I was interestedly reading some comments about Cllr Tony Vickers earlier. Mr Garvie made an inresting statement when he said that Tony Vickers only cares about his own issues. I know Tony and I think you're unfair. I know we're not allowed to use words like pillock here, so I'll content myself to say that Tony is the most unhelpful, unfriendly and dissinterested Councillor I've ever known, and I've known a good few, from a good few councils!
However, Tony isn't the subject here. I also noticed some acid comments about council officers in general. Now, I know that I'm a dimwit, with no grasp of reality, and here's how I know.
Stupid me always thought that the idea of a Council was to be paid to do things for the community. In my innocence, I imagined that Councillors are the people who direct the council officers. I imagined that Councillors were there to represent their constituents.
Sounds like a good idea for a Democracy, does anyone fancy trying it? If we're successful, perhaps we can submit it as an idea for governing ourselves as a nation. We could call this radical idea, 'Democratic Government'.
Might be hard to make it work in practice though, it sounds too hard...
Sounds like a good idea for a Democracy, does anyone fancy trying it? If we're successful, perhaps we can submit it as an idea for governing ourselves as a nation. We could call this radical idea, 'Democratic Government'.
Might be hard to make it work in practice though, it sounds too hard...
Excellent idea. All you have to do is to get yourself elected. You have three choices: join one of the established parties, stand as an independent or start your own party. You'll find all the information you need here http://www.beacouncillor.org.uk/couldibe/
It's great to see people who want to take part in improving their community rather than just slagging off others anonymously here. It's all too easy for the pillocks of this world to waste their time doing that, isn't it? Good luck to you. I'm really looking forward to the improvements you'll make when you're in power.
You are right about councils, I can't comment on Mr Vickers as I don't know him, but the whole problem with local politics is exactly that, politics.
Why should councils be allowed to maintain a two or three party system which, as a group, believe that they are allied to the governing parties at Westminster. Minor jobsworths acting up their importance, spending more of their time bickering and blaming the opposite party rather than working together to do a job for the ratepayers.
Excellent idea. All you have to do is to get yourself elected. You have three choices: join one of the established parties, stand as an independent or start your own party. You'll find all the information you need here http://www.beacouncillor.org.uk/couldibe/
It's great to see people who want to take part in improving their community rather than just slagging off others anonymously here. It's all too easy for the pillocks of this world to waste their time doing that, isn't it? Good luck to you. I'm really looking forward to the improvements you'll make when you're in power.
Well said. Personally I hope to see lots of people standing in the elections next year, including the Green Guerilla Party.
The more people that stand, the greater the validity of those that win.
Another well said. Particularly if the Green Guerilla Party thinks the word Pillock is offensive and "slag" is perfectly acceptable.
Eh? 'Slag' would be completely unacceptable, obviously. I stand by my previous comment. If Green Guerilla is going to do more than throw insults around here and actually do something constructive, good luck to him/her. We can all moan: as our Prime Minister says, it's time to stop moaning and do something.
Eh? 'Slag' would be completely unacceptable, obviously. I stand by my previous comment. If Green Guerilla is going to do more than throw insults around here and actually do something constructive, good luck to him/her. We can all moan: as our Prime Minister says, it's time to stop moaning and do something.
Yep ! I am afraid that's what he said on another thread - little charmer !
I know we're not allowed to use words like pillock here, so I'll content myself to say that Tony is the most unhelpful, unfriendly and dissinterested Councillor I've ever known, and I've known a good few, from a good few councils!
I think an apology is due here.
This is a vile calumny, and as such must be offensive to all pillocks everywhere.
Yep ! I am afraid that's what he said on another thread - little charmer !
Oh dear. He's probably been watching East Enders a lot. I don't watch it myself but I believe the epithet in question is part of every day discourse on the show and Green Guerilla may find distinguishing between fiction and real life rather challenging.
He obviously needs to get out more and I have a modest suggestion for ensuring that he does.
As we're all well aware, thanks to the economic chaos left by Gordon 'Prudence' Brown our new Dear Leaders Cameron and Clegg are about to dismantle our public services. While many of the regulars here will rejoice at the idea of thousands of public sector redundancies I can foresee a few problems.
For example, I hate litter and the thought of being knee deep in it as a result of the cuts is very depressing. But simply hating it doesn't get rid of it and the solution is, literally, in our hands. I propose that we should launch the Newbury.net Campaign For a Litter Free Newbury. How is that going to work, I hear you ask? Does it involve moaning endlessly here about the litter on our streets?
