Forum Topic

COMMUNITY CHARGE RISE

So NOW YOU HAVE IT,a 4% rise pending,so much for thinking about the people who are already struggling to make ends meet,Council services are cut to the bone and ineffective,TIME FOR CHANGE.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3425d28 Comments

It is hardly surprising that under-funded services struggle and consequently fail to work properly. That is the grand plan.  You can then say how awful they are and how they should be scrapped.  Staffing is always cut and teams-that-were become demoralised and people may then leave of their own accord which makes it very difficult to keep the key personnel needed for a service to function properly.  Those experienced staff remaining can become stressed and overworked.  Proper funding and tweaking of systems would often work better.

Philippa Bond ● 3422d

Council tax containment was a tory sacred cow, but these are the 'new brexiteers' so u-turns are in their DNA.

Robert Murray ● 3422d

Hi Peter,I regret I think we pay over the odds now,services are cut to the bone,Police,Fire Brigade,Ambulance services,education,the list is legion,people are sleeping on the streets in more numbers than ever,the infighting between political party's does not help,as an ex member of the emergency service at its best,I have seen the decline coming to a point where it is now,no longer a service to be proud of,sorry but its going to take more than a few pounds to sort out,we need a overhaul and drastic changes to the system,and people who know what they are doing.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3423d

'Nobody wants to pay more tax'I'd be quite happy to pay more and I don't believe I'm alone.  Paying taxes is the mark of a civilised society so it can provide good quality services for all its members as and when they need them. As Philippa points out, the present government doesn't believe in any of that kind of thing and is doing all it can to run down valued public services. They shed crocodile tears over the plight of 'hard working families' and talk about 'spending within our means' while all the time the gap between rich and poor gets bigger.

Peter Evans ● 3423d

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/care-in-crisis/

Philippa Bond ● 3423d

The Government is busy privatising the NHS and cutting the grants to the local Councils because the Government doesn't believe in having a social system - or believes in having a greatly reduced one and playing at being Victorian philanthropists.  Nobody wants to pay more tax and everybody wants everything free. Our political system means that political parties just end of bickering and trying to score points off each other rather than actually looking for and finding a good solution. The Council has sold buildings.  The ones that were sold first or closed first were those for the less vociferous and less able to mobilise themselves into campaigning against closures eg the disabled.  It can cost a lot to maintain old buildings which may not work as well as newer ones with regard to their design eg corridors and doorways not wide enough for wheelchairs.  However it costs a lot to build new buildings and the complicated arrangements entered into to find the funding for these often seems to cause problems - eg PFI.However there is good news with Heller House - see their website - where after a hard fought campaign it has been announced that a new facility (although probably not big enough) will be built in the borough.  Please do Google Heller House to find out about it.It is facilities like this which make such a difference to families who need respite - a break from caring. With social care the way it is now it can be difficult to get continuity of care at home and it can be exhausting trying to liaise with so many different agencies - and especially when family members (if there are any) are spread all over the country or even the world. Did you see the item on the front page about Ealing's care homes?  People in care homes need continuity of care and good teamwork.  You won't get that if you don't pay enough and don't have enough staff.

Philippa Bond ● 3423d

Don't think that will ever stop, have to think of other ways to raise funds.

Janice Evans ● 3423d

Susan,The Council should not need to raise this Money,CentralGovernment via the NHS,are responsible,take from NORMAL TAXATION,or stop paying Overseas Aid.regards John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3423d

Or each borough run one and spend it on shortfall within that borough.

Janice Evans ● 3423d

I have always thought the Government should run a separate Lottery where all monies received would cover the shortfall.

Janice Evans ● 3423d

Dr John, why don't you answer my question about how you propose to pay for elderly social care if the Council can't raise more money via taxation?

Susan Kelly ● 3423d

That's bad for you anyway, Lol

Janice Evans ● 3423d

If only I could afford coffee.

Bob Little ● 3423d

Janice,HMG and the Local authorities have little or no idea what carries on in the real world,time to wake up and smell the Coffee!!!!regards  John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3423d

Very hard, they cannot afford to turn the cooker on and buying ready cooked food or living on salads, they have no idea.

Janice Evans ● 3423d

I think you don't live in the real world,and am not a pensioner living on a very limited income,come to the real world,its hard.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3423d

'some people will be paying as much in Council Charge as they do in Rent or Mortgage repayments'This is unlikely. The top rate of council tax in Ealing is £2600 a year, which is about £217 a month or £50 a week. A potential 4% increase to help fund adult social care would amount to £2 a week.

Peter Evans ● 3423d

They might be rented properties so would lose that income.

Janice Evans ● 3424d

Sarah,bad management,WE SHOULD NOT BE IN THIS STATE AT ALL,some people will be paying as much in Council Charge as they do in Rent or Mortgage repayments,not on?Seasons Greetings,John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3424d

Well, why don't they sell some off then?

Sarah Vickers ● 3424d

We were told a lot of that amount is land and property so not readily available.

Janice Evans ● 3424d

But, as I recently pointed out, the council has 125 MILLION in a bank somewhere.  Isn't this the sort of thing that some of that money was for?It should have been covered long before this crisis.

Sarah Vickers ● 3424d

Take the new Mayor,very happy to spend your Money like water,a few Millions here and everywhere,remember Nero?The pot is not bottomless.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3424d

Once elected MP's are like Councillors,no longer interested in your problems,they are in,and they are in clover and the rest of you are history.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3424d

What are you talking about?!!!

Chris Hurley ● 3424d

Really easy get Wasteful inefficient.Labour out ! .I am quite happy to pay an extra ten per cent as long as Labour employ a racial awareness inspector to monitor how refuse collectors collect rubbish for British , Immigrants ,pre op and post op transexuals ? I

Dennis Brogan ● 3424d

How do you propose funding the elderly care which is failing the old and frail so badly?

Susan Kelly ● 3425d

Why aren't you lobbying the Government which has cut its funding to Councils?

Philippa Bond ● 3425d