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Comment on Suffolk Freedom of Information requests up 57% last year by New York Office Space

New York Office Space — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:13:00 +0000

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Comment on Private Eye on Suffolk libraries plan by Suffolk Libraries to Face Glasgow Disaster? « Tendance Coatesy

Suffolk Libraries to Face Glasgow Disaster? « Tendance Coatesy — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:12:48 +0000

[...] By contrast, Andrew Grant-Adamson has reported (Here.) [...]

Comment on Has BT gained too much influence in local government? by Outsourcing and contract management in Suffolk and Barnet

Outsourcing and contract management in Suffolk and Barnet — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:33:09 +0000

[...] He has been described as playing a pivotal role in both policies. See my earlier post, Has BT gained too much influence in local government? [...]

Comment on East Anglian Daily Times calls for 10% pay cut for top 79 county officials by mary ann ball

mary ann ball — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:39:15 +0000

Hi Andrew; many years experience of local government until I left(for a private sector job) during the Andrea Hill regime at Cambridge have shown me that the Peter principle (aided by networks,buddyism and so on) is alive and well in local councils. The guided bus project’s management is one example. One of the more impressive people I worked with, Christine Fanish, Andrea’s predecessor went on to a successful career in the private sector. I can’t see many, except the lawyers and accountants, doing that.

Comment on East Anglian Daily Times calls for 10% pay cut for top 79 county officials by JTM

JTM — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:52:57 +0000

Hi Andrew,

I suppose the problem is that we tend to make comparisons between professions, these might not always be fair, but they’re unavoidable.

In the case of your post you list lawyers, doctors and head teachers as professionals earning similar sums to SCC senior management. All true. But it is very clear with those you list that they have real skills and offer a valuable service. Unfortunately in the cloistered world of local government it is not ever all that clear that those in charge have the appropriate skills or offer a particularly useful service. And comparisons with the private sector are not all that useful either and, as far as I’m aware, transfer between public and private (rather than the other way round) is rare.

Comment on Would a loo break have given a little more hope over future of Suffolk libraries? by Libraries: hopes of new meeting of community groups and Suffolk CC

Libraries: hopes of new meeting of community groups and Suffolk CC — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:46:53 +0000

[...] Wednesday I was a rather pessimistic (earlier post) about the previous day’s Suffolk County Council scrutiny committee where I feared the [...]

Comment on A newspaper and the non-story of a council’s travel expenses by Jimminycricket

Jimminycricket — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:37:22 +0000

It’s not a suprise that any of these non stories become front page as it reflects the ingrained nature of poor reporting, fact checking and accuracy in supposed journalism across all media. The Evening Star is hardly known for it’s rigorous investigative journalism much like other news outlets. Two other posters here have recognised the actual story behind the story though which is the fact that our two headline grabbing local Conservative MP’s have both messed up on this topic with Ben Gummer sounding like a rank amateur again and not thinking his response through (he should have read this post first) and Dan Poulter trying to be down with the public. His regular and dull comments on this (and anything else) could be copied from the Tory whip’s textbook.

Comment on A newspaper and the non-story of a council’s travel expenses by Outdoing the Evening Star | A riverside view Blog

Outdoing the Evening Star | A riverside view Blog — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:45:34 +0000

[...] is to demonstrate how pathetc the Evening Star is becoming. I fear as Andrew Grant-Adamson does here,that FoI requests have given regional newspapers, hit by declining sales, reduced advertising [...]

Comment on Would a loo break have given a little more hope over future of Suffolk libraries? by Scrutiny Committee Meeting on Libraries | A riverside view Blog

Scrutiny Committee Meeting on Libraries | A riverside view Blog — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:50:24 +0000

[...] James Anderson was at the meeting and has written about it here [...]

Comment on East Anglians still reading newspapers by Keir

Keir — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:17:30 +0000

I am struck by how little our regional titles truly engage with local communities Both EDP and Evening (Archant’s Norfolk & Norwich titles) fail to convincingly engage with the lives of citizens in a meaningful way.
It is no surprise that local blogs have become a rich resource for local information and opinion.