SEPTEMBER? ALREADY?

[goodlookingone]

Don't know if You are in the Strikers (i.e.Birmingham) catchment. Theres all sorts of Problems with Local Gov. The Council can (and must) make it clear that they have no Fiscal Benefit in the economy of the Organisation: thus a totally different basis to a profit making outfit. So naturally the Workpeople (Manual, Skilled, Proff, ... all of them in different duties) ... then feel the need for semi-officialdom by becoming Trade Union Lipservice.
It is interesting when the Councillers in their elected position, enforce a control to any increase council wages/salaries, but in Their Day Job as Shop Stewards in Milk Cow of a wealth producing organisation, are pressing for Increase in their members less arduous jobs. In the incidence I was working at (as an Independant outsider) in a Local Gov where the Whole Wealth of that borough was from the Motor Industry. "Them and Us" prevails.

Re my particular current circumstance, will it help if a High Judge has made the decision that My house number must prevail. The Local council has not retracted their instructions to Royal Mail, The utility services, NHS, etc. The instructions that these outfits extend to secondary instructions (to Mortgagors, House Insurers and so on) are still being driven to non-existent dwellings.
Imagine a Fire Engine being unable to find me because the only access is by walking through several hundred house without Directions to my house. Then Imagine the the the Insurance that I pay is to some other address (OK, I gave explicit corrections to my insurers, but I can see the More General Case. This is why Local Counceller want to meet me. ... Two probs. One is that His polotics are not mine, so I feel uncomfortable ... But the More important matter is that as my Electoral Register is to a Non-existant address. I clearly could not open the Docs (Poll detail has many warnings over the envelope about opening some other addressee - I would never accept a Poll clerk in my domain when the Voter has a different address to the Register address). Thus no vote from me and possibly others...

Oh dear.. Wish I could still speak/write succinctly.. I am currently trying to put problems together......

[Brians Cravat]

We're not in Birmingham. Our LA is Dudley.

Must confess that despite my left wing political leanings, I have never had much truck with unions. Briefly a member of one but, didn't like be told what to think about a certain issue.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Birmingham is being very silly in its approach, but Lord Whitby was equally silly in favouring dustmen over women giving them bonuses to increase their wages to 50K. Now it's my friend John Clancy reaping the whirlwind, but I have to wonder what Randall Brew is up to. Exquisitely polite, but very snaky. Don't let them take over the Black Country. It may have its faults, but they are different ones. I notice that they still have Business Improvement Districts which are quangoes that charge the traders over and above the business rate but rarely deliver much. And they don't have to abide by normal Council rules or Nolan Principles.

[Brians Cravat]

Rwth, I have long been concerned that since the early years of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister there have been moves to reduce the role of local government. Currently this manifests itself in the encouragement that central government is giving to schools to become academies, receiving their funding direct from Whitehall. It began with the Thatcher Government compelling local authorities to sell off their housing stock at massive expense discounts and, not providing additional resources to build more social housing.

There have been other measure by successive governments to remove local authorities from the loop. I have always believed that this has been a long-term plan to effectively remove a layer of democracy. That said, Birmingham City Council is currently playing political games in my view. They are blaming the cuts that they wish to introduce to the waste collection service on the reductions in Government funding paid to the Council. What they should b looking at is the immense amount of bureaucratic waste that exists within the Council itself. Councillors claiming expenses of 30, 40, 50 thousand pounds without any proof that they merit that.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I do, or did look quite often at the lists of gifts and personal expenses they claim for. It's on public record now, and they have to. I'm not sure that it's worth the effort to check up on them except occasionally. I also think that the sidelineing of Parliament started with T. Blair, who was a disgrace from the outset. I also think that by transferring accounting to a centralised system, they forced themselves into a system that couldn't run on the staffing they reduced themselves to. Also, although they did introduce a method of 'ownership' of processes, it was still presided over by managers who really didn't want to get the job done, but shared it out to colleagues who were working to their own agendas.

Although some Asian workers were dynamic and hard working, some of them, (and English too) were running their own fiefdoms on the basis of caste, or running business concerns to the exclusion of Community needs. This is what I observed in my time working for the Council at different locations and different times, in Education, social services, Public Health and an office trying to gee up the system. It became if possible even more inflexible and unproductive. But I retired officially in 2008 so things may have improved. Actually Public Health was up to date and responsive to daily alarums and excursions, but the Health and Safety people put their heads round the door one day, looked at the mountain of paper on every inch of floor and desk space not actually used for traffic in and out and passed us as 'safe'.

[goodlookingone]

Hi.. I see (both of you) your comments on Local Gov.. I have worked at Local Gov and ... Oh Nevermind, they may have improved. (I'm susposed to meet Local Gov couinciller but He hasn't responded to me reply for a meeting this week - think I'll drop a Note through his door ...) However... NHS is as bad. I worked on a response to House-Visitor staff not being given enough time ... so I asaked how many visits They Actually make instead of the number they Wanted to make. They couldn't answer so I said I'd read the Milage claims to see the number of visits --- Deafening silence and a sudden decision not to continue the claim ... I won't mention the Health area involved...

