Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Council Leader Saves Council Money by Working as Road Labourer
In an unexpected move this week, Haringey Council Leader Claire Kober swapped the executive suite for a week mending the streets.
In a bid to save money for cash strapped Harringay, Councillor Claire Kober spent the week mending Haringey's potholed roads................
.....if only.....but I couldn't resist a pop at yet another rather silly classic councillor photo opportunity - the real story which these photos accompanied however is rather more welcome!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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A couple of years ago a HoL member saw Cllr Kober having her photo taken by a gaggle of PR people while in a similar pose by a pothole in a Ladder road. That was a silly stunt and the Dear Leader was lucky not to have had the whole thing filmed. (As I recall, the HoL member was a professional filmmaker.)
But maybe I'm completely mistaken. And Hugh's headline yesterday is nearer the facts. Perhaps Claire Kober really did spend a solid few hours on this vital task?
If not, then really, what's the point? To strengthen people's well deserved mistrust for politicians? Especially any Haringey councillors who think voters are gullible mugs who will keep falling for PR nonsense? Why not just tell the story straight!
Is it any surprise that vast numbers of people don't bother voting in local elections? And that huge numbers are giving the thumbs-down to the main parties and turning to scary populists like Ukip's Farage?
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by BBL on
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Perhaps Claire Kober really did spend a solid few hours on this vital task?
In those shoes - aye right.
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"Excellent!" I cried.
"Elementary," said Sherlock BBL. "It is one of those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to their neighbour, because the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction.
"I have the advantage of knowing the habits of these meretricious politicians", he continued. "For pothole filling tasks of any substance they would don boots and protective clothing. But if the aim is a mere publicity pose for the gullible they need alight only a few moments from their hansom cab. As I perceive, the lady's shoes, although used, are by no means dirty, I cannot doubt that duty called elsewhere and the Dear Leader had no need of gloves and work boots.
"What of the black clothing?" I asked.
Watson, surely you recognise the accoutrements of mourning? Cllr Kober must pretend grief at the untimely death of principles, competence, and vision in her leadership of Haringey Council.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Yost so it's clear, I'm not having a pop at Claire Kober here; I'm having a go at the oft lambasted councillor photo kultur. There used - may still be - a 'Glum Councillors' website.
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Fair enough, Hugh. But while anyone can snap photos of councillors going about our important tasks, councillors themselves can choose whether or not they take part in a posed PR shot. (If indeed that was all Cllr Kober did.)
Personally I'd rather see photos of people actually doing a job - whether council staff, contractors, voluntary sector agencies, volunteers or residents themselves.
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Quite - what I mean is that I'm having a pop at all councillors who submit not just the one.
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Here's the link to Glum Councillors.
Although the current batch of photos lets down the website's reputation by including several smiley councillors. Fortunately there's a great scowl from Stroud Green's reliably morose Richard Wilson - a regular star of this website. Although I missed his famed trademark pointing.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Hugh, enough with the backpedalling already!
It is a silly photo-op and it needn't be a reflection on every politician ever!
Here's one I took earlier, before a Leader-visit (note the terrific depth-of-field in the photo as well as the depth of the pothole).
I still think that Claire should come down with some tools to the south end of Finsbury Park. After rainfall, this area regularly floods. Now is the time to fix up the drain while the weather's fine (no need to bring a plunger, but maybe some drainage rods?)
The council currently wants to spend £90,000 p.a. on a new PR position that will help to put a thick layer of gloss over the pot hole problem as well as shiny gloss on other issues.
However, the basic things tend to be left undone.
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Explaining not back pedalling
That's the impressive 'Arkady' in a pre-councillor crouch there isn't it. Is he shaping up for office?
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"£90,000 p.a. on a new PR position that will help to put a thick layer of gloss ..."
One basic thing which remains to be done, Clive, is your asking the Council about details of the postholder's responsibilities. If you've done this, please let people know so they can decide for themselves which parts of the work are PR and which are not. Nor does it help that you seem to assume the postholder is automatically paid the maximum salary.
It's perfectly fair to criticise politicians who encourage or tolerate a culture of spin, disinformation and obfuscation. But as critics let's please try to practice what we preach.
P.S. The word is pothole.
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Alan elsewhere on HoL you have already done your best to excuse and apologise for this crass waste of money.
This particular (new!) post is merely the latest instance of the bloated Communications Budget that is desperately in need of slashing.
Even at the bottom end of the salary range over which you quibble, the on-costs would easily take this outrageous sum to over £100,000.
I remain astonished that you were unable to identify a single better way of spending such a lot of money that the council has managed to find.
(BTW, well done in getting the provisional Parking Account figures. I note the net profit in the 12 months to March 2013 is more than £6,000,000.)
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