Douglas Sh@hole!

[WTF]

58 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

The grass isn't always greener on the other side...

but at least there will be grass.

[Kopek]

Ah but will it be growing out of the cracked paving stones???

[Kopek]

2 hours ago, Max Power said:

Just having a team who are responsible for the appearance of the place, with an effective foreman, would pay dividends. 

Then you could get rid of multiple layers of expensive management, saving much more than £20,000 for certain! 

I rather think that Douglas does have a person to go out and look for problems, presume the Govt will have several. However, they will all need someone to 'Manage' them, so still some bureaucracy, possibly new managers?

Presumably the Dlas ones  report to the managers for several committees, ReGen, parks, Housing etc.

The fact that they have not fixed the cracked pavement, over grown hedge in YOUR street does not mean they are not out there somewhere.

There are the Guys in the caged pickup truck who clear the old mattresses from the back lanes and the ...........

Of course, if we're still not happy, we could have ten such 'Spotters', two managers, several clarks and more rubbish clearance teams and how much? £400,000 a year???

We  want the service but we don't want to pay for it is the problem!!!

[doc.fixit]

2 hours ago, Kopek said:

I rather think that Douglas does have a person to go out and look for problems, presume the Govt will have several. However, they will all need someone to 'Manage' them, so still some bureaucracy, possibly new managers?

Presumably the Dlas ones  report to the managers for several committees, ReGen, parks, Housing etc.

The fact that they have not fixed the cracked pavement, over grown hedge in YOUR street does not mean they are not out there somewhere.

There are the Guys in the caged pickup truck who clear the old mattresses from the back lanes and the ...........

Of course, if we're still not happy, we could have ten such 'Spotters', two managers, several clarks and more rubbish clearance teams and how much? £400,000 a year???

We  want the service but we don't want to pay for it is the problem!!!

We already pay for it many fold. The problem is that the money is spent on grand projects instead of good, honest, basic sustainability which includes regular maintenance.

[alpha-acid]

9 hours ago, Passing Time said:

You could turn this into a mini series. A short video on pubs and how not to run them could focus on how H&B forgot they were there to brew beer and let good pubs go to wrack and ruin

H+B never ever brewed beer

[alpha-acid]

8 hours ago, RoundTheCourse said:

People who are prepared to spend money on their appearance will polish and clean their footwear. These are people we need to attract as visitors.

Like hill walkers, fell runners, athletes of all sorts yes bang on

[Stu Peters]

1 hour ago, alpha-acid said:

Like hill walkers, fell runners, athletes of all sorts yes bang on

I polish my shoes and am a complete opposite to that group. However, I did extensive military service overseas where spit polished boots and carefully blancoed puttees were required to be of a very high standard. Oh yes, the air cadets in Manchester were very strict about such matters...

[Banker]

3 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

We already pay for it many fold. The problem is that the money is spent on grand projects instead of good, honest, basic sustainability which includes regular maintenance.

Too many admin, finance, HR , town clerks, deputies etc etc rather than maintenance staff around Douglas & Ramsey,lots of money subsidizing golf for people who can afford to pay proper fees, bowling greens again subsidy for wealthy pensioners.

[boswellian]

6 hours ago, Kopek said:

I rather think that Douglas does have a person to go out and look for problems, presume the Govt will have several. However, they will all need someone to 'Manage' them, so still some bureaucracy, possibly new managers?

Presumably the Dlas ones  report to the managers for several committees, ReGen, parks, Housing etc.

The fact that they have not fixed the cracked pavement, over grown hedge in YOUR street does not mean they are not out there somewhere.

There are the Guys in the caged pickup truck who clear the old mattresses from the back lanes and the ...........

Of course, if we're still not happy, we could have ten such 'Spotters', two managers, several clarks and more rubbish clearance teams and how much? £400,000 a year???

We  want the service but we don't want to pay for it is the problem!!!

But things were maintained in the past, even when we had a much smaller population to rip off. Other places can do this. I suspect maintenance doesn’t produce a lot of backhanders, whereas projects leave much more scope for this.

[alpha-acid]

2 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

I polish my shoes and am a complete opposite to that group. However, I did extensive military service overseas where spit polished boots and carefully blancoed puttees were required to be of a very high standard. Oh yes, the air cadets in Manchester were very strict about such matters...

Try polishing Trainers/running shoes see how far you get

[Kopek]

1 hour ago, boswellian said:

But things were maintained in the past, even when we had a much smaller population to rip off. Other places can do this. I suspect maintenance doesn’t produce a lot of backhanders, whereas projects leave much more scope for this.

Backhanders??? Where is the evidence that this has ever happened??? I'm not asking you to come up with the evidence, rather more intelligent insiders to back your contention.

There certainly was a time when we did not contest the actions of the council, we are now much more likely to question their actions, that does not mean any difference between maintenance then and now, simply that some of us are more attuned to lack of such upkeep???

[Derek Flint]

8 hours ago, boswellian said:

But things were maintained in the past, even when we had a much smaller population to rip off. Other places can do this. I suspect maintenance doesn’t produce a lot of backhanders, whereas projects leave much more scope for this.

From my UK perspective, this isn’t unique to the Isle of Man. It has just taken me six months of badgering to get Fylde and Lancashire Council to coordinate themselves to sweep our street and clean the gullies. There has been no maintenance down here for years in a street of pricey houses. ‘Leafy Lytham’ Is stunning, but it would be moreso if they actually swept up all the leaves in the autumn rather than leaving them to go to mush!

its these basic management tasks that seem to be a relic of the past

Edited May 6, 2022 by Derek Flint

[boswellian]

2 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

From my UK perspective, this isn’t unique to the Isle of Man. It has just taken me six months of badgering to get Fylde and Lancashire Council to coordinate themselves to sweep our street and clean the gullies. There has been no maintenance down here for years in a street of pricey houses. ‘Leafy Lytham’ Is stunning, but it would be moreso if they actually swept up all the leaves in the autumn rather than leaving them to go to mush!

its these basic management tasks that seem to be a relic of the past

Well that’s is sad. However, I can’t comment on that area. I only know that further afield it is still achieved. And I suspect that if we continue to accept  this situation it will only end in more deterioration and more prospects for large projects. I cannot see how looking after things is not possible. Or desirable? Surely, a well kept town promotes well-being and pride in it. Possibly less crime? That’s your area of course. But once anything, be it a car or a home is not looked after, others lose respect for it too. Good that you have badgered. That’s what is needed.

Edited May 6, 2022 by boswellian

[Passing Time]

3 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

From my UK perspective, this isn’t unique to the Isle of Man. It has just taken me six months of badgering to get Fylde and Lancashire Council to coordinate themselves to sweep our street and clean the gullies. There has been no maintenance down here for years in a street of pricey houses. ‘Leafy Lytham’ Is stunning, but it would be moreso if they actually swept up all the leaves in the autumn rather than leaving them to go to mush!

its these basic management tasks that seem to be a relic of the past

Judging by the number of men they send to complete (poorly) any given job, they can't use the lack of manpower excuse for not getting things done

[Stu Peters]

12 hours ago, alpha-acid said:

Try polishing Trainers/running shoes see how far you get

I don't wear pumps. I am a grownup.