Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Promoting what?


I make no apology for not posting recently, the fact is that I don't have the time and when I do, I've nothing to say, which thank god is not the case for some of the leading lights in our county administration. Paul Carter's (KCC Leader) Blog continues in the riveting style that it started, and joy of joys Peter Gilroy of KCC (the countries most highly paid local authority chief) contributed an article to the Kent on Sunday newspaper this week, proving why he's worth a quarter mill a year roughly to the Kent tax payer (probably more this year).

Those who had inclination and stamina to plough through this will have been enthralled to learn that Peter was invited to speak at the World Health Care Congress and later at the WHCC's leadership programme (whatever that is). Later on the great man goes on to inform us how the world is changing fast etc. and I would certainly agree, although I find I have, a differing view of some of his conclusions, particularly reference to Kent TV which apparently comes in the duty to communicate.

One thing which is of no shock value is no mention is made of the vast sums in Kents humongous media budget which for Kent TV will be well in excess of a million pounds during the next two years, and advertising a whooping 6.5 million a year.

As I say I don't get much time to blog at the moment but I'd love to know, if when Mr Gilroy goes off to speak, at one of these meetings, such as the WHCC does he have to book time off or is it coming out of my soon to be inflated Council Tax bill. Anyway this might be something, one of our local newpapers could investigate simply by phrasing the right sort of question under the freedom of information act.

Link to Kent on Sunday site where you can find an electronic copy of sundays paper see Page 30

4 comments:

  1. I would not rely on local papers to dig too deep if their advertising revenue depends on council spending.

    'The Asylum'

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  2. The Freedom of Information Act allows for anyone not just the press to ask questions. There are enough bloggers in Thanet to potentially try the "keep asking until you get the information you want" approach.

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  3. Re Freedom of Information asCT AND kcc, From Kentonline.co.uk today :

    Mr Gilroy said he was prepared to release the number of staff earning more than £100,000, but not their names. KCC had 16 such employees last year, two more than the previous year.

    The council’s own advisers have now warned KCC it risks looking "incredibly silly" by withholding the information, and the Taxpayers' Alliance, which made the original FOI request, said Mr Gilroy is being unreasonably obstructive.

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  4. i just worry that maybe our politicians are encouraging a little more participation from our local authority workers than is healthy.

    Its maybe just me but i get the impression that rather than carry out policy that in kent civil servants are doing policy creation for a wit less tory party

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