I'd better writee a note for Counciler...

[Brians Cravat]

Both, I still believe that the 'sidelining of local authorities began under Thatcher and has been ongoing under every other administration ever since. During the early 80s, the Thatcher government not only compelled LAs to sell council houses but, they also introduced LMS (Local Management of Schools). Up to that point, LAs received an Annual Settlement from central government which, included a specific sum that was dedicated to Education. The then Minister for Education, Sir Keith Joseph maintained that LAs effectively 'top-sliced' this particular sum. This cut was then used to subsidise other council activities. Further, there was no consistency regarding a specific sum of money per pupil between boroughs or, between schools in the same borough for that matter.

As a School Governor then and, indeed Chair of the Finance and General Committee of the Governing Body at the time, I can say that our LA had no idea of what it cost to run a school locally. The budgets we received then were very hypothetical, to say the least. At that time we spent large amounts of time shifting monies that were supposed to be for, say heating to subsidise shortfalls in other parts of the budget. Gradually, over the next ten to twelve years a cost per (pupil) head emerged but, it took a long time. We now have budgets based on a sum per pupil. The only fluctuations that occur are between what are loosely defined as 'inner-city schools' which, receive a slightly larger sum 'per pupil' than those that are considered to be outside this definition. These sums are set by the government now.

The current Government drive towards academisation 'Yes, that word is used in education circles!) is meant to completely withdraw LAs from the process all together. Funding goes directly from Whitehall to each academy. At present, that is slightly more per head than for schools who have not become academies and remain under LA control. The current government aim is for all schools to become academies. Indeed under Cameron, this was going to be compulsory but, under May this has returned to a 'would like to to see all schools become academies' from 'all schools must become........'.

One of the problems with responsibility for various matters being taken away from LAs is that, it didn't show itself in a corresponding reduction in staff levels. Those who had been employed in the Council departments running the varies aspects of social housing and education budgets remained where they were or, were redeployed. As such, the rates/Council Tax etc spiralled upwards with little correlation to inflation.

My local government 'career' was relatively short, being a mere five years just prior to my retirement. However, my wife worked for the same LA for forty odd years. Our combined experience gives us a good insight into the worst aspects of council operations.

As for councillors and their expenses, I saw that at close quarters when I was Ward Chair for one of the main parties. The only thing that amazed me then and, continues to do so today is that, follwowing the revelations on MP's salaries and expenses, there has been no similar examination in relation to councillors.

[goodlookingone]

My Last Forays into Local Gov was that The Management never investigated problems of which they had been told, or finding Actual problems - Which was different. The Norm was that hey had to Employ (or contract - ME) to do the investigations that they could do themselves. And of course, they then needed a couple of Deputies (of equal rank) to Supervise those doing the investigations - I distinctly remember another incomer (Like Me) summed up the two deputies as .. R will never work again, He is a man of Principle, but B sometimes has pangs of Guilt and tries to do something, but can never find (or know where), the wherabouts of the relevant paperwork.

In the 1980's These Deputies occasionally went to Group Meetings of other Local Gov (Always referred to as "The Authorities"). On the return they joked about the New Towns (Harlow, Basildon etc). These places had No History, so would solve their own problems with what was necessary. For an example... Two of us were to investigate "Parks Security" re the Worries of of Night watchmen traversing the councils Parks to see that nobody had got in.. There were not enough watchmen to see all the parks and so Vehicles and Alsatians were supplied to visit each of the parks .. any miscreants would soon learn their routes times and which gates they would enter. The New Towns saw no reason to put gates on their parks . They were public parts and public air. Thus No problems... But they did put Lamposts by the Paths.
Another was the Clearing of surface water street drains. They compared notes .. X would do so many per vehicle-hour, Y would do somewhat more... so my lot decided they would not clear them if they really needed clearance. That way they could drive on to the next one and thus include the numbers per hour figure. Me and Their Forman thought they were Bonkers (Forman actually suggested selling the £40,000 (then) tools and give the workmen a notebook and pencils to note that the drains were still where they were last last year). The New Towns had the the drain clearers used the clearance vehicles immediately at each drain they visited, and thus had no emergency flood problems.

'Nuff said. I Don't want to return to those days - suffice to say that I escaped. What is more impotant is this: Threewells, I hope she is OK, I seldom see her on any of the Boards.. How is she ?? Where are you Three-wells????

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I'm assuming that 3 Wells is OK'ish. The last I heard, she had been sprung from hospital. I think she and the Black Bull are under the weather from the recent loss of his father, so don't feel like posting much at the moment. It's one foot in front of the other for a while.

One coup BCC achieved was to have a 20 year rolling contract with Amey to mend every road in the city. To maximise this the company also got the street lighting upgraded to LED in advance of repairs. It's probably ruinous for the company, but the roads have improved dramatically, or had, though last time I went I found a good number in other parts of the city that were still awaiting improvement. Clearing the drains as they go is a very good idea. They are surely not expecting them to remain clear permanently ? Why ever did they chuck park keepers out of their lodge cottages? I know it went with making them work under totally insecure 1 year contracts and having to interview under competition to keep their own jobs. A fine way to ensure commitment to their work(not their jobs) don't you think?

