View Full Version : £12 million Cutbacks from Highland Council spending.
Where does everyone think the cuts in public spending be focussed towards?
Roads? Schools? Hospitals? Care for stray animals? Obviously bilingual signs should be shelved as there is no moral purpose when essential services are being cut. I think heating and lighting of public buildings can be managed better. Christmas street decorations could be stopped. How about fortnightly bin rounds? No more free school meals for under privileged kids? Performance related pay for teachers, police and other public sector workers? Is it wrong that HC aren't allowed to raise the council tax? Change the terms and conditions of the pension funds of firemen and police? Stop free transport for pensioners and other concessionaries? Stopping renumeration pay for councillors who are still employed elsewhere and cut their expenses allowances?
NickInTheNorth
22-Nov-09, 14:37
I've not read through the spending plans for the council for several years, I didn't think I needed the additional downward pressure when dealing with depression :)
However in blissful ignorance of what the costs are I would suggest that they get rid of at least 50% of the management of all the departments.
That is were the deadwood usually lies in any bureaucracy, and I cannot imagine highland council is any different.
Alice in Blunderland
22-Nov-09, 15:11
All too often its frontline services that see the biggest cuts and management .......well they look after their own. :eek:
Scorpio12thNov
22-Nov-09, 15:41
I agree with you Rheghead that public buildings could manage their heating & lighting in a more economical fashion, but we can't cut back on improving the roads. Some of the roads in Caithness are in an ibismal state & really need upgraded...
Fortnightly bin rounds? I'm getting visions of overflowing bins & smelly streets:~(
But how can a small county like Caithness make cutbacks? It's a hard one...
I am not well read on the subject, but doesn't the Highland Council cover a much larger area than just Caithness?
Agree with the comments about the roads - they need much MORE money spending on them.
cuddlepop
22-Nov-09, 15:53
I am not well read on the subject, but doesn't the Highland Council cover a much larger area than just Caithness?
Agree with the comments about the roads - they need much MORE money spending on them.
Yes they do and the roads are awful through out the Highlands.:mad:
What I see when I return to Caithness are all these signs/ double signs, on each side of the road, at the approach to a Town or Village.
Seems like an awful waste of money, particulary in small places like Spittal etc.
What was the purpose of the duplication???
Scorpio12thNov
22-Nov-09, 16:00
I am not well read on the subject, but doesn't the Highland Council cover a much larger area than just Caithness?
Agree with the comments about the roads - they need much MORE money spending on them.
Yeah the HC does cover more than just Caithness, it covers the whole of the Highland region if I'm not mistaken:rolleyes:
I feel public transport could be re-looked at as the majority of buses I see on the road are empty. I can't remember the last time I saw a full or even half full bus. Would save on fuel, fuel congestion & less vehicles on the road. Unfortunately, this would mean job cutbacks:(
So when the council are making these financial cutbacks, I hope not too many jobs are lost either...
Who pays for the signs that say 'Somewherebster twinned with No One Cares USA'?
Who pays for the signs that say 'Somewherebster twinned with No One Cares USA'?
I had to laugh at Wick's choice of twin town, sort of sums it all up really.:lol:
I had to laugh at Wick's choice of twin town, sort of sums it all up really.:lol:
Please put me out of my misery and tell me :D
Scorpio12thNov
22-Nov-09, 16:12
Who pays for the signs that say 'Somewherebster twinned with No One Cares USA'?
A friend of mine used to make the road signs down at the depot in Strathpeffer, & quite often they'd spell the foreign towns incorrectly:lol:
I always mind him saying that these particular signs are expensive to make, between the metal for the sign, paint, stickers, & then someone to put the thing up.
Eh council should gie everyone a sat nav for xmas:lol:
Well it's nice to know they have their priorities right
"The cutbacks will impact on services such as education and social work but nothing will be safe, with the possible exception of Gaelic."
from http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/7524/Local_jobs_and_services_face_axe.html
I am not well read on the subject, but doesn't the Highland Council cover a much larger area than just Caithness?
Agree with the comments about the roads - they need much MORE money spending on them.
I thought that money from the Road Tax helped to 'top-up' such funding for roads?
And Rheghead:
No more free school meals for under privileged kids? Performance related pay for teachers?
Aren't these two potentially inclusive, given the vast amounts of research carried out into healthy eating = healthy brain?
cuddlepop
23-Nov-09, 13:09
Well it's nice to know they have their priorities right
"The cutbacks will impact on services such as education and social work but nothing will be safe, with the possible exception of Gaelic."
from http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/7524/Local_jobs_and_services_face_axe.html
And gaelic zealots wonder why the rest of us are so mad about the money thats being squandered on gaelic :Razz
is this going to affect the proposals for the new Wick high?
fingalmacool
23-Nov-09, 18:01
The credit crunch only affects some and the stink of cronyism burns the nostrils of most of us. Apparently the Highland Council in their wisdom have gifted the Royal Dornoch Golf course a pick me up of £60,000 to help them in their plight because their memberships are down this year, "well pardon me all to hell" does this mean all the clubs can get a pick me up or what, I doubt it!
As for me I'm changing my name to Royal and when i hit the skids its straight to the council for some wonga:confused
The credit crunch only affects some and the stink of cronyism burns the nostrils of most of us. Apparently the Highland Council in their wisdom have gifted the Royal Dornoch Golf course a pick me up of £60,000 to help them in their plight because their memberships are down this year, "well pardon me all to hell" does this mean all the clubs can get a pick me up or what, I doubt it!
As for me I'm changing my name to Royal and when i hit the skids its straight to the council for some wonga:confused
No wonder memberships down, everytime Ive been to Dornoch I cant remember them ever having a karaoke night.
Homecare services to the elderly and disabled are being cut.
Elderly gentleman used to have homecarer every morning to assist with shower, dressing, breakfast & medication. Four evenings for a hot meal and three days at daycare. Following on from being in hospital and no longer able to go to daycare he expected to get evening call all seven nights, but was told he can go on the waiting list, but has to manage himself in the meantime. The evening call time for the existing nights was halved at this review. It is winter.....everyone is surely entitled to one hot meal a day, but social work seem to think octoginarians can suffice on a cup-a-soup (and risk scalding when making it) and a sandwich for three consecutive days.
Too many chiefs and not enough indians.
Maybe they should start by NOT spending (wasting actually) money on things like the totally unneccesary footpath they put in Reay at the request of one person with a ridiculous reason for having it. The verge was dug up into a mess by a local buffoon and then Gunns were contracted to lay a footpath. Complete waste of money for a path to nowhere.
Maybe they should start by NOT spending (wasting actually) money on things like the totally unneccesary footpath they put in Reay at the request of one person with a ridiculous reason for having it. The verge was dug up into a mess by a local buffoon and then Gunns were contracted to lay a footpath. Complete waste of money for a path to nowhere.
What was the ridiculous reason? Maybe ridiculous to someone who doesn't live there?? :confused
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