Pain today, worse tomorrow (I think)

With government announcing public spending cuts faster than we can report them, I'm grateful to Cornwall council cabinet member Jim Currie for clearing up any confusion we media types might be suffering over precisely where the axe will fall. Jim's report to next week's council meeting suggests that in the short term, nothing much will happen:

"We are agreed that the time line is short to achieve large expenditure reductions by the end of the financial year."

But, er, before long Jim's report tells us:

"The bottom line is that we have a need for sustainable reductions in expenditure of £75,000 a day and if we do nothing today it will be £150,000 tomorrow. No amount of attractive devolution or projects must be allowed to distract us from the number one priority of balancing the Budget in 2010-11 since 2011-12 is even more challenging. Strict control of finance must be maintained if we are to keep control of our responsibilities."

The most recently published "headline" figure for the in-year cuts Cornwall council has to make is £14 million. Except that now, it seems:

"There have been serious disruptions recently particularly the loss of grant funding currently £17m and rising. This money has to be replaced sustainably if we are to balance the Budget by the end of the financial year."

It's obviously in the public interest that we should all know as soon as possible how the council sees its priorities, which is why journalists and councillors have spent all week trying (unsuccessfully) to get a straight answer. Either the council knows what it's going to do (and should tell us) or it doesn't know (which is actually rather more worrying.)

Given the council's determined enthusiasm for transparency, I'm sure it will all become clear on Tuesday.