority of workforce do not follow the " Do we really need it and if it was my cash would I spend it" mantra that they should.

Less · 15-12-2010, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

Triangles, definitely triangles ...... with the crusts cut off !

On the face of it, it sounds a bit necky. Maybe a little more enquiring before assumption takes over & the peasant horde with flaming torches & pitchforks waving descend upon town hall to carry out their orgy of destruction, tarring & feathering, then the running out of town of the perpetrators ! (Well isn't that what the contributors of "Revolution in the air" want ? You'd probably be able to enlist the assistance of those poor oppressed students too.

)

I hope the wheelchair access is up to scratch we have to provide our wonderful British Police force with a few easy targets to practice on before the real event.

DaveinGermany · 15-12-2010, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less

I hope the wheelchair access is up to scratch we have to provide our wonderful British Police force with a few easy targets to practice on before the real event.

Well it wants to be ..... else why all the hooha about 'Elf & Safedy not to mention equal rights, diversity & equality & all the rest of the she-ite they pile upon the masses, er ......Goosed ganders or some such !

ossylass · 15-12-2010, 12:24

I noticed a large notice-board parked outside the Market Hall yesterday with the slogan - HYNDBURN - ACCORDING TO EVIDENCE - A CORRUPT COUNCIL. It was there last Friday, too, so no one seems very worried about it.

Acrylic-bob · 15-12-2010, 12:56

- HYNDBURN - ACCORDING TO EVIDENCE - A CORRUPT COUNCIL.

To judge by the last half dozen or so posts this seems more a statement of the blindingly obvious than an accusation.

Acrylic-bob · 15-12-2010, 13:03

Sad to see that Gayle has still not managed to get her pretty head around the nature and source of public money.

The.. money.. that.. HBC.. spends.. comes.. from.. the.. taxpayer, ..Gayle.

It is not wealth that has been created by HBC. It is money that government, local and national, has taken from the rest of us. Giving a little of it back to buy services like Buffets for Council Meetings is not wealth creation. It is merely redistribution.