Trotters In The Trough

Congratulations to the Otago Daily Times for the expose of credit card spending by Dunedin City Council staff. The arrogance, greed, and sense of entitlement displayed is astounding. The ODT editorial puts it well:

Many, inevitably, think they operate like those in the business world and that providing hospitality and generous "rewards" is part of the way to grease the wheels of commerce. Usually, though, businesses provide products and services in a competitive market and profit and sales can be a salutary and meaningful constraint on business activity.

Council staff, in contrast, are public servants providing services for or on behalf of their fellow citizens.

The bloated bureaucracy in the Dunedin Town Hall is long over-due for a diet.