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Interesting.
I know where my vote (and i suspect my wife’s) will be going.Plaid Candidates Pledge to Refuse Pay Rise if Elected as Wrexham Councillors
[quote quote=125268]good the elderly are leaving, spend more on those arriving
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Eh? Care to expand on that?
[quote quote=124567]Not sure if I can post a link but my pension is with Standard Life and when I try to log in it will not let me as it says need to update to new IOS and security certificate not valid, if i try from my sons Ipad it works fine but he has a newer model than me
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I see.
Strange that as i can find no mention of that situation on google but i did find this on Standard Life’s website;“With the festive period just around the corner and Christmas lists being eagerly compiled, these days it’s not so much new trinkets but new technology that figure highly.
That’s why we thought now would be a great time to launch the new version of the Standard Life Savings app, a handy addition to any new (or existing) mobile or tablet”So, they do seem to allow any age tablet to access their site. It would seem strange to me that they would lock out thousands of customers (pensioners) from accessing their accounts because they do not have a new enough tablet, very strange indeed.
I suspect you have a problem with your Ipad and not with the web site. I could, of course be wrong and obviously cannot attempt to access your account to verify the problem.
The Councilors use the Ipads for Council work and (one hopes) not for personal things
and they are working fine at the moment so one would assume that they will continue to operate.
If a time came when they just will not operate at all with any of the systems they use then there would be a case
for replacement. They do not seem to be at that point yet though as they are using them day to day without problems.[quote quote=124563]Surely if the Ipads can be shown to generate a true cost saving then they should be seen as an investment and the replacements should be viewed as maintenance of the investment. It would be interesting to see the value of the old Ipad’s and then a decision made as to use them as trade in or donate to local community groups.
I also have an Ipad 3 and certainly I am no longer able to use certain sites as it does not have the latest updates so it is no longer considered secure enough.
A point like this will always be contentious.[/quote]
That’s interesting. Any chance you can post links to those sites as i would like to see for myself, if that is possible of course. Thankyou.
More BS. false arguments and made up figures from Wrexham council ref. Ipads.
Plaid Cymru is showing them up on this issue;
“Mr Jones went on to ask three questions of Cllr Pritchard;
“- Does he not understand that councillors can access e-mails and papers via Webmail on their PCs or their own tablets?
-Does he not realise that the council already installs the Good App on personal tablets that allows councillors to access the council intranet securely?
– Does he not realise that any Plaid councillors elected in May could opt to buy a council iPad out of their own pockets, to save the taxpayer £32,000?”As i have said before here, i have the same Ipad as the councillors ie. Ipad 3 and yes it isn’t now going to get all the operating system updates the other Ipads will but, it still does everything it has always done for me and very well. They do not cease to operate just because they are not supported. All the security issues BS is just that, BS.
When a family is short of money they have to tighten their belts and make do with what they have and make the best of it, something some of our councillors are incapable of doing when it comes to spending OUR money!!Use your vote to send a message that we are sick and tired of this kind of behaviour from our elected representatives.
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Talk about pot.kettle black .Plaid cllrs were spotted with their shiny new i pads at bodlondeb (Conwy)
Plaid are hypocrites,2 plaid councillors on Wrexham council have had ipads for many years,I checked this out today and it true. oops
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The fact they have them is not the issue. The issue is that the WCBC is going to replace them with new ones at a cost of over £32k to the tax payer when the ones they have are still functioning well as has been admitted by a Councillor on here. The Ipads are a useful tool but, to replace them all at this time when essential services are suffering heavy cuts wreaks of insensitivity and a cynicism that is breathtaking and shows the contempt we are held in by some of the council members.
[quote quote=124204]Found out today that the iPad replacements will cost £310 each with the other £290 being spent on software and security licences over 5 years ie £120 pa.
The alternative is paper copies, which 5 years ago was costing the ratepayer £700 plus per elected member each and every year.
To reduce the cost of democracy maybe paper reports ought to be stopped.
As we are still facing huge financial cuts maybe elected members ought to consider making this sacrifice, even if it is easier to speed read a report in paper format.Cllr Phil Wynn
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I feel the need to shout this as you aren’t listening, NOBODY IS SAYING GO BACK TO PAPER, WE ARE SAYING KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE AS IT HAS ALL THE SOFTWARE ON IT AND IT’S DOING A GREAT JOB AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO!! I read the report on the meeting and it’s depressing reading with all the BS being bandied about.”Cllr Phil Wynn added his support to the upgrade plans, saying: “Without the iPad we would be going backwards. There is an obligation that all members look at the cost of delivering democracy”.”well, WE KNOW THAT AND YOU ALREADY HAVE THEM SO PLEASE STOP BANGING ON ABOUT IT!! Anyone would think you are arguing for getting them for the first time!!
It’s quite obvious to me that the cries of the electorate are not being listened to again by SOME of the elected representatives as they seem to have their fingers in their ears and are humming loudly.I hope that the councillors that are not listening that are also up for re-election suffer the consequences at the up-coming elections.
It looks like Xmas has come for the WCBC councillors as it’s new toys all round at a cost of £32K (lot of cash that). Would seem these toys take a more important position than essential services! Why would they not want a new toy? Cheers WCBC. I am willing to bet that if they were asked to pay for them themselves they (the old Ipads) would suddenly be judged as “fine” and “does the job”, no need for me to pay out £100’s for a new one, is there? They really do not do themselves any favours, do they?
