August 25, 2009

There are times when I wonder if the elected members, horrifically highly paid senior officers and thousands of regular staff at the local authorities in this country ever receive any sort of substantive training over the use of other people's money - or tax, as it's also known - and if they do, does it sink in even slightly?

Take our local council's latest wheeze.

We're in the midst of a proposed shutdown of 11 of our 24 libraries, the flogging off of our prestigious Birkenhead Town Hall, the closure of leisure centres, the "community transfer" (or removal of staff and funding to you and me) of community centres and village halls, and the scrapping of a considerable number of lollipop ladies, to name but a few cost cutting measures, because the council says it has to save money.

The money it is seeking to save is - just like the loot spent at all tiers of government, be it local, national, or European - sourced directly from the same place: Your pocket.

So, in these blatantly cash-strapped times, what does our local enlightened lot want to do now?

Pay £300 a head to teach teenagers how to catch a bus.

Wirral’s “Travel Training” service, open to anyone over 16, will explain how to pay a bus fare, the physical ins and outs of both getting on a train or bus - and how to get off at the right stop.

This is not just for the visually impaired or those with learning difficulties. It's for all kids over 16.

And it gets better.

The course will also offer help on dealing with "what ifs" - such as a bus running late or missing a stop.

The lead councillor supporting this crackpot scheme says that "by increasing people's ability and confidence to use public transport, we are able to contribute to improving the quality of life and allow people to access a wider range of opportunities".

Yeah, right.

Just so long as those opportunities aren't at libraries, leisure centres and theatres, naturally.