Flooding in Stockport

Rory Bluelow said:
I believe that’s so mate, but that’s why we’re paying so much fucking tax (on everything). Irrespective of politics all Government money comes from us (well most of us anyways !)
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What I have noticed over many years from all political parties is that throwing more and more money at a problem doesn’t make things proportionately better.
 
halfmist said:
It is a long long time since any council in the North with perhaps the exception of Altrincham was in Tory control but for some who are obsessed, they are the root of all evil for what ever happens in the world
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Whether a local council is labour or Tory is irrelevant. The funding from central government is very relevant, and over the 13 years of Tory gov, they were cut (in real terms).

That is an indisputable fact.

Underfunded councils have less money to spend on the practical means of reducing the impact of flooding.
 
normskih said:
Ah, but do you look like Hutch;)
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More like screaming lord sutch :)

But I did own a snazzy cardigan and go faster trainer back in the day.

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Manchester33 said:
Whether a local council is labour or Tory is irrelevant. The funding from central government is very relevant, and over the 13 years of Tory gov, they were cut (in real terms).

That is an indisputable fact.

Underfunded councils have less money to spend on the practical means of reducing the impact of flooding.
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Perhaps the cuts were because councils were simply wasting it. F.C. Rags of Moston being the obvious one. Sticking up signs to say they were going to implement a congestion charge followed later by sticking up signs underneath to say it's under review. The simple fact is local councils waste money.
 
The public sector at large is both essential (and so must be protected) but also incredibly inefficient and wasteful - why wouldn’t it be ? A real dilemma.
Because our tax burden is so ridiculously high at present (thanks to recent Governments) there will growing pressure from the public who will increasingly question every single pound spent. It’s going to be a very bumpy and unpleasant ride - I can see a few ‘sacred cows’ going to the abattoir. These floods are just the tip of a whole raft of difficult problems. I wish I felt more optimistic, but the mood across the Country is very gloomy atm with so many people struggling.
 
Blue Mist said:
Perhaps the cuts were because councils were simply wasting it. F.C. Rags of Moston being the obvious one. Sticking up signs to say they were going to implement a congestion charge followed later by sticking up signs underneath to say it's under review. The simple fact is local councils waste money.
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One of my pet subjects for local councils is those silly "bike only" green zones at traffic lights. I live in Oldham HAVE NEVER seen one occupied by a pushbike and 99% of drivers completely ignore them (inlcuding many police cars I've noticed) and they must have spent hundreds of thousands sticking them all over the place. Many have now almost completely faded. Some contractor must have made millions from councils.
 
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Really_here said:
One of my pet subjects for local councils is those silly "bike only" green zones at traffic lights. I live in Oldham HAVE NEVER seen one occupied by a pushbike and 99% of drivers completely ignore them (inlcuding many police cars I've noticed) and they must have spent hundreds of thousands sticking them all over the place. Many have now almost completely faded. Some contractor must have made millions from councils.
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Those silly "bike only" zones are for vulnerable road users.
 
normskih said:
Those silly "bike only" zones are for vulnerable road users.
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A rarity indeed, I truthfully have never seen a bike occupying one EVER. Must be no vulnerable road users in Oldham. I don't have a problem with them where they get used but whoever decided to plaster them everywhere should be sacked. Bike lanes yes.
 
Really_here said:
A rarity indeed, I truthfully have never seen a bike occupying one EVER. Must be no vulnerable road users in Oldham. I don't have a problem with them where they get used but whoever decided to plaster them everywhere should be sacked. Bike lanes yes.
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You’d have to be clinically insane to consider biking it in Oldham on a regular basis.

Not only would you likely get hypothermia, you’d have your bike nicked as well.
 
Really_here said:
A rarity indeed, I truthfully have never seen a bike occupying one EVER. Must be no vulnerable road users in Oldham. I don't have a problem with them where they get used but whoever decided to plaster them everywhere should be sacked. Bike lanes yes.
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You have never seen them being used because bikes ignore red lights and therefore don't need them.

Sorry Normy :-)
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
You’d have to be clinically insane to consider biking it in Oldham on a regular basis.

Not only would you likely get hypothermia, you’d have your bike nicked as well.
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I worked in Oldham town centre for about 6 months. Genuinely some of the worst driving I’ve ever seen by the locals there. I would not want to by going about on a bike there.
 
Councils were given ring-fenced money for these bike schemes (which seem to annoy so many people) by the central government. The money could not be used for anything else.

So blame central government. It's one of the Green issues the Tories had in their manifesto for the last-but-one GE. But most people were so fixated by Brexit they didn't notice the other stuff. And about 1% of the population have even a vague idea of how local government funding works. (Clue - most of it does not come from your council tax, some services are mandatory, and some funding is ring-fenced and can only be spent on one thing. It's a bit like a benefactor giving you £500, but requiring you to spend it on decorating your back bedroom, even though your roof is leaking and you can't pay the gas bill.)
 
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