Heartless or Hart less

After my last couple of postings, I don't doubt that many of my lefty readers have me down as a heartless swine and who could blame them, since like many rational people I understand the need for welfare, to look after societies needy but object to having to subsidise work shy layabouts and those too irresponsible and negligent to use contraception.

Likewise I understand the need for a public sector, what I never understand is the sanctimonious attitude of some of those who believe it is right and proper, that they have better pay and conditions than those in the commercial world who's productivity pays their wages.

Still that said who could fail to be offended, by news on the front page of this weeks Isle of Thanet Gazette, that Thanet council are considering big cuts to pay of its lowest like me you will be pleased to know that the chief executive will not be facing any similar pain.

As is the way of such nasty proposals, it appears to have been left to council officials, to put this into the public domain, speaking to one whom should know about these things, details have yet to be given to councillors as a whole. Also as you might expect, when seeking to introduce unfair and perhaps immoral policy, the key thing is to present a worst case scenario to be softened with a less damaging but similarly unfair proposition.

Politics is pretty much about marketing, so it is no surprise that council leader Clive Hart has yet to speak on this topic, presumably happy to let the chief executive take the flack, so that later on council leader Clive Hart can at some time step into the public arena, statesman like (if you can imagine that) and present plan b, reluctantly punishing low paid workers for doing a worthwhile job but not as severely as the headlined proposal of yesterdays paper.

Incidently those earning the big bucks at Thanet council are likely to see themselves getting a pay increase, the rationale behind this is that they make a comparison between turnover of commercial business with budgets of councils, the difference is of course is that business generates it's income and public bodies like TDC think of a number and then tax us. That might seem reasonable however at times many of us are responsible for significant actions.

How a Labour administration can justify penalising cleaners, crematorium staff who unlike the gravy train classes of council officers, probably barely receiving a living wage ( a living wage being distinct from minimum wage) but do the important things unlike the upper echelons who spend much of the time attending ego boasting meetings, committees or arranging the next event in which to exude self importance. 

In my view a street cleaner who cleans our streets has greater value than the senior officers who've proved in the past they cannot even arrange unfettered access to council meetings.

And what of Cllr Clive "photo op" Hart, why has he not issued a statement, as I often suspect, those in need don't need Labour, just look at how senior Labour party bods such as Tony Blair have done over the years.  It will also be interesting to see if straight talking Cllr Ian Driver, will live up to his left-wing image and withdraw support from the Labour's Clive Hart, should Labour attack probably the hardest working, most essential staff and yet poorly paid.  

Finally a phrase that I recall from the film "Twins" spoken by Danny DeVito for all Thanets leftys, "Money talks, Bullsh!t walks!" so lets just see whether Thanet Labour are just as I suspect all about preening themselves, making themselves look important or what you might expect, if you were not cynical, social justice. 

PS I've been rather busy just lately, so hence the break in transmission etc

Lunch time rant - ungrateful public sector to bite the hand that feeds it

Despite the fantastic weather this weekend, don't worry winter is on its way, how can you tell, well pick up any newspaper today and you will no doubt be able to read how unions mainly public sector are planning to go on strike, coordinating action for maximum pain to those of us in the wealth creating side of the economy

If that isn't enough you can expect a never ending stream of ungrateful union officials and others bleating about cuts, one thing they won't be worried about is the plight of the those in the commercial sector who have seen the pay gap increase from 2007 from 5.3% to an undeserved and insustainable 8.2% to the detriment of the commercial sector.

At some point, not too far in to the future this country will join ranks of the third world as idiot union leaders, witter on endlessly about cuts taking no interest in the wealth creating side to the economy which has an incredible burden of work shy parasites and public sector workers who have the mad idea that they are worth more than the rest of us.

If unions and the Labour party were to wake up and champion the idea that this country urgently needs to recreate the productive industries it once had I might have some respect for them but don't.

Rant over!

Why do we do this?

A question raised by a work colleague, to which there is no easy answer. Of course the reference is to why do we (those of us who earn a living) get up before dawn, travel miles, work, go home, do the same thing every day, while large numbers live on benefits.

Well it seems one reason, might be so that a ragbag coalition of left wing er....activists, (Anti Cuts Thanet and the Thanet Trades Union Council) can celebrate, us tax prayers by bleating about cuts. if you'd like to join them, you have an opportunity to mix with like minded people at the Red Hall, Broadstairs, next 12th September @ 7pm.

Looks like they'll also be arranging a Charabanc trip to London to join a mass demo arranged by the TUC in October, no doubt so that the nations free loaders can make us, work longer hours, pay more tax so that large swathes of the population can continue to slump in front of the Telly watching Judge Judy, Loose Women and the appalling Jeremy Kyle or just go to the local park and drink cheap booze.

Even Thanet council, who have a rash of consultations just now, have one about council tax benefits with the apparent aim of making taxpayer dig deeper TDC "aims to reduce the impact on benefit customers by removing some Council Tax discounts and exemptions" don't get me wrong I've no qualms about funding those unable to work, but who cannot think of someone abusing the system.

Welfare ought to be a safety net, not a flipping way of life as it is for some many. How about someone organises a demonstration for more cuts.

