"Stop playing politics and concentrate on balancing the books." With the time rapidly approaching for the Council to set its budget, along with the Council Tax, for the year ahead that is the message from the Welsh Liberal Democrats in RCT.
Campaign Manager Karen Roberts says people are fed up of the constant blame game from the Council leadership
"Everywhere you look there is a stream of politicking from senior Labour members who are paid to ensure services are provided to the public and that they are value for money.
"We have recently seen letters from Cabinet Members appearing in the local press which claim that services will be affected by cuts from the UK Government. The front page of the most recent edition of the Council's Outlook magazine was an example of blatant propaganda which peddled the same tired message.
"They praise the Labour Assembly Government for allegedly protecting Local Government as much as possible, but they appear to have very short memories. A check through the archives of the local press reveal a very different story from 2009, just a few short years ago.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/cynon-valley/2009/01/...

"Then leader Russell Roberts slammed the 'totally inadequate level of Assembly support and 'the failure by Assembly to prioritise the important services councils provide.' He concluded by saying that '"In reality, the pet projects of the One Wales Government have been priorities to the detriment of the key 'bread and butter' services we all value here in Rhondda Cynon Taf.'
"Cabinet Member Andrew Morgan said at the time that car parking charges would have to be increased 'as a clear consequence of the dire settlement from the Assembly.'
"So what has changed? Simple. In 2009 there was a Labour Government at Westminster too. Now that there is a coalition UK Government the Labour party locally have simply and conveniently forgotten there is any such thing as devolution and that responsibility for Local Government lies with their colleagues in Cardiff Bay."
Trallwn Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Powell says that the time and energy of Cabinet Members would be better spent on ensuring a sound budget which provides value for money for taxpayers.
"The budget consultation exercise is little short of farcical. It asks vague questions about whether we should be protecting education services and social care which of course everyone is going to say yes to.
"There is no mention of the wastage that goes on behind the scenes. The extortionate salaries paid to some middle senior managers, the money spent on external consultants to back up those staff. When the Director of Education was appointed £7,671.50 was spent on external recruitment consultants.
"It cost the taxpayer £100,000 for legal advice from Eversheds when they undertook a review of the terms and conditions of the lower paid workers. This despite having substantial and costly legal and human resources departments in house.
"Public services should not be about writing a blank cheque with public money."