Working by Quotas?

The Herald-Sun headlines scream out:

It's a fact - traffic wardens do have $200,000 quotas in Kur-ring-gai

The article continues: "Its what we've always suspected but no one could ever prove", it then goes on to try to make it look like they have the evidence everybody wants.

Problem is, all they have are a copy of 'good management' practice - budget forecasts that any business worth its salt carries out as due diligence. Fair enough it states that each officer is projected to bring in $200,000 of income in expiations, but I can still remember the jokes about council workers leaning on shovels all day. 

Perhaps that is what they would prefer? Hey, I am sure the rangers would be very happy to be paid their wages for going fishing or sitting around playing cards instead of ensuring kerb side turnover for shoppers and delivery drivers.

A council spokesman is even quoted as explaining as much - "Such budget expectations are part of sound financial management and would be common across local government in NSW," he said. The spokesman denied it was a "quota", saying rangers were neither rewarded nor penalised for meeting the expectations.

In its version of the same article, the Daily Telegraph takes the claims a bit further by stating "But councils have become bloated in recent years, largely thanks to revenue earned by fines which are funding an increasing amount of non-core council activity."

It does not elaborate on what these 'non-core activities' are or justify the 'bloated' claim, after all this might mean a bit of research and real journalism. They wouldn't have have time for that - they probably have an article quota they have to fill.

JP

Comments

[Tom Gladwin]

Couldn't agree more Jolyon, why should the journo's let the facts get in the way of a good story?

From a parking management perspective the problems occured back in the mid 90's here in Victoria, when the State Govt changed the accounting regulations to ensure that councils then had to bring to account the value of all infringement notices they issued. prior to that, all we ever budgetted for was the net cash. One never sees the govt step in and explain this one behalf of all councils whenever there is such a beat up.

cheers

Tom Gladwin