Cash-crisis council: Your thoughts on Northamptonshire's options

As a crisis meeting at Northamptonshire County Council approved swingeing cuts in an attempt to save £70m, BBC Have Your Say opened its comments board to the public.

The action plan to reduce spending by the council includes reductions in spending for children's services, road maintenance and waste management.

All but one of the in-power Conservative councillors approved of the plan and opposition groups voted against.

Here are some of your opinions.

David Woods

"This highlights for me a stark choice as to what kind of society you want.

"Should it be the callous stupidity of the workhouse, or a more enlightened approach that recognises that supporting those in need is as beneficial for society in general as it is for the recipient?

Central government's withdrawal of funding to local authorities is as short-sighted and unintelligent as it's possible to be."

SuvaMan

"Many years ago (when I lived in another country) our local authority wanted to build a big new community centre.

"They raised the local tax just slightly and ran the city at a 'profit' for several years. Construction on the new centre did not start until they had enough money to pay for it.

"When the centre opened there was no debt and no cutbacks in services.

"Surely, this is just common sense."

Agnes Hart

"Our families survived the Blitz, then in 1945 faced with an almost bankrupt country, they elected a visionary government.

"The country was almost bankrupt from the war, owing millions. But the government set out a brave plan of building new homes and creating the NHS. That's true leadership.

"Austerity is self-fulfilling gloom and it needs to end now."

Anglerfish

"My council has a 'mindfulness consultant' to work in schools. Typical daft hippy scheme - except the schools she works with have all reported a big improvement in students' mental health including a big drop in self-harm, especially among girls.

"But of course some know-it-all clown would dismiss that job just by looking at the job title.

Firebox Cafe

"We urgently need a system of communal government, which looks after everybody, especially the sick, the poor and the vulnerable in this society.

"Adversarial politics has never worked. Capitalism divides and is riddled with contradictions.

"Most sane people want a peaceful, compassionate society filled with hope not fear."

Tom

"Anyone who has ever worked in the public sector will know the wastage involved.

"Look at the picture at the top of the article. A massive hall - imagine how much that costs to heat in winter, and everyone has a paper copy of something - how much did that cost to copy and distribute?

"Cost cutting doesn't have to be job losses."

Surfingsharka

"The council is making £70m of cuts that will profoundly affect the lives of its residents. Meanwhile a football club owned by a Russian oligarch spends £70m on a guy who stops a ball being kicked into a net.

"Well done society, well done."

Fowlpest

"Why not cut out a layer of local government?

"Do we really need county, district and then town councils? I'm sure with a bit of, admittedly major, rethinking and restructuring it would be possible to eliminate at least one of those layers and thus make what little there is go further.

"The 'we've always done it like that' culture needs to change."