I often get the comment from those that know me, as well as those that don't "why don't I do something" about those things that I care passionately about, another comment is "why don't you become a councillor" even more popular "give it a rest"
Well here is the answer firstly frequently spending a couple of hours a day writing this trash is in my book doing something, now I suppose as well as this blog I could send letters to local papers but if I make the effort I honestly do not wish to be edited or censored and since the quality of some of our locals is pretty poor, why do it to yourself, imagine the pain of getting the knock back from say the Adscene or knowing your not good enough to be included in the yourthanet, Gazette or Extra. So I publish my rants, raves and considered opinions here on Bignews Margate.
The issue of becoming a councillor is in my opinion a simple one (apart from getting elected) , to start with, to have any hope of influence, you'd have to cosy up to either the Tories or Labour party, then you'd have to come to terms with the fact that democracy in this country is stifled by central government and worse the Standards Board of England, which is meant stop bent practices but has had, I feel a corrupting effect of censoring free discussion and democracy (I wont go into detail as I covered this a while back).
With that said, on these pages, I have on more than one occasion, covered the role that our inept council parking policy has had in the decline Margate. Anyway you look it, retail business in Margate is on life support and Thanet council have just increased the cost of electricity.
So coming back to the Gazette, which this week covers the problem but does so in what I feel is a particularly annoying, superficial way, take a gander, if you still buy a copy, what you have is a staple of many a gazette piece, a series of people are asked what they think (vox pops) , which in this case is particularly unsatisfying. for this reason. no conclusions are formed or statements challenged oh and its mostly a case of the same old faces.
Sandy Ezekiel is quoted as follows " I think the car parks are full at the moment" to which some journalists might have mentioned that 100's of spaces given away for free to Thanet council staff "I don't think people begrudge paying an extra 50p to park a car" maybe the question could have been asked why traders are losing business then.
The great thing with this blog is if you don't like you can always click elsewhere, but newspapers are different but they should I feel take sides, particularly when the heart of the communities they serve are in need.
Well here is the answer firstly frequently spending a couple of hours a day writing this trash is in my book doing something, now I suppose as well as this blog I could send letters to local papers but if I make the effort I honestly do not wish to be edited or censored and since the quality of some of our locals is pretty poor, why do it to yourself, imagine the pain of getting the knock back from say the Adscene or knowing your not good enough to be included in the yourthanet, Gazette or Extra. So I publish my rants, raves and considered opinions here on Bignews Margate.
The issue of becoming a councillor is in my opinion a simple one (apart from getting elected) , to start with, to have any hope of influence, you'd have to cosy up to either the Tories or Labour party, then you'd have to come to terms with the fact that democracy in this country is stifled by central government and worse the Standards Board of England, which is meant stop bent practices but has had, I feel a corrupting effect of censoring free discussion and democracy (I wont go into detail as I covered this a while back).
With that said, on these pages, I have on more than one occasion, covered the role that our inept council parking policy has had in the decline Margate. Anyway you look it, retail business in Margate is on life support and Thanet council have just increased the cost of electricity.
So coming back to the Gazette, which this week covers the problem but does so in what I feel is a particularly annoying, superficial way, take a gander, if you still buy a copy, what you have is a staple of many a gazette piece, a series of people are asked what they think (vox pops) , which in this case is particularly unsatisfying. for this reason. no conclusions are formed or statements challenged oh and its mostly a case of the same old faces.
Sandy Ezekiel is quoted as follows " I think the car parks are full at the moment" to which some journalists might have mentioned that 100's of spaces given away for free to Thanet council staff "I don't think people begrudge paying an extra 50p to park a car" maybe the question could have been asked why traders are losing business then.
The great thing with this blog is if you don't like you can always click elsewhere, but newspapers are different but they should I feel take sides, particularly when the heart of the communities they serve are in need.
The local Thanet rags stand up for the local people against intrenched interests?
ReplyDeleteNow that would be a story!
"its mostly a case of the same old faces"
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Who are they...former Councillors?
I have to disagree with you about IOTG, Tony. They have been highlighting issue after issue about TDC that they think people in Thanet have 'bees in bonnets' about. They have to ask TDC for comment and at the moment the same old replies from TDC continue to show an arrogance towards the electorate that readers of IOTG are noticing.
ReplyDeleteIts a funny old place Thanet, as a friend of mine has pointed out. When Tories were in, Thanet was Labour and now Labour has been at Westminster, Thanet is Tory. So when the electorate gets its chance in Thanet, we will probably see a Labour Council under a Tory Central Government.
The carparks are full, take for example College Sq, lower deck long term parking, week days always very busy with permit holders. The upper deck, short term parking, where shoppers park, empty with only approx 40 cars at any given time on busy days. Tdc have lost the plot on parking charges.The Gazette does appear to tow the Council line and not report the actual situation. The Council is inflicting more decline of our town centres with parking charges, and seems to be very out of touch. A customer commented today on Margate, no one locally can afford to use the new cafes/bars, so the cafe socieity is in doubt. With the parking charges/restrictions the town can only suffer more decline.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, IOTG has always been anti Thanet Council and often negative about the place itself.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, local papers need to highlight what few positives there are about the place sometimes. Perhaps that may help some people here feel better about Thanet - and ultimatley have a knock on effect with the visitors?
It's not always easy being positive about Thanet when there is a lot of doom and gloom around and social issues certainly need exposing.
You can park free in Westwood, you can park free in Maidstone on a sunday etc. Thanet council has no such relaxation of parking charges in their carparks.At least they should give concessions on weekends as there are plenty of empty spaces due to the lack of Council worker's cars.Revenue would atually increase with the cheaper parking and help our town centres.
ReplyDelete