Council leader: "We'd do a better job with a salary" (From The Argus)

You get expenses and an allowance. I reckon, considering your performance, that is more then what you warrant.

mimseycal wrote:
You get expenses and an allowance. I reckon, considering your performance, that is more then what you warrant.

Hear hear

Pay peanuts, get monkeys. I'm no fan of the Greens but certainly in other countries, if you pay a fair rate for the job, you'll attract more and better people. I wouldn't stand for the council at the moment - I simply couldn't afford it. I might if the allowance came somewhere near to what I need to live on. I suspect the same is true for many other people. At the moment, we're stuck with fanatics, OAPs, people with private incomes, those paid by unions and those who live on benefits. That's not ideal.

Is Kitcat seriously suggesting he deserves more that £40k ????

I think his salary should be linked into his job performance.......so yeah the current salary of nothing is about right.

There are professionals already employed by the Council to advise councillors who should remain voluntary and be paid only expenses. It should be a matter of civic duty and pride to be elected by your peers to represent their wishes and needs...NOT to have a cushy job for life, with a gold plated pension at the end, especially if you dont listen to the MAJORITY of council tax payers who expect some service for the money...

Jason, you wouldn't even get to interview stage as an apprentice in most industries.
Your CV is weak, you are inarticulate for a man of your age and your presentation poor.
The charity sector would probably give you a job because your dad may have useful contacts.
Many of your fellow councillors from all parties would also fail.

Parasite. So Grenns finally revealing their true colours. Lavish salaries, limitless expense accounts, acting like they're better than the rest of us. Shame on them. When IS the next election?

Its a poor reflection on Mr Kitkat to admit that he would do a better job if he got more than his current £40k.
Perhaps you should do the decent thing and go find a job that will pay you more than that............... I think you'll be looking for a long time, you greedy green git!

John Fallon wrote:
Pay peanuts, get monkeys. I'm no fan of the Greens but certainly in other countries, if you pay a fair rate for the job, you'll attract more and better people. I wouldn't stand for the council at the moment - I simply couldn't afford it. I might if the allowance came somewhere near to what I need to live on. I suspect the same is true for many other people. At the moment, we're stuck with fanatics, OAPs, people with private incomes, those paid by unions and those who live on benefits. That's not ideal.

I haven't heard of any councillor being given a voucher for the food bank yet - unless it is some sort of publicity stunt.

Last year Kitcat and wife brought home a cool £33,864.29 claiming £1,548,44 carers/dependents allowance.

Pretty expensive peanuts wouldn't you say ...

yes, timmys1981 lets make that toilet paper, I'd enjoy using it! Specially if we had Carolines face on it too. mind you, their ugly mugs would look the same before and after use!

the hidden agenda to this call for a salary is that they would then be eligable to have a pension and redundency or severacnce pay when thrown off the council.

What;s he trying to say?.... 'we wouldn't have mucked the place up nearly so much if we'd been paid a proper salary'..... 'we;d have mucked it up good and proper if we had'
Being a councillor is a part time role and they get £11k a year. There are some people who don;t even earn that from full time jobs after they've paid their expenses, and yes, normal people in poorly paid jobs can't claim for the expenses that councillors can. I've never known a group of politicians so relentlessly dig their own graves like this lot of Greens. I've never looked forward to the elections so much.

AmboGuy wrote:
I think his salary should be linked into his job performance.......so yeah the current salary of nothing is about right.

Doo you think they realise they are not going to be re elected and so are having a laugh?

Having re-read the story ( and I accept it might be the CSE level of journalism at the Argus that muddles the facts ) but does he really get £40K plus £28k ? If that's really the case then I can see where we can cut costs !!!!!

I think many of us will be simply speechless. This guy is quite unbelievable. Can't something be done about the awful state to which our city has now descended?

Green Party, just money grabbing Socialists, well voted Brighton, it is going to cost you very dearly, voting for twits

Beyond belief. What are the Council Officers for? They seem to be paid pretty well and perhaps Cllr Kitkat should learn how to use them?

