Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Would it work? or are there some councillors who are just too untouchable? I was thinking of posting to every Warrington forum, every facebook and twitter page and everywhere else I could think of to try and get something started to rid us of these idiots who are supposed to run things in the Town Hall. A simple action of voting against every sitting councillor in every ward in May We have a situation where the Chief exec gets a 9% pay rise while the spineless whimps we call councillors do and say nothing. We watch as they destroy our heritage by allowing buildings such as the baths to be demolished without even a murmur against the idea. Bewsey Old Hall is now in a dire predicament and will be next to go..... If this carrys on for much longer there will be nothing left of the Old Warrington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I think I like the idea, Baz, but a bit unsure of the mechanics. Nobody's untouchable (d'you think it's really that bad?), but I'm not sure how you'd vote against one candidate without voting for another. It's the sense of secrecy* about major decisions that bothers me. Well done fella, this might be the most poster unifying thread yet! *Not secret secret, but they don't tell you much without an FOI request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I know that "another" would have to be voted in, but just think how it would shake the buggers up!! The problem is with your average Joe voter who has always voted Labour etc.... you would never get them to see past the colour of the rosette. If people would vote on the basis of what THEY want themselves instead of voting for a colour that would be better all round. Look at Lymm for example. How long has that tory woman been on the council up there for example? and yet they all campaign on what they are going to do and then do nothing but carry on as before - taking the allowances, not standing up to the officers and then destroying the towns heritage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I got a letter from our MP last week. That's not as grand a claim as it may sound - most people around here got one - but it does seem to me like she was stepping in because it's the kind if thing my local councillor should (but didn't) do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It's been many years, sadly, since our elected councillors "ran things" at WBC. Somebody realised that if they delegated all the real decision making to "officers" and "officials" and concerned themselves solely with strategic directions, policy reviews, development plans and other meaningless mumbo jumbo then it would be harder for the voters to pin the blame on them when things went wrong. So now it's always the nameless and faceless council officers and officials who are said to be at fault when a department isn't up to scratch - and somehow never the councillor with SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITY for that area. Perhaps we, and the Press (Gary!), should start treating the councillors as the irrelevence they've become. Don't give them interviews and column inches to waffle away as if they know the first thing about what is going on. Instead, name and get an interviews with the head and senior staff of whichever department or project the story is about - whether good news or bad. Let's hear from, and hold accountable, the people who ACTUALLY make the decisions, ACTUALLY spend the money, and are supposed to ACTUALLY deliver the services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Would it work? or are there some councillors who are just too untouchable? I was thinking of posting to every Warrington forum, every facebook and twitter page and everywhere else I could think of to try and get something started to rid us of these idiots who are supposed to run things in the Town Hall. A simple action of voting against every sitting councillor in every ward in May We have a situation where the Chief exec gets a 9% pay rise while the spineless whimps we call councillors do and say nothing. We watch as they destroy our heritage by allowing buildings such as the baths to be demolished without even a murmur against the idea. Bewsey Old Hall is now in a dire predicament and will be next to go..... If this carrys on for much longer there will be nothing left of the Old Warrington With you 100% Baz. For far too long we have just been expected to lay back and take it. There are things going on in Warrington that infuriate people. The list is endless. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 With you on this one Wireboy! (a thumbs up icon would be here if there was one available) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 or Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahl Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I totally agree. Councillors are never seen nor heard and the council officers who run the daily business are total without control. Lets have more independent councillors as they are probably the only ones who can truly represent what is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Only one problem. For every voter you get on board to vote against the sitting councillor, there will be another who will vote for them, and then another who couldn't care less until a decision affects them personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 There are actually some very good community minded councillors who look after their constituents very well from all three political parties - so why would anyone want to vote them off? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 There are actually some very good community minded councillors who look after their constituents very well from all three political parties - so why would anyone want to vote them off? To send them a clear and decisive message that the public are not happy with the way things are going. Unfortunately as the old saying goes: "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs....." Having a few councillors who do a bit of litter picking and such like are far outweighed by the trough snuffling ones who jump on the allowances bandwagon and say nothing while the chief Exec gets a whacking pay rise when the ordinary workers (some who have been working for the council for many years) get thrown out in the cutbacks. You only have to look at the likes of PK. He tried a few times to be elected as an independant but had to put the blue rosette on and toe the party line before he could get elected..... it isn't right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 To send