Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,305
26 August 2010
14:0467264I couldn't have put it better Keith!
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 August 2010
14:5467265paul
there have to be eye catching news stories in any local paper as well as local events.
i was speaking with rhys a few weeks back and he has the same problem as paulb sometimes i.e. not being notified of local events.
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
26 August 2010
15:2767266Im glad Terry you found that film .Marvellous quite right what John says the press tuck into the sandwiches then dissapear before the end of a meeting .Very oftem they miss the most important decisions .
I have sat at a meeting until 2,00am so there John .
What do people expect blood.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
26 August 2010
16:0567272I have no problem with publicly-funded buffets, although the self-employed are in much the same boat as Councillors. I never finish work much before the onset of evening, and if - as regularly happens - I have an evening meeting to get to, it's dinner that suffers. Shave, change of shirt and then out. Fish & Chips after the meeting usually; not paid for by the taxpayer, though, I hasten to add.
I do think that clip of Terry's shows just how rude some people can be - wouldn't it have been just plain old-fashioned good manners to have stopped stuffing his face whilst someone was speaking?
True friends stab you in the front.
26 August 2010
17:3667276I have absolutely no issue with reasonable and light subsistence being provided for working Councillors who give up their evenings for important meetings. Biscuits are not good for diabetics because of the high sugar content, so hopefully that will kill that suggestion.
If the DE wants to focus on Council costs it should try looking st the KCC allowances for party "speakers". If I recall correctly they get an annual allowance running into thousands. As I've said before, the blues and yellows tend to have one or two, but a few years back the reds had something like 17, yes, seventeen speakers and they weren't even the major party. Obviously a case of the boys making the most of the potential allowances to line their pockets. Anyway, there is much more to be saved at KCC than there will ever be at DTC.
Mind you, I'd think very carefully about continuing the "twinning" arrangements as there must be room for savings there. Again, if I recall correctly, the Mayor of Zagreb(?) and his entourage were treated to an all expenses paid shopping trip to London some years back. Work that one out!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 August 2010
17:4467277sid
what on earth is a party "speaker"?
with regard to twinning i share your reservations, no problem about twinning with a town where there are traditional close links though.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
26 August 2010
19:4067287Sid like Howard what is a speaker,we do have Shadow Portfolio Holders who as the name would suggest Shadow the work done by the Portfolio Holder,but in all my years being involved I have never heard of a speaker.We also have as do the Tories lead members who assist Portfolio Holders,this is a non paid position and purely advisory.
The Labour Group also chair the 2 Scruity Committees,there are 9 Senior Members of the Council and 9 Senior Labour members,I use Senior as opposed to saying Portfolio.
Leader and Cabinet. Shadow
Leader Paul Watkins Gordon Cowan
Deputy Leader Fred Scales Mike Eddy
Access and Property Services Nigel Collor John Goodwin
Community Housing and Youth Sue Chandler Ann Smith
Corporate Resources and Perf Ian Ward Mike Eddy
Economy and Special Projects Fred Scales Ben Bano
Health Well Being and Public P Pat Heath Jim Hood
Environment Waste and Planning Nick Kenton Mick Smith
ICT Consumer Affairs and HR Trevor Bartlett Jan Tranter
Skills Training and Ex Relations Kit Smith Linda Keen
we also have a Chairman Bernard Butcher (Con) and a Vice Chairman Sue Nicholas.
On the Twinning front it was Split and that is run by the Town Council and I know that they had thier costs paid by Split,and I think on 2 occasions a Mayor plus 1 has gone to Split..........since 1974.This was brought about in 1956 to try and open up the Eastern block Countries and I know that a lot of aid went there during the war (Former Yugoslavian War) The connection is still continued mainly through Astor School who have performed there virtually every year,and the Young People from Split have performed in Dover.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
26 August 2010
19:4267289sorry Sid after reading your post again I missed where you said KCC,this is the group who gave thereselves a 10% increase last year in thier allowances.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
26 August 2010
19:4267290Chris Smith? Don't you mean Kit Smith....
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
26 August 2010
19:4467291sorry Barry I have altered it.Too many Smiths
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
26 August 2010
19:4767292As an 'outsider' why on earth can't councillors buy a sandwich and drink out of their expenses money. Are they all that hard up, I doubt it, £5,000 could be better spent elsewhere.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
26 August 2010
19:5367294Jan when I was first elected I worked out I was working for about £2 an hour,now I know alot of people should say Cllrs should do it for free,did that for 4 years as a Town Cllr,but doing it for free dont put food on the table, a Cllrs basic is just over £3000 a year!
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 August 2010
20:0167296jan
if they claimed for grub this would go under subsistence.
i think that casanova john is right, the present system is both fairer and cheaper.
when you think about it a ton a week for all those councillors is small beer.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
26 August 2010
20:1467297No Howard no beer Tea or Coffee or friut juice!
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,888
26 August 2010
20:3767300maybe it should be performance related lol
it would be zero for some lol
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 August 2010
20:5067301andy made a valid point about good manners in post 24.
sadly this is the norm at party conferences when an activist makes an impassioned speech and the big wigs chat amongst themselves oblivious to what is being said on the rostrum.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,888
26 August 2010
20:5567303HOWARD;
In reality all the party conferences are now stage managed dissent done away with.
Now in the days of the conferences where delegates got up and said what they realy meant, those were the days,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 August 2010
21:1167308quite right keith,the last conference speech that i saw that had passion was from neil kinnock back in the eighties when the reds looked a spent force.
effectively he outed the fringe nutters and made the party an electable force again, made the job of tony blair much easier.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,888
26 August 2010
21:2067310HOWARD
Yep, when I joined labour many moons ago, an individual was an ex tory planted in labour party(a tory cllr told me) wont name him.
but he mae out to be very lefty and had the most stupid ideas such as picketing the police station!!!! in the end after a long lot of years he left, not before he did a klot of damage though.
We also at same time had the militant party who infiltrated the labour party they outnumbered my branch and many meetings were near pitch battles, I didnt like those days, as the militant party members didnt accept democracy and hid away overturning decisions.
Thankfully theyu have long gone, many expelled.
Kinnocks speech thankfully started the modernisation of the party, although it was needed, and the ref to Dere Hatton I applauded.
Labour went to far to the right and middle England, hopefully this will be changed b who ever takes over as leader.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
26 August 2010
21:3867313Right, here I go upsetting some of you I expect, so I will apologise in advance.
Why become a councillor in the first place? Maybe a stepping stone to higher places, being a 'councillor' instead of one us ignorant lot, or the power and the glory. I know some will start because of 'a cause', this gets sorted but they stay on. Why? The above?
To claim for food would be the type of thing that gives polititions a bad name, how many workers get their food paid for by their employer, they buy their own. The tax payer is the councillors' employer, enough said.
Over £57 a week (basic means there is more available) is not bad going, a lot of those on low incomes would be very happy to receive this ammount as an extra to their income.
I am not councillor bashing, I know SOME work very hard, I am just putting down the sort of comments I often hear plus some of my own thoughts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------