'We have not got all the answers' - warning as cabinet set to discuss £17m budget cuts (From The Northern Echo)

"We have not got all the answers." Well that's a fairly honest statement. That being the case, maybe the cabinet and chief execs should stand down and we can get someone in who does. We all know that it's going to be tough and that a lot of Council Employees are going to be hit. What we'd like to see is some spreading of the pain to the higher echelons of our local government. I don't ever remember seeing any news items about them being made redunant. With all the losses of personnel and services we certainly don't need so many of these over paid prima donnas, so come on DBC, show us that you are capable of fairness in your dealings. If we can get rid of two of the execs that must be a saving of £250,000 per year plus their expenses.

What we need is a forum run by DBC on which we can ask questions and get direct answers to our questions. Bet we don't get one.

Spy Boy wrote:
"We have not got all the answers." Well that's a fairly honest statement. That being the case, maybe the cabinet and chief execs should stand down and we can get someone in who does. We all know that it's going to be tough and that a lot of Council Employees are going to be hit. What we'd like to see is some spreading of the pain to the higher echelons of our local government. I don't ever remember seeing any news items about them being made redunant. With all the losses of personnel and services we certainly don't need so many of these over paid prima donnas, so come on DBC, show us that you are capable of fairness in your dealings. If we can get rid of two of the execs that must be a saving of £250,000 per year plus their expenses.

What we need is a forum run by DBC on which we can ask questions and get direct answers to our questions. Bet we don't get one.

Like where your coming from, but realistically do you ever think that these top boys will ever relinquesh anything. It is always the low paid and the shop floor that bears the brunt of any cuts. Shame on these self centred greedy buggers!

Spy Boy wrote:
"We have not got all the answers." Well that's a fairly honest statement. That being the case, maybe the cabinet and chief execs should stand down and we can get someone in who does. We all know that it's going to be tough and that a lot of Council Employees are going to be hit. What we'd like to see is some spreading of the pain to the higher echelons of our local government. I don't ever remember seeing any news items about them being made redunant. With all the losses of personnel and services we certainly don't need so many of these over paid prima donnas, so come on DBC, show us that you are capable of fairness in your dealings. If we can get rid of two of the execs that must be a saving of £250,000 per year plus their expenses.

What we need is a forum run by DBC on which we can ask questions and get direct answers to our questions. Bet we don't get one.

Like where your coming from, but realistically do you ever think that these top boys will ever relinquesh anything. It is always the low paid and the shop floor that bears the brunt of any cuts. Shame on these self centred greedy buggers!

Having lived in the borough most of my life, I know from experience that the council only pay lip service to what the public want, they will already have a very good idea of what cuts they are going to make despite what they say. A 2% council tax increase is the maximum they can impose on taxpayers without holding a public referendum (thankyou eric pickles for that) otherwise it would be guarunteed to be in double figures. As has been stated over and over and appears in step with the majority of public opinion, its long overdue that the layers of high paid senior executives and middle management should be cut back, its ridiculous that the lower paid workers are being made redundant but these gold plated jobs are left untouched. Were all in this together does not appear to apply to these people who will protect their own interests above all else.

The council cabinet should have got the message by now that we know that they are only in it for themselves. From the top down we know that their jobs are safe along with the golden pensions and other perks. These forums have been running for months in N Echo but we haven't seen any reduction in hierarchy. Take the projects that the public don't want like wheelie bins, Darlo together propaganda mag The public know that we can't afford them but they are still imposed on us. Why, it's because the councillors who are supposed to be looking after us and our town are playing politics with our council tax and services. What about the services that the public do want like kids nurseries, rural bus services, public toilets and other essentials that the council tell us that we can't have. It looks like Darlo council versus the government with the residents to pick up the tab for the expense. We voted them into the town hall and this is what we have got! - massive debt for years to come. Sack the lot and start again with loads of common sense! I hope you and the rest of your councillors read this Coun. McEwan After all this could be a challenge for the cabinet to give the public what they want or resign enbloc because the present situation is no good to us residents.

Spy Boy wrote:
"We have not got all the answers." Well that's a fairly honest statement. That being the case, maybe the cabinet and chief execs should stand down and we can get someone in who does. We all know that it's going to be tough and that a lot of Council Employees are going to be hit. What we'd like to see is some spreading of the pain to the higher echelons of our local government. I don't ever remember seeing any news items about them being made redunant. With all the losses of personnel and services we certainly don't need so many of these over paid prima donnas, so come on DBC, show us that you are capable of fairness in your dealings. If we can get rid of two of the execs that must be a saving of £250,000 per year plus their expenses.

What we need is a forum run by DBC on which we can ask questions and get direct answers to our questions. Bet we don't get one.

Some of the higher echelons of our local government (Darlington) took voluntary redundancy and got out a couple of years ago with their healthy payouts and good benefits. They all new what was coming. If they had of stayed on their payout wouldn't be half of what they got. It was all about insider knowledge of what the council have planned. Need to know basis!

It's difficult enough when men can't find work in Darlington.Then your children can't find work.Now seeing the Council departments are 70%women, it will be whole families affected by the cuts.
The Central Government should put more resource that would generate employment and therefore revenue .
We cannot keep on this spiral of descent.Tees Valley has decent hard working people.We should be be "building for the future"not 'preparing for the worst' .
Even in this region there is a disparity between building project getting the go ahead in Tyne and Wear compared with Tees Valley.
Central Government policies seem intent on keeping us in a state of uncertainty, and thus a lack of consumer confidence, by creating an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Iknow there is no quick answer , but look at Hitachi , it's took the Government since 2009 to get it off the ground, and it's still 3 years away.Things need to be speeded up to get out of this mire.There has been years of talking on what Darlington Council are going to do .Its time to start making things happen instead of watching things happen,or just talking about what happened.

This council house of cards is about to come crashing down. Politicians at all levels created this mess - bailing out feckless bankers, pandering to a public living on credit like tomorrow didnt matter, making benefits a lifestyle choice for those who see themselves as victims not citizens. The politicians must now take charge because its what they were voted in to do. Those at the very top of our community MUST stand together and fight to retain decent services for the rest of us. I for one wont stand idly by and see our beautiful fantastic town turned into a dump.

Wake up DBC, wake up councillors and get this mess sorted.

You get what you vote for. Did you all vote? Did you vote for the party leading the Council? Your councillors are there to represent you. If you didn't vote at all - don't complain now. AND TELL THAT COUNCILLOR TO PUT A TIE ON!

ameliaS wrote:
You get what you vote for. Did you all vote? Did you vote for the party leading the Council? Your councillors are there to represent you. If you didn't vote at all - don't complain now. AND TELL THAT COUNCILLOR TO PUT A TIE ON!

I didn't vote for them but I'm stuck with the poor service and an ever increasing council tax bill

I'm no conservative but Pickles is right the council wastes moey like it is going out of fashion.

The management is dire. The councillors don't deal with problems - they just winge. Its not just people high up in councils that seem to have an easy life. It's built into the culture