No, it's simpler and more constructive than that. The NNCFALFN works like this. Next time you see some litter don't write to the council or complain about it here: pick it up and put it in a bin.
I vote that we put Green Guerilla in charge of this campaign so that a. he gets out more and b. before we vote for him when he stands for West Berks council we can see how good he is at actually organising something rather than just complaining about it.
I'm laughing my head off at the moment, thank you all for your responses!
Threep, I apologise if I have offended pillocks by association, it was purely unintentional!
I am indeed a charmer, PaulaM. 'Little' does not apply. I can use many words that are offensive, none of them need be from the vernacular. It does not serve to obfuscate the issue by drawing in issues that I may have raised elsewhere, but yes, 'slag' is a word I use, from the vernacular, to describe prostitutes. A rose by any other name, as it were. I didn't say that I thought 'pillock' to be offensive, the statement was contextual. Try again.
I have improved communities, and I didn't need to be in politics to do so. Read on, Noobree.
I have 'done something more constructive' in my professional life, and litteraly thousands of people have benefitted from it. I often had to do it AGAINST the political efforts of councillors and council officers, and that was because I knew what I was talking about, so I didn't talk, I DID. Q, as they say, ED. However, to tell you what it was would be to tell you who I am, and I prefer not to.
If you'd like to read the original post again, you might be able to discern the point. Oh, and when it comes to my personal poiltics, the obvious clue that you clearly missed is Green guerilla. Not blue, red or yellow.
This is NOT about Tony, OK? To clarify. I like Tony Vickers as a person, he's a very nice chap. As a Councillor, no. If I vote for someone other than Tony, I end up with no representation at Council. Not only that, but, because of his personal beliefs, Tony will not represent my views.
This is always true, under our current political system.
The point is repeatedly made elsewhere, and I simply repeat it. Council officers are supposed to be there to provide public services. Councillors are supposed to represent the views of all of their constituents. Neither of these statements represent reality.
I'm all for the privatisation of Public services (having demonstrated the astonishingly successful results of doing so) and I'm certainly in favour of getting rid of council officers. The exceptions are the ones who provide a good, responsive service, tempered with the humility to want to understand the value of customer service.
As his post shows, Brian completely gets the point. You others are council customers too, do you feel valued and responded to as such?
Green guerrilla, I totally agree with your point that the idea of a council is to do things for the community. Sadly, in my opinion West Berkshire Council seems to be doing things very much in their own interests and not in the best interest of the community. They seem to have forgotten that even local government is ‘government for the people by the people’.
A perfect example of this is the way they have withdrawn working hours restrictions from successful planning applications, leaving neighbouring residents open to noise and disruption 24 X 7. This is not in the best interests of the community. It costs nothing to include this restriction but for reasons best known to themselves West Berkshire Council have removed it.
See my recent thread on this forum about this issue - http://www.newbury.net/forum/m-1286625541/ You will also see information on this thread on how to contact your local councillor on these sorts of matters. I have also included contact details for the Executive Councillor for Planning.
The only way to change things is to contact your councillor on these vital issues and voice your disagreement. I have noticed that very little happens if only one person complains to a councillor, but action is usually taken if several people take up the issue.
It costs nothing to send an email and make your voice heard. This is as much a part of the democratic process as voting.
I have raised many issues with Tony Vickers, expecting him to reply as my councillor. Instead, he nearly always says that he'll ask a council officer, then tells me that the council officer says 'no'.
Exceptions to this are when he doesn't want a development at the end of his (shared) private road, when he wants bicycles to be encouraged, and when he wants a town centre road closed to parking.
I wonder what would happen if every ward in Newbury managed to elect an independent representative? I wonder what would happen if we had all opinions represented at the council?
And I wonder what would happen if any proposed change needed the support of 80% of the voting public before it could be made?
Some say 'well, nothing would change', to which I reply that change for change' sake isn't necessarily a good thing, and not changing things does imply a certain stability in society.
One thing seems to have been forgotten by some here. The people of West Berkshire elect our local councillors, so you're really arguing against the electorate of West Berkshire if you're saying that they don't represent your views, particular if it's a councillor that has been returned to office as I think Tony Vickers has.
I suggest that all the moaners put their money where their mouth is and stand for election next May. In truth I suspect it will be only a very small amount of people such as BrianB and Richard Garvie willing to risk public humiliation and those like our new friend will be nowhere to be seen until a few months later when they'll be back moaning how they could do things so much better.
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