How about this suggestion Mr Chocolate Bar. How about we pay you what you are worth, I would suggest about 40p a week is appropriate, or you show that you are a man of principle and resign.

he's got one of those faces you could punch all day long and not get bored lol

Jason Kitkat has reached a new level of lunacy in this article. Is there no depth to the idiot lows the greens will stoop.

After all the damage the Greens have done to businesses with their parking charges and loony ideas they should be ashamed to take any money from council tax payers. In fact they should be paying back the money to pay off the shortfall in parking revenue and to go to a fund to businesses that are struggling because people can't afford to shop, eat or stay in the city.

They clearly are living in a self-congraulating parallel universe to everyone else.

£40 K a year - just for having a lark (as one of his colleagues recently described being a councillor).

He has to be joking, unfotunately he isn't. What a nut job.

Where does H Jarrs stand on this one ?

I know most of you wouldn't think to actually check what he said, so here it is.

> If you could change one thing about local politics, what would it be and why?

Speaking from the city perspective, which is what I’m absorbed in, I believe we have to rethink the amateur model of local government politicians. I’m ambitious for Brighton & Hove and compare us to Barcelona, Vancouver, Sydney and other great seaside cities. Their city leaders are full-time politicians with the resources personally and at municipal level to really deliver on their agendas. I think that’s right and proper. We should expect professional political leadership and to attract good candidates we should break out of the part-timer model of councillors. Too many good councillors in our group have only been able to last one term (if they can even be persuaded to stand) because of their huge difficulties they’ve had in making balancing their time commitments work along withagainst the financial struggles associated with councillor allowances – which by the way, are tiny by international comparisons. Paying politicians more is not exactly a populist position, I know, and I’m not complaining about my personal lot as Leader. But commission after commission raises these same issues with English local government representation – and yet no solution is in sight. So I think it does need tackling.

Kitkat and his cronies aren't worth 40pence- together. May I suggest he take his wife and political bedfellows and depart for Barcelona, Vancouver, Sydney pretty darn soon

Idontbelieveit1948 wrote:
£40 K a year - just for having a lark (as one of his colleagues recently described being a councillor).

He has to be joking, unfotunately he isn't. What a nut job.

Where does H Jarrs stand on this one ?

Oh, I would pay councillors more than they get in allowances today. I would expect more from them for example in terms of time commitment.

Currently most councillors of all political parties put in enough time that the current allowance works out around the minimum wage or less, fine if you just want to attract retired busy bodies but little recompense for sacrificing family life, career and to encourage good quality candidates to stand.

Take the Tories (please!); I recall possibly Theobold in the Argus last year trying to attract non conservative members to stand as Tory candidates (I know this happens with other parties elsewhere), which is code for being unable to attract people within because it is a lot of commitment for not much reward (not many members now). Going some way to paying a proper rate would help the Tories recruit better candidates for example.

I lived in the laughing stock borough of Brent in the 90's and the desperation for councillors led to a terrible mess, first for labour then conservatives.

Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

The snobby nosed green ****
Seeing’s he’s asking for more than he and his colleagues are worth maybe we should get a freedom of information on exactly haw much money they have had so far out of the taxpayers pockets for what they have dun so far. Plus they all should be made to publicize there external earnings and expenses and all of the allowances they get for being councilors.
This is outright GREED by Jason Kitkat asking for more and he’s already geting £40, 221 a year + travel expenses, subsistence allowance and dependant carer’s allowance god most people on 40k a year dote get travel expenses, subsistence allowance and dependant carer’s allowance + the opportunity to earn extra from another job, this sounds like a get rich wick scheme, maybe Kitkat also wants a second home paid for by the taxpayer on top of his 40k and benefits

Interesting stuff on Google if you search for Wayne Paul Kitcat and Jason Kitcat. I think possibly Kitcat jnr has plenty enough money in his private kitty.

wippasnapper wrote:
The snobby nosed green ****
Seeing’s he’s asking for more than he and his colleagues are worth maybe we should get a freedom of information on exactly haw much money they have had so far out of the taxpayers pockets for what they have dun so far. Plus they all should be made to publicize there external earnings and expenses and all of the allowances they get for being councilors.
This is outright GREED by Jason Kitkat asking for more and he’s already geting £40, 221 a year + travel expenses, subsistence allowance and dependant carer’s allowance god most people on 40k a year dote get travel expenses, subsistence allowance and dependant carer’s allowance + the opportunity to earn extra from another job, this sounds like a get rich wick scheme, maybe Kitkat also wants a second home paid for by the taxpayer on top of his 40k and benefits

Why do you need a FOI request when all this info is on the council website and published at least twice a year in the Argus to stir things up.

