What a crop of councillors

See this from the Sun today (and you'll read why the super-big clown city picture is appropriate):

“A CASH-strapped council is advertising for an “executive director of transformation” on a £101,000-a-year wage — to try to save money.

Town hall chiefs say the job involves making “cost-effective improvements”.

Despite the credit crunch, the employee will also get a £10,000 relocation package and lucrative final salary pension paid for by the taxpayer.

Tory-run Bournemouth Council in Dorset — which recently spent £70,000 on two granite dominoes “in the name of art” — faces a £2.4million overspend this financial year.

Mark Wallace of the TaxPayers’ Alliance called it “totally inappropriate”."

Now tell me you remember our campaign to stop Bournemouth’s councillors putting up their pay by 17%?  Do also recall that the Cabinet, i.e. the numpties who have created the massive overspend to be handed to you in next year's council tax, received a 32% pay increase?  Finally, do you feel they deserved the pay increase given the £2.4 million overspend this year? 

We were right in opposing their pay increase and events have justified it.  They must be running an economic madhouse to continue to splash out on non-jobbers and six-figure salaries for council hacks given the scale of the overspend.  What's more, they were saying their salaries were justified, that they work long hours and have to give up so much to be a councillor.  Given their track record, i'd prefer they do less than continue to do more and run Bournemouth into the ground.

If you’re angry at this disgraceful overspend, and I know I am, contact the councillors below and demand they stop squandering your money:

Cllr Carol Ainge (Lib Dem) - carol.ainge@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Mark Anderson (Con) - 01202 775483 / mark.anderson@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Anderson (Con) - 01202 397047 / sue.anderson@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Linda Bailey (Con) - linda.bailey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Beryl Baxter (Labour) - Beryl.baxter@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr John Beesley (Con) - 07860 391219 / john.beesley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Derek Borthwick (Independent) - derek.borthwick@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Robert Chapman (Con) - 01202 532778 /  robert.chapman@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Stephen Chappell (Con) - stephen.chappell@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Peter Charon (Con) - 07775556132 / 01202299996 / peter.charon@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Eddie Coope (Con) - eddie.coope@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Elaine Cooper (Con) - elaine.cooper@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Rod Cooper (Con) - rod.cooper@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Nigel Cowley (Con) - 07709 431241 / nigel.cowley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Cowley (Con) - 07709 431241 / sue.cowley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Malcolm Davies (Con) - malcolm.davies@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Heather Drayton (Con) - heather.drayton@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Beverley Dunlop (Con) - 07855 395117 / beverley.dunlop@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Everingham (Independent) - 0794 115 2242 / michael.everingham@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Anne Filer (Con) - 01202 399205 / anne.filer@bournemouth.gov.uk; mayor@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Filer (Con) - michael.filer@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Barry Goldbart (Con) - 07734 211750 / barry.goldbart@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Nicola Greene (Con) - 07961 936387 / nicola.greene@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Griffiths (Con) - 07815 817222 / michael.griffiths@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ben Grower (Labour) - 07714 344635 / ben.grower@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Paul Hughes (Con) - 07732 169122 / paul.hughes@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Kelsey (Con) - 07816 417675 / david.kelsey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Nick King (Con) - 07771727402 / nick.king@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ian Lancashire (Con) - ian.lancashire@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Robert Lawton (Con) - 07974 215933 / robert.lawton@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Levell (Lib Dem) - Sue.Levell@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Pat Lewis (Lib Dem) - 07742 900717 / pat.lewis@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Stephen Macloughlin (Con) - 01202 513229 / stephen.macloughlin@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Jane Montrose (Con) - 07843 062222 / jane.montrose@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Andrew Morgan (Con) - andrew.morgan@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ian Newport (Con) - 07971 602296 / ian.newport@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Lisa Northover (Lib Dem) - 07515355982 / lisa.northover@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Lynda Price (Con) - lynda.price@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Basil Ratcliffe (Con) - basil.ratcliffe@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Anne Rey (Independent) - 07973 814382 / anne.rey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Rochester (Con) - christopher.rochester@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Allister Russell (Con) - allister.russell@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Shaw (Con) - 07951 511287 / david.shaw@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Claire Smith (Lib Dem) - Claire.smith@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Smith (Con) - 07832 186424 / david.smith@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Richard Smith (Lib Dem) - 0780 8227276 / richard.smith@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Philip Stanley-Watts (Con) - philip.stanley-watts@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ted Taylor (Labour) - ted.taylor@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr John Trickett (Con) - 07910 011239 / john.trickett@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Wakefield (Con) - 07775 677162 / christopher.wakefield@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Weinhonig (Con) - 07877 430667 / michael.weinhonig@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Roger West (Lib Dem) - roger.west@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ronald Whittaker (Independent) - ronald.whittaker@bournemouth.gov.uk

Comments

[bournemouth buzz]

Whilst I applaud your efforts in general, there is an important inaccuracy within the story.

The £70,000 for the art installation was not spent by the council - it was provided by the developers engaged in the Boscombe regeneration project. This particular story was somewhat skewed in its presentation by the local paper, the Daily Echo.

I am clarifying this because inaccuracies can distract from the intentions of the stronger and more relevant criticisms.

There are plenty of other aspects that could be cited, including the steady reduction of free parking spaces and increase of parking charges - a 'tax by stealth' measure, which is exacerbated by the fact that the town hall retains several car parks for their own free use, whilst taxpayers have to foot the bill.

[Gary Sherborne]

I say all our Councillors here for Boscombe are together about as much use as a chocolate tea pot. They represent thier own interests and those most useful to them. They know little if anything about what is going on and communicate with their constituents not at all. Shame on the lot of them.

[Nick]

Totally agree with you Gary, I couldn't name one councillor.

101k for a jobsworth to save them money? They are having a laugh. I would gladly do it for free. The first step is the easiest - sack all of the jobsworths who add no value whatsoever to the economy.