What part of care and compassion for the sick, elderly and the vulnerable residents of West Berks does this council not understand ? on the back of last years cuts we now have swinging and damaging cuts in provision in everything from meals on wheels to shopmobility ! I'm sorry "call me Dave" but you really don't understand the damage you are doing and the real resentment that is being generated by the population at large. You will not, cannot be allowed to get away with it anymore, expect heavy losses in the next round of elections when the people that this council and central government have betrayed goes to the poles.

Anyone who is as outraged by these cuts as I am shouls lobby the counil NOW ! and make things change, please, before its too late.


signed

Angry of West Berks

Turin, are things going to get so desperate that we'll see you with 'Vote RG' stickers on your car? If I remember rightly his side of the political divide dragged us down here in the first place....
I suspect some of the ire should be directed at the myopic Gordon and the ever smiling Toneee

Cuts have got to happen and it's going to hurt you wherever that kick is aimed at.

I have briefly seen the article in the NWN - spoken of as the next phase in the already-planned reductions in costs - but did not notice details of the changes as they will affect the recipients of service. Have I missed a detail?

Care agencies, Sovereign housing etc, have all been called in this week and told what the Council are up to. So you will find that many people were already 'in the know' and had the full story before the NWN gets it's edited spin from WBC.

At the moment, it's only the Level 1's that are going. But doubtless there will be more.

It is possible that Turin is one of those in the know and thus speaks with a little more knowledge that just that gleaned from the paper.

Sorry - But never read such a load of c**p in all my life. How can we be stabbed in the back by a government that we voted in knowing that they were going to make swingeing cuts and are now doing so? Vote Labour again Turin - Lets end up like Italy - why not.

Pot and Kettle time.

This Government were not voted in, they are a coalition, because no-one had enough seats to form one on their own.

I'm sure that had the Tories been in over the last 5 - 6 years, they would have regulated their greedy friends in the city much better. Yeah right.

Are you suggesting that Italy's problems within the Euroszone are a result of the Labour Party? Jog on.

It's always sad for those involved to lose their jobs, but that's modern life, and it's not the government's fault.

I currently am forced to give the government £20,000 a year in tax. I can look after all my family's needs and pay my way for the things we share (eg roads), and still have change for a long haul holiday.

If we could have a nice holiday every year because WBC is doing this now, then surely it's a vote winner. Unless you're saying you WANT to give your money away. I don't

Also, I see the Tories are pushing ahead with their £1 Sunday parking charge. Presumably, this is to cover the £££s they're have to start paying Standard Life. Trebles all round

? I thought they had abandoned the plans for Sunday charging?

They'll be charging you if you don't use your waste bin soon. I have seen a 'confidential' most secret e-mail don't you know...

The reason the council embargo'd the info until today was so that the paper could not publish the finer detail (as always). They will be on the radio stations today defending their decisions, but the devil is in the detail. I'm currently compiling a data sheet for everyone to see what the detail is, hopefully I can post that for you a little later once it's ready. Yet again, it's the vulnerable who are being hit with all of this.

Unfortunately the ones "in the know" weren't necessarily the ones that "needed to know" - many of those heard it first from the NWN - interesting method of consultation by WBC.

Sadly very true.

And why do you think they waited until now to announce their decisions? Could it be anything to do with making sure it wasn't in the paper this week?

The letters all went out yesterday. (Wednesday).

It's buried in here.

As an aside, I don't concur with the NWN that a 3% staff cut and 5% budget cut (11% if you take out capital spending) is brutal or swingeing.

Also, can someone clear up the discrepancy between the 59 jobs 'axed' in the NWN and 47 WBC say in their latest missive.

If the euro goes t#ts up, WBC will have a fantastic opportunity to renegotiate all sorts of contracts.

The German firm that provides meals on wheels, the French company emptying our bins, and the Dutch firm who repair the roads all do most of their business in euros.

Some of them will either go under, some will sell off their UK divisions, and other new companies will emerge.

PS I notice £500k was paid to the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on 10 June 2011. (I didn't want you all thinking the council only spend money with foreign-owned multinationals)

The cuts are forced on them by the Government surely?

I don't like the NWN's use of the word "trick" in this story either.

No, no the coucil is made up of a cartel of old misers with pots of cash who sit around dreaming up ways of making life as unbearable as possible for the common folk.

I really do not like the re-insertion of the Sunday parking fee. If nothing else, the cost of enforcement will likely negate income, methinks.

That will be for the bargain basement CCTV system.

This seems to be proposal up for consultation.

http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8993

That's one of the items up for consultation. You need to click "consultation finder" to find the budget documents which are pretty much hidden away from view!!! Talk about making it difficult.

If they made it too easy to find then everyone would know what was going on - it would only lead to more trouble for the council so.........

How does putting a consultation document on the website under 'Consultation Finder' make it hard to find? I've also had my invitation to view it from the 'get involved' team. Perhaps more need to sign up to that?

Hello

You may remember in completing one of our surveys you indicated that you would be interested in taking part in further consultations being run through West Berkshire Council.

This email is to let you know that we have just launched a consultation on our draft Council Strategy (2012-16). In this strategy we have set out our medium term plan for how we will need to review and reshape the services we provide across the Council and across west Berkshire.

This is the toughest economic climate for many years and along with the rest of the country, local councils are operating within significant financial constraints. Despite these difficulties, we are determined that we will live within our means and continue to provide value for money for local people.

This is a significant challenge. Demand for our services and support for people, particularly those in need, is high. At the same time, there is less income from government grants, council tax and service charges. So we are having to make hard choices about how our resources are allocated.

You may remember me writing to you inviting you to take part in our Budget Simulator exercise last year. This asked local people what was important to them and where they thought our resource needed to be focused - allowing us to make sure we could define local people’s priorities. We then used your feedback to develop our overarching objectives - making sure they are relevant and appropriate.

