DBC Megathread

[finlo]

2 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

We have a huge public sector to maintain, public sector money is getting short and squeezing the public (while the public's squeezing its head in this instance) is, as usual the only recourse they know. Making any sort of meaningful cuts or economies is an alien concept.

It's remarkable. 13-odd years ago IoM Govt lost 1/3rd of its income with the VAT cutback. Yet Allan Bell refused to countenance any public sector cuts despite having expressed his concern about PS growth only a couple of years previously.

Fast forward to today and the finances have reached such a state that we've had to raise a £400M loan. The PS must have grown by a good couple of thousand more at least since Bell's concerns. Yet once again Alf Cannan declares that there's no need for an examination of PS numbers.

It's not difficult to see where this could be headed.

 

[hissingsid]

Wow……

[Gladys]

13 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

I can't wait to hear what the outrageous behaviour was.

Give it time!

[TheTeapot]

On the subject of charging for the bog, please don't forget that Douglas Corporation put a charge on for the toilets next to the kids park on the prom.

This is fucking shit behaviour.

[Amadeus]

If anyone’s looking for me, I’m in the bunker under town hall. Access by pulling the right most champagne bottle in the mayor’s bar towards you. That unlocks the secret staircase. 

Interesting to see the mole being back, especially as there’s quite a hunt going on for you in town hall. Nothing that involves me I hasten to add. I only forwarded your public post and nothing more. You’re smart enough to hide your online tracks anyway. 

I’ll forward this like last time and to be honest, I actually like the fact stuff is being leaked if it helps transparency and furthers accountability. Myself and a number of councillors I spoke to after the last post would have preferred if this was done via the whistleblower channel and by contacting one of us. We have a whistleblower policy in place, I especially checked after last time. But I understand when people aren’t comfortable doing that. It’s a small place and all that.

So let me send this onwards and I know I’m not alone when I would like to see a full enquiry now to establish the facts. 

Who wants to see a picture of the vans then? 

[0bserver]

If you're ever caught short Monday - Friday 0900-1700 just walk into the Town Hall and use their lavish facilities. 

[Roger Mexico]

6 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

I can never understand why public sector people do that. Quick let ls try to find who it is so we can bully the f**k out of them! 

It happens in the private sector as well, it's just that examples in the public sector are more likely to get publicity because people are more interested in the revelations.  As you'd expect because the public are affected by the way public institutions are run, while in private ones it's only the owners/shareholders and other staff, plus maybe customers, who are concerned.

Of course in any institution, a reaction that focuses on "How did this get out?" rather than "How did this happen in the first place?" is a bit of a give-away.

[finlo]

18 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

If anyone’s looking for me, I’m in the bunker under town hall. Access by pulling the right most champagne bottle in the mayor’s bar towards you. That unlocks the secret staircase. 

Interesting to see the mole being back, especially as there’s quite a hunt going on for you in town hall. Nothing that involves me I hasten to add. I only forwarded your public post and nothing more. You’re smart enough to hide your online tracks anyway. 

I’ll forward this like last time and to be honest, I actually like the fact stuff is being leaked if it helps transparency and furthers accountability. Myself and a number of councillors I spoke to after the last post would have preferred if this was done via the whistleblower channel and by contacting one of us. We have a whistleblower policy in place, I especially checked after last time. But I understand when people aren’t comfortable doing that. It’s a small place and all that.

So let me send this onwards and I know I’m not alone when I would like to see a full enquiry now to establish the facts. 

Who wants to see a picture of the vans then? 

Because whistle blowers get hung out to dry!

[Two-lane]

How about "outing" the people who are hunting for the mole?

Oh well, I suppose that's everybody.

[Amadeus]

2 minutes ago, Two-lane said:

How about "outing" the people who are hunting for the mole?

Oh well, I suppose that's everybody.

As you can imagine in situations like this, one concern was that there may have been a technical or security issue and I queried that in council. A review of the system has apparently been carried out and there was no hacker or similar angle of attack it seems. This is what I was told after speaking to senior staff after the last meeting.

I’m not sure who is doing what to look at other angles and as communication seemingly isn’t anyone’s forte in town hall, haven’t received any updates on anything since. 

[finlo]

13 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Thank you the information.  I find it fairly astonishing that they were unaware of a criminal record for fraud that was actually in the Isle of Man and you would assume that standard HR procedures would have required all previous convictions (or their lack) to be declared in writing.

The bit above puzzled me however.  Are you saying that the CNG vehicles were even more efficient than Walker claimed?  That would be an even better reason for purchase I would think.  Or did he overestimate the cost of consumption of the conventional vehicles he was comparing them to?

Badly worded I think, hiding the fact that they are not very fuel efficient.

[Numbnuts]

26 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

£250K to replace some crappy old shed 

https://gef.im/2022/03/18/game-postponed-as-changing-rooms-condemned/

Mind blowing . And NSC and other facilities nearby which should have meant game didnt need to be cancelled. DBC playing the game to push through the massively overpriced funding. Total con. ! And back in the day when games at Laxey couldnt take place due to state of pitch we played up Strenaby with no facilities there . Changed at clubhouse on Glen Road then after the game back down for shower. 

[Amadeus]

32 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

£250K to replace some crappy old shed 

https://gef.im/2022/03/18/game-postponed-as-changing-rooms-condemned/

Up to 500k total cost actually, which has been debated a lot recently. In fact, the budget nearly didn’t get passed because of this. Some councillors demanded it be put back in when it was taken out. Risk that council is left on the hook for big amounts is high. Fine that they need a new facility but other options and ways to finance have to be explored. 

[hissingsid]

Remember it well…how things have changed.

[Amadeus]

5 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

I’ll replace that shed for £50K can I get the contract and save the ratepayers £450K at the same time. 

Trust me it more than raised eyebrows. Apparently the standard it needs to be done to to appease the FA, who may or may not finance part of it, is quite high and building stuff like this is expensive in general. Hard to justify at the moment though.