them a clear and decisive message that the public are not happy with the way things are going. Unfortunately as the old saying goes: "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs....." Having a few councillors who do a bit of litter picking and such like are far outweighed by the trough snuffling ones who jump on the allowances bandwagon and say nothing while the chief Exec gets a whacking pay rise when the ordinary workers (some who have been working for the council for many years) get thrown out in the cutbacks. You only have to look at the likes of PK. He tried a few times to be elected as an independant but had to put the blue rosette on and toe the party line before he could get elected..... it isn't right. Your on a roll Baz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 say nothing while the chief Exec gets a whacking pay rise when the ordinary workers (some who have been working for the council for many years) get thrown out in the cutbacks. Not much difference than big business and banks then !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 To send them a clear and decisive message that the public are not happy with the way things are going. They do that at every election by the majority not voting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 They do that at every election by the majority not voting! which is why something needs to be done Gary. If people can be persuaded to vote to effect real change by altering the entire council then it needs to be promoted. Most people wn't vote because they know that in Lymm for example, you are always going to get a tory, in Bewsey you will always get a labour candidate. That is the problem having party politics at local level, it ends up as a status quo because no one seems to think they can do anything to change things. This idea of just voting out whoever is in WILL bring about real change for once and will keep the ones who are voted in on their toes because next time they could be out .... we have councillors in this town that have been councillors for far too long. They have become complacent and ineffectual. They need a shake up and it needs to be done sooner rather than later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 You wouldn't expect an employer to sack every employee because some of them aren't pulling their weight. One of the local school's recently failed its OFSTED inspection - should they sack ALL the staff - good and bad ? Should a hospital sack all its nurses on a regular basis just to keep their replacements on their toes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 You wouldn't expect an employer to sack every employee because some of them aren't pulling their weight. One of the local school's recently failed its OFSTED inspection - should they sack ALL the staff - good and bad ? Should a hospital sack all its nurses on a regular basis just to keep their replacements on their toes? No I wouldn't Nick, but these aren't employees. They are Councillors who are elected to serve the will of the populous. Unfortunately, many lose sight of that fact once they pull up their chair to the council table.... When you have total apathy on the part of the electors because they think their vote doesn't change anything then I guess a drastic solution is needed and that is my idea. If you have a better one which will finally get the councillors to remember who they work for; I am all ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Your talking a UK 'Tea Party' Baz - a great idea. I would guess that the US party has already been villefied in the liberal press, but the fact is that it is a well mannered association of intelligent, responsible neighborhood citizens who have had enough of high taxes and wasted money. Unlike the 'Occupy' movement, your kids and grandmothers are welcomed and revered at 'Tea' gatherings. It certainly changed things here in 2010. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 . I would guess that the US party has already been villefied in the liberal press, And rightly so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Your talking a UK 'Tea Party' Baz - a great idea. I would guess that the US party has already been villefied in the liberal press, but the fact is that it is a well mannered association of intelligent, responsible neighborhood citizens who have had enough of high taxes and wasted money. Unlike the 'Occupy' movement, your kids and grandmothers are welcomed and revered at 'Tea' gatherings. It certainly changed things here in 2010. Oh dear! I don't think that Baz sees the NHS as evil, or do you Baz? Surely Baz is advocating an anti-politician stance - no parallel with a movement supported by and offering support to professional politicians with a particular viewpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Keep hearing this, "we'll change things in Washington, Brussels, London or even on the Council" - never happens; as the system just chews up radicals and spits out any hard pips! Even Chairman Mao could get round this gravitation to elitism despite his attempts with cultural revolutions. There was a film "Viva Zapata" about a Mexican Revolutionary; who took over. But the system began to take him over, so he went back to his village and started another revolution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 My friends, neighbors and myself, are just concerned citizens who want to change the way government is sliding - we don't want to become Greece. We do it the right way, through the ballot box. What's to villify? This idea scares the hell out of the liberals who live and die by the government teat and rely on dependent people for political support. Seeing as how 80% of the US media and close to 100% of the European media is left leaning, the 'teaters' get the benefit of distorted opinion, which is what you hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yeah Stallard - and Fox News is fair and balanced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 My point Stall, is that it's easy to claim one can "change things", but "the system" is a web of intrigue of mandarins, the press, basically the establishment, that simply won't allow an extreme view (right or left) to have control (even democratically). Perhaps the nearest one who came close with a single minded conviction was Maggie; and she finished up being stabbed in the back by her own Party! The Mandarins throughout the ages, have always told those with nominal power what they can't do, never what they can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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