We were expecting to close this blog on 6th May 2010, along with the election, but, since the election hasn't ended yet, neither will the blog. May as well add a few points!
Glad to see you both in this sort of milieu! Although most of your manifesto points leave me saying "right on!", so far it's mainly been a fascinating cultural experience. I wish I had insightful comments from the American perspective! Nothing yet. But I'm glad you both are here!
I'm certain you will have something interesting to say before long, you are that kind of person! The policies themselves may not be relevant in California but your comments on the philosophy behind them are bound to be insightful.
So how do you propose that the councils and authorities provide the information that they legally have to to the council tax payers? Each has to provde the public with lots of targets/figures, etc. each year. And, from surveys carried out, hard copies sent to each household is still the most favoured and the most likely to be read. I don't work in Local Gov now (but I did) so know this to be true. Personally, I would prefer them all to be avaible onlne (which they are) but only 60% of the UK is online - so what about that 40%?
I'm sure it's important to make the finances of local authorities and public services available to the public. However, two points . . .
1.) I doubt if many people really do study them or know how to make sense of them.
2.) They are often distributed in newspaper style format with a whole load of (irrelevant) articles to pad them out. Presumably the idea is to make the accounts more palatable but I doubt many people take much note of the sums, possibly not of much else in there either.
The only thing I specially remember from one of these local authority freebies was when our MP (Jim Knight) found himself saying he thought it a good idea that we should all throw pebbles into the sea to stop erosion!
The only one I really look forward to is the police report. We sit round the table and read bits out to each other because we find it so funny. I don't think we are meant to do this. I don't suppose it is the intention of the people who write it to provide us with entertainment; clearly they don't share my sense of humour. Do I have any way of knowing whether they are spending their money wisely - no!
Most local authority papers are self funded, ie they carry a lot of advertising, and saves the local authorities money by reducing the need to place numerous public notices in local papers. Your proposal would be more costly than you think.
5 comments:
Glad to see you both in this sort of milieu! Although most of your manifesto points leave me saying "right on!", so far it's mainly been a fascinating cultural experience. I wish I had insightful comments from the American perspective! Nothing yet. But I'm glad you both are here!
Hello Rosa.
I'm certain you will have something interesting to say before long, you are that kind of person! The policies themselves may not be relevant in California but your comments on the philosophy behind them are bound to be insightful.
So how do you propose that the councils and authorities provide the information that they legally have to to the council tax payers? Each has to provde the public with lots of targets/figures, etc. each year. And, from surveys carried out, hard copies sent to each household is still the most favoured and the most likely to be read. I don't work in Local Gov now (but I did) so know this to be true. Personally, I would prefer them all to be avaible onlne (which they are) but only 60% of the UK is online - so what about that 40%?
I'm sure it's important to make the finances of local authorities and public services available to the public. However, two points . . .
1.) I doubt if many people really do study them or know how to make sense of them.
2.) They are often distributed in newspaper style format with a whole load of (irrelevant) articles to pad them out. Presumably the idea is to make the accounts more palatable but I doubt many people take much note of the sums, possibly not of much else in there either.
The only thing I specially remember from one of these local authority freebies was when our MP (Jim Knight) found himself saying he thought it a good idea that we should all throw pebbles into the sea to stop erosion!
The only one I really look forward to is the police report. We sit round the table and read bits out to each other because we find it so funny. I don't think we are meant to do this. I don't suppose it is the intention of the people who write it to provide us with entertainment; clearly they don't share my sense of humour. Do I have any way of knowing whether they are spending their money wisely - no!
Most local authority papers are self funded, ie they carry a lot of advertising, and saves the local authorities money by reducing the need to place numerous public notices in local papers. Your proposal would be more costly than you think.
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