What amazes me is if it is such a gravy train why don't you and the rest of the moaners stand for election? You could stand on a platform of cutting your own allowances, surely a vote winner!

stir up wrote:
the hidden agenda to this call for a salary is that they would then be eligable to have a pension and redundency or severacnce pay when thrown off the council.

Wouldn't surprise me .... a very good case for never making the position of councillor a salaried one.

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

george smith wrote:

AmboGuy wrote:
I think his salary should be linked into his job performance.......so yeah the current salary of nothing is about right.

Doo you think they realise they are not going to be re elected and so are having a laugh?

pmsl

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

What a stupid comparison !!!!

I decide if I pay towards a players wages by deciding if I pay to go to a game.

Please show me how I can opt out of paying Idiot Kitcat any money ?

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

If he can't afford new bicycle clips he should p...s off now.
How about all of us suffering and earning less our lives inconvenienced because and his fellow green idiots thrust their looney ideological crap our way?

The only thing Jason and his green cronies deserve is the sack they are about as much use as a chocolate teapot

What ever next... a nice fat redundancy package when they get voted off?

AmboGuy wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison.

All the work is done by the town hall staff anyway. The councillors seem to do very little. If councillors get paid as full timers then the money must come from a reduction in town hall staff.

fredflintstone1 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

I don't want to purchase the annual accounts from campanies House but the average Championship wage is around £220-250k. Obviously there is a big spread but a large club like B&H probably pays at least the average.

HJarrs wrote:

AmboGuy wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison.

You're clearly a councillor with an avoidance of the question actually asked !

Fight_Back wrote:
Is Kitcat seriously suggesting he deserves more that £40k ????

No he isn't - read the article. He says "I’m not complaining about my personal lot."

Fight_Back wrote:

HJarrs wrote:

AmboGuy wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison.

You're clearly a councillor with an avoidance of the question actually asked !

You will just have to do a websearch of my comments for the answer.

But you have already overspent taxpayers monies on wasted schemes.
Its gone/no money/you have spent it all and more.Oh sorry I forgot another 1.5 million for the new 20 mph signs.I wish I had the money to invest in shares of the Company who have the contract with B&H supplying and fitting traffic lights/street signs/new led lamps.What a contract.

I wonder if there will next be a revelation that Jason, Caroline and Philomena are registered in Cayman islnds, thus payng no Uk tax. probably H Jarrs can tell us from her home in Brussels.

I wouldn't give Kitekat and the odious snot Greens the phelgm from my throat let alone a salary.

But at least he would be able to afford a tie and some soap to wash.

What a hate filled man, that Kitekat is.

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

It would be interesting to see how Brighton functioned for a year without any parasitic councillors at all. I'm sure the place wouldn't be any worse off, particularly when you look at what the totally out of touch with reality, thick, Green imbeciles have done. I only wish they'd suffer the same fate as Mussolini and Co after the next election.

NickBrt wrote:
I wonder if there will next be a revelation that Jason, Caroline and Philomena are registered in Cayman islnds, thus payng no Uk tax. probably H Jarrs can tell us from her home in Brussels.

Sorry, snowy Hanover. Why don't you ask them yourself pretend green voter?

Algeria Touchshriek wrote:
I wouldn't give Kitekat and the odious snot Greens the phelgm from my throat let alone a salary.

But at least he would be able to afford a tie and some soap to wash.

What a hate filled man, that Kitekat is.

For a hate filled person I suggest you check out your nearest mirror.

