Unbelievable!

[Svejk]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/11837601.AMs_set_to_get___10_000_a_year_pay_rise/?ref=mr

[Hypognosis]

Haven't read it yet but I found this…

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/caerphilly-council-chief-executive-michael-8387238

:D

[Svejk]

Well found. I don't know why none of the councillors were charged. Perhaps a separate case. This is, imo, what happens in 1 party states.(or councils in this case. Luckily, a lot of people in Wales are waking up)

[horseshoes]

Sunny Dave, I would say that Wales ISN'T financially able to pay its own way which is why I am perfectly happy to be part of the UK. You seem to be of the opinion that I should touch my forelock and grovel at the feet of the English! What a terrible attitude! I have paid, and continue to pay my taxes, and I'm POSITIVE it hasn't ALL been spent in Wales but across the UK. I can only apologise that you have encountered some Welsh Nationalists on your visit here, but let me assure you we are not all of that ilk. To be honest, with your dreadfully racist attitude I'm not sure it's a bad thing you don't visit again!

[sunny-dave]

If it was "a few welsh nationalist hotheads", I'd ignore it as a pinprick - but it was systematic and deeply ingrained in the local psyche - short measures, slow service, the worst products from a display, instant language shifts, random acts of unhelpfulness - you name it I saw it over several visits as a tourist and on business.

Actually, eventually, I did visit again - as a guest at a wedding where I was treated with enormous warmth, friendship and conviviality in one of the North Wales towns where I had spent a week being 'unlucky' a year or two before.

Some of the same people were involved in both my experiences.

I'm afraid that (rather than thinking "oh - I was obviously wrong") that made things seem even worse ... one set of behaviours for insiders, another for the rest is not a good way to live.

[Hypognosis]

@Svejkno

//This is, imo, what happens in 1 party states.(or councils in this case. //

Almost certainly. Practically family firms, most of them (eg North Korea, Zimbabwe).

You notice how it was the Trade Unionists who were the first ones to make a fuss about this? Perhaps only because they are in close contact with those workers who were being fobbed off with sub-inflation rises (aka pay cuts) at the same time as the execs troughs were being filled.

Not everything that Unions do is as good as this, granted but try to lodge both in memory.

//Luckily, a lot of people in Wales are waking up //

Well, the fact that some of your taxes go to fund a Westminster MP's salary and, since the WA went up some more of your taxes must fund the salaries of all the AMs on top cannot have escaped your attention for long. If you really -have- increased local control and it's not just an expensive talking shop then maybe it's worth paying the premium.

People are much more conscious of how governance works and who gets paid what and that can't be a bad thing.