With the previous blog post and a
few attempts at watching the councils webcast, I am coming to the conclusion
that our local politics can be likened to a group of people in a large room
with a shiny floor dropping banana skins, in the hope that others will trip over
them.
Added to this is the surrounding
publicity, saying that others have already tripped over a banana skin, regardless
of whether they have or haven’t.
In fact so entrenched has this
kind of thing become in some of our local politicians that I don’t think they
can even consider moving into a situation where anything else is actually
achieved. Common sense, previous education has all been replaced by watching
for the banana skins and dropping them on the ground.
Council officers seem for the most
part to fall into three categories, those involved with essential services,
rubbish, parks, dogs mess and so on – those involved with government directives
that no one understands and those handing out banana skins to councillors.
The difficulty with banana skins
is they are not concerned about who they trip up, anyone will do, so having
dropped a banana skin any councillor can fall over it including the councillor
who dropped it.
Councillors can be split into two
basic types those who stand very still to avoid slipping over and are just
boring, and those who rush around dropping banana skins and falling over.
There are also some councillors
and offices often new or young but not always picking up banana skins, these
are often mistaken as droppers of banana skins by the rest,
probably because they are often trying to get to the bin with a handful of
banana skins.
As a blogger when it comes to
engaging with the council, my main task is to try and pick up some of the
banana skins, and I think for the most part councillors seem to think I am the
biggest dropper of banana skins of all the bloggers.
I had one of these run-ins with
Chris Wells and to a lesser extent Simon Moores on the blogs this week.
The banana skins in question
related to financing The Royal Sands, Running Ramsgate Maritime Museum, parking
in Thanet.
This is what he said
“Chris Wells said...
If the Labour in Thanet believe that Will Scobie is their
best choice to be Mayor so be it.
I think his supported pitch to increase councillors
allowances by 3.5%, which you will all be able to view on webcast soon is
rather more pertinent to his political nouse.
Then, as now he has the undoubted support of Ian Driver,
(one of the TIGgywinkles) which may be another question over Will's political
nouse!
Good luck to him. Iris will be a very hard act to follow.
She has been a hard working Mayor, as have others in the past, and as far as I
can judge done an excellent job.
I suspect he may find it a little more boring than he
expects - but then as the TDC website still shows Mick Tomlinson as Mayor of
Margate, it may be sometime before we notice Will is even in post!
8:33 AM”
anyway I replied to this:
Michael Child said...
Chris I think there is a bit of a problem over this
allowances business and the whole business of council tax. I have my doubts
that the few people locally who would take enough interest to understand what
this would actually mean on the council tax bill resent paying.
You may need reminding that the people of Ramsgate voted,
not all that long ago to have a town council, i.e. pay more for hopefully
getting more out of local government.
Without being unkind here, some sort of plan for the current
issues would be helpful, I know there isn’t much the Conservatives would do the
Labour wouldn’t at district level, as most of it is unavoidable. Sweeping the
streets, removing the rubbish, tending the parks. But there are issues local
where a bit more than the old rhetoric wouldn’t go amiss. In Ramsgate there is
Pleasurama under consideration at the moment, the maritime museum about to
reopen but inevitably surrounded by the new events notice timing which could be
a bit of a dampener this summer for any events they want to hold, there are
probably other things here where the council has some power and when it comes
to Margate, Broadstairs and the villages I am out of touch. I know Thanet Earth
has just put in a new planning application, although I didn’t really understand
its implications if any. You surely must have something to say about local
issues, other than what is wrong with anything proposed by Labour.
1:22 PM
Simon decided not to publish this comment as I think he
construed it as me dropping banana skins, although eventually he did publish
it. A post with a lot of comment on is a difficult thing to control, especially
if you have a life to live as well.
In the meantime I published it here on a post a couple of days ago http://thanetonline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/its-about-five-months-since-johnworrow.html
Chris replied to it there:
“Chris WellsApr 24, 2012 03:59 PM
BSc (Hons) Economics and International Relations - LSE, as
such things seem important to you Michael. I have never used the description
other than on a CV or application form; tho given its reputation I do mention
LSE from time to time.
As for the rest of your twisted morass of confused thinking:
I have always said much on Pleasurama in debate in Council, and in the
confidential discussions in Cabinet, which I presume no one regales to you as
they are confidential. Until the last day or so there was little that could be
publicly said about the Maritime Museum either, because Clive Hart treated it
as an urgent decision in private, moving forward without scrutiny. Now at least
some of the documents are publicly available we can all reach a judgement on
the righteousness of the deal. The reason for delay until now was connected
with the negotiations and how much the council was willing to cede to the new
trust. Only now can what has been ceded be properly costed.
I notice you are silent on the political inequity of parking
fees, and the effective use of parking fee income - and lack of income - in
assuring votes for the minority labour administration from the Tiggywinkles.