Now we know why the Greens wanted to get into power...to get their snouts in the trough. Seeing what a mess they are making of Brighton and Hove, it could be for no other reason

gusset snatcher wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

It would be interesting to see how Brighton functioned for a year without any parasitic councillors at all. I'm sure the place wouldn't be any worse off, particularly when you look at what the totally out of touch with reality, thick, Green imbeciles have done. I only wish they'd suffer the same fate as Mussolini and Co after the next election.

Yawn, yawn, you do come across as a bit sad. It is amazing what bile a couple of cycle lanes can provoke.

AGT999 wrote:
Now we know why the Greens wanted to get into power...to get their snouts in the trough. Seeing what a mess they are making of Brighton and Hove, it could be for no other reason

If you want to see snouts in the trough, check out the history of UKIP's MEPs!

HJarrs wrote:

fredflintstone1 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

I don't want to purchase the annual accounts from campanies House but the average Championship wage is around £220-250k. Obviously there is a big spread but a large club like B&H probably pays at least the average.

What has this got to do with this article, what the club pay their players is up to the club and supporters who go through the turnstiles. Local community charges are compulsory, going through a football clun turnstile is not.

AGT999 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:

fredflintstone1 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

I don't want to purchase the annual accounts from campanies House but the average Championship wage is around £220-250k. Obviously there is a big spread but a large club like B&H probably pays at least the average.

What has this got to do with this article, what the club pay their players is up to the club and supporters who go through the turnstiles. Local community charges are compulsory, going through a football clun turnstile is not.

As copied from previous post you couldn't be bothered to read..,

"Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison."

But then I don't think you are really interested.

HJarrs wrote:

AGT999 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:

fredflintstone1 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

I don't want to purchase the annual accounts from campanies House but the average Championship wage is around £220-250k. Obviously there is a big spread but a large club like B&H probably pays at least the average.

What has this got to do with this article, what the club pay their players is up to the club and supporters who go through the turnstiles. Local community charges are compulsory, going through a football clun turnstile is not.

As copied from previous post you couldn't be bothered to read..,

"Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison."

But then I don't think you are really interested.

You don't really get it do you?

HJarrs wrote:

AmboGuy wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison.

If we want the best we should have a choice about who we are voting for. Politicians are picked by the party first, we have no say in who is standing for election so how does that make them the best? Just because you win an election hardly makes you the "best". Most politicians are party hacks serving themselves and the party, not the country. Politics is a career now not a vocation so we get party loyalists out for the good of the party not us. The best thing would be to ban political parties and let people stand on their merits, something most politicians do not have.

HJarrs wrote:

AGT999 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:

fredflintstone1 wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

So what? You seem to be confusing public service with a private limited company.

Plus of course, dare I say it, you don't have a clue as to what the Albion wage bill is anyway....

Need I point out also that the team brings something positive to the city? Contrast that with the actions of your beloved Green associates and reflect.
Would the city be worse off without young Jase and his motley crew?

I don't want to purchase the annual accounts from campanies House but the average Championship wage is around £220-250k. Obviously there is a big spread but a large club like B&H probably pays at least the average.

What has this got to do with this article, what the club pay their players is up to the club and supporters who go through the turnstiles. Local community charges are compulsory, going through a football clun turnstile is not.

As copied from previous post you couldn't be bothered to read..,

"Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison."

But then I don't think you are really interested.

You're completely loopy if you really think comparing footballers salaries with potential salaries for councillors is a valid comparison.

Regardless, let's take your comparison and follow it through. The Albion pay Championship wages and with the new Fair Play Rules will have to breakeven from 2015. What they pay is dictated by their income - i.e. what customers are prepared to pay. If they drop down a division then they will pay less as people will be expect cheaper tickets.

Now lets take that model and apply it to a council ( any colour council not just your beloved Greens ). Let's ask the councils "customers" what they are prepared to pay councillors - as far as I'm concerned not a single current councillor is worth more than £25k per year. So Kitcat gets £40k+ - as a customer how do I withdraw my custom ? I can't.