Councillors £32k iPad Upgrade Plan To Get Final Green Light This Week
Bear this in mind when it’s time to vote.
[quote quote=122327]IMHO how ironic my iPad, which has proven an invaluable tool, has in the last week decided to stop taking a charge properly. Assuming it behaves itself then I’m happy to carry on using it till I’m told otherwise.
On a working day (ie non Councillor day) I have used my lunch hour and a few hours this evening to:
Read and deal with over twenty incoming emails.
Send nine emails.
Chase officers for an update on the travellers encampment which arrived Friday on the Morrisons cycleway.
Speak with the mangaer of the Aldi new build about noise nuisance, removal of the ambulance warning lights on Ruthin Rd and to gain clarification on when they propose to carry out road resurfacing work on Ruthin Rd, near the ambulance exit junction.
Spoke with a fellow Councillor about the removal of double yellow lines in the Mold Rd locality so as to reduce the pressure for on-street parking created by postal workers. Our request has then been relayed by email to a Highway’s officer.
Notify the manager of a local toddler group that they can continue to use a local Community Centre as the builders have agreed to instal a new kitchen in the Centre working around the Toddler Group’s needs.
Spoke with a ward resident about a neighbourly dispute.
Request a meeting with the Leader of the Council to walk Bellevue Park in relation to the Dog Control Order consultation.
Acknowledge an officers update on two worthy building projects proposed within the ward.
Set up a phone call with a Planning Officer for tomorrow to discuss a planning application which affects ten or so householders in the ward.
Update a fellow Councillor on a meeting I have arranged with a Betsicadwalder officer in relation to the treatment delivery for alcoholics and drug users and the impact this is having for the residents of Wrexham town-centre wards.
Chased an officer for an update on a proposed cycleway jointing Croesnewydd Rd and the Morrisons cycleway.
Start to read up on CAIS a North Wales charity which provides treatment for alcoholics and drug addicts, as part of my research into how Wrexham deals with this issue.
As the booking officer for the Maesgwyn Community Centre I have liaised with a traders an to replace the Centre’s faulty guttering, informed the caretaker of the timing of this work whilst passing on the details of a new booking. Spoke with a fellow committee member about opening the Centre for the tradesman.I hope I’ve provided a flavour of what a County Councillor can be called upon to deal with to ensure the best is done for the constituents they serve. Without an iPad and my personal mobile phone then my capacity to do the role would be somewhat deminished.
Cllr Phil Wynn
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Ok. well done you for doing what you signed up for. What is the 13K for if it isn’t to compensate you for doing council work? Is it just to pay you to turn up for meetings? If so, it’s excessive IMO.
You say your Ipad performed well in assisting you to carry out your council work even though you do say it now has a battery issue (can be repaired) so, can you tell us how a nice shiny new one would have done better? Or even, 50 odd of them.
Cllr. Wynn, i am not one that is just having a go at councillors i just do not see how it can be judged as prudent in these harsh times to blow tens of thousands of much needed pounds on replacing what are probably good and serviceable items of equipment whether it be Ipads or computers.
By the way, i do in a smaller but nevertheless still an important way, similar to you but, i do it voluntarily and using my own equipment;)[quote quote=122230]Would anyone expect a bricklayer to lay a brick without the use of a trowel. Would anyone deny a teacher access to a white-board. I’m guessing because politicians have let themselves down over the years then it is inevitable that given any opportunity to give them a kicking then that is what the general public will dish out.
Councillors vote for iPad replacements is one of those opportunities for giving County Councillors a kicking too.
I for one agreed to using an iPad so as to save the Council £38k a year which was spent on the production and distribution of paper copies of reports.
The Planning Committee report issued this week runs to 160 plus pages and the Executive Board to 120 pages so the iPads are doing the job they were intended for.
I can understand the gravitas Plaid Cymru candidates are seeking to gain off the general public by committing to using their own laptops if elected in May 2017, rather than Council issued iPads or laptops.
If they truly wish to have a meaningful discussion on the cost of democracy then they ought to put forward the case:
For fewer elected WCBC elected members. I would argue that based on the size f some of the larger populated wards that you could go down to 42 County Councillors.
Refuse to accept superannuation which typically costs the Council 20% of an employees gross pay.
Argue for fewer elected members to serve on the Executive Board.
Maybe they also ought to exact promises from their AM’s, MP’s and Police Commissioners to forgo their membership of superannuation.
If they don’t then I would argue they are putting themselves up as being virtuous so as to win over the minds of those members of the general public who feel let down by the whole political system rather than being principled want to be elected County Councillors.
Cllr Phil Wynn
Ps for the avoidance of doubt these are my own views on how to drive down the cost of democracy.
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This is not a discussion about whether or not to supply councillors with Ipads it’s about replacing the ones they already have at a cost to the tax payer of thousands of pounds plus the replacement of other computers at a time when services are being cut to the bone. I have an ipad 3 which is about four years old and it still does exactly what it did when new and at the same speed and i suspect the three is what the councillors have. Admittedly Apple no longer issue Ios updates for it but as long as the Apps. will still run on the equipment there is no real reason to change it. Ipads along with other computers can slow down as they become filled with data but regular “housecleaning” can mitigate this. Are the councillors using the equipment for private use as well as council? If they are, that could help to slow it down.
A word about the size of the reports. I would suggest, keep the reports briefer which would no doubt improve their quality.To close, I would like to have the latest piece of kit but as i have to pay for it and need to be prudent with money, i stick with my old one, a course of action i recommend to the council.
