First of all may I wish you all a very Happy New Year and
hopefully one where the winner of the council comprised of ‘The Most
Condescending Councillors’, is awarded to any other authority but Tameside! – However, I won’t hold my breath.
Sadly, but exactly as predicted, the council’s foray into
attempting to create a Christmas Market has been reported by the council's PR people and certain career councillors; (one of who purports to have responsibility for 'markets') as a resounding success; - despite costing £69,500 to fund the procurement of
materials to build 30 ‘log-cabins’ when these could have been hired; fully lit
and heated for a total of £7620.00. Not to mention the cost of the 'entertainment and event management fee, which is still undisclosed!
So, the 'success' certainly was not a financial one!
Entering the council website, one read with total disbelief
the usual self-congratulatory praiseworthy Press Release which was repeated ‘word for word’
in the local press.
As your eyes scanned the words, especially the parts where dubious
statistics were being bandied about like confetti, one could once again sense
that a flagrant example of their well-practiced talent for avoiding the truth
was being amply demonstrated.
The thing that really galls me is the way in which they
think they can fool us with misleading information.
For instance, they tell us, and I quote; “Ashton Market Hall
saw an increase in trade during the Christmas Market, with over 3000 more
visitors through the doors during the first week than the same period last
year!”
Sounds good, doesn't it? But how do they know without actually
employing people to stand at every doorway and exit and physically count them. -
Not only this year, but last year too. And that was before this year’s
Christmas Market was even on the drawing board!
I’m also sure you will be delighted to learn that unnecessarily
having lost all this money on funding these ‘log-cabins’ Tameside council is now
intending to carry out a "targeted consultation with identified
stakeholders within the business community, (Traders) statutory organisations,
(Tameside College) and and key representatives from the voluntary and community
sector" (Charities) to ensure that their next Christmas Market builds on
the alleged ‘success’ of this one!
More “double speak” from the council.
What we want from the council leaders is straight talk, not prevarication,
evasion and pure bull. We have experienced subterfuge and deceit for years now,
which is only marginally better than no answer at all.
Is it really too much to want the bare truth. The council
officials are wrong if they think we are fool enough to believe them and their spurious
statistics and sneakily guarded statements.
The problem isn't the stagnant bunch of low calibre self-seekers and chancers in the Tameside Labour group, it's the appallingly low quality of the 1200 or so slopeheads in virtually every ward who turn out and 'Vote Labour' automatically. Even worse are the ones who ALLOW this to happen year in and year out: the 75% of the elctorate (a significant proportion of whom are also sick of the Labour monopoly on power and the borough's numerous and increasing failings) who can't even be bothered to vote.
ReplyDeleteIf even a relatively small number voted on the principle, 'vote for the party that will do the most damage to the party you hate most', then we'd have a good clearout of (brain)dead wood in the council chamber.
How true "In the name of God, go!" What is needed is a slate of independent candidates aimed specifically at exposing the Labour overspending, bad governance and possibly corruption.
ReplyDeleteI would dearly like to carry on doing such a thing as I have done in the past. But suffering from Parkinson's and having a heart attack 3 months ago I regret running around canvassing is a thing of the past.