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 blackdog |
| November 21, 2010, 3:06pm |
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They've already planned to do that, as I said before. Vat goes up to 20% on Jan 1st.
User wants to add an income tax hike as well. |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 3:06pm |
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VAT is going up, NI is going up... but Council tax is frozen. 1% on council tax actually represents £750k, so we need an increase of about 30% on council tax to prevent savings at the council... I can see that going down well  |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 3:06pm |
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30% would equate to about £400 on the average council tax bill... |
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| brian |
| November 21, 2010, 3:10pm |
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Posts: 1,965
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Yes, I'd like to just go in and shadow department leaders for a day just to further enhance my understanding, .....
If I can get a better understanding of every department by working a day per week in each department, I will definately be in a better position when we prepare our alternative budget for 2011/12.
Why do you think that you have the qualifications or the remit to actually do such a thing. The council deal with considerable amounts of confidential information which would make it impossible to deal with some guy off the street with zero quallifications other than some vague premise that he works in the regeneration business. We have voted in councillors to serve us and they are tasked to do just that. Once you are elected to the council, then you have every right to look into the department for which you have responsibility or serve as shadow. Just remind me again that you are in fact the representative of the Labour party and acting within your authority. |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 3:28pm |
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I am preparing our alternative budget and manifesto. The purpose? To give the people of West Berkshire REAL choice. They can vote for the Tories and get more of what we have now (no investment in infrastructure, flying by the seat of their pants), or vote Labour and a fully costed plan to deal with the budget deficit of West Berks District Council and the debt that we are saddled with. By tackling both of these, we will reduce the huge amount of money we spent on debt interest.
Labour are putting in this huge amount of effort to ensure that we have a viable alternative plan for the next four years. I doubt the Tories will present a fully costed plan, unless the officers have produced one for them. |
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| brian |
| November 21, 2010, 3:57pm |
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Posts: 1,965
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Labour are putting in this huge amount of effort to ensure that we have a viable alternative plan for the next four years. I doubt the Tories will present a fully costed plan, unless the officers have produced one for them.
So, just remind me again that you are in fact the representative of the Labour party and acting within your authority. |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 4:25pm |
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Posts: 1,074
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So, just remind me again that you are in fact the representative of the Labour party and acting within your authority.
What is this? I am the community organiser / campaign manager for Newbury Labour Party. I've already stated this previously. |
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| Greenham Common |
| November 21, 2010, 4:59pm |
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Posts: 1,974
Gender: Male
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Why do you think that you have the qualifications or the remit to actually do such a thing. The council deal with considerable amounts of confidential information which would make it impossible to deal with some guy off the street with zero quallifications other than some vague premise that he works in the regeneration business.
We have voted in councillors to serve us and they are tasked to do just that. Once you are elected to the council, then you have every right to look into the department for which you have responsibility or serve as shadow.
In terms of 'qualifications', how does Richard Garvie differ from an elected councillor? |
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| user23.3 |
| November 21, 2010, 5:00pm |
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Posts: 1,664
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Why do you think that you have the qualifications or the remit to actually do such a thing. The council deal with considerable amounts of confidential information which would make it impossible to deal with some guy off the street with zero quallifications other than some vague premise that he works in the regeneration business.
We have voted in councillors to serve us and they are tasked to do just that. Once you are elected to the council, then you have every right to look into the department for which you have responsibility or serve as shadow.
Just remind me again that you are in fact the representative of the Labour party and acting within your authority.
Exactly, it's perfectly acceptable to the elected members to do this, trouble is Richard's forgotten he's not been elected yet. This would open up the door to every nutter without portfolio who thought they could run things better and council staff would spend all their days chaperoning them whilst they flounced about working out who'd they sack.
In terms of 'qualifications', how does Richard Garvie differ from an elected councillor?
He's not qualified because he's not been elected. To use a football analogy, it would be like Scotland not qualifying for the World Cup but turning up at the finals and insisting they play a match because they could do it so much better. |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 5:04pm |
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No, I'm doing it on behalf of a political party, slight difference. |
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| Greenham Common |
| November 21, 2010, 5:05pm |
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Posts: 1,974
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brian and user23.3 are talking rubbish, why should an official political party be denied access to information a councillor can have? It makes it a closed shop and impossible for a new party to propose genuine policies based on data.
Having said all that, RG's idea of spending a week or to at the offices is daft also. |
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| Greenham Common |
| November 21, 2010, 5:07pm |
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Posts: 1,974
Gender: Male
Posts Per Day: 1.79
Location: Equine way
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He's not qualified because he's not been elected. To use a football analogy, it would be like Scotland not qualifying for the World Cup but turning up at the finals and insisting they play a match because they could do it so much better.
Sorry, but that is complete bollocks. An elected councillor has a mandate, that doesn't make him qualified to perform the audit. |
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| user23.3 |
| November 21, 2010, 5:09pm |
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No, I'm doing it on behalf of a political party, slight difference.
You think independent candidates shouldn't be allowed to do similar?
Having said all that, RG's idea of spending a week or to at the offices is daft also.
More like a month if he wants to audit every department.
Sorry, but that is complete bollocks. An elected councillor has a mandate, that doesn't make him qualified to perform the audit.
The first qualification is that they be elected, or in the footballing analogy have qualified for the finals by winning enough points. |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 5:13pm |
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Posts: 1,074
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You think independent candidates shouldn't be allowed to do similar?The first qualification is that they be elected, or in the footballing analogy have qualified for the finals by winning enough points.
It's not for me to decide, is it? They have the option of requesting the data they need. As for "qualifying", are you saying that only two parties should have access to data to allow them to present a viable manifesto? Hardly "democratic" is it? |
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| richard.garvie |
| November 21, 2010, 5:14pm |
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Posts: 1,074
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Where would you save money User23? Council tax is frozen, so you need to save £16m over two years... Where are the savings coming from? |
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