tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post7814856029757830547..comments2024-03-13T10:32:22.656+00:00Comments on thanetonline: Thanet politics a rant and Sunday a rambleMichael Childhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09499435016469020417noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-85437476090866458652011-03-30T20:10:55.940+01:002011-03-30T20:10:55.940+01:00Best option would be to vote for hardworking counc...Best option would be to vote for hardworking councillors regardless of political colour, but until there is more transparency and each party stops covering up for the lazy and ineffective councillors it will remain hard to tell who's worth their salt and who's not.<br /><br />If we are naming and shaming then John Kirby, Dave Green, Liz Green, Chris Wells, Joanna Gideon, Harry Scobie and John Watkins would get my votes. All good solid councillors and various colours politically with word of mouth reputations built over the years.<br /><br />Clive Hart, Sandy Ezekiel, Roger Latchford, Mike Harrison and Kay Dark would not get my vote. Character is important too and these ones just don't seem genuine.<br /><br />It is hard for the average person in the street to know whether the councillor standing in their ward is really any good or not. The promises on the election literature means nothing. I've seen all the stuff about Kay Dark but no doubt her election publicity will go on about her working hard and continuing to work closely with her Ward. Past performance shows that's rubbish but its the sort of rot they churn out for election campaigns.<br /><br />Reputation is important. I am sure there are a few other good councillors but I don't know enough about them to say Yay or Nay Comes back to how do you find out the truth about the wannabe councillors standing for election?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-87148396448042882582011-03-28T12:35:43.005+01:002011-03-28T12:35:43.005+01:00Clearly it is entirely up to the respective politi...Clearly it is entirely up to the respective political parties to choose their candidates and, as we have seen with the Nottingham/Dark issue, that is not always easy.<br /><br />I have always thought it a shame that politics was brought into local governance for, without it, we might get a better chance to select our councillors on merit rather than label. Unfortunately, that is not going to change now.<br /><br />The only way, therefore, to influence the standard of candidate is to join a party and have your say. Too frequently a small minority of card carrying members make the selection and then expect the party faithful to vote for them.<br /><br />Independents, unless fighting on specific high profile local issues, are seldom successful, however good they may be, because of party machinery and loyalties.<br />Sad but fact!<br /><br />Locally, with a good, hard working South Thanet MP now, there is perhaps merit in keeping council and MP of the same political persuassion for co-operation purposes. Nonetheless it would still be good to see a few changes, hopefully of retaining the best and dropping the deadwood. Which is which is a matter of choice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-47759325897765743172011-03-28T11:18:39.933+01:002011-03-28T11:18:39.933+01:00Looking at the problem we have and assuming that w...Looking at the problem we have and assuming that with both Labour and the Conservatives fielding 56 candidates some of these will not make good councillors, can anyone think of any solution?<br /><br />I think the problem stems from party politics not really being suited to local government, which means that for the most part the vote is separated thus:<br /><br />Those who always vote for the same party, regardless of how bad the candidate is.<br /><br />Those who are floating voters and are registering a protest, either trying to vote out the current administration because of something that occurred in the last eight years, that they didn’t like, or are disenchanted with the national government.<br /><br />Those who are floating voters and who vote for the individual councillors who they think are likely to be communicative and try to improve the situation in their wards.<br /><br />I surmise in this that those who are standing as independents are hoping to hold the balance of power, perhaps this would be the best solution, I don’t really know.Michael Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09499435016469020417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-40827914227631084752011-03-28T10:29:20.558+01:002011-03-28T10:29:20.558+01:0056 councillors = 1 senior officers golden handshak...56 councillors = 1 senior officers golden handshake. I know which I would prefer.Good community orientated councillorsReadithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04343086161535755495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-30519900262509512112011-03-28T08:34:04.864+01:002011-03-28T08:34:04.864+01:00Anon 22.45 must have a short or selective memory, ...Anon 22.45 must have a short or selective memory, have they forgotten the tory councillor living in Pananma and still colllecting his allowance. He was even signed in to meetings thanks to what looked like a very slack or crooked procedure.<br /><br />The allowance for individual councillors is not excessive provided they pull their weight but with 56 councillors at a cost of over £300,000 are residents as a whole getting value for money? It does not look like it.<br />Only a handfull take part in the decision making and the rest are there just to nod when told to nod.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-80311109718559439172011-03-27T22:45:02.895+01:002011-03-27T22:45:02.895+01:00Councillors who take the money and run should be n...Councillors who take the money and run should be named and shamed.<br /><br />Some councillors attend the council meetings but do nothing else. <br /><br />Some councillors don't have the 100% council meeting attendance badge due to main job commitments but do work hard in their wards.<br /><br />We don't want lazy councillors representing us. We don't want self-serving corrupt councillors either We want decent, hardworking councillors whom we can respect and trust to have our best interests at heart. <br />Sadly we have seen there are very few of those in the local Labour party and those that remain are too brow beaten to stand up and be counted. Its very sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-27096215372189105002011-03-27T20:53:11.766+01:002011-03-27T20:53:11.766+01:00Thank you for your vote of confidence Michael, unf...Thank you for your vote of confidence Michael, unfortunstely it will not be Eastcliff ward where I am standing.<br /><br />I know many independents including myself agree with you that David and Elizabeth Green should be supported, their work for Ramsgate is highly commendable. Many party politicians do work for the good of the community but the present system seems to sideline them.Readithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04343086161535755495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-52563156866199048592011-03-27T20:04:37.705+01:002011-03-27T20:04:37.705+01:00Thanks for the clarification Chris, please let me ...Thanks for the clarification Chris, please let me make it clear that there is no way that I am suggesting that active and responsive councillors like yourself are in any way over paid in terms of allowances.<br /><br />Personally I think one better paid councillor per ward with properly funded administrative support to deal with individuals problems would be better.<br /><br />Trading as I am in a place that now looks as though it is suffering from the aftermath of some sort of conflict, it would be very useful to have some individual to sort it out.<br /><br />Being told that the blocked drains, broken pavements, disintegrating road surface, rubbish, mass imports of dhss and dog, drunken mobs, broken takeaway licensing etc are someone else’s problem, needs submitting to a different government department or whatever is most tiresome. <br /><br />There was a time you know when local government sought to make their towns pleasant to live in, this has degenerated to a point where I am loathe to go out of my own front door at night and I assure you I am not shy retiring sort of person.Michael Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09499435016469020417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-13128188207472827842011-03-27T19:36:02.851+01:002011-03-27T19:36:02.851+01:00No anon those figures are before tax and NI is tak...No anon those figures are before tax and NI is taken off.My councillors allowance is approx. 173 per month after tax and NI. I think of it. As being nearly enough to pay the council tax!Chris Wellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022576946890382047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3575321478441277410.post-57156865221238503312011-03-27T17:50:20.739+01:002011-03-27T17:50:20.739+01:00Your councillor's figures are correct, it'...Your councillor's figures are correct, it's tax free too which means that Kay Dark, the labour councillor for Northwood is getting nearly £500 per council meeting she attends since she doesn't do much else as a councillor!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com