Saw this over on Oscar's blog:
Why do we constantly put up with substandard garbage from our Council, Council workers and officers?
Our elected representatives constantly lie to us. They promise faithfully to act in OUR best interests until elected when they switch over to cruise control and just do the minimum they can get away with until the next election. And that's the good ones!
The bad ones just concentrate on feathering their own nests and promoting the interests of their cronies!
The trouble is that most of the time, when given the choice between a lazy naughty boy, a crook or a villain, we always choose one of them. Unfortunately very few suitable candidates stand for election. It is universally seen as a cushy number, an easy way to make decent money with little effort and negligible supervision.
The Council employs many officers in the various departments. A few are good at their job, lots aren't and many try to make their posts appear far more important than they really are. This is to ensure their post is secure and hopefully to get some of their workload unloaded onto another officer due to "pressure of work" in their very important position!
This usually involves the creation of yet another totally frivolous post which the recipient can then build his empire around. And so on and on. The "officer tree" has become so extended (and expensive) that individual officers can assume a degree of power way above their pay grade and if their fancy takes them they can misuse the power invested in them at their will.
Then there are the Council workers, the salt of the earth that make the wheels go round, albeit somewhat slowly! No doubt due to union involvement every body knows his job is relatively secure. Council workers lose their jobs due to financial restrictions rather than being sacked for incompetence, incivility or plain right criminal activity. This althoughusually well deserved seldom if ever occurs! Most seem to see their jobs rather like a little lottery win, a meal ticket for their working life.
They just have to do as little as they can get away with and everything will be fine.A high viz vest and a newish little van and you are made for life!
Why does the council own and run so many vehicles? Does nearly every council workman really need to have his own, council provided, personal transport? It certainly seems like that. Previously our local councils have had a fraction of the vehicles they seem to have today. I realise that CCBC is now a large council covering an extended area but it always used to seem to work much better.
Better before a huge fleet of new little vans and fancy four-wheel drive vehicles! It all costs money, our money and I'm getting sick of seeing it wasted for such poor returns, crappy services and lousy facilities!"
