Pay him more!

I can't believe all the fuss about Joe Anderson doubling his salary to a mere £52,000!

The man has selflessly given up his job to be leader of our great city, you can't expect him to survive on a poxy £31,000 a year? I wouldn't get out of my basket for that, and I am sure no-one else in the city wouldn't either.

The peasants expect to be led by someone bigger and better paid than themselves, and £52k certainly puts him head and shoulders above 95% of the local population, yet still leaves him trailing the (station) master of allowances - Merseytravel's Labour councillor Mark Dowd, who has collected a whopping £60k through clever use of multiple allowances and expenses.

Still, at least it puts him back ahead of Alan Dean, who enraged many in the leadership when they discovered he was raking in almost £50k a year, plus fees as a consultant advising councillors across the country in his spare time.

I just don't know how our great benefactor can afford to give us his services so cheaply. Although he did admit that he will still be made better off by giving up his job than if he gave up being leader.

Even so, think of all the additional expenses he has, such as buying drinks for that nice journalist Mr Waddington, surely he can claim back the cost through an "entertainment allowance?" I for one feel guilty for paying him a rate that so undervalues his talents. So today I start my campaign. Go on Joe, have the courage to double it again!

Mac's knives are out

Mac the Knife may have struck his first blow, as Peter Cosgrove, the Council Officer in charge of investigating the Liverpool Direct contract suddenly found himself suspended, just days after LDL Chief Executive David McElhinney took the Council reins of power following Comrade Joe's purge.

Well known for bearing grudges and with a reputation for bullying anyone that opposes him, he was originally employed as former Chief Executive David Henshaw's rottweiler. He is certainly someone you cross at your peril.

Union officials have been left perplexed, as Mr Cosgrove was sent home over alleged "discrepancies in Council Tax collection", a department he hadn't run for over 4 years.. and no one had actually told him what he is in fact accused of.

The simple fact may be that Cosgrove is just another face that doesn't fit under the new regime.

Maiden speech

Someone kindly pointed out that we missed out reporting on this story this month, obviously we can't trust Dude to report such things anymore!!!

In a long rambling speech which demonstrated that lightweight Lucy Berger wasn't even qualified to read out loud, she bored the house about St Hilda's school in Picton and Archbishop Blanch School in Wavertree,

The simple fact that neither school is actually in her constituency is bad enough, but that she managed to place both schools miles outside their true location is a demonstration of world class incompetence, showing that Luciana is preparing to join the illustrious ranks of Dan Quayle, George Bush and John Prescott.

This didn't stop toadying Echo journalist Dave Bartlett from claiming that the speech was "well researched"!

Fortunately she didn't get to finish, as her rambling overran the alloted time, something she herself described on twitter as "sad"! But sadder for the people of Wavertree to be represented by such a bimbo.

Can't get out of bed

I am told that ever since the Cabinet System was imposed on Council's by Labour, meetings have been held at 9am, with a informal 8am meeting beforehand.

Rumour has it that that lazy Joe has, as of today, moved the meeting to 10am.

Obviously, now that he has given up work to sit full time in the Municipal Buildings eating Sayers pasties, there is little reason for him not to have a lie in, when he is not jetting off to Egypt and other exotic destinations at our expense.

A little domestic difficulty

Domestic life could be a bit awkward for my friend Roz Gladden over the next few weeks.

The new Labour council is rightly slashing 9 out of 12 day centres (I don't know why the Lib Dems though the taxpayer should subsidise the elderly sitting around all day?)

Slasher Roz is leading the cause, as Executive Member for Social Care, while her union leader hubby Roy (a former militant councillor) leads the fight against.

Unions have pledged to use "ever method available" to stop the closures. I wonder if this refers to strikes or the withholding of nookie and DIY activities?

Subject for a freedom of information request perhaps.

technical difficulties

Sorry I havn't been posting recently, I havn't forgotten about you all, honest!

A few technical difficulties turned into a nightmare after I brought in a neighbouring computer "expert" (trading as Mr Technocat - let the cat fix your mouse) to upgrade my increasingly slow PC.

I got a photo of him at work, one of the rare occasions when he actually turned up as promised and didn't disappear when my back was turned.

This is what happens when you do something on the cheap. I understand he was also working on a (now cancelled) government IT contract, which was running 6 years late and £18billion over budget, so I suppose I am lucky to be back on line at all!

More fallout

More fallout from my shock defection and appointment as canine champion today.

My nemesis The Bulldog growled at me today and told me that she would be waiting in the wings for a chance to get me.

Just jealously I'm sure, since I know she always wanted my job. But I know I am safe as long as I have Big Joe's protection.

It just goes to show that because you become someone's colleague, it doesn't make them your friend.

Another comedian

With all the jokers already in the Labour party, you wouldn't think there would be room for another one.

But you'd be wrong.

Step forth the erudite Mr Francis, newly elected councillor for Anfield.

What he doesn't know about housing and regeneration would fill one of the many liverpool libraries that Labour will be closing in the next few months.

So instead they have put him on the education committee, in the hope that he will learn something. Still at least he has never been charged by the police with wife beating, so he's one up on his colleague in the neighbouring ward.