Would you pay a few pounds a month to keep our community services?, West Berkshire Council unveils budget cuts Options

[Biker1]

No. Far too much of the money I have to pay in tax is wasted.

Spot on Bloggo!
Sort out the waste first.

[Andy Capp]

How much and where is the waste? Is it cost effective to spend money sorting out that waste?

[Bloggo]

How much and where is the waste? Is it cost effective to spend money sorting out that waste?

Well I'm sure you are astute enough to identify where your tax money is being wasted but to give you a couple of examples for arguments sake how about our government sending aid funding to India when that country spends it's own money on nuclear weapons and a space program.
How about this countries benefits system being exploited by illegal immigrants and Health tourists.
It dosen't need to cost money to sort out waste, you just stop funding it.

[Andy Capp]

Well I'm sure you are astute enough to identify where your tax money is being wasted but to give you a couple of examples for arguments sake how about our government sending aid funding to India when that country spends it's own money on nuclear weapons and a space program.
How about this countries benefits system being exploited by illegal immigrants and Health tourists.
It dosen't need to cost money to sort out waste, you just stop funding it.

I can see the India one is an example, but what we the plebs don't know is what lies behind the 'deal'. It will cost money to stop benefits, but they might be costs that are not immediately obvious to us. There will be a social cost for a start and that social cost would impinge on our lives.

[Biker1]

Well I'm sure you are astute enough to identify where your tax money is being wasted but to give you a couple of examples for arguments sake how about our government sending aid funding to India when that country spends it's own money on nuclear weapons and a space program.
How about this countries benefits system being exploited by illegal immigrants and Health tourists.
It dosen't need to cost money to sort out waste, you just stop funding it.

Examples of waste of taxpayers money are almost inexhaustible!
Where to start?

[Andy Capp]

Examples of waste of taxpayers money are almost inexhaustible!
Where to start?

Just list your 3 'favourite' ones.

Of course there is waste, it is trying to identify the ones that can be removed without a cost that is the problem. As an example, there are people that don't need child benefit, but the cost of a fair system which excludes those people outweighs the gains.

[user23]

Well I'm sure you are astute enough to identify where your tax money is being wasted but to give you a couple of examples for arguments sake how about our government sending aid funding to India when that country spends it's own money on nuclear weapons and a space program.
How about this countries benefits system being exploited by illegal immigrants and Health tourists.
It dosen't need to cost money to sort out waste, you just stop funding it.

This thread seems to strayed somewhat off topic and people seem to be listing things they'd not like their tax money spent on nationally and internationally.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

This thread seems to strayed somewhat off topic and people seem to be listing things they'd not like their tax money spent on nationally and internationally.

Spinoff.

1) The millions of pounds going to other countries when we have this deficiet...instead of paying 1bn a year to other countries for charities, why not cut tax of people in the lowest tax bracket..

2) People who are on 40-50k a year and still get child benefits...you have enough to live without them!!!

3) Cheese.

[Bloggo]

Spinoff.

1) The millions of pounds going to other countries when we have this deficiet...instead of paying 1bn a year to other countries for charities, why not cut tax of people in the lowest tax bracket..

2) People who are on 40-50k a year and still get child benefits...you have enough to live without them!!!

3) Cheese.

Well two out of three aint bad.

[Biker1]

Just list your 3 'favourite' ones.

Well here's one for a start!

2 others?................... MP's expenses, "free" drugs for druggies.

[Andy Capp]

Well here's one for a start!

2 others?................... MP's expenses, "free" drugs for druggies.

I don't regard any of these as cutting waste. Waste to me is cutting a job done by two men that could be done by one. Letting allotments self-manage when we are currently paying £100,000.00 for them.

Cutting benefits, MPs exes, and 'free' drugs might have an initial cost saving, but have no doubt the saving will mean we 'lose' somewhere else.

[Sherlock]

Just as a matter of interest, is there a breakdown of the £100K figure available here or somewhere else online?

Also, what are the arguments against handing management over to the users? Presumably there are some.

Seems astonishing to me that allotments should be costing us all £100K a year, particularly those of us who buy their fruit and veg from Fishers as nature intended.

[Andy Capp]

Just as a matter of interest, is there a breakdown of the £100K figure available here or somewhere else online?

Also, what are the arguments against handing management over to the users? Presumably there are some.

Seems astonishing to me that allotments should be costing us all £100K a year, particularly those of us who buy their fruit and veg from Fishers as nature intended.

£100,000.00 is an estimate, however; the council's stance is that they offer best value when all things are considered. Simon Kirby contests their view, but there has been a breakdown in trust between Simon and the council. The council will now refuse to engage in any meaningful dialogue with Simon.

[blackdog]

Why don't WBC send out a form with the council tax notices that gives us a chance to donate to a local charity of our choice - a sum collected by WBC with the council tax and passed straight on the the charity each month.

[user23]

I don't regard any of these as cutting waste. Waste to me is cutting a job done by two men that could be done by one. Letting allotments self-manage when we are currently paying £100,000.00 for them.

Cutting benefits, MPs exes, and 'free' drugs might have an initial cost saving, but have no doubt the saving will mean we 'lose' somewhere else.

I agree. What's being suggested isn't waste, it's incorrect use of tax money.

Why don't WBC send out a form with the council tax notices that gives us a chance to donate to a local charity of our choice - a sum collected by WBC with the council tax and passed straight on the the charity each month.

Why don't people who wish to just donate to the charity do so?

[Simon Kirby]

Why don't people who wish to just donate to the charity do so?

I'd say we do. Payroll giving, standing orders, JustGiving web site, donations on charity web sites - all methods that make it easy to support causes important to us. I don't understand the need to involve local government at all.

[blackdog]

Why don't people who wish to just donate to the charity do so?

No reason. I just thought it would be a good opportunity for WBC to help and promote local charities at a time when they are struggling owing the WBC's cuts.

[On the edge]

No reason. I just thought it would be a good opportunity for WBC to help and promote local charities at a time when they are struggling owing the WBC's cuts.

Aren't we all! No reason why Charities can;'t be efficient and economic, indeed they've every reason to be so. We simply can't expect to continue doing some of the things the Council has had to cut - simply by transferring them to charities.

In all sectors of the economy, there has been waste and inefficiency - we need to put that right - the cold winds of recession do drive efficiencies; simple economic fact.

There are also other things that the Council did and Charities simply haven't the funds to take on - which means as a society we can no longer afford to do them. That is true of our own lives; the holiday cruse, the up range car etc. etc. Lesson to learn for the good times, which will come back - don't revert to the spendthrift days. Wise virgins and all that!

[blackdog]

Aren't we all! No reason why Charities can;'t be efficient and economic, indeed they've every reason to be so. We simply can't expect to continue doing some of the things the Council has had to cut - simply by transferring them to charities.

In all sectors of the economy, there has been waste and inefficiency - we need to put that right - the cold winds of recession do drive efficiencies; simple economic fact.

There are also other things that the Council did and Charities simply haven't the funds to take on - which means as a society we can no longer afford to do them. That is true of our own lives; the holiday cruse, the up range car etc. etc. Lesson to learn for the good times, which will come back - don't revert to the spendthrift days. Wise virgins and all that!

All I'm suggesting is that WBC do something to help local charites - that costs them next to nothing and costs nothing to anyone else who doesn't want to support any of the charities. What is so bad about that?

Nor am I suggesting that charities should take on former WBC responsibilities - just that WBC could do some small thing to help the charites to continue doing what the charities have been doing in the past.

[Strafin]

It would cost though and it is not what they are there for. There's nothing "bad" about your suggestion, I just don't think it is appropriate.