tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post3918719125979119414..comments2023-11-03T23:18:25.999+00:00Comments on BIGNEWS MARGATE: How Local Democracy is being dismantled behind closed doorsTony Flaighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15212662248741515725noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-85853784221422827992010-09-23T22:00:34.335+01:002010-09-23T22:00:34.335+01:00Account for this, taking advantage of your positio...Account for this, taking advantage of your position, making a cheap jibe in an uneven forum.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-38543839888884458052010-09-23T21:44:05.547+01:002010-09-23T21:44:05.547+01:00That last comment is very true, local responsibili...That last comment is very true, local responsibility stays with the councillors. However, you can have a situation where an outsourced service or one integrated across several authorities is politically accountable, through its service level agreement.<br /><br />Put another way, we are using Google at present and the service exists in 'The cloud'. In the not too distant future, you might have Google or Amazon hosting whole swathes of public sector services because it's cheaper and more cost effective to use the economies of scale and processing power these now make available.<br /><br />Until the 1930's many factories generated their own electricity supply but when the national grid became pervasive, electricity became a utility and companies no longer had to spend money to be in the electricity business.<br /><br />IT costs business and local government billions and where the latter is concerned the reason to exist is to provide public services and not run huge IT departments.<br /><br />In summary then, shared services is simply a movement towards the streamlining and rationalization of a whole raft of mainly IT driven processes to achieve efficiencies and economies of scale. <br /><br />Accountability remains in place as a necessary priority!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-25492294977177848952010-09-23T21:17:41.787+01:002010-09-23T21:17:41.787+01:00Look into the LSP (local strategic partnerships)wh...Look into the LSP (local strategic partnerships)which appears to be a way of devolving accountability , far more than any 'real' savings being made by the local authorities.<br /><br />The council may be able to designate services to others but they can never designate responsibility , this rests with the elected councillors NOT officers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-63668128077787944502010-09-23T20:33:22.779+01:002010-09-23T20:33:22.779+01:00That's not strictly correct Don.
If you look ...That's not strictly correct Don.<br /><br />If you look at TDC as one example, senior positions have slimmed down considerably over the last three years. Once you extend that to shared services between three councils then a proportionate number of posts steadily disappear as part of the costs saving exercise.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-50115917283129048402010-09-23T17:44:34.667+01:002010-09-23T17:44:34.667+01:00"The whole landscape of local government is u..."The whole landscape of local government is undergoing change and in five to ten years may look very different to the one we have become used to." a leaner meaner machine but will we have as many people earning huge wages and not understanding the public's concern at there extortionate salaries and pensions? I expect so because as Tony said Turkey's wont vote for Christmas. and those in high paid cushy numbers wont sack themselves will they??Don Woodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099505939055955603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-77592975404452423492010-09-23T09:37:13.754+01:002010-09-23T09:37:13.754+01:00a scandal indeed what possible reason do the counc...a scandal indeed what possible reason do the council and most likely the officers have for keeping the public away from the discussion at least, could someone tell us who's got what to hide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-56795654157314425312010-09-23T06:47:48.072+01:002010-09-23T06:47:48.072+01:00I have seen the officers lead the councillors on t...I have seen the officers lead the councillors on things that are clearly on in the interest of the local people. More that they (officers) have a tick box target to meet and so lead the councillors off the path of speaking on behalf of the 'voting' public.<br /><br />DrM; I have no doubt that pooling services is a must do need. However everywhere is having to do it, but it seems in a more open way - heavens above even giving local residents a chance to suggest things and more importantly listening to those suggests rather than just consulting so you can say you have listened. Of course when I say you this now means 'officers'.<br /><br />I just think that the motives of some of the officers with in the TDC Cell are not geared to community, local residents it is more so to self preservation and self interest.KLVJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09427305032442743576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-17600796535074138052010-09-23T05:49:45.786+01:002010-09-23T05:49:45.786+01:00Any what a big suprise it will end up with a direc...Any what a big suprise it will end up with a director getting paid even more money.Richard Samuels has cost the thanet rate payer so much since he has been in charge it is bordering on the criminal. He has had more directors than most people have had hot dinners. All on the grounds of efficiency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-88937388621322437612010-09-23T04:29:14.130+01:002010-09-23T04:29:14.130+01:00Yes the landscape will be different as it will con...Yes the landscape will be different as it will controlled by officers and not democrats in charge. And of course a mishmash of control since three councils are involved you been manoveredTony Flaighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15212662248741515725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25954340.post-21595669362372970002010-09-22T22:15:25.683+01:002010-09-22T22:15:25.683+01:00Tony as this one falls to me, I can assure you tha...Tony as this one falls to me, I can assure you that nobody is attempting to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, democracy is alive and well and as councillors we have a duty to work in the public interest.<br /><br />In this case, our minds are very much focused on £160 billion or so of debt and the impact that this is going to have on all of us. We have to find ways of being more efficient and saving money and shared services is a direction agreed upon by three councils who believe that there may be considerable costs saving in pooling a number of resources, which are in many cases invisible to the general public.<br /><br />The whole landscape of local government is undergoing change and in five to ten years may look very different to the one we have become used to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.com