[goodlookingone]

Quick Lurk.. You can't keep Park Keepers in Lodges... They have Right to buy like anyone else, and sell on to anybody. It didn't actually resolve any Problems - They have just done a night shif foe Five of the Daytime shifts in the week.

I didn't know of Three Wells and Black Bulls recent bereavement.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

It was a few weeks ago now, and I was told it in a personal message. I hope he doesn't mind my sharing it now. It seemed a good moment to share it and my condolences at the same time.

[Brians Cravat]

I was concerned about Wellsy too. Her spell in hospital is new to me also.

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Thanks folks. We're both reasonably OK; 3Wells is having another course of the artificial fluid injections in her knee (which last about 16-18 months or so), and they are already helping; she's also been able to do something she really wanted to, taking up swimming again. Two or three times a week, it's an excellent activity for her.

We're wondering if we'll get another passing glimpse of the sun before autumn settles in properly ....

[Brians Cravat]

EB, I'm really pleased that Wellsy is putting about in the pool. Please pass on my best wishes to her. She sprang to mind a couple of days ago when, I began reading 'The Subtle Serpent' by Peter Tremayne. It's one of the Early Sister Fidelma mysteries. In this story Fidelma was asked to investigate a murder at convent in South-East Muman (Munster) in modern day Kerry. The convent is called The Salmon of the Three Wells. Any relation?

Currently coach-bound some eighty or so miles from our destination, the Cornish resort of St Ives.

[goodlookingone]

I've missed a couple of attempts to get Access here.
I shall opt out of the Swimming Discussions - I am a meresrable failure. I once attempted a course of Adult Swimming Lessons.. I seem to float lower than most people - below the surface.. "Miss" seemed to think it was my fault - "Never had that problem with someone of YOUR size..."

Hope that threewells is doing well.

I note that Brians post is now over two hours old, so I guess He is now esconced in his accomodation.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I didn't think you were a sinker GLO. It must be all those muscles.

It's good to hear that 3 Wells is getting more out of life. I love swimming, but the tides are a bit dodgy and sudden around here and the local pool is heavily subscribed in the summer. You have to pay for a day ticket to swim at Butlins now, so that's out.

We had a few minutes of torrential rain here earlier on, but it stopped fairly soon. It's all helping my new plants to bed in. The sweet chestnuts should really get the benefit this year and we could get a good crop. After prickling my fingers and thumbs to deep agony, in my elderly wisdom I realised that I could wait until they hit the ground and burst open. The last couple of years, they have been quite small and needing hard work to get them to the mouth, but I'm hoping that we will have a bumper crop this year. I am wondering which bramble gives the biggest blackberries, the pink or the white. Every year I intend to make a note of where the biggest fruit are, but by the following spring I've usually forgotten. I'm a great one for wild food. I used to collect blackberries in the park, but not too many, I'd leave plenty for other people to collect, but not that many people did so. It amazed me that a colleague expressed revulsion at the notion of picking apples from the tree in the garden of the residential home I worked in, and opted to buy them in the supermarket. I was used from childhood to going out and collecting eggs, fruit and garden produce so fresh it tasted nothing like shop food. We would have salted sides of bacon and hams hanging from hooks set in the kitchen ceiling, and Mother would get one down and cut pieces off to cook.

[goodlookingone]

I understand what you mean, and when I used to do my clubs Rambles, many of these Londoers wanted to Dine frome the Hedgerows... There are so little hedgerows left that I tend to by-pass The Harvest in The Nature Reserve and the Country Park. On one Election, my Clerk - an ex policewoman so I'll be Polite for three wells (Joking aside, She was good) - I'm rambling again.. Oh yes, She used to wander around the Hedgerow perimeter of the Allotments behind our Polling portakabin, to Harvest Flowers for her Winery production.
Gotta go: Last Night of the Proms getting to the interesting bit.

[Brians Cravat]

Sadly, like GLO I'm not a swimmer. Enquiries about an Aquarobics class, intended to lead adult non-swimmers into swimming. However, when I called about it I was told that, as a man I couldn't join. It wasn't advertised as females only and, I did feel like a letter of complaint was due. Couldn't be bothered in the end.

[goodlookingone]

Enjoy your terra-firma Holiday, Brian.
I'm told it is Teddybear day, so stay out of the Woods.

[Brians Cravat]

GLO, there is little chance of us attending a Teddy Bear's Pinic today. We set off earlier with every intention of covering a few miles of the South West Coastal Path. Sadly, though reasonably warm we were driven back mid-morning by a persistent heavy drizzle. Discretion being the better part of valour we decided to head back to the hotel to partake of lunch. Not sure what it's like in Rwth's bit of the South West but here it's been dire! Fortunately, there are signs of it brightening and clearing from the West.