If you care to look it up I think you'll find my attendance compares with yours, so stop trying to con people. Or perhaps your comments were aimed at your ward colleague's poor attendance if so you should take it up with him. _________________ This is my truth. Now tell me yours.
If you care to look it up I think you'll find my attendance compares with yours, so stop trying to con people. Or perhaps your comments were aimed at your ward colleague's poor attendance if so you should take it up with him.
'Your' use of the car doesn't though.................
Amnd neither does either of theirs I should think. _________________ Rocke
I'll have a word with them on Thursday.
Come to think of it, why don't you raise the matter in Council, after all we are priveleged to have a seats there and it's better to debate it there than in cyberspace which is pretty meaningless and all a bit of a con really _________________ This is my truth. Now tell me yours.
I'll have a word with them on Thursday.
Come to think of it, why don't you raise the matter in Council, after all we are priveleged to have a seats there and it's better to debate it there than in cyberspace which is pretty meaningless and all a bit of a con really
Anytime, any place anywhere.
Bet you won't start it if the press are there though will you.
No matter, once expenses come out and my letter follows your mate will be able to explain it himself.
You had the opportunity - plenty of it - to explain the rationale. A reasonable expanation would have been sufficient. However, now you look as if you'll be embarrassed about it.
A bit like your mates Mr and Mrs Lewis - or is it Neagle - with their second flat allowances.
He's in for it if you wheel him in to our patch as well. _________________ Rocke
I reported a street light out it was promptly fixed several days later I have received a customer concern letter The letter thanks me and says when the light will be repaired I think this is a waste of street lighting budget A slightly different subject I know an elderly widow in a council house she has had no heating or hot water since Wednesday it will be sometime next week before its possibly put right _________________ Down at the red rose cafe in the harbour there by the port just outside Amsterdam
Hello again Harry ( in case you missed my first greeting on another post ).
Couple of things, most important first.
Has this lady, you or anyone else mentioned this to one of her local councillors. In Summer there's a possible reason for not prioritising heating but lack of running hot water should always be a case of some priority.
At the very least now get hold of a local councillor and ask them to get a firm date for the repair, as a first step.
Next, on the subject of lights I had to explain things to a few constituents on Monday.
The Community Constable was telling people at a meeting I was at that CCTV wouldn't be any use where street lighting was being swirtched off.
I stated that that couldn't be the case - no residential areas were (should be ) affected and therefore CCTV in such areas wouldn't be comprromised.
He stated that there were 2 or 3 streets in the dark in my very ward ( and actually in one of the streets that one of my councillor colleagues lives in ! ).
I stated that I'd look into it.
And you've guessed - a fault with the lighting system, which was repaired within a couple of days.
That's why it is important for people to call 311556 or one of their councillors. We have to make doubly sure that someone hasn't pushed the wrong button or the computers have done a HAL 2000. _________________ Rocke
As I have mentioned before there is not a light in any street in Llanhilleth, its pitch black. Even the A467 that runs parallel to the fields is in total blackness.
These are residential streets. I have had copies of letters from Mike Bartlett and Hedley about their concerns but the coucil say they are 'mitigating the risks' - though they are not saying what those mitigations are.
So, if it's OK for our street to be in total darkness why not everybody elses then ??? (This is not just aimed at Rocke but aimed at the council in general).
And I don't buy into 'other areas are doing it so we should come into line' Other areas have lower council tax but we are not coming into line in that area are we ? _________________ Top tip: never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow
Well jools I'm not happy about it, since we have been told that no residential areas will be affected.
You might note from last week's 'week that was' that we had an issue in Cwmtillery Ward, which turned out to be a fault with the lights but the local police ( and Neighbourhood Watch ) thought it was the switch-off.
I can only presume that your Ward Schedule ( which all Members had a copy of for their wards ) either a) had those areas earmarked ( in which case someone should have pointed out the problem ); or b) didn't have them earmarked ( in which case Hell should be raised ).