The suggestion of doing away with councillors of every colour is an interesting one. Let the council run for a year on policies already in place. I suspect it would save us a fortune and also save us seeing idiots like Kitcat, Morgan and Theobald in the local paper.

He needs a scrub up and shave by the looks of that picture. And turn the hoses on him!

HJarrs,

How about you get a job?

Waster.

I wonder if Kitekat is likely to think about what's being written here? Doubt it, Greens dont listen to the people. Just read the article about the school that closed early in Hove and gave their food to the homeless centre. This news is brilliant, anything from the Greens about ensuring homeless don't suffer even more this cold snap? OF COURSE NOT! They dont care about homeless any more than they care about the rest of us, except Protesters and Travellers of course.

Proof that he is TOTALLY out of touch with reality.....
40K for a cushy job that has no punishment for utter failure until we can vote again is ludacris, we will be sorting out this debacle for the next decade.

IF he doesn't like the terms and conditions for a councillor then I look forward to him buggering off and allowing others to fill the roles

HJarrs wrote:

Fight_Back wrote:

HJarrs wrote:

AmboGuy wrote:

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

Yes but in your blind devotion for the Greens you've failed to realise that Albion player's wages are not paid for out of tax payers money like this salary would be.

Actually now you're on here, I've asked you in the past if you're a Green councillor and you ignored my question. Would you care to answer it now?

Money is money, it is immaterial as to public or private in this case because my point is that if you want the best you have to pay. Football clubs pay astonishing amounts of money to cosseted players and hardly a mumur of complaint - people lap it up, yet the same people will often pour scorn on politicians and the proper funding of democracy despite it been a tiny cost in comparison.

You're clearly a councillor with an avoidance of the question actually asked !

You will just have to do a websearch of my comments for the answer.

Must be a green councillor, as you cannot give a straight anawer

the dole awaits roll on the next election...cant come quick enough

NickBrt wrote:
I wonder if Kitekat is likely to think about what's being written here? Doubt it, Greens dont listen to the people. Just read the article about the school that closed early in Hove and gave their food to the homeless centre. This news is brilliant, anything from the Greens about ensuring homeless don't suffer even more this cold snap? OF COURSE NOT! They dont care about homeless any more than they care about the rest of us, except Protesters and Travellers of course.

I think he does read them, but he just sits back and smirks like the odious above photo shows.

He has the personality that nobody can be right apart from him. He is also the kind of person who will resort to mentioning spelling mistakes when he knows he can not win an argument.

Sometimes, he sits back and thinks "oh look at all these citizens of MY city talking about me, how great am I?"

Vile man with vile, hate-filled politics.

stir up wrote:
the hidden agenda to this call for a salary is that they would then be eligable to have a pension and redundency or severacnce pay when thrown off the council.

Caroline Lucas looks like Mr Spock from Star Trek after a sex-change....

HJarrs wrote:

AGT999 wrote:
Now we know why the Greens wanted to get into power...to get their snouts in the trough. Seeing what a mess they are making of Brighton and Hove, it could be for no other reason

If you want to see snouts in the trough, check out the history of UKIP's MEPs!

Pretty similar to Green MEPs ask Caroline she can afford 5 houses after all !

By the way H Jarrs are you prepared to confirm your gender ? Its just that I am very confused by various people calling you he while others refer to she and you don't seem to correct either - just curious

Councillors should be salaried and full time, with just fewer of them. Most of them practically work full time anyway. I would completely discount the bla bla bla pig ignorance of many of the comments with regard to this. If anyone spent a week with most councillors, of whatever party, they would change their tune.

HJarrs wrote:

Idontbelieveit1948 wrote:
£40 K a year - just for having a lark (as one of his colleagues recently described being a councillor).

He has to be joking, unfotunately he isn't. What a nut job.

Where does H Jarrs stand on this one ?

Oh, I would pay councillors more than they get in allowances today. I would expect more from them for example in terms of time commitment.

Currently most councillors of all political parties put in enough time that the current allowance works out around the minimum wage or less, fine if you just want to attract retired busy bodies but little recompense for sacrificing family life, career and to encourage good quality candidates to stand.

