While we appreciate that all due care needs to be taken over council spending, it does seem that the current headlines are just a storm in a wine glass.
It is obvious the chief executive will be spending a £100 per week on entertainment.
He is our City's ambassador and is involved in working lunches and dinners throughout the week.
The restaurants and hotels of Brighton and Hove see him with business guests, as they see most other chief executives of large organisations from the City and outside.
Business people know this is the way to proceed. We would be getting very poor value from our senior council executives if they stopped work every lunchtime to pop down to the canteen and then stopped work at 5.30pm to go home to dinner.
As it is, they continue to do business, conduct their meetings and fulfil their functions for much longer.
The figure quoted for entertaining is low and we wonder if this really represents good value. Is the chief executive getting out enough and selling the City?
Is he meeting enough people or is he failing to take his hand out of his pocket as often as he should?
If Brighton and Hove's restaurants are to prosper, we need a prosperous City and the chief executive is charged with this.
-Roger Marlowe, chairman, Brighton and Hove Food and Drinks Lovers Festival 2004, Charlotte Street, Brighton
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