However, Mike would most certainly get his teeth into it ( he has a vested interest in making sure the policy doesn't fail ).
As for your comment regarding Council Tax I explained this on a posting regarding the budget setting in March.
If you want I'll PM you with it. _________________ Rocke
I am totaly opposed to any street lighting being switched off so should everyone else A friend who works for the council says if we want to save real money "lock down" the civic center without warning and send in a real independant team of auditors this would show where our money is being wasted big money every day _________________ Down at the red rose cafe in the harbour there by the port just outside Amsterdam
I am totaly opposed to any street lighting being switched off so should everyone else A friend who works for the council says if we want to save real money "lock down" the civic center without warning and send in a real independant team of auditors this would show where our money is being wasted big money every day
Easy to say Harry but not so easy to prove.
What one says is waste will be another's good value.
And also, is paying me £18,000pa value for money ?
( Not a trick question, but just to show how things are not only not black and white but they're not even 10 shades of grey ). _________________ Rocke
Hello Rocke There really is only one person who knows if you are worth the money You I have known several council staff who are unhappy with the structure of the council they all promised to become whisleblowers when they retired none did I know several more still employed there who say the same they will not either so all at the civic are still safe _________________ Down at the red rose cafe in the harbour there by the port just outside Amsterdam
I see your point Harry but you remember I said 'one's man's waste' etc. ?
Another problem is that the one who is not being as careful with part of the public purse as you or I might be is almost always able to get out of it (politically) by pointing to someone or some group who are happy or accept what's happening.
The especially important bit is the acceptance.
Politicians use that an awful lot. In this instance they might say 'what do you want, lights or a reduction in meals on wheels ?'
Clearly those in receipt of Social help appreciate that they haven't been affected.
The street lighting issue is a very pertinent one.
If the lights were switched off between, say, 2 and 3 almost no-one would experience it but quite a few would complain, stirred up by politicians with an agenda to get into power, and to do so by rubbishing the efforts of those in power.
On the other hand, switching off between 12 and 6 would have quite a few more people experiencing darkness, yet there would probably not be a corresponding increase in complaints and comments.
This might sound perverse but if it's already the subject of debate, would someone add their voice ?
That's one issue - the people who have genuine concerns because they've actually seen how difficult darkness might make things are overshadowed ( no pun intended ) by those who the ruling group can rightfully say 'how do they know, they're just stirring things up'.
It would be a cop-out.
I've received a letter, apparently copied to a number of my colleagues, from a citizen who to be frank just said 'I don't want the lights switched off and I'm sending this letter to all of you'.
Who's going to answer that ?
I wonder if every one of us has thought 'oh, it's Cllr. X's ward, so no doubt he'll answer it'.
What has galvanised me however is where someone said 'I have to take a torch in order to go to work in the morning'.
That isn't right, but where's the alternative ?
The alternative is what we as councillors should think up. In fact I'll narrow that - it's for Opposition to come up with. But all we get is 'spend reserves, spend reserves, spend reserves'.
That's what's been happening for years.
Imagine having £20,000 redundancy and a £500/month pension.
Yes, go on 2 holidays a year, renew the car every 2 years, have that treat of a meal out and/or a show once a month.
Energy bills increased ? Fuel gone up ? - never mind, dip in the bank.
How long before there's only barely enough left in the coffers to cater for a rainy day ?
How many would be foolhardy enough to dip into those last reserves ?
We've effectively restricted the availability of energy, knowing that means that it can continue to be supplied when it's really needed because we'll be able to afford it.
However, there are a number of anomolies which I would have hoped could have been avoided.
Instead of throwing money at it I'd have like to have seen the Opposition making good suggestions that would have been hard to argue against.
I myself suggested that instead of 12- 1hr before dawn we should not put them back on during Summer and use that additional saving to ensure they are on from 5am in the Winter, due to the changeover of Night and Day shifts, thereby helping shiftworkers. Not heard if that's happening as yet.
