The release of the latest range of extra charges to be targeted at the city’s ratepayers is not only unwanted it is a pure exercise in penny pinching which is not what the majority of people want to hear.
What they would prefer to see published is just how much money the city council has to work with and what cutbacks we can expect at city hall to help ensure whatever is planned remains within the limit of the city’s financial situation.
Sure, our new city boss David Farmer has come out and said he will crack down on over-expenditure, but he hasn’t won too many friends with penny pinching ideas such as costing more to be buried up north and increasing the fee for those wanting to get married in our botanic gardens. Then there’s the really alarming move to charge entertainment venues more than $1000 in fees.
And, if you are a fitness fanatic, up will go the charges at council’s Beaton Park and Lakeside leisure centres, and you’ll have to pay more to play tennis at the city operated courts at Keiraville.
What’s more our little athletes will also have to pay more to use Beaton Park. This at a time when we are trying to get them out there doing exercise to prevent childhood obesity.
Okay, Farmer and company may be between the “devil and the deep blue sea”, but instead of slugging the ratepayers more and more why doesn’t our city management ask themselves why they use our rates to offer free maths tutoring and internet training.
There’s also the city charity race day at Kembla Grange where you get free entry (a plus), but what are the hidden costs? How much does the city put towards the prize money and what will be the outlay for the whoop-it-up
pre-dinner drinks, lunch and other hospitality for a selected guest list in the A.J. “Bert“ Lillye Lounge.
I’m sure we ratepayers would also like to see costings for the many council cars, and who gets to drive what model.
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat myself. We didn’t cause the city’s financial stress and we shouldn’t have to pay extra to clean up the mess.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> Obviously a faux pas
There it was, quite a sizeable advert in the local inserted by the city council looking for an Asset Manager – Buildings, and wait for it, offering a salary between $61 400 and $79 100 A WEEK!
What’s more as part of the deal there’s an option of a motor vehicle equalisation allowance, whatever that means.
And here’s another story, if we believe the rumours, that council’s 600 plus properties around the city have gone without proper asset management for some time now. Maybe the appointee will need that sort of money to put things back into shape. Joking, of course!
But, nevertheless the timing for such a faux pas in the light of all this talk about clamping down on council costs was most inopportune.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> We make it to Bulgaria
The boss was browsing the net over the weekend and looked up stumbleupon.com, an American – based website that captures wide attention, and lo and behold there was a browser from Bulgaria – yes, Bulgaria – commenting on one of our recent YOC videos concerning cats and some of the antics they get up to.
Evidently the Bulgarian viewer thoroughly enjoyed the piece and has used stumpleupon.com to let people out there know about it.
To see the video click on the link below.
http://www.yoctv.com.au/yoy.cfm?vid=Ny4yMDMwODc0OTQ
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> Another kick for workers
The news that the Westpac Bank is contemplating shifting 3000 “backroom” jobs overseas is just what we dinky–di Aussies want to hear in today’s tough economic climate.
Never mind, I suppose, they would only be joining such other Aussie business icons as the ANZ, National Australia Bank and St George.
Always ready to slip in an extra fee for this or that our banks deserve to be more protective of Australian employment opportunities.
Anyway, in the light of some of their financial exploits of late maybe it’s the senior management and the directors who should get the treatment! They should be sent overseas and paid according to the meagre rates available to the locals.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> Good and bad news
Heard the other day there were quiet celebrations on the wharves at BlueScope Steel with the four millionth slab being loaded from the roll-on
roll-off facility onto the Iron Monarch.
A few wharfies I know weren’t all that happy the event wasn’t highlighted and they were duly recognised.
Other news from out that way is that BlueScope will have a blast furnace down for three months from 1 March next year for a reline, during which time many wharfies have been asked to take various degrees of leave.
And, from what I’m hearing, they are not happy.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> Disappearing into thin air
Senator Helen Coonan’s latest newsletter suggests she is settling into her Shadow Portfolio of Human Services - and she has nothing kind to say about the Labor Party’s ill–consideration for hardworking people like our Aussie carers and seniors, pointing to the new government’s plan to possibly strip carers of their annual $400 lump sum payments.
She is also critical of the Rudd government’s Fuel Watch scheme, which she believes is unravelling as yet another political stunt.
The senator believes the scheme may actually cause increases in prices rather than delivering cheaper petrol for us motorists.
And as Thursdays seems to be the chosen day for lifting prices each week she’s got a good point.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> They are getting worse
I used to enjoy watching the TV Logies Awards, but Sunday night’s 50th celebration left much to the imagination.
What was driven home as I lounged in front of the TV was just how few of the programs nominated I have never or don’t watch.
And, I also couldn’t help thinking why there has to be so many awards handed out?
Thank goodness for Austar.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>> No thanks
No thanks to our local Labor politicians who all supported their boss, Premier Morris “Who”, at the weekend when he continued to push for the privatisation for all or most of our electricity system.
We will remember you, although not in terms of any endearment, when the bills go up.
YourOpinionCounts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>>
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