Tuesday 7 August 2012

Hope they've read the small print...

As the council continues to churn out it's never ending press releases, two have been published in one day, complete with photos, squeezing every last drop out of Kev's big day out in Ammanford (Cowboys) and the 'Forward Work Programme' (Carmarthenshire to pilot webcasting - through gritted teeth), the latter being almost entirely a continuation of the officer decisions rubber stamped by the previous administration. And it looks like the two party leaders are happy to sign up to the same arrangement for the next umpteen years;


One of the articles includes an interesting comment from the Chief Executive (pictured above right) about the tight budget and the council's statutory duties to provide services;

" The council has massive savings to find, social care services are going through the roof. Toilets, parks, playgrounds, we don't have to provide these, but we do have to provide schools, highways, social care, we have no choice"

This rather raises the question whether they also have to provide bowling alleys with attached churches, propaganda newspapers, civic limousines, staggering pay packets for the top brass, cut price loans to the local rugby club.... To name but a few. I don't suppose they have to film their meetings either, but then again, I'll to do that for free.

Anyway, after personally looking at the accounts, the council could pay anyone anything, and it would take a very determined forensic accountant to spot if there was anything amiss.....


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dont know why you keep moaning. Of course there is going to be huge cuts to some very important life afecting services. BUT we will be able to go down to Johnstown at some point in the future and go Bowling - followed by a prayer/exorcism.

On the subject of the Bowling alley project - when is it starting ? has anything been done yet , have any contracts been signed ? I would have thought that building a commercial bowling alley is quite a specialised job has anything been done in terms of demolition/building ?

I really think this matter is going to blow up at some point and cause major embarrasment to somebody - the councils feet dragging over your FOI request is quite telling me thinks.

Tessa said...

Damn fine post - and excellent points made re the spending decisions.