The council's Audit Committee met today (28th) and learned that the bill from the Wales Audit Office for the two damning Audit reports and associated costs will be somewhere around £70,000. The council are arguing it might be a little bit less, as if that makes any damn difference.
Had the council leadership, which includes the Labour and Independents as well as the senior officials involved, accepted the findings in the first place, this additional cost would have been avoided. For the avoidance of doubt, those senior officials include Mr James himself, Linda Rees Jones and also the Director of Resources.
So as well as £55,000 in illegal payments, £15,000 for the QC (so far), and unknown costs in officer time, additional reports, use of the council website etc etc, there's another £70,000 to add to it all.
Plaid Cymru issued another strongly worded statement this afternoon which can be found, in full, here. Rhodri Glyn Thomas said "It seems the Labour party has not thought for one second about the cost to county taxpayers. The council leadership has been more interested in covering its own back and trying to defend the indefensible"
The Independent Group are equally to blame, I just hope the idiotic nonsense about 'Duty of Care' spouted by Meryl Gravell, Pam Palmer, Giles Morgan etc at the Extraordinary meeting on the 27th February comes back to bite them, they should be ashamed to claim to represent the people of Carmarthenshire.
Residents of Carmarthenshire, who received their Council Tax demands this week must be feeling quite sick.
Incidentally, Caebrwyn has been paying to sue herself through her council tax for some time.
No matter how it's dressed up, all this money, and all this nonsense, is to defend one man, Mark James.
Last March, after the libel judgement came out, Mr James embarked on his lengthy victory parade and said, "My only regret is that Mrs Thompson has wasted a huge amount of time and money". No Mr James, I was scrutinizing this council, a task which has been proved entirely justified and necessary. You were not happy with that, hence your letter to the Madaxeman blog.
You are the one who has now been shown to be entirely happy for residents of the county to defend your indefensible position by wasting tens of thousands of pounds of their money, and endless hours of officer time.
Whatever the future holds for me Mr James, your victory parade is well and truly over.
Had the council leadership, which includes the Labour and Independents as well as the senior officials involved, accepted the findings in the first place, this additional cost would have been avoided. For the avoidance of doubt, those senior officials include Mr James himself, Linda Rees Jones and also the Director of Resources.
So as well as £55,000 in illegal payments, £15,000 for the QC (so far), and unknown costs in officer time, additional reports, use of the council website etc etc, there's another £70,000 to add to it all.
Plaid Cymru issued another strongly worded statement this afternoon which can be found, in full, here. Rhodri Glyn Thomas said "It seems the Labour party has not thought for one second about the cost to county taxpayers. The council leadership has been more interested in covering its own back and trying to defend the indefensible"
The Independent Group are equally to blame, I just hope the idiotic nonsense about 'Duty of Care' spouted by Meryl Gravell, Pam Palmer, Giles Morgan etc at the Extraordinary meeting on the 27th February comes back to bite them, they should be ashamed to claim to represent the people of Carmarthenshire.
Residents of Carmarthenshire, who received their Council Tax demands this week must be feeling quite sick.
Incidentally, Caebrwyn has been paying to sue herself through her council tax for some time.
No matter how it's dressed up, all this money, and all this nonsense, is to defend one man, Mark James.
Last March, after the libel judgement came out, Mr James embarked on his lengthy victory parade and said, "My only regret is that Mrs Thompson has wasted a huge amount of time and money". No Mr James, I was scrutinizing this council, a task which has been proved entirely justified and necessary. You were not happy with that, hence your letter to the Madaxeman blog.
You are the one who has now been shown to be entirely happy for residents of the county to defend your indefensible position by wasting tens of thousands of pounds of their money, and endless hours of officer time.
Whatever the future holds for me Mr James, your victory parade is well and truly over.
5 comments:
Isn't it funny that anyone who dares to oppose, question or in any way comment unfavourably on the way Mr James runs the council is automatically accused of costing the ratepayers money.
When I had the temerity to suggest that, as an OAP, I didn't appreciate having to fund Mr James's legal fees for the action against you, the immediate response from County Hall was "Is this the same woman who cost the council £2 million by opposing the closure of St Catherine Street?".
It's sadly ironic that we can now justifiably say that these accusations of wasting money can be legitimately made against those who have in the past accused us.
Oh how I am reminded of how the great Wizard of Oz was revealed to be an insignificant little man, hiding behind an artifice of power, pomp and awe. The most expensive Chief Executive in Wales has promoted initiatives which were unwise, self-aggrandising and ultimately a huge waste of public money. When will the Council wake up to the realisation that they have not received a good return from their investment in this man?
Someone needs to put together a simple timeline diagram of all this rubbish, plus a quick explanation, then post one through the door of as many people in labour voting areas as they can. I bet several people would help to do this. Huge benefit. Another one. Every time you go to the pub shop hairdresser etc bring it up in conversation.
Waking up would mean that Kev and his mates would have to resign and lose tens of thousands of pounds of allowances - it isn't going to happen.
The issue isnt what Kevy & Co. or M James have done.
The issue is that they were able to do it... Parliment, WAG, Cameron, Pickles... Need to react!
I understand some decision (regarding private firms etc.) need to be made in private (or behind closed doors). but once the decision is made/agreed on.
Thats it all materials relating to that meeting should be made available, agenda, web-cast, meeting report (and supporting docs) and no i dont mean minutes as from what i've see of the councils BCDoors minutes is they have a vague description and then are minuted as "agreed"? what i want is who agreed how did they get to that conclussion, was it in the best interests of the taxpayer, etc, etc...
Its MY money (as well as all yours) WE should know how its being spent and where?
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