flamboyant

Excellent Colin well done! I've just been held to task over on the Hereford Times for a rant at IOC. Part of Cllr Harvey's response is below 'IOC is not in the business of shying away from the difficult truth when it stares us in the face. Communities ARE going to have to step in - or watch the bins overflow, the grass grow, the assets decay and the services vanish' So Bobby is going to prison for non payment of Council Tax and the rest of us need to roll up our selves!

Has anyone else noticed our Councillors are conspicuous by their absence on this post? Which begs the question why?

Brilliant!!

They wouldn't have been my first choice! http://forgetoday.com/news/fatalities-and-illegalities-the-company-building-your-new-union/

Time and time again the Council hop into bed with yet another scandal. Does anyone vet these Companies before we go into business with them?

Thanks Cambo! I was waiting to be crucified but at least I have 1 person on side, I'm sick of lists footing around. We need some honesty, transparency and above all some integrity amongst our Councillors and Leaders! I totally appreciate that funding has been cut by central government but the lack of funding doesn't translate to the dismissal of front line staff and the demolition of services so some suit can have a pay rise! They need to get their house in order!!! They need to look at all wage increases and 're-evaluate those jobs!! Trust me there is no officer on the Council worth a salary of 40k plus let alone 120k!!

Reel if the point you're making is that the demolition of this building was sacrilege then we agree whole heartedly, we have just seen it all before. The Council will convince you they need to spend millions on something one minute the next minute they tell you it will be more cost effective to knock it on the head. We bloggers call it Council Math! We abore Council Math it translates to we wasted a shed load of your money!!!

DIPPY I truly value your comments and in the main they are spot on however I have to disagree with the statement 'there are many good Councillors that do many good things' How do we measure something good? Am I being good if I donate £20 to the homeless or children in need? You may answer with a resounding yes, but what were my motives in doing do? If I make a point of telling everyone I meet I made that donation was I motivated to help the needed or to improve my standing? I'm sure their are good Councillors who are motivated purely by the interests of their constituents but I'm sorry no one has proven themselves to me. I am an angry soul, I admit it, I see my faults but I can't and won't deny them and I won't justify any off my actions and I make no apologies for having a conscious. I and anyone else reading this forum have seen time and time again Councillors responding to posts only when there is something to gain. Don't get me wrong I like some of our Councillors they are better people than me but they and their parties aren't fighting hard enough in my opinion on my behalf. For example over on Hereford Times I had a dialogue going with Cllr Harvey, however as soon as my questions became contentious the dialogue stopped! Check it out for yourself. http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11233485.Tories_stay_in_control_of_Herefordshire_Council_but_IOC_ousted_from__top_table__committee_posts/?ref=mc The admission of one of our Councillors states they were told about the grass cutting several weeks ago yet they did nothing and they will do nothing now! They also know about the direction of Environmental Health and Customer Services and have known for some time, yet they said nothing to the people they represent, why was that? If they deny knowing they aren't doing their job, if they knew and did and said nothing they aren't doing their job! Yes Dippy I'm sure there are good men and women, but are they strong enough and motivated enough to stand up to the administration? If not they should step down... I await the barrage of attacks my post will invariably attract DIPPY I'm holding my breath and praying for change My kindest regards to all ...

DIPPY the Council are striving to teach us their is no value in money! Easy come easy go! You should start a topic on money wasted by the current administration we would likely exceed the national dept!!

Well said Cambo. Can Councillors reading this page also request an audit on how many Managers and other senior staff have received a wage rise since the beginning of the job cuts. I guarantee 100% you will be amazed! Instead of putting a freeze on wage increases managers were able to thin out front line staff and award themselves a pay rise! Many senior staff happily waved good bye to front line staff with one hand while counting their wage increase with the other! Please explain to the public why any wage increase was justified to ANY member of staff when the Council had to dismiss staff to pay those increases. Trust me these were not slight increases in some departments it was enough money to employ someone full time to round up stray dogs!!! Start by checking who benefited financially from restructuring in the two departments being discussed here!

Roger they abruptly stopped because the budget left over from Amey ran out !

Biomech I'm with you on your last comment If Councillors, were summoned to Brockington several weeks ago why didn't someone say something sooner! No they waited till this was a done deal!!

It's more the thought of out sourcing / starting new companies for Environmental Health that's the most worrying.

Councillors please get exact clarification. On which grass is and isn't going to 'be cut. I was clearly told by the Council Customer Services department that ONLY amenity grass and Splays onto highways and only 3 times per year. The woman I spoke with told me for all other grass areas contact my local parish council.

Morning Dip, there is talk of surgeries in village halls and Libraries for people who can't use technology but the Council anticipate this will be a very small minority. They have definitely miscalculated the number of elderly and disabled living in Herefordshire.

Ubique for clarity you will not be able to contact them by Phone either you will need to go online!

I find it very strange why a topic such as this doesn't attract more comments. Is it because people really don't care? Or is there something I'm missing? Don't people get tired of sitting on the fence?

Good evening Dip Thanks for the clarification, I knew Cllr Morgan was something to do with social services. I saw her speak once and to my shame if I'd had a basket of rotten eggs I would have thrown them at her. Better keep that to yourself though I don't want to get lynched! Lol

Well said Dippy Colin I'm sure I'm not alone in my thoughts that you are as King Bobby would say, a good lad! I absolutely appreciate the amount of work that goes into maintaining a web site such as this. I'm very grateful that you have given people a place to air their views and openly debate without fear of censorship. I truly believe you are motivated by a sense of moral decency that most of us can only aspire to. I also strongly believe that because of this site sooner or later someone in a position of power is going to take notice! Well done Colin and thank you My warmest regards Flam

Brilliant Colin well done its now over a 1000 and growing fast!

Wasn't Cllr Morgan responsibly for Adult Social Services and now she's moved over to Customer Services? I hear she made mistakes there hence why her responsibility was removed and here she goes again! That's the trouble with this Council you can move from place to place causing chaos! They need to start again from the top and rid us of the incompetent Managers before starting on our front line staff!

Lol Roger don't feel sorry for them, they won't show you the same compassion. The grass cut up to date was because BB were using up the remainder of Amey' s budget. It stops from this point forward, my brother in law was just made redundant from BB he cut his last piece of grass 6 weeks ago. The information is sound. It will be contested for several months but in time it will be self evident.

Sound familiar? http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/11206895.Balfour_Beatty_not_keeping_grass_cutting_promises__Wiltshire_Council_to_be_told/

Roger read my post above the 3 cuts only applies to amienity grass and splays. Councillors can you pin them down on this at your meeting please? There is confusion with people being told 'grass' as in all areas will be cut 3 times a year.

Councillor Andrews you might ask if the Contract with Balfour includes grass cutting. I think you will find that this was agreed and signed off last week and the decision can't be reversed. Balfour Beatty are NOT contracted to cut the grass. The only grass cut will be the splays onto highways where there is a visibility issue and ameiniety grass.