Happy New Year! P.S. Dont Worry We Wont Make you Homeless for at least Three Years.

In the Evening Post today a Tory parliamentary candidate says talk to her if you are worried about your old folks home being flogged off by Cutts (See here). However the home in question happens to be close to prime building land, so what price in a few years that the home is suddenly out of date and not fit for purpose and will have to be refurbished at huge un-economic cost, and so goes for housing.

Meanwhile there are other accusations of prime county land being disposed of cheap, which may have future potential for housing. If you are part of Cutts land owning cronies Nottinghamshire could be a good place to be to pick up a bargain in the sales. (We have already reported about the investigation into flogging off the county farms and found a link between a top Tory and some developers see here).

Let those in terrace houses pay for parking but not us

In a piece of classic second-hand car sales double-talk, Councillor Jackson goes for political opportunity. He described a cash-strapped Borough Council's proposal to charge shoppers (after the first hour) for parking as "just a money-making scheme", conveniently forgetting that last November, under directions from Kay Cutts and the planet Vogon he proposed very similar and put a figure on how much money he could make. Jackson's suggestion is that residents in town centres and largely with Band A or B council tax properties, will pay for a permit to park outside their own homes. This will (to quote his report) "raise £200,000 per annum for the County Council". As we know this money and more has already been earmarked or spent to provide such things as a spin doctor, an ornamental fountain, 3 cabinet posts and an office refurbishment!

There is one fundamental difference between the two proposals however - who pays. Kay Cutts, Richard Jackson and subsidy junkie Laughton don't live in town centres and certainly not in Band A or B properties - but they do drive to town centres - and park. Under Jackson's idea they, unlike the terrace house residents, will not lose out.

But the real reason for the need for the charge that Jackson rejects is that he and Cutts are looking to pull out of funding certain items they share with the boroughs and they need to make up the shortfall. Funding cuts loom for leisure centres and swiming pools etc). But I suppose private Gym membership with a pool means you dont have to use the council funded ones or mix with the Oiks.

At least this confirms that Kay Cutts and her puppets treat the electorate (who largely don't live in band H houses) with the same utter contempt as they treat their staff in County Hell!

Happy Christmas from Kay Cutts

One of the main claims from the county is that they will be protecting the vulnerable and the elderly. Below is a summary of how she is going to do it.

Home care will rise from £8.80 per hour paying a maximum of £78.50 per week to
£12 per hour (36% increase) up to a maximum of £120 per week (53% increase).

Day Care – To rise from no charge to £4 per day.

Transport – To rise from £2.15 per day to £4.00 per day (86% increase)

Meals on Wheels – To rise from £2.35 to £3.95 (68% increase)

Welare Advice line - to be discontinued

Of course those who dont need these services, and live in Big Band H council tax houses will see no change as Cutts has pledged to attempt not to increase council tax on large properties (benefiting large land and property owners like the Vogon, Richard (I cant add up) Jackson, and Bruce (Subsidy Junkie) Laughton.

Happy Christmas to all those who will benefit from this altruistic action.

Verification

I have now received the following from a witness at the last Broxtowe Borough Council meeting (my links):

"It is indeed true that Cllr Jackson and all the Tory group on Broxtowe Borough Council voted against the motion on LTP3. The Tory County Councillors present and voting against were: Cllr Jackson, Cllr Pettingell, Cllr Kerry and Cllr Owen.

All the Lib Dem County Councillors voted in favour of the motion. Labour has no County Councillors in the Broxtowe area."

A likely boost for the motor trade

Transport is one of the few things Greater Nottingham has done well. This is largely down to the County, City and Boroughs working together. However, all that is set to change with the ex-second hand car dealer, County Council transport supremo, Richard (the mason) Jackson determined to reduce the dependancy on public transport and give the motor trade a boost. I detailed here how he hopes to reduce bus usage and here how he was prepared to spend £7.5m to reduce bus patronage by 30% (although they seem to now be going back on that one). More worryingly I heard and reported here that they may now pull out of co-operation with the City over transport - I hoped that I was wrong. Unfortunately it looks as though I am correct. On Wednesday Broxtowe Borough Council narrowly voted to co-operate on the next Local Transport Plan (LTP3) but I am told that Cllr Jackson and all the other Tory County Councillors voted against this (could anyone please confirm?). To read the motion click here and go to item 11.

Mathematically Incontinent.

Yet more evidence has immerged that the transport portfolio holder Richard (the Mason) Jackson is mathematically incontinent (see here for previous evidence).

In a news item on East Midlands Today, Ms Cutts puppet was saying how he felt people would park in the county area on the edge of the workplace parking zone and catch a bus in to avoid paying the work place parking charge (of £1/day). The typical bus fare in from the County area to the City is £1.50 each way (oooopps.)

Whilst Jackson may think we are all like the description one of his Tory colleagues was rumoured to have made about the Mansfield independents; “they will swallow anything, they are just thick”, I say we are not so daft.

