| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Save the libraries | |
| Posted by: | Phil Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 19/01/11 13:47:00 |
| The savings the council is being called upon to make are huge and no administration could undertake this and come out smelling of roses. However what is important to understand is the process through which these proposed savings find their way to the council chamber. As I have pointed out before lead members ask their chief officers to draw up a list of proposals and they then have to take it on trust that every available option has been placed before them. Working on the principle that turkeys do not vote for Christmas, there are likely to be omissions in the form of potential departmental savings that the chief officers do not wish to make. It is the duty of the lead member to try to identify these hidden potential savings and to add them to the shopping list. With this administration and some of its lead members being new to the game it is likely that the chief officers will try it on while they have the chance. Slashing library services, community halls and area committees do not inflict any pain on chief officers who will not care too much either about the end user or about the political consequences for the administration. I would like to think that the apparent enthusiasm for this assault on community facilities is due to officer influence rather than ideological zeal on the part of the administration, and if this is indeed the case I would implore our elected members to speak up for residents who want to keep libraries open and local democracy alive. |