Dare I suggest you actually watch the debates on webcast when they come out;
and see if you notice the Labour groups various attempts to stifle and silence
debate? Or Clive Harts incredible statement that the new parking policy is
'fairer': £16680 free parking for Ramsgate; £24250 free parking for
Birchington; around £1600 for Northdown Road; and £1100 for Broadstairs (under
the Labour proposal, no one yet costed the change to Vere Road won through
amendment).
There were members of the public at the meeting on thursday
who were shocked by the bear pit brawling and background hubbub of the
occasion; the threats to Labour members who voted for a Conservative amendment;
and the constant barracking which does not come across on webcast. They were
sitting very close to the Tiggywinkles and observed Councillor Worrow's
behaviour throughout the evening. Modesty forbids me repeating their
description in public.
As an observer Michael you consistently fail miserably to
hide your bias; which is less political than simply whether or not councillors
court your views, and visit your shop for fireside chats and advice. I have my
own sages thank you; and have always preferred over the years the services of
the Albion Bookshops, including their second hand offerings - having personally
bought the Crossman Diaries and other political works of interest there. i miss
the shops terribly, and read far less now, sadly.
I doubt you will consider this a proper response to your
query, but given your self proclaimed brilliance you must also realise your
'questions' are rarely balanced and always political with a small p.
No doubt you will shortly be telling us that you once spent
two years as a parking attendant so know all about the subject; your acclaimed
expertise in all things must make you as ancient as Methusala, though clearly
wonderfully preserved. And no, I am not drunk, having been a teetotaller for
more than 25 years; unlike some who comment under various names late evening on
the blogs.
In spite of all of this, I defend your right of free speech;
criticise all you like. Just do us all the simple favour of admitting you do
not always know what is going on; and certainly don't have a foolproof manner
of vetting your sources and suggestions for truth.”
Still trying to pick up the various local banana skins I
replied to him, in chunks.
“Michael ChildApr 25, 2012 03:08 AM
Chris thanks for responding, I appreciate your time and
would genuinely like to know what your views are on the subjects you mention.
There is a lot for me to respond to and because my comment
was on another blog much is off the subject here, I appreciate now that your
field of expertise is economics and law, so I won’t bother you with anything
related to engineering or safety issues.
I will start at the top of your comment with Pleasurama and
if I get a chance later in the day try to deal with the others some of which I
have very little understanding.
Humour me for a moment and if you wouldn’t mind responding
to a few thoughts of mine as though the cabinet meeting three years ago and the
meetings in this time frame were not as, it where, a total fog to me it would
be helpful.
Why did the Conservative cabinet three years ago, decide to
against officers advice and not determine the development on financial grounds?
Do you think the sale of the site freehold to be subject to
the asset disposal process as it is council’s intention that the leases be
surrendered and the development agreement be revoked prior to the completion of
a new development agreement and freehold land transfer?
Do you reckon it would be possible to obtain borrowing based
on the security of new build residential dwellings, on land that is designated
as high risk flood zone by The Environment Agency without a flood risk
assessment, when prospective buyers attempt to obtain mortgages to buy
apartments and the monies obtained from the sale of apartments is required for
further funding of the development?
Chris on to the maritime museum, obviously the deal has been
struck here and it appears that from what you say it wouldn’t have been struck
by a Conservative administration for this year, so the museum would have
remained closed, the dry dock needing attention, the tug needing new plates and
the historic vessels expelled from the heritage pontoon.
Are you saying that this is a bad deal and the Conservatives
would have struck a better deal given more time? Or are you saying it was never
the Conservatives intention strike a deal, and that the intention was not to
support this project?
Much more importantly, now as the deal has been struck, is
that the PST have considerable resources and had the intention to organise a
series of events in Ramsgate throughout the summer.
Obviously because of the delays in striking the deal, they
wouldn’t be able to comply with the timescale of the new council event
licensing scheme, which means that going exactly by the book the council could
prevent any events this summer.
Is it the Conservatives intention to support the museum and
try to find ways that events can be held in Ramsgate this Summer, or is it the
Conservatives intention to press for strict implementation of the rule book and
prevent any events from occurring until next year?
Chris I consider the parking fees issue to be relatively
minor compared to the overall parking problem, the most noticeable and
potentially dangerous being the parking for The Turner Contemporary, where
signage both telling people they are about to drive onto a pavement full of
pedestrians and signage telling them where they could actually park for long enough
to benefit the local economy is needed.
The most extreme case of parking restriction gone mad is the
dead end road along Ramsgate Marina Esplanade.
The webcasting of council meetings is an area where I have
an ongoing struggle with the council, I think this may have been partly
responsible for getting them introduced and now I am trying to get them to put
the videos on Youtube where the quality would be better and there would be no
cost.
At the moment the reason I have from the officers is that this
wouldn’t adequately protect the council’s copyright, something that just
doesn’t make sense as you can download them from the council’s website.
Where I have traded in Ramsgate for 25 years the ongoing
mania for double yellow lines is very damaging to the businesses and as most of
it occurred after pedestrianisation when there was much less traffic, is viewed
as an act of pointless spite by most people here.
Have no fears I will both publicise the webcast and watch
it, when it eventually gets to the internet, one wonders what possible reason
there could be for it taking so long to appear, one assumes officers only have
to click on upload file like the rest of us.