Take the Tories (please!); I recall possibly Theobold in the Argus last year trying to attract non conservative members to stand as Tory candidates (I know this happens with other parties elsewhere), which is code for being unable to attract people within because it is a lot of commitment for not much reward (not many members now). Going some way to paying a proper rate would help the Tories recruit better candidates for example.

I lived in the laughing stock borough of Brent in the 90's and the desperation for councillors led to a terrible mess, first for labour then conservatives.

This (If it doesn't appear too reasoned and rational for this board).

BornInBrighton1968 wrote:

stir up wrote:
the hidden agenda to this call for a salary is that they would then be eligable to have a pension and redundency or severacnce pay when thrown off the council.

Caroline Lucas looks like Mr Spock from Star Trek after a sex-change....

Thank you for your.. err.. useful addition to this debate.

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George Osborne, Adolf Hitler, Margaret Thatcher.
All full time well paid politicians, Maybe part-time is better.

Well, Jason, m'dear, no-one seems ot be supporting your proposal. Apart from Carole HJarrs, who lets face it would support anything her fellow greens said automatically.

A parallel situation exists in the Magistrate's Courts.

People with zero legal training/qualificati
ons sit in legally enforceable judgment over people charged with offences, complete with limited sentencing powers. They are called Magistrates. You just have to be vetted (voted in) by people who judge you are 'worthy'.

It is a rite of passage for some quite socially/politically
/otherwise ambitious people. Looks good on a c.v.

In the courts a legally qualified person sits below the bench of magistrates and provides legal advice that tells them what to do.

In Council meetings it is the same.

Totally ordinary, unqualified-for-the-
decisions-they-make Councillors do what the officers sitting behind them in meetings advise (when they are at a loss for words or knowledge) and work with the reports from the paid (qualified) staff they kind of have to accept.

Councillors just nit-pick over details. Sometimes with good reason. 90% of the time just to try to show up the opposition and score points they think will play well in the press or impress voters.

Councillors are paid the same as each other regardless of worth or diligence or hours put in. They sometimes sit long hours at meetings but beyond that - some do absolutely nothing for residents and learn nothing about how council procedures operate. Others (one, maybe two) look round their wards to see what they can do to improve them or host surgeries and help residents with interventions at the council on their behalf.

Mostly councillors work for their political masters in their chosen party with a view to re-election and all that lolly they are not even held to account for.

I once heard of a retiring councillor briefing potential candidates about what being a councillor entailed. I was told she said to them "You can do as much or as little as you want to". Clearly if a potential candidate already has a full-time job this is music to the ear.

But it does not matter how much or how little they do. They are ALL trapped by the fact that they are unable to effectively question or challenge the officers. Indeed the officers are very expert at batting away their interfering questions until they stop asking them.

The Baron Pepperpot wrote:
Councillors should be salaried and full time, with just fewer of them. Most of them practically work full time anyway. I would completely discount the bla bla bla pig ignorance of many of the comments with regard to this. If anyone spent a week with most councillors, of whatever party, they would change their tune.

Clarification. Yes, many of them DO very long hours.

Too many of them do those very long hours in service to their party, pushing party political claimsmaking bilge through letterboxes, etc. on behalf of their parties and to remind residents they exist.

Or attending chitchat meetings with their partypolitical fellows and local Chairmen, committess, executives and benefactors, etc., plus fundraisers and, and, and.

The job of councillor comes way down the list and doing what? Sitting on committees going through agendas that officers wrote, giving officer-prepared answers to petitions and public questions, etc.

Some of them are abroad more than they are in this country it also seems to some of us (!). They think they can be councillors by Blackberry.