It's also perverse to be a Council that licences premises to stay open until Midnight - and then switch the lights off on their clientele as they go home.
I'm not happy about what's happened in Cwmtillery Ward and my job now is to persuade my partners that a review is required.
I've walked and driven the streets to experience things first hand and I'm unhappy that it's come to this (extent).
If anyone could come up with viable savings in the Regeneration area that would offset this switch-off their ideas would be welcomed. I've had someone come up with what would appear to be great idea - take the fuse or bulb out of every other light.
Unfortunately for certain reasons that isn't viable ( I'd thought of it myself when my employer was going down that road ), unbelievably.
However, there is always - and I speak as someone who for a considerable part of my working life has been involved in it - scope somewhere for making things more efficient, economical, effective and thereby freeing up cash.
That's where your comment regarding 'whistleblowers' comes in.
I'm not after catching people out or having them hauled over the coals if they're in charge of systems or processes that are inefficient and wasteful ( unless they should know better ).
BUT, if you - or anyone who reads this - can point me in the direction of things this Council gets up to that seems to be wasteful then please let me know and I'll look into it and involve my colleagues and officers to see if there is something that can be done.
Coincidentally today I attended the first meeting of a small but high-powered working group looking into how our Council can get things sorted quicker and better for citizens who contact us for something. If we can do that and we free up more resources for other things then perhaps we can make the sorts of savings that will replace and obviate the need for saving energy costs by knocking street lighting off in order to ensure Social Care isn't told to cut its budget so far as to mean that Mr. Jones or Mr & Mrs Smith or Ms Williams can only have help 5 times a week not 7. _________________ Rocke
There is growing discontentment regarding many council policys If the council has " it's finger on the pulse" it should come as no surpise that influential people in the borough are in favour of mass public demonstrations to vent their anger at the wanton waste of public money in so many areas yet they want to stop such basics as street lighting This council should not underestimate the power of the public when well organised _________________ Down at the red rose cafe in the harbour there by the port just outside Amsterdam
Any sign of change to the lights off policy through the coming winter? People going to work early will need some light.
I've had a letter that says there's a meeting of the working group that was set up to look at this on 14th Oct. I'm not part of it but I assume that it's a group comprising of senior members of the Partnership and senior officials who'd be monitoring and reviewing areas of concern.
At our next Group Meeting I'll ensure that we're told what the strategy ( regarding reviews etc. ) is.
I for one think that implementing it during the Summer has been a very helpful way of seeing what the effect is and therefore how consequential it will be when applied through the Winter.
I've walked and/or driven around Cwmtillery during switch-off hours and through quite a few other areas of Llan/Aberbeeg/Six Bells and Aber Wards. I've witnessed the issues first hand and I'll be asking how I make my comments and views ( which incorporate those on here and those of the people who've spoken to me about it ) known.
I also have alternative ideas on how we invoke the plans and hopefully there'll be other like minds, so together we can reduce the impact.
But I'll make no bones about it, simply saying 'we don't want it' isn't an option.
Let's be honest - how many people have actually experienced the switch-off ?
I come home after a night in one of the locals and I don't see a dozen people during the week - in fact it's usually less than 5.
(And I don't come home at 3 in the morning).
I think if we timed it right there wouldn't be 5% of the population affected. And no, it's not good enough to say 'that's 5% too many', because then you'll have to answer the question 'where do you get £180,000 from then?'.
We're not going down the path of dipping into the reserves ( the Council's savings for a rainy day ). That's because things are going to be tough for a few years to come, given the publicised low levels of funding we're going to get in the short to medium term.
Start dipping in now and we hasten the time when there's nothing left in the safety pot, then it is jobs and services.
There's lots of initiatives going on ready to make savings that will prevent cuts in services next year and the years to come but regrettable that does mean some things we almost take for granted now will change.
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