Chris no fireside chats, no advising councillors here, just
a sociable offer which I extend to you if I am not too busy at the time, my
main point being that councillors need to get about Thanet and talk to local
people.
I harbour no personal animosity towards officers and
members, as some of them are authors I publish it would be difficult.
Incidentally Albion secondhand is still open, I have just
received a local book order from them, which suggests the will remain open for
a while, despite the new planning application.
Why I should think you drunk, or there was an improper
aspect to your reply eludes me, you seemed a bit tired towards the end, I have
no experience as a parking attendant beyond listening to Sgt Pepper, getting
the odd parking ticket and handing my car keys to doormen which I expect
involves a parking attendant somewhere.
Obviously as a shop assistant my grasp of things is limited,
but I do my best to keep abreast the best I can and appreciate you defence of
my right to free speech. I am however curious as to how you engage in this,
defending of my right to free speech that is, is perhaps a weapon of some type
involved?
Anyway I have done my best to respond to your comments and
look forward to what you have to say about my responses.”
I guess the banana skins I am trying to pick up are pretty
obvious, so I won’t expand on a post that is already too long, but still no
reply from Chris.
I thought perhaps if I said it again but with flowers this
time, I could possibly both get a reply and we could pick up some of
the banana skins.
it is well worth clicking on the pictures illustrating this post, so they enlarge.
It’s a humbling thought really, to consider when they
send me an email how much this actually costs.
Actually this is much easier to follow on The Gazette’s
website, see http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/worth/story-15933342-detail/story.html
The table below may help to unscramble it a bit,
sorry about the funny kink in table that appears in some browsers, a typo on my part somewhere in the
encoding, the moral here is don't try to to put a table in blogger it doesn't like that sort of script.
Body Name
|
Name
|
Job Title
|
Service Area
|
FTE of minim
|
FTE Salary
|
Cash for Ca
|
Total
Remuneration
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Sue McGonigal
|
Chief Executive
& 151 Officer
|
Corporate/Democratic
|
1
|
107112
|
£5,000.00
|
£112,112.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Madeline Homer
|
Community Services
Manager
|
Housing/Planning
|
1
|
84090
|
£4,000.00
|
£88,090.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Mark Seed
|
Commercial Services
Manager
|
Waste/Maritime
|
1
|
86493
|
£4,000.00
|
£90,493.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Donna Reed
|
Shared Services
Director
|
East kent Shared
Service
|
1
|
94365
|
£4,500.00
|
£98,865.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Harvey Patterson
|
Corporate &
Regulatory Services Manager
|
Corporate/Democratic
|
1
|
68694
|
£3,500.00
|
£72,194.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Sarah Carroll
|
Business Services
Manager
|
Corporate
|
1
|
60117
|
£3,000.00
|
£63,117.00
|
Thanet District
Council
|
Sarah Martin
|
Financial Services
Manager
|
Finance
|
1
|
60117
|
£3,000.00
|
£63,117.00
|
For comparison here is what the elected councillors get, this has just gone up or is due to go up by an average of 3.5%, so they each get about £80 per week and then more on top detailed in the table below if they hold some special position.
MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES SCHEME – 2011/2012
Basic Allowance
£4,360 each Member
|
|
|
|
|
Position
|
Number
|
Allowance
£
|
Possible maximum expenditure
£
|
|
Executive
|
|
Leader
|
1
|
18,082
|
18,082
|
|
Deputy Leader
|
1
|
10,776
|
10,776
|
|
Cabinet Portfolio Holder
|
3
|
7,990
|
23,970
|
|
Non-Executive
|
|
Chairman of Council
|
1
|
2,188
|
2,188
|
|
Vice Chairman of Council
|
1
|
1,530
|
1,530
|
|
Opposition Group Leader
|
1
|
5,204
|
5,204
|
|
Opposition Deputy Group Leader
|
1
|
2,304
|
2,304
|
|
Shadow Cabinet
|
3
|
2,304
|
6,912
|
|
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman
|
1
|
7,990
|
7,990
|
|
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Vice-Chairman
|
1
|
3,216
|
3,216
|
|
Planning Committee Chairman
|
1
|
5,204
|
5,204
|
|
Planning Committee Vice-Chairman
|
1
|
1,216
|
1,216
|
|
Licensing Committee Chairman
|
1
|
3,216
|
3,216
|
|
Licensing Committee
Vice-Chairman
|
1
|
805
|
805
|
|
Governance and Audit Committee - Chairman
|
1
|
5,204
|
5,204
|
|
Governance and Audit Committee –
Vice-Chairman
|
1
|
1,216
|
1,216
|
|
Standards Committee - Chairman
|
1
|
1,216
|
1,216
|
|
Standards Committee – Vice-Chairman
|
1
|
279
|
279
|
|
Standards Committee – other Independent Member
|
2
|
139
|
278
|
|
|
1
|
1,216
|
1,216
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
346,182
|
| | | | | | | |
