Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Moderators: John, Sharon, Fossil, Lucky Poet, crusty_bint, Jazza, dazza

Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:45 pm

Squalid self-serving crony culture episodes like this one can make people despair of the seemingly intractable bad governance that seems to endlessly recur to afflict Glasgow. Yet *another* 'regeneration' appointment mired in scandalous allegations? Everything about this disheartening episode is just so familiar:

"Glasgow Labour councillor behind troubled Commonwealth Games project "put on leave"amid finance probe."

"Kucuk, a local councillor, was given the £35,000 a year job of “regeneration manager”, while fellow party councillor Maureen Burke also landed employment there. A number of Kucuk’s relatives have, at various stages, either been appointed to the Trust board or employed at the Hub."
[url]http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14324335.Glasgow_Labour_councillor_behind_troubled_Commonwealth_Games_project__put_on_leave_/
[/url]
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:55 pm

Depressing to say the least. :(
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:04 pm

If that isn't bad enough, what about:
Glasgow Labour councillors on taxpayer-funded junkets to France and the United States as the axe falls http://m.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14323625.Glasgow_Labour_councillors_on_taxpayer_funded_junkets_to_France_and_the_United_States_as_the_axe_falls/?ref=arc
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:47 am

escotregen wrote:If that isn't bad enough, what about:
Glasgow Labour councillors on taxpayer-funded junkets to France and the United States as the axe falls http://m.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14323625.Glasgow_Labour_councillors_on_taxpayer_funded_junkets_to_France_and_the_United_States_as_the_axe_falls/?ref=arc


Not exactly unique, in public service officials going off abroad, but you have to remember exactly the same thing happens in the private sector, you just pay for it in the price of the service/product rather than through your tax/council tax.
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:48 pm

I don't agree RDR. In the private sector its a pragmatic world where caveat emptor is all. In the public sector the players proclaim much hype about 'being for the people', and 'serving the voter'. Especially with the political party involved here the players will oft tend to attack the private sector and private profit; then we see recurrent examples like this.

This episode is especially offensive. We again see Glasgow funding that is meant fro regeneration - to help the most deprived people in the most disadvantaged communities - being willfully misused. We need to stay angry when such practices are exposed.

We need beware that we get reduced to seeing this as somehow 'normal'. I suggest that over the past decade much of the (dwindling) electorate in Scotland have at long last began to see how the dominant political forces have served themselves, rather than the voters.

(Incidentally, IME I ahve mostly come across honest practices where integrity really counts.)
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:42 pm

Hmm.
Some private sector practices are far more questionable than what goes on in the public sector, we only need to look at the banks for examples of that.
I think we need to seprate what elected officials get up to versus their rhetoric, as you rightly point out and the actions of public service employees.
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Tue Mar 08, 2016 7:04 pm

RDR I agree that some pretty bad stuff does go on in the private sector (banks anyone?). My point was really meant as a counter-point to the hypocritical claims of (supposedly left-wing) politicians who talk as though 'all-in-the-'public-service-good-all-in-the-private-sector-bad.
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:06 pm

escotregen wrote:RDR I agree that some pretty bad stuff does go on in the private sector (banks anyone?). My point was really meant as a counter-point to the hypocritical claims of (supposedly left-wing) politicians who talk as though 'all-in-the-'public-service-good-all-in-the-private-sector-bad.


Public sector = good and private sector = bad is a gross over simplification.
There is plenty of stuff I think should be left to the private sector, without state interference, as long as there is a proper regulatory regime in place, the banks being an example of where 'light' touch regulation clearly failed.

However I do think certain stuff should be in the public sector, Health, water, power and justice system.
Leaving water and power supply to the private sector frequently leads to decisions being made which are not in the public good and gives lack of control over long term planning. Recent scandals with water supply in the USA and nearer to home with Severn-Trent water illustrate that where the 1st priority is shareholder gain rather than the public good.
I have a particular concern with the moral bankruptcy of allowing profit to be made from the criminal justice system. Private prisons, prisoner transportation etc. seems it's okay for the state to allow private companies in a way to profit from crime. What sort of message does that give?
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Sun Mar 13, 2016 8:41 pm

Just as well none of us is going for a 'gross over simpolification'.

Mind you the Good Ship Public Expenditure Glasgow Rregeneration continues apace - seemingly not in the least publicly encumbered by governance worries (or even an awareness of them?). See this perhaps untimely latest PR production:

'Plans to transform Glasgow east end derelict sites get cash boost'
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/1434 ... ash_boost/
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Sun Mar 13, 2016 8:56 pm

escotregen wrote:Just as well none of us is going for a 'gross over simpolification'.

Mind you the Good Ship Public Expenditure Glasgow Rregeneration continues apace - seemingly not in the least publicly encumbered by governance worries (or even an awareness of them?). See this perhaps untimely latest PR production:

'Plans to transform Glasgow east end derelict sites get cash boost'
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/1434 ... ash_boost/


The problem, to an extent, is that politicians jump at anything that they think will get them a vote and sod the consequences.
There are few, if any conviction politicians left (Dennis Skinner is one of the few I can think of).
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby escotregen » Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:13 pm

Problem ks that if we accept that generalisation (and I don't, I have known and know politicians who seem to be striving to 'Do Good') then that is to accede to the right-wing classic conservative line that, 'all politicians are in it for themselves, so just don't give them the power or the money'.

That then leaves the public good to the tender mercies of the private sector.
escotregen
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1073
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:35 pm
Location: glasgow

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:43 pm

escotregen wrote:Problem ks that if we accept that generalisation (and I don't, I have known and know politicians who seem to be striving to 'Do Good') then that is to accede to the right-wing classic conservative line that, 'all politicians are in it for themselves, so just don't give them the power or the money'.

That then leaves the public good to the tender mercies of the private sector.


Unfortunately, before I retired, my job did entail meeting MPs, MSPs and Glasgow city Councillors.
I'm sure you are right and they can't all be bad, but I can't pretend any of them were impressive (at least one appeared to be as thick as two short planks), mostly they never tired of letting you know how important they were.
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RapidAssistant » Thu May 05, 2016 11:50 am

I'll get my tuppence worth in - ironic given I am posting this on Election Day, but keeping the discussion to local government - the responsibility also lies with the electorate to vote the right people in to begin with. The trouble is that at local council level, turnouts at elections are notoriously low. And how many people actually take an active part and seriously look at what the parties are actually offering and make a decision based on this? More often than that the council elections are just used as a tool to give the Westminster government of the day a bloody nose, nothing else.

Then we have the cheek to complain about the muppets we "elected".......
RapidAssistant
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:22 am

Re: Glasgow's bad governance episodes perpetuated?

Postby RDR » Thu May 05, 2016 8:12 pm

RapidAssistant wrote:I'll get my tuppence worth in - ironic given I am posting this on Election Day, but keeping the discussion to local government - the responsibility also lies with the electorate to vote the right people in to begin with. The trouble is that at local council level, turnouts at elections are notoriously low. And how many people actually take an active part and seriously look at what the parties are actually offering and make a decision based on this? More often than that the council elections are just used as a tool to give the Westminster government of the day a bloody nose, nothing else.

Then we have the cheek to complain about the muppets we "elected".......


Couldn't agree more but then again the habit of the political parties of foisting favoured individuals onto constituencies means the public don't get much choice.
He advocated for the weak against the strong, the poor against the rich and labour against capital.
User avatar
RDR
Third Stripe
Third Stripe
 
Posts: 1648
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:58 pm
Location: West Coast


Return to Glasgow Chat (Coffee Lounge)

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests