Definitely, definitely, absolutely not...

Spare a thought for Kent Highways. With an electricity bill of around four and a half million pounds a year for lighting our streets, there's a rumour doing the rounds that they're turning the lights off to save money.  This has caused considerable consternation among those who, understandably, fear increased numbers of traffic accidents.

Radio Kent pressed KCC Cabinet Member and Highways Supremo Keith Ferrin on the issue. Leaving no room for uncertainty, Keith answered:

"Definitely, definitely, absolutely not. We do have to reduce our existing bill but there are ways of doing that which don't involve turning off street lights."

And they accuse politicians of sitting on the fence...

Pay day continues for Blair

Last month it was reported that Tony Blair had secured a £5,000,000 memoir deal from Random House publishing and was earning up to a quarter of a million for some speeches.

The story continues. Not content with his £63,000 a year pension at the expense of the British taxpayer, his highly paid Washington lawyer has now secured a job for him giving "strategic and political advice" to Wall Street bankers J P Morgan.  J P Morgan, you may recall, was the bank chosen by President Bush to run the Trade Bank of Iraq after the 2003 invasion.

Comparisons are already being made between Mr Blair's salary for his new role, and the lamentable income of the average British soldier.

Maybe if our brave young men had similarly powerful friends, they could have faced the enemy with the equipment to do the job Mr Blair asked of them.

Watch this space for the next Big Blair Bonus...

Rise of the Wheeliebins - Part III

Just when we thought the wheelie bin issue had run its course, I see from several national papers that the flame of controversy burns bright.

The Labour government proposes a "Pay As You Throw" tax, which will seek to charge residents up and down the country for the amount of rubbish they put into their wheelie bin.  An average family could face charges of up to £1000.

Now, according to Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers' Alliance, MPs have voted to include this tax in their list of allowable expenses.

Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government, Eric Pickles blames the Labour Government for introducing the new tax in the first place.

But whatever way you look at it, it does seem like double standards, doesn't it?

A Strong Pulse

Went along to Seal Village Hall this afternoon, where I'd been asked by the West Kent Housing Association to speak at the launch of a new residents' group - the Pulse.

The Village Hall was packed - colleagues from voluntary and public sector turned up en masse to wish them all the very best.

The group has only been going for three months, but already they have regular meetings, where they discuss how their services are being delivered, and how they would like to see them improved.

As local government looks to provide more appropriate and timely services to a greater number and wider range of people, groups like the Pulse are becoming more and more critical to that task.

Everything has its price

As if the years of inspection and monitoring of local authorities by the Audit Commission wasn't enough, our government has now decided the regime needs strengthening. In future, more inspectors will inspect more services, with more performance indicators and more targets.

The strange thing is, the government has decided that the level of fees charged for these inspections should go down - preferably by around one third.

But because this centralist, over centralised control-freak Labour government has asked for much more inspection rather than less, in some parts of the country local councils will have to charge up to one percent extra on their council tax - just to cover the cost of government inspections.

Isn't it time the madness stopped? Doesn't it seem grossly unfair that despite the overwhelming burden of inspection on local councils, the one body the government won't inspect - is itself.

What's in a name?

I find some of the daftest things amusing. Talking to my eldest daughter this morning, she ran me through her lessons for the day - this morning she had physical education. "Who takes you for that?" I asked.

"Mrs Leggit" she replied. "What a great name for a PE teacher!" I said.

"Then this afternoon we've got Biology with Mr Overy."

Who said truth is stranger than fiction?

We all need somebody

I accompanied one of our Care Supervisors yesterday on a home visit to two elderly ladies. Each had recently been discharged from hospital after an operation, and each were being given up to six weeks recuperative care from Kent Social Services to prepare them for living independently once again.

One lady - in her mid seventies - had undergone a shoulder joint replacement. Her recovery was slow and painful, and I asked how she got on with simple tasks like shopping.

"I'm very lucky" she told me "I've got a lovely couple next door. They're older than me, but very active - always off on another cruise or going off somewhere. They take me out to the shops, or Church or the doctors.

"But you know, I feel really guilty, because I begrudge them each other - my husband died ten years ago. And although I'm in a lot of pain and can't really move around a lot, I'm sure I wouldn't feel any of that if he were still here with me."

Suddenly I was lost for words..