"Where has all the wonga gone?" - This is the question which has troubled me, ever since I started this blog, in the forlorn hope that I could persuade the numpties in the Conservative Leadership of Barnet Council to do there job properly and hold the officials of Barnet Council accountable for their actions.
At long last, it seems that maybe, just maybe, the right questions are starting to get asked. Sadly, none of this is coming from the people paid to do the job (ie the Conservative Councillors). It falls to bloggers, residents and the local Unions. I am asking a question at the Budget Committee meeting. It seems that local residents have swamped the council with questions - http://barnetfutureshape.blogspot.com/2011/02/barnet-council-deluged-with-questions.html - as an unprecidented number of more than 20 have been asked.
As to us bloggers, when it comes to getting to the bottom of things, Barnet has its very own Sherlock Holmes. Mr Reasonable has been trawling through the Council spending unearthing all manner of errors and inconsistencies. Now Mr Reasonable and myself belong to an organisation dedicated to making Barnet a better place. There are lots of other members, you yourself may be a member (without even realising). Lets call the organisation "people who care about Barnet". There is no constitution, membership rules or fees. Because we all care, we all talk to each other (often via emails).
Barnet is exploding with unrest (in a nice, polite, Barnetish sort of way). The number of petitions is a testament to this. When this blog started, no one really paid much attention to what was going on in Barnet politics. Now Barnet is a hot story - The loony Right Council according to the house magazine of the radical right - The Spectator. Staff wishing to leave Barnet and move to other authorities are finding it is a black mark on their CV (rather unfairly). The sad thing is that ruling clique couldn't give a damn. They have their allowances and they are doing just fine on the back of our taxes. See you later at the Town Hall for the fun
At long last, it seems that maybe, just maybe, the right questions are starting to get asked. Sadly, none of this is coming from the people paid to do the job (ie the Conservative Councillors). It falls to bloggers, residents and the local Unions. I am asking a question at the Budget Committee meeting. It seems that local residents have swamped the council with questions - http://barnetfutureshape.blogspot.com/2011/02/barnet-council-deluged-with-questions.html - as an unprecidented number of more than 20 have been asked.
As to us bloggers, when it comes to getting to the bottom of things, Barnet has its very own Sherlock Holmes. Mr Reasonable has been trawling through the Council spending unearthing all manner of errors and inconsistencies. Now Mr Reasonable and myself belong to an organisation dedicated to making Barnet a better place. There are lots of other members, you yourself may be a member (without even realising). Lets call the organisation "people who care about Barnet". There is no constitution, membership rules or fees. Because we all care, we all talk to each other (often via emails).
Barnet is exploding with unrest (in a nice, polite, Barnetish sort of way). The number of petitions is a testament to this. When this blog started, no one really paid much attention to what was going on in Barnet politics. Now Barnet is a hot story - The loony Right Council according to the house magazine of the radical right - The Spectator. Staff wishing to leave Barnet and move to other authorities are finding it is a black mark on their CV (rather unfairly). The sad thing is that ruling clique couldn't give a damn. They have their allowances and they are doing just fine on the back of our taxes. See you later at the Town Hall for the fun
You are right.The people who are elected to ask these questions do not,why?, because they are shite scared of their own shadows, through fear of a backlash from the "chav from Finchley"(Hillan)and her friend "porky chops" (Coleman)..
ReplyDeleteI see from The Times that:
ReplyDelete"David Cameron urged councils to cut bureaucracies rather than frontline services today, as he defended the Big Society as his “mission” in politics."
Conservative Councils are usually leaner in the first place, so ironically, they damage the front line earlier, and will get the political flak first.
And Barnet?
Well, Barnet is a A RIDDLE, INSIDE A MYSTERY, WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA (to quote Churchill).