As Dan Hannan said, in the video we’ve all seen by now, you can’t go squeezing the productive part of the economy to swell the unproductive sector. That’s exactly what’s happening week in and week out with our non-job report. Each week you can see on the right the number of jobs on offer in government. Not that they’re all wasteful but you can see for yourself how many jobs the government looks for to swell its ranks and burden the public finances. Our non-job of the week comes from Barking and Dagenham council:
“Group Manager, Street Scene
£61,000
The government can ban the sale of spray paints to under-16s. But that won’t stop people from tagging buildings and walls. What’s going to stop graffiti is a show of pride in our environment – like planting shrubs and vines around graffiti hot-spots.
And, as Group Manager, Street Scene, that’s exactly the sort of idea we’ll expect you to come up with. Working with our team, you’ll constantly find new ways of investing a £13m budget so as to make all our residents feel like they’re important and involved.
Your remit will include everything from roads and pavements to street lighting and envirocrime. It’ll see you chatting to lollipop people, and council leaders having you on speed dial. And it’ll call on all your management experience in either the public or private sectors and your proven budget-handling skills.
Our 4 star council is constantly improving in strength.
To make sure you look the part, go to www.lbbdfutures.com or contact our advising consultants at GatenbySanderson, Julia Oliver on 020 7426 3969 or Sally Wood on 020 7426 3984, for a confidential discussion.
Closing date: Monday 6th April 2009.
Promoting equal opportunities and celebrating diversity.
Together we will build communities and transform lives.”
Again, like most of these non-jobs, they’re well intended but wasteful. This middle management position is like the others we criticise in our middle management paper of the council spending uncovered series. Talking to lollipop folk and having the council on speed dial won’t bring pride back to the borough; it’ll just waste time and money.