17 July (Part 2) - A fine mess
You may have seen this on Bexley’s website.
It’s a pretty good example of the propagandists art. How to make things sound
positive when few things are.
Bexley council has no money. It fritters it away on big things like the Civic
Offices which cost about £12 million more than a rebuild on the old site and
little things by hiring a company from Wales to drive to Danson Park last
Wednesday to wash the paddling pool.
I love the way they exaggerate. It's only a few months ago it was officially
stated that savings were £71 million
since 2006. Now council leader Teresa O’Neill OBE (Over Blown Estimates) is claiming £90 million since 2007.
They invent the numbers as they go along.
It’s like the new Offices. They used to save the borough £1·5 million a year and now it’s two million,
even though accommodation costs must have gone down because of redundancies. Now
there’s a figure that badly needs examining.
The new emphasis is to be on growth. I think we have already noticed. It has to
be but it’s a pity that they were so keen to turn their back on it until
recently. If growth had come earlier it might not be necessary to sell parks
while remaining one of the highest taxing boroughs in London.
No parks, no playgrounds, unswept roads, fewer libraries but “a great place to live”.
“The services that matter can continue.” Chargeable waste collections,
pay for disabled bays, street lights out at eleven, the homeless sent to Manchester.
It’s a serious problem but who put us in the current position? The people who couldn’t see it coming and stood
like silly Cnuts at the gateway to where they now expect the new money to be earned, waving
a placard aimed at keeping the tide of progress at bay.
But never mind, there is going to be another consultation. As if that is going to help.
Click any document image for source document.