HJarrs wrote:
Some of you should get things into perspective; the annual cost of paying all councillor allowances and expenses probably doesn't add up to 2 weeks of squad wages at the Albion.

that's perspective?
live in the real, world where costs are continually rising, and wages in the main, being reduced with below inflation increases, and it's us that have to pay this bill

comparing brighton to barcelona and sydney mmmm,not even close and yes i've been to them all,councillors should want to improve the city for the love of the place not the rewards,get the city sorted,more visible police presence to try and get the crime rates down,get the scum kids off the streets that are making the city a less desirable place to visit,do these things then maybe you could talk about salaries

I actually have an element of sympathy with his view. We do NOT want more career politicians but a case can be made that if we want our local councillors to really master their briefs as opposed to only giving it part of their attention maybe a salary is the way forward. After all the biggest problem with the current administration (and with Greens generally) is that they never think deeply enough and always make decisions based on their own simple dogma and ideology. Professional councillors might mean that we get a more professional and competent council as opposed to the current system of 'gentleman amateurs' muddling through.

Note I'm saying 'a case can be made', not that I'm necessarily in favour of it.

Well it seems pretty clear from the comments that this latest personal gain staement from the Leader of our Council. Shows not only the Greens true colours, but just how out of touch they are with the electorate of this City.

Lets hope at the next local elections the good people of Brighton & Hove take the trouble to vote & not display their usual apathy. That is why we are in this pickle & stuck with at least for the time being.

deanaprior wrote:
Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George Osborne, Adolf Hitler, Margaret Thatcher.
All full time well paid politicians, Maybe part-time is better.

well done for getting the first irrelevant "Hitler was a..." reference in!

Here we go again wrote:
Well it seems pretty clear from the comments that this latest personal gain staement from the Leader of our Council. Shows not only the Greens true colours, but just how out of touch they are with the electorate of this City.

Lets hope at the next local elections the good people of Brighton & Hove take the trouble to vote & not display their usual apathy. That is why we are in this pickle & stuck with at least for the time being.

Now is the time for every Brighton man and woman of good character to stand together,and remove the odious, incompetent Green loons from our city.

If we all work together, it could happen in a matter of months!

For what it is worth, the level of councillors allowances are quite rightly set by an independent panel based on the role, hours spent etc. The basic allowance is £11k a year with additional allowances paid for members with additional council responsibilities. Allowances and expenses are published regularly.

If no allowances were paid then we would return to the days when only wealthy, retired people could afford to do it - that would not reflect the people of Brighton and Hove any more than current cllrs do.

Cllrs will no longer be able to take part in the Local Govt Pension Scheme as of 2015. Elected mayors and MPs - who recently said they wanted to increase their salaries from £65k to £95k - are paid and still receive a final salary linked pension. It could be argued that a council leader - of an authority covering 260,000 people with a budget of over £700m - has more responsibility and power than an individual MP. That is not to say the council leader deserves more money than currently paid.

For the record I work full time as a cllr and claim no additional expenses beyond published allowances. I'm very conscious of those people I represent on low incomes, sometimes working several jobs, facing cuts to their benefits, increases in bills and additional costs due to Govt changes in rent and council tax this year.

wouldn;t it be great if we could all allocate ourselves jobs and set our own pay levels...... alas, but welcome to the real world. .... depart u thick green loon

Warren Morgan wrote:
For what it is worth, the level of councillors allowances are quite rightly set by an independent panel based on the role, hours spent etc. The basic allowance is £11k a year with additional allowances paid for members with additional council responsibilities. Allowances and expenses are published regularly.

If no allowances were paid then we would return to the days when only wealthy, retired people could afford to do it - that would not reflect the people of Brighton and Hove any more than current cllrs do.

Cllrs will no longer be able to take part in the Local Govt Pension Scheme as of 2015. Elected mayors and MPs - who recently said they wanted to increase their salaries from £65k to £95k - are paid and still receive a final salary linked pension. It could be argued that a council leader - of an authority covering 260,000 people with a budget of over £700m - has more responsibility and power than an individual MP. That is not to say the council leader deserves more money than currently paid.

For the record I work full time as a cllr and claim no additional expenses beyond published allowances. I'm very conscious of those people I represent on low incomes, sometimes working several jobs, facing cuts to their benefits, increases in bills and additional costs due to Govt changes in rent and council tax this year.

wouldn;t it be great if we could all allocate ourselves jobs and set our own pay levels...... alas, but welcome to the real world. .... depart u thick green loon.......
ohh thats u by the way