However, don't forget he got his skills from the second hand car business - motto "There's one born every minute"

Don’t Bother Me with Council Issues, after all I am Just Your Councillor

We have recently been contacted by a local resident who contacted his local Tory County Councillor in Rushcliffe to express their concern about the Cutts.

The response he got was to paraphrase “don’t ask me, contact the Vogon”.

So as an elected representative asked about an issue this councillor will vote on and of relevance to his ward electorate, his response is effectively. Get lost I didn’t get elected or claim expenses to have to deal with your problems with the council. Sort yourself out.

Good to know that the concept of public service in our Tory councillors is alive and well.

The Independents now fed up with Cutts

The second hand car dealing tactics which I highlighted here and secured Richard the Mason Jackson sufficient votes to pull out of the tram have now been exposed. If you remember lots of new buses throughout the County were promised in a triple or quadruple accounting exercise which forced an apology from the ex-second hand car dealer (see here).

However, no comments came from the Independents and one of them even defected, so the buzz around County Hall was simply that they're a pushover with one senior Tory being overheard saying "like putty in our hands".

But everyone has a breaking point and the County not intervening in the removal of a bus from Eastwood (for Selston) to the QMC has proved the final straw. This is completely contrary to what Jackson promised before the crucial tram vote. The Independents, once bitten twice shy will not now be supporting the budget Cutts, read about it here.

Solace for the Workforce

While many Council employees on Cutts hit list face an uncertain future and a Christmas of worry about their future prosperity. It seems Cutts needs a new spin doctor to get her message across.

If you fancy writing propaganda for the Vogon on over 70K a year and a fat pension please apply here. Perhaps you could start by justifying your own existence or explaining what good value you represent or the value we get from the extra expenses Cutts and her cronies awarded themselves

However, it seems only the trendy can apply. After all you only have to see the crass wording of the advert to see that the recruitment consultant Solace Enterprises (Sorry they call themselves “Improvement Consultants”) have walked straight out the TV program the Office.

(click here to view the expensive advert in the national press)

Or Click here to see it in its full glory on the council site.

However why should they care. To find the new Bull S**T merchant they will be doing very nicely. (such consultants normally get paid nearly a years and sometimes more of the posts salary to find the person).

So that’s at least three care-workers sacked to pay for Cutts message monger.

Can I suggest that all those on threat of redundancy apply.

Do you think your staff are that stupid Ms Cutts?

On the front page of the most recent edition of Nottinghamshire County Council's staff periodical, Grapevine issue 111; Kay Cutts has written the following:

"The Council needs to make significant savings as a result of extra demands on its services, coupled with a reduced grant from central government and a pledge not to increase council tax….”

As you have already been told, Ms Cutts that is simply not true. The grant from central government will increase by £8,531,000 or 5.1% next financial year.

Please stop talking down to and treating your staff as if they are stupid.

Standards are Dropping (like Flies)

You may have seen in the post that Ms Cutts is being held up on a standards board charge (see here). Well we knew this was just a matter of time. But this could be just the start. Although the Vogon article was just a joke we knew that it was too near the truth for comfort.

We have now been told that a number of other complaint issues about Ms Cutts are being brewed up, (some by let's say senior members of county staff), mainly due to her inappropriate behaviour. It just a matter of time.

We also know her tactic of calling important meetings at late notice (as reported) and it is said holding back important reports is winning her few friends.

Mick Warner former county leader got bounced following standards board claims. How long till Cutts follows him into political obscurity. (At least he supported the Child migrant trust and did not try to hide it).

Advice centres

Heard in a pub near Normanton on the Wolds:

Nigel - I hear our Kay is going to close down some advice centres; what do you think that will mean?

Oscar - Advice centres? Don't they just advise the great unwashed on how to get more benefit?

Nigel - Exactly old bean, It;s time they were made to get a proper job and stop fiddling the system, oh by the way darling (turning to wife) the accountant's found a way of getting your car through the books. Besides they don't give any useful advice; I struggled to find anyone half decent to service the pool this year.

Oscar - too damn right, just where does one turn to if one wants advice on moat cleaning? That's the sort of help we need in this county.

They give away too much - sack them.

Following the policy of withdrawing all services which may possibly benefit anyone north of the well heeled Rushcliffe and Broxtowe areas; Kay Cutts has decided to do away with 6 contact centres and a mobile unit which roams around the far north of the County where dirty-faced ex-coal miners live. The centres are at Worksop, Retford, Mansfield, Sutton in Ashfield, Arnold and Rufford.

Say for example the customer pops in to renew their blue badge, advisors, consider other services such as home care, mobility aids and adaptations, meals at home, benefit checks, and care packages etc.

48 skilled, knowledgeable staff who are experts in their field, have recently been recognised as a service of excellence, offering customers advice on over 300 services will soon be on the dole.

The damage done to the vulnerable is imeasurable.