Super Coouncil

Malcolm Robinson · September 8, 2007

Looking at the proposals for the new soopa coouncil for Northumberland anyone else get a tingling down the back of your neck. Selling off local assets, moving services 250 miles away, 100's if not 1000's of redundencies, decimating local representation and the list goes on. Now I am all for change but the changes I would like to see should be made to empower local people not take it away!

Never thought I would say this but I might even start to support WDC remaining!

One question remains unanswered, and I have asked it time and time again, just who the hell is making these decisions? If it is the CEO of NCC then he could be sacked, the elected officers have a mandate off the people seeing as 55% of "us" voted against a single authority for the county.

As yet there are only very sketchy details about how communities like Bedlington will operate once these changes go ahead, my view is that if all is going to be as good as we are led to believe then everyone would have been told just how they would benifit, someone would be after brownie points!

At the moment this stinks, someone somewhere is laying down this blueprint without any public consultation (see comments by councillors in this weeks Leader) and in this day and age that should be verboten, punishable by public flogging!

Merlin's wall might have to be extended considerably!

Merlin · September 10, 2007

Looking at the proposals for the new soopa coouncil for Northumberland anyone else get a tingling down the back of your neck. Selling off local assets, moving services 250 miles away, 100's if not 1000's of redundencies, decimating local representation and the list goes on. Now I am all for change but the changes I would like to see should be made to empower local people not take it away!
Never thought I would say this but I might even start to support WDC remaining!
One question remains unanswered, and I have asked it time and time again, just who the hell is making these decisions? If it is the CEO of NCC then he could be sacked, the elected officers have a mandate off the people seeing as 55% of "us" voted against a single authority for the county.
As yet there are only very sketchy details about how communities like Bedlington will operate once these changes go ahead, my view is that if all is going to be as good as we are led to believe then everyone would have been told just how they would benifit, someone would be after brownie points!
At the moment this stinks, someone somewhere is laying down this blueprint without any public consultation (see comments by councillors in this weeks Leader) and in this day and age that should be verboten, punishable by public flogging!
Merlin's wall might have to be extended considerably!

Already stockpiling the bricks 'n' mortar mate :lol:

Blank · September 10, 2007

Local council or not, will we ever see any change?

Will it really make a difference?

Pete · September 10, 2007

Looking at the proposals for the new soopa coouncil for Northumberland anyone else get a tingling down the back of your neck. Selling off local assets, moving services 250 miles away, 100's if not 1000's of redundencies, decimating local representation and the list goes on. Now I am all for change but the changes I would like to see should be made to empower local people not take it away!
Never thought I would say this but I might even start to support WDC remaining!
One question remains unanswered, and I have asked it time and time again, just who the hell is making these decisions? If it is the CEO of NCC then he could be sacked, the elected officers have a mandate off the people seeing as 55% of "us" voted against a single authority for the county. As yet there are only very sketchy details about how communities like Bedlington will operate once these changes go ahead, my view is that if all is going to be as good as we are led to believe then everyone would have been told just how they would benifit, someone would be after brownie points!
At the moment this stinks, someone somewhere is laying down this blueprint without any public consultation (see comments by councillors in this weeks Leader) and in this day and age that should be verboten, punishable by public flogging!
Merlin's wall might have to be extended considerably!

Big Brother is making the decisions Malcolm, it does not matter how you voted if the powers that be want to do something they will do it regardless.

Its just like the smoking ban when did they consult the puplic?

They will do what they like when they like and they could not care what the people think, its time we had a political party that does the will of the people and not of themselves.

Gordon Brown says he is listning to the people but I dont think he is, he is just another MP (Prime Minister) with his own agenda.

Hamburger Pimp · September 10, 2007

Smoking Ban Improves Health

Damn those interfering politically-correct meddling bureaucrats and their do-gooding ways! Damn them to hell!

Blank · September 10, 2007

Smoking Ban Improves Health
Damn those interfering politically-correct meddling bureaucrats and their do-gooding ways! Damn them to hell!

I saw that on the news this morning - I'm all for the ban myself.

The vast majority of the population dont smoke so why should we suffer at the hands of the minority?

Hamburger Pimp · September 10, 2007

'zackly!

Pete · September 10, 2007

Smoking Ban Improves Health
Damn those interfering politically-correct meddling bureaucrats and their do-gooding ways! Damn them to hell!

Read the link, still think its big brother and they never consulted the public. Clean air but you still have to put up with all the muck that some industies churn out, fumes from cars busses and the rest, they never baned it in the bars in parlament, whats good for them is good for me.

Bring Back Tabs in the Pub

Cympil · September 10, 2007

I would be more worried about what`s in me shampoo and deodorant and stuff :blink:

http://www.equilibra.uk.com/dangerous.shtml

Malcolm Robinson · September 11, 2007

Local council or not, will we ever see any change?

Will it really make a difference?

