Looks like the council is considering more cuts that will affect us all, lollipop men to go, libraries to be cut to a few days a week, more privatisation resulting in poorer services, car park charges on virtually every piece of council land in the borough, we need to make our thoughts known folks

There's a questionnaire on the council website. People are a bit cynical about whether or not filling those things in does any good, or whether it's just ticking a 'We've consulted the local community' box for the council. However, if you don't fill it in, your views stand no chance at all of being taken into account! It's worth a try, at least. Also look out for any local petitions that are doing the rounds, and contact local councillors. They have to note your views, even if they don't act on them. Good luck!

I had to do a traffic and school children count the other day at a pelican crossing. There is some formula that they use to determine necessity for a school crossing. Recorded 600+ vehicles in a 40 minute period. Getting me to sign my own death warrant! As Burgess says they HAVE to save millions--which means any questionnaires are just a damage limitations exercise for them. Think the last barmy suggestion was to charge residents for having a No Cold Calling Neighbourhood. Anyone can put a sign on their gate or letter box telling cold callers it would be a criminal offence for them to call. Posted this on another thread--plastic lollipop people

Just cross 'Totally disagree'to everything on the stupid questionaire.

Labour/ Tory- same old story.

Localism Act

LIKE

Couldn`t resist
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Good. Nothing ever happens, no one ever revolts. The government can cut anything and everything and the people will just sit back and watch X Factor and Corrie and moan about it down the pub, or more likely these days, on Facebook.

I hope there are more cuts and people start getting hungry. Then maybe it will light a fire in the stomach of the apathetic, or encourage the Facebook activists to actually get active.

I'm a socialist and I say MORE CUTS PLEASE.

Yes just done the council questionnaire, disagreed with everything, probably wont make a difference but we got to try.

Many can do without most services and footfall surveys in places such as libraries etc. will show that a high percentage of population will not be using them.
Car park charges are just another way to screw the already screwed driver, but that doesn't affect everyone either.
Lollipop people to be disposed of, another service which most of the local population do not have an interest in.
Plenty of people going hungry already and it would seem that another 500 council employees will be hungry too in the next months.
(Previously mentioned in another post ,as the exact same sequence of affairs, happened after the 2006 Open Golf.) A different Government then, but the same council here, meaning they can all blame the other one now for consecutive years of cuts.

So, however an individual completes the questionnaire, it could be taking another fellow human being out of employment.
I hate these surveys, as to me it is an admission that the Council and Chief Executive are no longer 'fit for purpose' and why should their decisions for us, be made off the backs of others who are not engaged in every corner of Wirral and it's services, and who quite often don't have a clue as to why they think what they do think.
My worry is the cemeteries, what will we do if they go? That affects all of us.
The council elections next May could be the best way to make a change.
How does a Chief Executive get removed ? Probably can't be !

The other thing is of course, when a country is at war and we have been so for the past 12 to 15 years in various conflicts, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan ,it all costs a country money and that could be playing a huge part in our deficit as a nation.

I always complete those wretched surveys as I feel if you don't then you can have no reason to complain, similar to not voting at elections.I know we are all very sceptical about the real worth of doing them but it at least (hopefully) lets the decision makers know what we feel.
Granny, you are right to say that whatever we say we will impact on other people's lives and that is something we ought to bear in mind when responding.
Public spending has always been a source of controversy with each party having their own pet projects. I liken it almost to running a family home. We have £?? income and must make our minds up on what we spend it on. If we can't afford something then a decision has to be made,cut something else out or increase the income. For a householder to increase income means another job either better paid or an extra one. For councils extra income can only come by increasing taxes and that is of course what the great British public does not want.

Amazing how we can fund wars, no shortage of cash for bullets and missiles, but cant keep our kids safe crossing the road, we have food banks, soon we will have the elderly suffering from cold related illnesses and hospitals and doctors surgeries unable to cope, we amongst the lowest paid in Europe with the lowest pensions and the longest working hours, we pay more tax than most other EU countries, the majority of working class people carry the blame for all the woes that befall us, and with all this and more as a backdrop we have a prime minister strutting the world stage promising death and retribution and what he wont tolerate with our sadly depleted armed forces.

Casper, those points with regard to our EU cousins are more than questionable.
With regard to the 'council surveys', it is proportionately unfair.
How many of our already unemployed do not have access to internet ? How many pensioners do not have access to the internet? How many of those who do have access, know about the 'survey' and how many if they knew,would not know how to find the 'survey'?
How many who have access, ability and knowledge would complete the survey ? Probably a miniscule proportion of the local population, therefore it also is 'not fit for purpose'.
I can't see too many pensioners being able to make their feelings and thoughts heard. Grossly unfair, as everyone should be able have a point of view.
It would be a far more fair process if there was a 'survey' posted through our letter boxes to give everyone a say , just like our voting cards are at election time.

Granny steps down from soapbox.

