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Bloody Cuts!


I fully understand that local authorities have been forced into a position where they need to make savings and due to the situation forced upon them "difficult decisions" need to be made.

However, I am also a person who recognises that within local authorities there is a lot of financial waste due to failed proposals, reports and also in the energy and man power of those who are tasked to carry out the wishes of those elected to represent the wider community (Use that term loosely)

Failed ideas drawn up on the back of a beer mat has cost local authorities millions of pounds and because of this council tax has risen, year upon year. Here on Teesside we currently have over 30,000 children living in poverty and the newly released data has come at a time where local authorities are drawing up plans to move youth provision into the voluntary sector and in doing so will make savings of millions that has otherwise been dumped in the gutter. Replacing it instead with peanuts and not of the Cashew kind either.

The Voluntary Sector is beginning to pick up the pieces and are already becoming stretched with many organisations scaling back on the amount of youth provision and support it can offer to the next generation.

For me, in this time of austerity, if local authorities can borrow money to build a hotel or an office block then surely they are capable of borrowing money to help families and individuals in real need and destitution. But then again that would be too easy and efficient. Yes, I also understand that councils can only borrow for certain things but lets get real and start tackling the real underlying issues within society.







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