It was not so very long ago Cllr Mick Warner and Cllr Joyce Bosnjac were having to publicly defend themselves, because they were given money from the public purse to go to America on a degree course. From memory these courses were to enable them to obtain personal qualifications at public expense. I believe Mick Warner failed to complete his course, he did not get re-elected and I don't know if he offered to pay any of the money back?

Post 22/6/07) Dr Margaret Wheatley at a cost from the public purse of £19,500, came to England from America to educate councillors and others regarding how to take care of business. Dr Wheatley advice "A healthy community focuses on what is possible rather than what is wrong. It knows not to excuse the poor. It always includes more and more people. They don't just settle on a few people taking decisions.

Not many months after Dr Wheatley went home (Post 18/12/07) 8,566 sign a petition more say 'leave OAP care alone, 18,000 want homes saved and a councillor who presented a petition of some 2000 names on behalf of Kirklands Care Home, along with his said "there could be 10,000 more". Cllr Bosnjac also handed in a petition signed by 367 supporters of the Mansfield Pensioners Action Association. Admitted the possible closures were something she was directly responsible for.

The cost of Dr Wheatley's visit presumably did not take into account the catering, wages and expenses of the 21 Labour and two Lib Dem councillors that did attend her meeting at the Nottingham Racecourse, or the 70 officers who took part in a seperate session or the costs involved when she spoke to officers from the Government Office for the East Midlands and the Local Government Association

Remember officers and councillors when you are celebrating over the Christmas period at our expense. A spokesman for the county council said "the council paid between £738 and £930 per resident per week depending on the needs of the individual". Carers are paid £48 for providing a minimum of 35 hours care in their own home and this £48 is taken away from you when you officially retire at 65 years of age.

What you are doing has a massive impact on everyone in our community, including people caring on the breadline, people on low wages trying to bring up a family, people on modest retirement packages and many others

Look nearer to home to snatch back the valuable resources you need to save our Care Homes and Day Centre facilities.
Start in the council chamber and look at how many unnecessary jobsworth councillors and officers you have who are plundering the public purse and leave the vulnerable alone.


Grenville Green
Justice for Carers