OFF TOPIC - LOCAL POLITICS - You Have Been Warned!

[Gnasher]

The MBIs latest newsletter has got me going again, so much I've written to my local councillor:

Councillor Ashworth,

Until recently I have never ventured into local politics, not even made comment about it but some of the recent events in the town I have lived in all my life have baited me to start speaking my mind. Your latest newsletter is yet another trigger for my comments.

Let’s start with your slogan, People before Politics. You know the one, it’s in larger print immediately above the article that attacks the other parties. Not a word about the people, doesn’t say much for you does it?

Next stop, Sainsburys. You’ve actually typed “we are aware that there may be” – why don’t you just say you don’t actually know what people’s opinions are? If you’re a people before politics party I would have expected you to go knocking on some doors and ask. I know for a fact you haven’t knocked on the doors on Lancaster Road.

Let’s move on to Morecambe Town Council. The one founded on a lie. The people you got to sign the petition for the town council were told it wouldn’t cost us any extra. My recent council tax bill says something different, the town council is going to cost approximately £220,000 this year alone. Like I said, it is found on a lie and I can’t believe a democratic system such as we have in this country has allowed that to happen. All those that made the effort to put the town council in place should hang their heads in shame and offer to pay for it out of their own pockets.

One of my favourite topics, The Dome. So you’ve saved a loss making council venture. Thanks for that, more money out of my council tax. Why can’t you just admit it that you are incapable of running anything at a profit? I’d love to see The Dome stay open but you’ve got to admit, it has been a disaster from day one and now you’ve voted to keep it open and subsidised by the people. Thanks for not asking my opinion about it first.

If you want to put people first you have to do things to attract people to the town. Getting them here quickly would be a good start yet as a political party you all voted against a bypass. Luckily, against your party’s wishes, it seems to be going ahead and I can’t wait for it to be built.

Not once has anyone from your party consulted me on anything going on in this town yet I have lived here 48 years. However I am well known to one of your colleagues who I had to go looking for in Morecambe Arndale where I found Councillor Archer handing out pre-formatted objection letters to the Urban Splash plans. I look forward to hearing your explanation why a political party interested in the people’s opinion were promoting an objection and not giving anyone the chance to record being in favour of the plans.

Brian Sheldon.

[morecambe mick]

The trouble with you Brian, is that you are too cryptic.

[Gnasher]

Anyone living in the Bare ward will know what I'm on about

MBIs playing Sim City except it's a real town, real people and real money. If it really were a game, they'd have been bankrupt within an hour.

[Christies Child]

Full credit to Brian for going public with his thoughts.

[Keith]

Until recently I have never ventured into local politics, not even made comment about it

Oh go on Mark, dig out some 'local politics' threads!

Well said all the same!

[skyecat]

One of my favourite topics, The Dome. So you’ve saved a loss making council venture. Thanks for that, more money out of my council tax. Why can’t you just admit it that you are incapable of running anything at a profit? I’d love to see The Dome stay open but you’ve got to admit, it has been a disaster from day one and now you’ve voted to keep it open and subsidised by the people. Thanks for not asking my opinion about it first.Brian Sheldon.[/i]

A few things that have always puzzled me about the Dome and the Platform - they are both council run venues of 2 progressive sizes (250 - 600ish - Platform to 475 - 1000ish Dome).
they are run by two separate programmers - why?
They don`t have an email mail out list - why?
They don`t have separate websites - instead, hard to find and almost impossible to remember website addresses - why?

Their marketing is almost no existant apart from, I must say - the Platform`s nice looking posted out programme.

I know the programmer and the manager and sound tech at the Platform and count them among my friends, but when it comes to town councils and budgets and council tax etc... well, I could suggest a few changes such as those above to start to balance the accounts.

[Plain Peter]

Brian
You've lived in the town all your life.
Bravo for that.
You are passionate about Morecambe.
You obviously have plenty of time for hobbies.
So why haven't you had a go at being on the Local Council?
Please don't take this as any sort of criticism

[PUNKISDEAD]

I personally see no point in two council owned venues being in competition with each other, sometimes offering nothing, and sometimes offering a clash of events on the same night, i am sure a half decent comedien would do two nights at the platform if a night at the midland was chucked in , bulldoze the dome, and get rid of the MID (Morecambe independant parasites)

[halfwayliner]

As a person who goes to Morecambe approx 2times a day from rhubarb city.Morecambe needs to clean up its promenade shops first with a lick of paint.There is also no need to build a hotel next to the Midland as that land could be used for all kinds of entertainment. Weymouth and their ilk demonstrate that this can be done quite easily and they also make money from their promenade actiivities.The view across the bay is fantastic and visitors do come for the view.The Midland should attract enough tourist on its own merit.The byepass is badly needed and cannot come quick enough. Morecambe could also benifit from a marina which would i think could be based at the sand collection point on Heysham Harbour. I know this is not Morecambe but is it not time Skerton and Vale cleaned up their act. What a shit hole they are.

[halfwayliner]

Yes i know all the Vale and Skerton are not tarred with the same brush .But it is to them to make sure their environent is to scratch.

[Plain Peter]

Weymouth and their ilk demonstrate that this can be done quite easily and they also make money from their promenade actiivities.The view across the bay is fantastic and visitors do come for the view.

