Extravagant spendthrifts Sandwell Council continue to splurge on unnecessary frills as they agree to blow £14,000 on a motivational speaker who will lead a two-day seminar for their managers.
It’s somehow fitting that the event will take place in the notoriously over budget The Public art gallery in West Bromwich, where presumably they’re unlikely to be interrupted by visitors (though they may have to dodge tumbleweed...).
The Express & Star reports that Mr. Black (“the UK leader in the field of performance and personal development”) will talk about stress management and “whole brain training”, and though latter sounds like it may well be of some worth to many of the councillors and executives at Sandwell Council (while some may suffice with a half session) at this price Sandwell ratepayers should reasonably expect a dramatic turn-around in the efficiency of the authority.
The Black Country council certainly seems to be flush at the moment, promising to pour more cash into The Public black-hole, paying for their Chief Executive to jet-off to Florida for an extended course in dubious psychobabble, and now splashing out thousands on management evangelism for 170 council bureaucrats, who will seemingly abandon their duties for its duration.
With so much money flying out of the public purse at a dramatic rate, local taxpayers’ might assume that the council coffers are healthy enough to give them an equally healthy council-tax cut at this financially difficult time. If however, taxes are once again hiked to cover the costs of such exorbitant whimsies as this for a further year, it’s clear that some real questions need to be asked about the running of Sandwell Council and their unique take on public duty.