Blank,

we will see a change straight away as the vast majority of councillors are made redundant. Yes I know that ain’t such a bad thing but there will probably be one “real” councillor for the whole of Bedders so how will you find them. Will they belong to one political party thereby alienating them from the majority? You will have to vote for them so there will have to be an election and as we have been grossly underrepresented at both district and county levels for years how will getting rid of 90% of our representatives help in that respect.

The list could go on and that is just one small side issue; more importantly how will moving a lot of service departments 100’s of miles away help? Yes it might save a few bob in the short term but how will local people who are supposed to be served by them access them, you won’t be able to go to the Bedlington council offices, they are to be sold! So changes, yes from the word go, you will have to change how you pay and access local government.

As for a local council you can see that campaign has started! The nub of the problem is, what will it be in charge of and will it be cost effective? It could easily be another layer of local tax for something which is, to all extents, valueless as far as the vast majority are concerned.

Pete,

the older I get the more suspicious I become of all politicians. As far as I am concerned the country is not the democratic utopia so many of our fore-fathers died trying to protect, it is becoming an Orwellian nightmare and we only have ourselves to blame! We now have full-time politicians, it is the only job they have ever had, so they have no real world experience as they have been wrapped up in their own cosseted existence! In times past they were the products of “rotten boroughs” where someone who wanted to be an MP or whatever could buy his seat, haven’t times changed, or not when we see central party candidates imposed on constituencies!

Somehow the democratic ideals we are supposed to hold so close to our hearts have been usurped by a dictatorial style of government and we have let them get away with it because of a sense of apathy! Their only job is to facilitate and implement the will of their electorate, that has been callously changed into; you do what we tell you to do, in the best traditions of Animal Farm and 1984, which lets remember were written as satires on Stalinist Russia not Blair/Brown’s Britain!

Malcolm Robinson · September 11, 2007

Smoking Ban Improves Health
Damn those interfering politically-correct meddling bureaucrats and their do-gooding ways! Damn them to hell!

HP,

Have you read Fahrenheit 451 I bet the same reasons would have been used!

Merlin · September 11, 2007

Read the link, still think its big brother and they never consulted the public. Clean air but you still have to put up with all the muck that some industies churn out, fumes from cars busses and the rest, they never baned it in the bars in parlament, whats good for them is good for me.
Bring Back Tabs in the Pub

Pete,Right on bro!

So Blank,where are all the non smokers that were going to fill the bars and clubs who were going to breath 'fresh clean air'? Nowhere to be seen if reports from the license trade are anything to go by,drops reported between 40 and60% in trade.I'm sure they love the smell of stale beer and fart as to the smoke :lol: :lol:

Seriously though we need to stop this 'nanny state' culture and stop it now!!

Mr Darn · September 11, 2007

Pete,Right on bro!
So Blank,where are all the non smokers that were going to fill the bars and clubs who were going to breath 'fresh clean air'? Nowhere to be seen if reports from the license trade are anything to go by,drops reported between 40 and60% in trade.I'm sure they love the smell of stale beer and fart as to the smoke
Seriously though we need to stop this 'nanny state' culture and stop it now!!

Something i'm wondering: I know we need it etc, but i'm still wondering:

if someone turned round today and said, Right. I own this land, so anyone who wants a bit of it needs to pay me for the privilidge.

Also, since i own this land, every penny you earn, i want a percentage of. then, when you spend what you have left, i want some of that too, then what you save, i want some of, when you die, and give it to your siblings, i want some more of it. i want some for driving on my roads, i want more when you smoke or drink alcohol and if you fill up your car, i want a large chunk of what you pay the garage.

Because you live in a nice house, i want you to pay me more than someone who lives in a crappy house, when you watch tv, i want more money and if your going for a crap, i want more (even if you dont go for a crap, i still want it coz i have supplied the means for you to have one)

Since you live in a certain area, i'm going to give back some of this money you paid me, to keep the area nice, lets say £1000. £500 will go to pay for someone to decide what needs to be done, £200 to someone to agree or disagree and £200 on planning permission. Oh, and i want some of that money back, in tax.

If you dont pay me, i'll lock you in a room, paid for by people who do pay me.

What would we say to these people? if they tried it today?

as i said, i know we might need it, but come on! their has to be an easier way!

Malcolm Robinson · September 11, 2007

if someone turned round today and said, Right. I own this land, so anyone who wants a bit of it needs to pay me for the privilidge.
Mr O,
Always reminds me of the joke about the poacher and the land owner.
The land owner catches a burley poacher fishing on his river and tells him to get off his land. The poacher asks who says it is his land? The land owner says his ancesters fought alongside the king and were so good at the fighting that the king gave them this land. The poachers then says, "Well OK matey, boy take your coat off and I will fight you for it now!"
Once installed a ruling elite take some shifting!
Less than 5% of the people own over 95% of the land in England and it has been that way for a long long time.
"as i said, i know we might need it, but come on! their has to be an easier way!"
There has to be a better, fairer way but we seem to going in the opposite direction?

