Protest at West Berkshire Council Offices Options

[user23]

We pay for a thousand other treatments from the NHS too, we can't pick and chose who the money goes to. I am sure you wouldn't want the NHS to deny treatment to a family friend (you?) for a smoking/drinking /obesity problem. What someone else uses the NHS for treatment, I am sure we/our family receive something too.

Smokers actually help keep the NHS going as the tax on ciggies that goes into the NHS far outweighs what smokers take out in treatment.

[Iommi]

Smokers actually help keep the NHS going as the tax on ciggies that goes into the NHS far outweighs what smokers take out in treatment.

I read that the NHS costs about £100b/year. Smokers cost the NHS about £3b/year, but they pay to the government about £10b/year in excise and VAT.

[NWNREADER]

Because there is evidence of duplicity, and it wouldn't do the Labour Party any harm to unearth such activity in the Tory led council.

Evidence, or suspicion?

What difference does the party make? The best person would seek to unearth bad things regardless. After all, the Labour Party nationally has no moral high ground on truth economy...
The big fraud with politics as operated by all the party adherants is that few are prepared to stand up for right, only what their party wants which then becomes 'right'.

If Richard were ever to be accountable in local politics I wonder if he will maintain the transparency he demands of others?

[Iommi]

Evidence, or suspicion?

Evidence by statements. Suspicion is often born out of evidence.

What difference does the party make? The best person would seek to unearth bad things regardless. After all, the Labour Party nationally has no moral high ground on truth economy... The big fraud with politics as operated by all the party adherants is that few are prepared to stand up for right, only what their party wants which then becomes 'right'.

Er...I'm not sure my comment required this essay, but I suspect that RG, as a politicly motivated person, will seek to undermine parties that stand in the way. Rightly or wrongly, that is how our politics works.

If Richard were ever to be accountable in local politics I wonder if he will maintain the transparency he demands of others?

That also might come to pass, but I also think that is besides the point. It is unreasonable to criticise that which hasn't happened yet.

[NWNREADER]

Evidence by statements. Suspicion is often born out of evidence.
The statements I've seen are rarely 'evidence', in my opinion. Many raise questions worth further investigation, but I haven't seen much I'd want to go to a Court or Official Inquiry with

Er...I'm not sure my comment required that essay, but I suspect that RG, as politicly motivated person, will seek to undermine parties that stand in the way. Rightly or wrongly, that is how our politics works.
That is my point. When people are motivated by the modern version of the art/science of politics they cease to be motivated by right, only by image.


That also come to pass, but I also think that is besides the point. It is unreasonable to criticise that which hasn't happened yet.

No criticism in what I said, just the observation it is easy to lob things into the cesspit, not so easy to empty it from within

[Iommi]

The statements I've seen are rarely 'evidence', in my opinion. Many raise questions worth further investigation, but I haven't seen much I'd want to go to a Court or Official Inquiry with

The apparent 'deceit', seems largely political in my view.

If I may step back.

The Tories tend to promote themselves as officers of prudence and efficiency. To a certain extent that seems to be true. So when they propose to upgrade and migrate the CCTV system, a claim was made to the effect that there would be no degradation in the service whatsoever. They also stated that they would save a significant amount of money in the process.

Concern was obviously expressed about the loss of jobs, and also about the lack of local knowledge of the new operators. The fact that the old system's cameras were in the main, ineffective in court, was acknowledged, but the system served more than one purpose. I understand that it was an important part of the allegedly successful PubWatch and ShopSafe schemes.

Now from what I have read, CCTV's ability to reduce crime is debatable from the point of view as a deterrent, but what it certainly is, is an effective third eye for the police, and others. It enables a more robust approach for the security of the shops and shoppers of Newbury.

Moving forward, it seems the bulk of the cameras have been upgraded, but regrettably, according to several partisan sources, it seems the radio operation and the camera 's remote controls are still defective and I have heard nothing to contradict this issue. I believe that this severely reduces the use of CCTV system and for this to be an issue seems hard to understand.

It is also regrettable that the police and the council seem eager to reassure stakeholders on this issue, but sadly, every time they do, they seem to show themselves up. Taking into account the recent high profile acts of violence and vandalism in the town recently, it seem reasonable to me that there should be some kind of inquiry or review of the effectiveness, or strategic implementation of the current CCTV system.

[NWNREADER]

The apparent 'deceit', seems largely political in my view.

If I may step back.

The Tories tend to promote themselves as officers of prudence and efficiency. To a certain extent that seems to be true. So when they propose to upgrade and migrate the CCTV system, a claim was made to the effect that there would be nor degradation in the service whatsoever. They also stated that they would save a significant amount of money in the process.

Now concern was obviously expressed about the loss of jobs, and also about the lack of local knowledge of the new operators. The fact that the old system's cameras were in the main ineffective in court was acknowledged, but the system served more than one purpose. I understand that it was an important part of the allegedly successful PubWatch and ShopSafe schemes.

Now from what I have read, CCTV's ability to reduce crime is debatable from the point of view as a deterrent, but what it certainly is, is an effective third eye for the police, and others. It enables a more robust approach for the security of the shops and shoppers of Newbury.

