Sunday, April 27, 2014

Thanet Councils new tactic in the war on open government?

Exhibit 1 Last weeks video of  Thanet District Council meeting , if you care click on the Youtube link above, you will probably have the urge to turn it off within a few seconds. For some "technical reason" the sound has an echo, making what is, often the unintelligible, even more so.

This problem appeared on the previous video, and you would have thought that the council would have put some effort into sorting this out, but given their hostility to implementing government wishes, to allow the public to record meetings, they haven't.

I appreciate that many Thanet councillors and  "officers" are put out by public scrutiny, and many have a severe personality disorder thinking they are vastly more important than the oiks such as you and I who merely foot the bill for their often delusional self importance way of doing things.

Thanet Council seems to ignore the fact that you and I pay their wages or allowances, the least they could do is welcome the public and scrutiny, I must say how surprised I am the Labour (often sold as the peoples party) have continued TDC an apparent vendetta, against the people they work for.

I think that Sue Mcgonical chief exec  and Clive Hart council leader, have a duty in a democratic society to be open, and while I think of it Thanet council was recently audited by the Local Government Association, they have received a draft report which admittedly is not the same I presume as the finished item but why not let councillors and the public have a gander.

No wonder many of us view the council with great distrust, particularly when bad news is feed to the public, months, even years after the event and then only when those responsible have got their stories straight and the right spin in place.

11 comments:

  1. If TDC are as incompetent as you constantly present them as being, surely they will never get the story straight and the "right spin in place". Do try and set out a coherent argument that holds water.

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  2. They admitted to millions in losses in the last year and now there spending big with Clive Hart apparently working for Paul Carter Kent's Tory leader to overturna planning decision made by his own cancelkama which will of course cost many more thousands of taxpayers hard earned money.

    Thanet district council leaks money like water if that's any help, labour boy

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    1. Sorry "made by his own cancelkama should read "made by his own Council

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  3. Well said Tony and what about the 0% fraud and Labour £25k Chinagate?

    How Macgonigal is still there is incredible - but both parties in it together with her!

    Would your LibDems sack her and introduce automatic FOI each month?

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  4. It appears that TDC had an opportunity to get the Royal Sands development moving. I am told that Canterbury firm Cardy offered to buy out SFP from the project. The deal apparently committed Cardy to paying TDC the full value of the site up front circa £3.6million. TDC would have had the funds and would have still retained the freehold until Cardy had completed the development including the Hotel

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    1. That is unsubstantiated rumour as Michael Childs has pointed out to you before. The only way Cardy could buy out SFP is if SFP are willing to sell. For the moment it is outside TDC's control.

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    2. Michael Childs is the fool like you William who believes that Manston doesn't cause serious air pollution. TDC could easily cancel Pleasurama and/or force SFP to sell. The concern is that there are Cardy Canterbury and the Cardy-Keegan which is unusual to say the least as is the tax haven aspect.

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    3. See the fool still calls anyone who disagrees with him, a fool. If TDC could easily force SFP to dispose of their lease why do you not think it has happened before. Even now TDC are investigating the legal position to try to terminate that lease, but, in the meantime, TDC cannot sell the site to anyone.

      As for Cardy, the locally based construction company are well known in Thanet, have carried out many developments and their directors are local people in the main, Who Cardy-Keegan are is one of life's mysteries, but if they were the ones offering to develop the site that could hardly be any improvement on SFP.

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    4. William, didn't you know that everyone in Thanet is a fool according to Anon 21:51 who is really Tim Garbutt the isle's resident idiot.

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  5. http://savemanstonairport.wordpress.com/

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  6. The LGA peers report is on the TDC web today.
    I think that the disbanded independent committee attacked by Hart and co need a big apology, but we knew that anyway.
    Just sample extract
    "We heard some views that implied that the Council’s reputational difficulties were entirely the result of the behaviour of a small number of councillors. Whilst we agree that some of those behaviours are extremely corrosive, we witnessed the poor behaviours of many other councillors during our visit. Barracking, bullying and talking over others are behaviours which also damage the council’s reputation. There are things that all councillors can and should do to set an example and improve the reputation of the council including listening respectfully to the contributions of others, avoiding the use of personal insults and involvement in councillor training and development. A change in behaviour will help to change your reputation."

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