Malcolm Robinson · October 17, 2007

It looks like Bedlington will be split into two constituencies (east and west) with Stakeford and Choppington forming one as far as the County council is concerned. More locally parish/town councils are proposed and will include various community groups. Is this good news?

Monsta® · October 17, 2007

It looks like Bedlington will be split into two constituencies (east and west) with Stakeford and Choppington forming one as far as the County council is concerned. More locally parish/town councils are proposed and will include various community groups. Is this good news?

eh! i thought a super council was one huge council not lots of little constituencies? seems like a waste of time if thats the case!!! who's hair brain idea was this anyway? and how much is this going to cost?

makes you wonder why we bother to vote if this is the mess they make! :blink:

Mr Darn · October 17, 2007

It looks like Bedlington will be split into two constituencies (east and west) with Stakeford and Choppington forming one as far as the County council is concerned. More locally parish/town councils are proposed and will include various community groups. Is this good news?

i thought it was that way already, as when i deliver to stakeford, the delivery address comes back as choppington...

eg Half Moon Street,

Choppington,

Northumberland.

Monsta® · October 18, 2007

i thought it was that way already, as when i deliver to stakeford, the delivery address comes back as choppington...
eg Half Moon Street,
Choppington,
Northumberland.

thats just your sat nav! :lol:

Mr Darn · October 18, 2007

thats just your sat nav!

No, actually its the whole asda system.

same as felton comes under morpeth, and longhoughton under alnwick!

dunno why, it just does!!

(i dont trust sat-nav's, i'm an A-Z guy!)

Malcolm Robinson · October 19, 2007

eh! i thought a super council was one huge council not lots of little constituencies? seems like a waste of time if thats the case!!! who's hair brain idea was this anyway? and how much is this going to cost?
makes you wonder why we bother to vote if this is the mess they make!

“I thought a super council was one huge council not lots of little constituencies”

All political hierarchies are made up of smaller constituents the theory being you elect a “local” person to represent your views. Course the bigger the institution and the smaller the constituency the less likely your views will be heard! That is why it is imperative to meet and talk to the person you elect rather than elect based on what colour rosette they wear!

“Who’s hair brain idea was this anyway?”

As far as I can tell it came from central Gov and is supported by the chief Exec of NCC.

“Makes you wonder why we bother to vote if this is the mess they make!”

Don’t it just! The question was asked and the majority voted against this idea but here we see it being implemented. Why bother to hold a token play of democracy if the result is matterless and the changes will go ahead regardless?

As for costs it is supposed to save money so the first question should be how much will it save and when can I expect a corresponding decrease in my community charge? The answer will be never because of the increasing financial burden of civil servant pensions on ratepayers! They have tackled that one recently, much to the chagrin of some civil servants, instead of a length of service, in years, being the determining factor for pensionable age they have now made it a set age figure per person. So instead of being able to retire with an index linked pension in their early 50’s some will have to work until they reach 60 or even 65 yrs old and that might even go upwards like the rest of us!

The PR for these changes says it will bring local government closer to the people but looking at the proposals only the very insignificant stuff will have any local control over it with any significant control over larger questions being even less accessible than now!

Merlin · October 20, 2007

i thought it was that way already, as when i deliver to stakeford, the delivery address comes back as choppington...
eg Half Moon Street,
Choppington,
Northumberland.

Stakeford,GuidePost and ScotlandGate are in the parish of Choppington!

Merlin · October 20, 2007

When these people want to change things its only for the good of them not us!

This God-Damn country is getting me down. I for one am sick to death about being told what I can and cannot do for safety and health reasons,!*!@# its profit reasons and profit reasons only,speed cameras for safety,crap, profit!Stop smoking in public places and work for health reasons,crap,its so no-one can sue for passive smoking,more money kept by them.Carbon emissions on cars higher car tax, profit............................................

Sigh

Malcolm Robinson · October 20, 2007

When these people want to change things its only for the good of them not us!
This God-Damn country is getting me down. I for one am sick to death about being told what I can and cannot do for safety and health reasons,!*!@# its profit reasons and profit reasons only,speed cameras for safety,crap, profit!Stop smoking in public places and work for health reasons,crap,its so no-one can sue for passive smoking,more money kept by them.Carbon emissions on cars higher car tax, profit............................................
Sigh

I can emphasise with you Merlin but instead of getting despondent get even, do something about it, it’s the society you belong to which is being ripped apart so you do have a right to hold people to account and ask the awkward questions!

Mr Darn · October 20, 2007

I can emphasise with you Merlin but instead of getting despondent get even, do something about it, it's the society you belong to which is being ripped apart so you do have a right to hold people to account and ask the awkward questions!

to who? who would we ask these questions too?

Malcolm Robinson · October 20, 2007

to who? who would we ask these questions too?

For a start your local councillor, MP and even MEP. these are the people charged with representing your views, it is their JOB, it is what they are being PAID to do!

How you do it is another thing...........but you will get more results doing it publicly and with some support!

Any questions in mind Mr O?

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