We recognise that our ambitions can only be achieved in partnership with the people of West Berkshire, other public service providers, the voluntary and community sector and parish councils. We want to hear your views on the general principles and objectives which we have set out in this overarching document.

You can view the draft strategy at westberks.gov.uk/councilstrategy where you can also find a form for responding against each of the key points covered in the strategy. Individual service areas will develop more fully and consult directly on specific proposals relating to individual functions. You can find more information about these in the normal way through our Consultation Finder database linked from the same page.

Please note, the closing date for all contributions is Friday 6th January 2012. Your feedback will be used to inform the full council strategy which will come into effect from April 2012 which will guide the priorities and objectives for the Council for the next 4 years. A summary of the feedback will be published on our Consultation Finder database, available at westberks.gov.uk/research.

I hope you will find the strategy of interest and value.

If you need help in completing the form, or require the information in an alternative format, please either email me back or give me a call.

With thanks
--------------------------------------------------------
Jason Teal
Research I Consultation I Performance
West Berkshire Council

01635 519102
westberks.gov.uk/research
westberks.gov.uk/consultation
westberks.gov.uk/performance

You need to click a link titled "consultation finder" to find consultations you say?

Yeah, talk about making it difficult.

It is if the consultation finder is like the small print on an insurance policy?

I'm sure the people who are affected by funding cuts would rather respond to the consultation about their service rather than the draft four year council plan which Newbury Sound, the paper and the council press release all link to.

User what's gone wrong???

It amazes me that in an age when we are supposed to be caring and compassionate and dare I say it "civilized" and when a government states categorically that the vulnerable will be protected that a council can make cuts that will affect the MOST vulnerable in our society, the old, the sick and the terminally befuddled.

Drastic cuts to meals on wheels, Mencap, Mobility, even for Gods sake when Dave bleats on about the big society and volunteering, the Volunteer office gets a funding cut ! Ironic ? only if you're a politition I guess.

And what response do we get ? bleating about paying a quid to park on a sunday ! I just hope that those among you who will be striking next week in defence of your pensions can tell me how to explain to, lets call her Gladys, who will need to sit on her own in her own filth for eight hours a day because her carer has been withdrawn for "efficiency" reasons how its worth it "c'os you don't matter but my long haul holiday does" ! Please tell me how, if you can.

The so-called "volunteer sector" has ridden the state gravy train way too long. That's my tax the state is giving those executives of all those charities, and I can't afford it any more. The Big Society is about people taking responsibility for themselves, not depending on the tax-payer for support.

I've made a very public demand for Newbury Town Council to devolve the management of its allotment services onto the allotmenteers. I want this because it's good for the allotmenteers - people enjoy taking responsibility for themselves - this is what the Big Society is actually about. It turns out that by devolving the allotments service allotmenteers get a better service for less rent, but it also turns out that NTC can save the £90k each year that they currently spend in providing the service. That's £90k a year saving, and I'm offering to volunteer my time and effort to make that work. Forgive me if I show little sympathy for your bleating when you do nothing but mock my effort.

And that's just the allotment service, it's pretty straight forward to find over £300k of Big Society savings that actually improve the Town Council's services. That would go some way to filling the funding gap.

Yes but the rub is, it would take power away from certain people who like to have that power!

Yup, that's the top and bottom of it.

I would say to Gladys "the state can't afford to look after you any more. From now on, looking after you is going to be your family's responsibility, not the state's.

What happened to Gladys' family in this scenario?

Many do not have a family. What then?

Stop trying to make User's life difficult.

They may have family but the family for whatever reason are unable, or indeed be able to afford, to look after Gladys?

To say many people of this age don't have brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, children, grand children, great grandchildren, cousins or friends they consider family would be untrue.

I suppose that the use of the word "many" may be your diverting argument but it doesn't alter the fact that there are people in this situation that require support.

You're not wrong there certainly are, however there are many who could be looked after by their family.

We have an aging population and if people don't want to pay more tax for someone else to look after their elderly relatives, they're going to have to look after them, themselves.

This way those who really have no one to care for them will be able to receive help whilst those for whom it was convenient to be looked after by the state can be cared for by their relatives.

So what you are saying is that I should look after two lotsof people? My relations, which I done until she died 8 weeks ago, and potentially someone elses?

These people thought that was why they were paying for National Insurance? Now it is time for them to make a claim you are saying sorry nothing in the kitty - go away?

Another shyster insurance scam then?

It's an emotive subject and people understandably have strong views on it.

All I'm saying is there's more demand for these services from a growing number of older people and less money coming in to fund them because of relatively lower taxes and other financial constraints, so something has to give.

More people looking after their relatives is one option which to me seems to be the best.

Ummm, can quite understand why the electorate feel ripped off. The increase in age could have been anticipated and properly planned for. We were all given to understand that under the state insurance scheme (welfare state in total) we'd be looked after from cradle to grave. No wonder the banks followed suit! So after 60 or so years, we are back to every man for himself and never trust anyone from government; they just want you to fight wars and pay taxes.

Being looked after by one's family isn't "every man for themselves" is it?

Not quite. But it is about authority reneging on a contract? You paid the premuims faithfully all your working life and then when the time comes to make a claim low and behold we have run out of money?

NI is not personal insurance - you are not "paying premiums" for your own future benefit. You are paying a tax to fund those that need support and pay their pensions now, and when you in turn draw your pension it will be the current working population that is paying NI to fund it. 'Twas ever thus.

Until now of course according to User there is no money to pay for what Gladys needs now?

So you are saying NI contributions were not enough?

I'm not. But User is!

So you didn't write - You paid the premuims faithfully all your working life and then when the time comes to make a claim low and behold we have run out of money