“It is all very well blaming the Labour Government for causing all this debt, however, which ever government was in power they would have to something very similar, the whole World went into recession. Lots of countries borrowed far more than us, look at Japan for instance. There is no need for 'cuts', we need more investment in getting people back into work, so more tax is paid instead of benefits and people will have more money in their pockets so there will be a greater spending power.We need to trade to earn money and we are far better off if there are thriving companies Every country is in debt, always have been but it far easier to pay that debt off if people have jobs. Incidentally, Leicester City Council have many millions in reserve, so why are they not spending some of this money to protect much needed services? Why should Labour do the Tories dirty work?
The Tories are following their own Ideology, to destroy the welfare state.Just watch as unemployment rises, hospital waiting lists grow longer and more are services cut.”

“Quote:
The Independent Mayor of Middlesbrough ¿ the man they call RoboCop ¿ insists the Government has declared war on his town with £50million budget cuts over the next four years.

He knew the budget blows would be painful. But they were merciless.

The 8.9% funding cut was the deepest in the country and more than double the 4.4% national average.

But David Cameron had only fired his first salvo. Mayor Mallon was then told an extra £8.9million funding for deprived areas, called the Working Neighbourhood Fund, was also being whipped away.

Publicly, Ray branded the cuts ¿too deep, too quick and too savage¿.

Privately, he was devastated. Ray, 55, says: ¿I felt like we¿d been beaten up. And when we were down, they kept kicking.

¿I thought, ¿how could they do this to Middlesbrough and me?¿ It felt personal.

¿Cameron¿s been here. He knows about Middlesbrough because I¿ve been telling him for a long time. But there was no consideration.

¿This government has trampled all over the working man. And my job is to stick up for him.¿”

“The Coalition Government have indeed asked for major cuts in budgets of all councils BUT it doesn't tell them where to make the cuts that is down to your Labour City Council...be under no illusion that this corrupt and inept City Council would definately attack the most vunerable in our community and then blame it squarely on the Coalition in order to achieve a victory in the next election...if our City Council really wanted to help our vunerable they would sell DMH and The Curve and the ridiculous Phoenix Centre etc... to private companies who would know how to run them and save millions enabling these day care centres to remain available. Open your eyes people and see the truth for what it is, whilst a Labour Council is controlling leicester, the loss of face to them losing the general election so badly was so great they would back stab every single one of you and your family to force power back to them.”

“By the way...the prime minister earns a salary of £142,500.........is it right that Ms Locke earn more than him????

Shameful”

“It's a shameful state of affairs. I know that money has to be saved, but these kind of cuts are just too savage. The city council know beyond any doubt that by closing these critical venues, they are putting our most vunerable citizens at risk. They know that some some disabled people are cared for by their families, and that these families need the support of a place to which they can entrust the care of their loved ones by qualified, competant and fully trained staff in a suitable venue to ensure that they can have a break for themselves once in while. They know that this prevents the breakdown of family support, and they know that if they increase the strain on these families, then there will be an increased likelyhood of abuse. They know that services provided in the private sector will be undertaken by under-trained and under-supported members of staff who will be paid less. That's where the savings will be made. They know that they wouldn't get away with treating their own employees this way, but are happy to let it happen as long as they won't be blamed. They have invested so much in the "One Leicester" scheme which they promised was designed to make life better for the citizens of Leicester, but seem unwilling now to invest money in critical services that work. This cut, and others like it, will have a terrible impact on the people who need the services of Leicester City Council the most. It will lower the quality of life for people who deserve better, and the people who care for them. It will sever connections between vulnerable people, and the proffessionals who support them, increasing risk to them. Leicester City Council knows the consequences of what they intend to do, but they will do it anyway. Luckily, those who make these decisions can afford very comfy beds, so maybe they won't lose any sleep, but it is a very sad day in the career of people who probably originally got into the business of politics or social care to make peoples life better, finding themselves knowingly making people's lives worse.”

“...there is a way...if the council and the government were to agree on ownership of council housing..then logically ..if the government owned council housing( the councils do at present) they wouldn"t have to pay housing benefit (this is because the original mortgages of council houses have been paid for many times over..if the goverment became the owners and agreed that they charged only a nominal rent ..and for the lifetime of the tenancy....then all that housing benefit would be saved..including the services we see here....”

“Steve,

Have you even read what I've written?

My post maybe long, but could not be described as a rant surely.

Rather, I tried to make my point in a calm and measure way.

Try it, it might suit you ;-)”

“Big J, that was probably the most ridiculous rant on this page so far. I take it you would rob the needy of their essential services and give to the rich council workers as well then! Pathetic.”

“Steve, are you by any chance related to George, or G as he's known to his friends, who also resides in Leicester, often posts ill-informed and poorly written rants on here?

Ms Locke 's first name is Sheila, not Sandra, and she doesn't earn £160,000 either for that matter...........she earns more than that!

To suggest that the salary earned by Ms Locke, or any other member fo the senior executive team at LCC, is shameful merely demonstrates your ignorance of the roles that she and her team perform.

Should a teacher and headteacher earn the same amount, or a police officer on the beat be paid the same as the cheif constable? The salaries paid to the senior officers of an large organisation are representative experience and skills that they bring to the role, not to mention the significant responsibility that such a position brings.

It makes a pleasant change to see the post from Jen, where someone presents their view in a reasonable manner, rather than resorting to rudeness............well done Jen!

The Mercury are being very 'cute' in the way they have presented their stories over the last week or two. Let's not forget that their prinicpal interest is simply to sell as many papers as they possibly can, thereby guaranteeing their advertisers the maximum exposure possible.

By drip feeding the 'juicy bits' so to speak they are simply keeping the fires burning underneath easily combustible members of the Leicester Community.

I am certain that there is nobody at Leicester City Council, whether they be elected member or senior officer, is deliberately planning to reduce services so that the most vulnerable members of the communtiy are put at risk.

Completely the opposite in fact, they are working within very tight constraints and investigating every option in order to ensure that the best possible services are provided for all those that need them whilst at the same time keeping a tight reign on the public purse.

There's no getting away from it but the last government did little to prevent this situation. Again, I cannot imagine that they set out to create it, but their poor fiscal management and the widespread de-regulation that they created is coming back to haunt us.

Things simply have to be put right. As Jen, sensible girl that she so obviously is, has said, when outgoings exceed income then things must be done.

Canada faced a similar situation a few years ago and their government introduced whoelsale cuts to address the budget deficit. 3 years later they had balance the books. Shouldn't we be looking to do the same?

So, Steve, George, G or whoever you choose to call yourself next week, think about how best you could make use of all that energy you have in a more positive fashion.

I get the feeling that you are a serial complainer. Never happy, no matter what the headlines. Try a new approach..........you might find you like it ;-)”

“hmmm sandra lock resin is presumably all thats holding B block up :)”