Moving forward, it seems the bulk of the cameras have been upgraded, but regrettably, according to several partisan sources, it seems the radio operation and the camera 's remote controls are still defective and I have heard nothing to contradict this issue. I believe that this severely reduces the use of CCTV system and for this to be an issue seems hard to understand.

It is also regrettable that the police and the council seem eager to reassure stakeholders on this issue, but sadly, every time they do, they seem to show themselves up. Taking into account the recent high profile acts of violence and vandalism in the town recently, it seem reasonable to me that there should be some kind of inquiry or review of the effectiveness, or strategic implementation of the current CCTV system.

I think you are nearer the truth than many other statements on the topic. The politicking means no-one is prepared to cough to a coq-up, even if it is simple human error

[spartacus]

What about if you have triplets? I don't think CB should be stopped at all, it could lead to poverty if someone had more than 2 children.

Bring back the Workhouses I say.... Any Sovereign Housing resident with three children or more should offer up the third waif for 'The Greater Good'... The re-introduction of Workhouses will pull this country through the recession in the same way they did during the Industrial Revolution..

Everyone likes cheap clothes don't they? Get a few thousand chav sprogs in there churning out cheap tatty garments and we'll soon be selling stuff back to the Indians and the rich will be richer in no time...

[Iommi]

Bring back the Workhouses I say.... Any Sovereign Housing resident with three children or more should offer up the third waif for 'The Greater Good'... The re-introduction of Workhouses will pull this country through the recession in the same way they did during the Industrial Revolution..

Everyone likes cheap clothes don't they? Get a few thousand chav sprogs in there churning out cheap tatty garments and we'll soon be selling stuff back to the Indians and the rich will be richer in no time...

Your out of order! Surely other housing associations, not just Sovereign tenants, deserve a bash at a decent days hard work!

[spartacus]

The good thing about clothing churned out from Workhouses is that the quality should be reasonably consistent. None of this "Chuck it together, it's a Friday" work ethic... With a proper Work Master cracking the whip EVERY day's a Monday.....

[Richard Garvie]

Evidence, or suspicion?

What difference does the party make? The best person would seek to unearth bad things regardless. After all, the Labour Party nationally has no moral high ground on truth economy...
The big fraud with politics as operated by all the party adherants is that few are prepared to stand up for right, only what their party wants which then becomes 'right'.

If Richard were ever to be accountable in local politics I wonder if he will maintain the transparency he demands of others?

You will see in our manifesto that transparency is one of our priorities. Not just political transparency, but transparency through the entire council. No more hidden agenda or cover ups.

[Iommi]

You will see in our manifesto that transparency is one of our priorities. Not just political transparency, but transparency through the entire council. No more hidden agenda or cover ups.

Whiter than white?

You sound like 'a pretty straight kind of guy!'

[Simon Kirby]

You will see in our manifesto that transparency is one of our priorities. Not just political transparency, but transparency through the entire council. No more hidden agenda or cover ups.

Sort of obvious really, but it's surprising how well the tories and condems have done without any openness. Perhaps Newbury voters don't actually want openness.

BTW, when are we going to see the Labour Party manifesto?

[Simon Kirby]

Whiter than white?

You sound like 'a pretty straight kind of guy!'

Be fair, Pogo the Clown would look like a stand-up kind of guy in West Berks.

[Iommi]

Sort of obvious really, but it's surprising how well the tories and condems have done without any openness. Perhaps Newbury voters don't actually want openness.

BTW, when are we going to see the Labour Party manifesto?

When he's finished his 20 B&H!

[Richard Garvie]

Whiter than white?

You sound like 'a pretty straight kind of guy!'

It's not about being "whiter than white". The one thing that inspired me to go into local politics is the Smoke & Mirrors / Cloak & Dagger nature of West Berkshire District Council. I would be a hypocrite if we didn't set out how we would like to change things.

As Graham Jones says, to be a credible opposition you need to have a credible alternative. We have one.

[Richard Garvie]

Simon, it's all ready to go, I just have to get the green light to release it. I personally want to have a launch event for the document, and that is something which may happen in early March.

[Iommi]

I was trying to say, in a humorous form, and two quotes from a man yet to taste power: be careful what you promise. In the unlikely event that Labour get into power here, you never know what you might find. You also have to trust other councillors don't have skeletons hidden.

[Richard Garvie]

I was trying to say, in a humorous form, and two quotes from a man yet to taste power: be careful what you promise. In the unlikely event that Labour get into power here, you never know what you might find. You also have to trust other councillors don't have skeletons hidden.

Agreed.

[user23]

Not at all. The council have spent almost half a million on Faraday Road industrial estate alone, on multiple studies and surveys. Is that best value?

How much has been spent "consulting" on the building on Victoria Park and the canal basin that nobody really wants???

You'd like the council to consult less and conduct fewer feasibility studies on new developments AND you'd like to start a development company to re-develop Newbury.

Put these two together and it starts to make sense why you're banging on that consulting the public is a waste of money.