How not to spend the taxpayers’ money

From Wendy Ryan.

I HAVE an idea for the headline of the next Scrutiny Matters colour newsletter – How not to spend tax payers’ money.

You may have attended the Homelife Show at the weekend at Fort Regent and been handed a few freebies. I was given a few items myself.

This is a fun way of self-promotion for a business trying to raise awareness of its presence in a competitive marketplace. It is not appropriate for politicians such as those I saw on the Scrutiny stand and recently pictured in Scrutiny Matters which was published and posted through every door in the Island.

When managers all over the Island are struggling to cut pennies off the cost of teaching materials, medical equipment and vital personnel, what do Scrutiny politicians opt for?

Spending tax payers’ money on balloons (yes – you paid for that one given to your child) plastic pens, plastic fiddly bits and leaflets and the hire of a stand at a commercial exhibition.

I have enquired and discover that the estimated cost of all this would have paid for a teaching assistant’s salary for one year.

Is this is how you want to see your taxes spent? And (do not be deceived) the civil servants who generally come in for a lot of flak are not the decision makers on this expenditure, the decisions on media choice and promotion are made by the politicians against the advice of officers. They must be tearing their hair out to be associated with this amateurish attempt at self-promotion.

This action has further undermined the vital role of Scrutiny and makes a joke out of what should be regarded as a valuable contribution to good Government.