Weston-super-Mare pier was destroyed by fire a year ago. It's already being re-built.

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/webcam.aspx

There are loads of other seaside towns with outstanding walks, views, entertainment, good eateries etc.
Weymouth and Weston-super-Mare are good examples. These towns are clean, well maintained and are thriving.
I've read some of the reviews on TripAdvisor from people who've stayed in The Midland. They like the hotel, and the seaward views, but say there is very little to draw people to the town. Who can argue with that?

[Shrimpsscene]

disappointed youre not going to vote for Evelyn to be mayor of Morecambe Brian



if she brings back two piers four cinemas free astroglide rides
fairground with proper rides and stalls and a bowling alley she might get my vote
oh yes and can we have green and cream buses back as well and ohagans fish stall

[Gnasher]

Brian
You've lived in the town all your life.
Bravo for that.
You are passionate about Morecambe.
You obviously have plenty of time for hobbies.
So why haven't you had a go at being on the Local Council?
Please don't take this as any sort of criticism

Peter, weekdays I only have the evenings to spare and frequently those are in hotels around the country. Weekends I spend a lot of time on saturdays with football so Sunday I look forward to time with my partner whose shift patterns often mean we see little of each other. Maybe when I retire I'll get stuck in, until then they'll just have to put up with me as a pain in the arse.

Here's something else to think about.

A lot of people are disgusted/outraged/etc that we've probably lost about £1,000,000 in the Icelandic banking system.

The MBIs keeping The Dome open and their push for a local town council is costing us at least half a million every year The Dome stays open.

The people that vote for the MBIs, I wonder if they would invest their money in Iceland?

[Gnasher]

Until recently I have never ventured into local politics, not even made comment about it

Oh go on Mark, dig out some 'local politics' threads!

Well said all the same!

47 years of political silence, relatively speaking the last year is recent

[P/T Indie]

Anyone living in the Bare ward will know what I'm on about

MBIs playing Sim City except it's a real town, real people and real money. If it really were a game, they'd have been bankrupt within an hour.

Well you know what the people of Bare should have done

[morecambe mick]

Anyone living in the Bare ward will know what I'm on about

MBIs playing Sim City except it's a real town, real people and real money. If it really were a game, they'd have been bankrupt within an hour.

Well you know what the people of Bare should have done

Time to roll Bez out again is it?
Only this time not for Labour, pick someone who have a chance of winning.

[Gnasher]

I've never voted for an MBI. In fact, in all my voting years the only people I've talked to doing the doorstep rounds prior to an election was Bez's leafleting mates

Bez for Bare

[Gnasher]

Anyone living in the Bare ward will know what I'm on about

MBIs playing Sim City except it's a real town, real people and real money. If it really were a game, they'd have been bankrupt within an hour.

Well you know what the people of Bare should have done

It's not just Bare, those MBIs get everywhere

[P/T Indie]

Anyone living in the Bare ward will know what I'm on about

MBIs playing Sim City except it's a real town, real people and real money. If it really were a game, they'd have been bankrupt within an hour.

Well you know what the people of Bare should have done

Time to roll Bez out again is it?
Only this time not for Labour, pick someone who have a chance of winning.

Maybe

Brian could be his policy and speach writer

I think we should but just as an Independent with no links to any party just two local chaps trying their best for the area they both live in and trying to make a difference.

or failing that we could always have Christie the Cat as our answer to Hangus the Monkey who wonin Hartlepool. We should put him up against Archer in the parish elections.

[Aspers]

I have some very distant links to Cork City from 1979 when I was with the National Ballet Company of Ireland.
In the 80's the residents of cork were so annoyed at the local political situation that a group of guys got together and they elected a local homeless and destitute man as mayor.
Kinda funny when visiting dignitaries are shaking hands with a tramp.

[Gnasher]

Mayor Christie sounds good

[marky No.1]

This is'nt local politics but it should put a smile on your face

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7970492.stm

Mistakes happen - don't they

[Andy]

Looks like she's been shafted there !

[marky]

On the subject of all things political, how do Lancaster residents feel about the fact their local MP, Conservative Ben Wallace, made the fourth highest expenses claim in 2007/2008 at a massive £175,523?

[bigreddog]

In the interest of some ballance may I mention both our local MP's?

According to the Sunday Telegraph and Bloomberg, that's not right. They recon the expenses were: £152,251 for Wallace and £148,849 for Smith.

However I'm not clear on how they arrive at these figures. Unless one reads into the fact that their article makes the point that the cheapest MP is a tory and the least value for money a Labour left winger.

From Hansard records the figures are a little different and one would presume more accurate.

Now these figures don't seem a lot when you say them quickly or you don't say them out loud at all, so brace yourselves.

In addition to their annual salary. I'll say that one more time in case you missed it: In addition to their annual salary...of £60,277 (and that's just for a backbencher by the way), the scores on the doors are:

Ben Wallace MP : £175,529

Geraldine Smith MP: £166,223

would love to see the league table that shows Ben in 4th place. If he's in the champions league spending places, then Geraldine isn't far behind, maybe pushing for an Intertoto spot.

I can't see any of them getting there via the fair play league though, can you?