John,I noticed that. Mik Sabiers talks about "the £88 million central government cuts to the council’s budget". This is an untruth. The council has a savings plan of £88 million. This is driven by about £58 million of cuts to Ealing's main grants but also inflation and choices that the Labour administration has made to spend more. Some £10 million of savings have been made by increasing fees and charges, notably parking prices. These are not "cuts" but additional sources of revenue. The council has also taken about £10 million off the voluntary sector as the officers would always rather protect their own numbers and power than ask the voluntary sector to do more. The council fails to mention £18 million in new council tax freeze grants:http://philtaylor.org.uk/2013/02/ealing-freeze-paid-for-by-18-million-of-government-grants/The council fails to mention £31 million of new homes bonus:http://philtaylor.org.uk/2013/03/another-31-million-of-new-money-the-council-forgot-to-mention/All of this £49 million is totally new money that the council can do what it likes with. Even though you pay the council to employ communications people they fail to communicate this £49 million of new money to you. Three years ago Boris Johnson gave the go ahead for the Southall gas works project. Labour has delayed this. On its own it is worth £30 million in new homes bonus to the council. Another £30 million the council can do what it likes with. The Southall councillors don't like this project as it will dilute their power so the Borough is losing £30 million. They are getting a £5 million car park though in spite of the hard times. The council is finding the money to spend over £10 million on doing up the town hall and the rest of Ealing's civic centre and building new council offices in Southall, Greenford and Acton. The council has made no attempt to bring its Ts and Cs in line with private sector norms. 35 hour work weeks and 27 days of holiday are worth £13 million a year compared to 37.5 hours and 20 days. I could go on but maybe Yvonne Johnson and Mik Sabiers are not the best people to run the council's finances!
Phil Taylor ● 4880d