Yet the council can lend Lancashire Council six million pound at 0.75% interest rate. Along with others.
Or rather we can lend them this as it is our money they are handing out to their mates.
http://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/

Fair one granny, I understand what you are saying, as regards the EU some of the info may be out of date but we do not top the league in most of those areas, but we are always being told how much better off we are than most countries, notwithstanding that this is the fifth most richest country in the world, politics is a minefield so we can only go with what our own experiences are with various governments have been, or how they treat the majority of the population to give us any ideas, or maybe what some members of government let slip in an unguarded moment.

Saw this before but by God its good.

The apathetic PISS me off, the 'sheople'.....they knock me sick. Apathy smothers Revolution.

They seem able to afford Sky TV, beer and fags on their benefits, so Internet access wouldn't seem to be much of a hurdle. I'm sick of paying my council tax for no perceived benefit. The roads are an appalling mess of potholes and will be even worse after winter. I don't claim benefits, nor do I have kids. This council are a shower of corrupt and incompetent fools busy feathering their own nests.

See http://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/

There was an item in the news last week about a bus driver from Ipswich with 22 kids. How much is that costing the taxpayer? He's working but no way will his taxes cover the state's costs of educating his children and caring for them when they fall sick. Time to limit child benefit to first-born only and introduce compulsory sterilisation.

All pretty moot, really. I'm getting out and am emigrating at the end of the month, but permit me a little parting rant.

When times get hard everybody looks for a scapegoat to blame all the ills on, this government is no exception they have been very successful with their divide and conquer strategy deflecting any blame from their own failing policies, do we really want to end up like Nazi Germany? beware the far right is waiting in the wings, first they came for the Jews, and I said nothing for I am not a Jew, who will they come for here if they get their way ? they are already planning the demise of the trade unions, curtailing your right to legal aid, just saying be careful what you wish for.

Regarding the schools crossing patrols - I might be criticised for this viewpoint, but I've never quite understood why patrols are provided at crossings controlled by lights. In other places, I agree that patrols are vital for safety, but surely if children are old enough to be allowed to go to school on their own, they are old enough to accept that they have to press the button and wait for the little green man?

Quite right most of the main roads have controlled crossings, the problem arises outside of the majority of school premises were there are no crossings in place, these are very dangerous areas due to the amount of traffic and illegal parking at school times.

Infants and Primary school pupils I would have thought will be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If not, then the school will no doubt be expected to have someone perform 'crossing duty' . Different budget !

One point I ponder, is related to the general increase in costs of bills, plus council tax (as it will happen). How many of us keep the wolf from the doors of our children in times of need ?
Consequently our savings become more and more diminished, as it is the savings which many of us now rely upon to pay our own bills, when they exceed our basic income from pensions.
Long term, will mean more and more will be claiming benefits or subsistence of one sort or another once the savings have gone. The young generation on the daily average,will be lucky to be able to accumulate any savings.
Stacking up problems for years to come, many will be health related problems due to depression or bad diets.
This is slightly off track, but in the end everything does come together to form one holy mess and we are not far off now.
How is it that this country and every other country went through two world wars but came through where the council repaired the roads, pruned the trees, kept the parks and gardens in order. Municiple tennis courts, open air swimming pools, all the services maintained, ferries at how many terminals, weekly bin collections, then all of a sudden the whole f...ing lot can't be paid for and neither can the staff. Why not ?
Suggestion: In all areas, maybe over the years, there was a degree of nepotism for some without the essential experience in certain fields. It probably isn't now but the damage has already been done.
How many members of Government or Opposition have their family and friends along side them ? It's the same all over.

I am a voting Tory, why is it that we always get a proportion of moaners who all seem to be Socialists, hard done by and it's every ones fault except their own. Tell me, when was the last time a Labour Government left the country in a fit state when they were turfed out, and who puts things right? and before you all start shouting bloody privileged Tory, I was born in 1940 in Egremont, 6 in a terraced house without a bathroom, outside toilet, left school without any qualifications, finished up with my own business and the Labour shower want to take every thing away from me just because I worked hard from the age of 15 to get what I have, how is it that you socialists want every one to be poor, except of course those in charge who feather their own nests (Blair) and convince you brain dead's to tow the party line, 'power to the people' as long as it's not your lot.

Oh dear

Very shallow viewpoint artie4o, assuming that all people who disagree with you are brain-dead.

Don't forget to cancel your Daily Mail subscription, Mike

I cant believe how people can be so narrow minded its not about the Labour or Conservatives it all about cuts to everybody am working just to pay my bills which keep going up and up whilst wages are on a downward spiral

Guardian and Private Eye reader all my life, but thanks for the smiley

"And the Labour shower want to take everything away from me", what is it they want to take away from you? the NHS your human rights, jeez I've got it they want you to pay taxes and higher rates, the dirty rotters! after you've worked all your life, they want to make you destitute, no roof over your head, got to use a food bank, the Tories would never do anything like that.

Yes 500 staff going, and the staff that's left behind, the ones on the ground level that actually do the work. An not get paid thousands, have to pick up the slack and for that privilege we have to take a big pay-cut.

Disgraceful.

You don't HAVE to take a pay cut unless you agree. That's changing the terms and conditions of your contract.