June 10: How would you like your cuts?
Comments |
EXACTLY how
would you like your public sector cutbacks to be served
up?
Not exactly the most alluring
invitation, is it? But the coalition government is clearly trying
to bring people on board – in other words, soften them up - as it
sharpens the axe in preparation for some major scything over the
next few months.
Yes, the age of austerity is
well and truly upon us.
No wonder there are some gloomy
faces at County Hall and in other town halls
across Kent. Local government is taking a big hit on the basis of
what we already know – some £1.2bn – and my guess is that there
will be plenty of blood on the carpets between now the
Autumn.
Its fortunes are even gloomier
taking into account the protection for NHS budgets promised by the
government – not one that is likely to improve relations between
the two.
I hear that Kent County
Council is now reviewing its own forecasts made before the
election, that it would need to close a
£200m shortfall over the next three years and shed some 700
jobs.
It seems that the era of
austerity could prove a lot more painful than that and both those
figures are now considered to be on the conservative
side.
In view of the need to find an
unexpected £23m this year from its budget, I wonder - in the
spirit of the coalition - whether Kent residents will be asked for
their views on how the axe may fall.
We've started the
ball rolling for them.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What’s happening to all that
money still stuck in Iceland?
KCC is still trying to recover
£43m of the £50m it had on deposit with three
banks but the process of recovery is getting bogged down in what
sound like some heavy legal wrangling.
A court case is due to be heard
in November, at which KCC will argue - on behalf of all
councils - that it should be treated as a preferential creditor –
giving it priority over others when it comes to distributing the
remaining assets of the banks.
This is key because if councils
aren’t given that status then they will have to take their chances
with everyone else in the queue.
Even if the case goes there way,
either side has the right to appeal to the Icelandic Supreme
Court.
Which will inevitably drag
things out even further. And line the pockets of costly lawyers
even more.
Interestingly, it seems the
banks’ administrators are also resisting efforts by councils to
claim penalty interest on their deposits and their legal
costs.
You can read the latest official report from County Hall
here>>>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BRANDING is all important these
days – especially for councils anxious to shake off the perception
that they are somehow a bit old-fashioned and dry and
dusty.
We've stumbled across a document
which reveals just how seriously KCC takes these things.
The document outlines tips
to staff on how to get the media’s attention for any event they are
staging. It includes the usual tips on providing images, suggesting
rather oddly that staff should consider including animals in any
pictures they send out.
We were struck by the advice to
“try to include branding in the image...without overbranding it”
and for good measure adding: “Can the staff wear T-shirts with KCC
logos?” Mind you, why stop at staff? A cute animal in a KCC T-shirt
- now that’d really grab our attention.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AND it is heartening to hear
that workmen tackling the job of fixing potholes have, apparently,
been lavished with all manner of goodies as they go about their
business.
It seems “delighted” residents
have been treating our heroic teams “to tea and homemade
cake,” according to a gushing press release. The workers were fed
“ginger cake and delicious lemon drizzle slices” as they patched up
a street in one idyllic village, it continues. Others have been
handed bacon butties. Goodness.
Let’s hope they were all wearing
KCC branded T-shirts and high-visibility vests.
Thursday, June 10 2010
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.