Access all areas
Along with their plane tickets, I understand that Councillors are being sent a pass for access to the Executive Lounges at mainland airports, so that they don't have to mix with the plebs. A problem that seems to have spread down the food chain vanity ladder.
One Councillor I spoke to was unaware that these passes were being issued, and assured me that they had never used them, but on checking with colleagues he found a different story.
I don't have a problem with Executive Lounges, and I have never been in one, but I do have a problem with taxpayers money being used to allow public servants to avoid the public.
I'm told, but this seems ludicrously expensive, that these vouchers normally cost £25 a flight which even allowing for a huge discount for bulk buying implies a large annual cost, when annual membership is available for as little as £69. And if you were buying 40 (31 Councillors + Chief Officers) you can surely bargain that down further.
Perhaps the Comhairle might like to clarify just how much we are paying for Councillors to get access to free booze.
BTW, if we get a $hit excuse that it is "all part of the cost we pay to the travel agents", then I will have to dig deeper.
One Councillor I spoke to was unaware that these passes were being issued, and assured me that they had never used them, but on checking with colleagues he found a different story.
I don't have a problem with Executive Lounges, and I have never been in one, but I do have a problem with taxpayers money being used to allow public servants to avoid the public.
I'm told, but this seems ludicrously expensive, that these vouchers normally cost £25 a flight which even allowing for a huge discount for bulk buying implies a large annual cost, when annual membership is available for as little as £69. And if you were buying 40 (31 Councillors + Chief Officers) you can surely bargain that down further.
Perhaps the Comhairle might like to clarify just how much we are paying for Councillors to get access to free booze.
BTW, if we get a $hit excuse that it is "all part of the cost we pay to the travel agents", then I will have to dig deeper.
6 comments:
Could someone remind me (because I have genuinely forgotten) whether the Council publish expenses for officials and councillors on line so that we can all see them ?
(That is,of course, when they get round to putting anything on line. If you went by the Council website, you would think there had been no committee meetings since January or something.)
Which year was that?
LOL !
Are you sure this is correct?
A lot of the travel done by these folk will be on tickets that have flexible return legs. Due to the Flybe pricing structure (and associated charges for changing tickets) this normally means having the return leg as Economy Plus which allows changes without charge. A bonus of this Economy Plus leg of the ticket is lounge access which apart from free grog is pleasant place to sit and wait for a flight.
If this post, as it is written, is true then it stinks. However no one in their right mind would pay for lounge access when no lounges exit at any island airport.
I note that the Lounge Dress Code forbids Hats - now that is outright discrimination and an abomination of power. Thankfully none of our councillors wear hats or do they?
Have you not seen Lee Van Cleef around Sandwick Road (plus glasses and beard)!
Nil points for observation!
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