Mike Freer wants to make Barnet Council an EASYCOUNCIL according to press reports. If nothing else it's started a debate. What is an EASYCOUNCIL. I thought the subject deserved some further investigation. My first stop - the Dictionary. Here are a few context suggestions for EASY (The full list here)
easy money - Certainly the case for some of our Councillors at Barnet as Don't Call Me Dave Exposes HERE
an easy touch - This certainly seems to be the case for greedy contractors working for Barnet Council. This is why Barnet paid an extra £11 million pounds to contractors working on Aerodrome Road who originally quoted £12 million pounds. Also the lawyers, accountants etc who charged £1 Million to find that although the Council broke the rules at Underhill, no one was to blame. Or the Icelandic Banks who Trousered £27.4 Million of Barnet Taxpayers money to pay themselves massive bonuses.
easy come, easy go - Certainly the case for Barnet Council senior officers. Despite overseeing a complete trainload of disasters, Leo Boland got bored watching the Council supplied telly on his desk and went off for an even bigger salary at GLA Headquarters working for Boris. Other officials have taken massive payoffs to take the blame for Council cock ups in Iceland, Aerodrome Road, redevelopment projects etc.
rest easy - See picture at top of page of Brian Coleman, Londons most highly paid Councillor, hard at work at his desk.
easy option - Barnet's Tory Councillors wanted to save £400,000. They had the choice of cutting their own allowances slightly, or getting rid of the Sheltered Housing Wardens, who look after the Borough's elderly and Vulnerable. Which option do you think they took. The Easy one (for them).
And Finally in our little discussion of the life and times of Barnet Council. What excuse does Leader Mike Freer always use when his crackpot schemes go wrong, to dismiss critics such as myself? It's easy to be wise after the event. Now one may point out that the vast majority of Councils don't have the type of problems which have befallen Barnet. Most of them didn't lose £27.4 Million in Iceland, but then they didn't have an expert Banker to lead the Council.
I suppose when the elderly and vulnerable suffer from the consequences of Warden cuts, or the Future Shape outsourcing costs millions in unforeseen legal fees, he'll trot that one out again.
If I was EASYJET I'd sue Barnet for defamation. I actually think they are a pretty well run show.
Gosh, aren't some people very, very touchy this week?
ReplyDeleteWith fuzzy hugs,
S&W
Rog
ReplyDeleteYou must ask your misses to stop leaving messages here.
S&W
It seems that way - especially when you remind people that our glorious leader refers to fellow Conservatives who call for an end to waste by public authorities as malicious wankers cosseted by family money.
It's a free country, well actually it's a rather expensive one, so Mrs T can say what she likes.
ReplyDeleteI just hope she doesn't take her bad mood out on Mr T too much.