Thanet Councils flawed parking consultation

Just what do we expect of Thanet council, not much, no surprise to find the councils parking consultation flawed.

First they want your postcode, not to bad but a bit intrusive, secondly it gets a bit weird as one thing they need to know is if you're a councillor amongst other things (but not whether you work for the council) more sensible things, like if you live in Thanet are also included.

Question 4 asks which types (plural) of transport you use regularly, allowing only one choice, if like me you drive a car van cycle and walk then this question is frankly meaningless.

Question 6 is loaded, if you know what I mean, you're asked to prioritise choices for parking, first suggestion is "Charges are reasonable" no surprise "Free and unfettered by marauding council parking wardens" for some reason doesn't get a look in.

At this point I gave up God knows who created this consultation perhaps, council officers perhaps the labour leadership set aside five minutes, clearly it's as useful as a diversity Supremo in a Thanet council.

I tabbed through to the last pages, no surprise under Labours new bonkers administration, they wish to intrued on your ethnicity and religion and all that nonsense, yes of course, I know, when parking don't we all take into consideration whether a parking bay is suitable for someone of mainly European ethnicity albeit with a mixture of Irish English Scottish perhaps mainland european, perhaps with a tinge of regret that we've turned our back on Christianity, fleetingly considered Judaism, Islam and Buddhism but realised they'd conflict.

When will Clive Hart and his council get real, stuff the lunatic diversity horse crap and try thinking clearly. Rant over!  PS if Thanet Labour believed truly in diversity, why do they need to know ethnicity information it really doesn't matter.

If you'd like to check out the "consultation" for yourself click here

Refill

Yesterday I was drained, today it's a refill, last week a there was a fair bit of kerfuffle evident as the  fragmentation of the Margate town team organisation took place, which had been signposted, some might feel, by government backed wonder guru Mary Portas who put it "You either let the cameras in with me, or I go back on the train and some other town gets it...."

Well it seems Margate got it, as the TV wallahs rolled in and got involved in the regeneration Margate town centre, as we are all aware, Channel four documentary's report the facts straight, you never get salacious cheap infotainment, I'm sure that when Mary Portas is finished and packaged that we will get a straight, no drama, no fuss analytical documentary of how a celebrity saved the day from truculent business men and women of Margate

Perhaps it's me but I find most gurus that are promoted on telly (with the exception of the late great Fred Dibna) turn out to be less than convincing, the more you study them. For instance would you want a meal cooked by celeb Gordon ( ucking) Ramsey, imagine how many abused staff are needed to cook a three course meal, myself I wouldn't trust him to cook a bacon sandwich without exhibiting the need for emergency anger management, coincidentally  he works for the same production company Optomen Television Ltd as Mary Portas.

Anyhow forget all that crap, all is not lost, I see that those who will be still around, when the Mary Portas show has left town for good, have set up shop because they believe in Margate, the new group Streets Ahead Margate, seem to have enthusiasm in abundance "We are passionate about where we live and work..... Many of our newly formed team, Streets Ahead Margate had already  been heavily in involved taking forward aims and objectives to really make Margate a better place to live, work and visit." and are encouraging help "We welcome help and ideas from all sectors of our community. 

If you asked me I'd say it's grass roots people who build towns not media bods creating an hour of telly, given the choice of a consultant working with a channel four contractor and passionate local people with a clear interest and ambition in improving the town and the local community I know who I'd listen to most.

Good luck to Streets Ahead Margate.

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Drained

I find it hard to get enthused, these days, particularly by local events.

In the big world it seems to me that the cretins who have managed to claw their way to the top are no longer happy to just ride roughshod over public opinion, commonsense and fair play, now they wish to control individuality. 

Ironic as it is, it occurs to me that a meaningless doctrine of divisive "diversity" has been peddled by air head lefties here in Thanet, local politics has been tainted by crazy notions of what is and isn't acceptable, by those not noted for consistency, in place of substance and the ability to manage local affairs serious business is now outweighed by a sort of comedy of Orwell's thought police melded with Nazi/Stalinist type denouncements and tit for tat "standards" complaints.

Just to give yourself a taste of the pettiness of it all you could do worse that take a gander at this from Cllr Bernard la Rouche, clearly a injustice has taken place but let's get a sense of proportion.

I don't doubt, there are some out there genuinely hurt by the mudslinging malarkey but stuff me! aren't there things of more importance.

Fortunately there are some things more important than the goings on, in the great metropolis of Birchington, in my case I've been watching a lot of telly just recently which reminds me of the other tragic comedy the Mary Portas Show, as sponsored by David Cameron and we the taxpayer, in which a miserly hundred grand is waived at hard pressed businesses in Margate, by a TV production company in order to create a hour of watch-able reality TV creating real life chaos probably more damaging than any benefit likely from the government intiative.

Still moving on, and at a complete tangent, I was recently introduced to the music of Louis Jordan, a co worker recalled a track from their childhood 'Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens' a quick google and firing up Spotify has given me considerably more pleasure than commenting on local matters, it's music from the dawn of time, that I was largely ignorant of, still if you have a spotify account broad tastes then click here enjoy!

That's all folk's!