The nicest thing I have to say about Mt Gambier City Council's now completed five meeting 'Budget Consultation Process' is...if it wasn't so sad it would be hilarious...and while nobody is fooled, the damage is done, and the wreck is going down.
It's really quite clever though and quite simple...(well it would have to be for you to figure it out, ahahaha-Ed)....yes, hilarious...but here's the plan...
When you know that there is going to be a lot of opposition, schedule at least 4 or 5 meetings and hold them in the afternoons and on weekends which, 1) makes it difficult for people to attend, whilst 2) giving you the opportunity to say how much 'Consultation' you're doing.
But 3) is the clincher...you know that all of the people with concerns will show up for the first meeting or two but will then dwindle off having said their piece, so you send only one Councillor (Cr Andrew Lee)along ...then you load up the last couple of meetings with all the usual suspects off Council and get all your mates along to tell you how great you are...and get the media in for that little mutual fondling session...
And so 4) council can claim 'plausible deniability' in ignoring the first two meetings, and instead focus on the last two.
I confidently predict that Council will 5) use it's dodgy mates in the media to proliferate the lie that 'people were initially concerned with the Budget, but Council's extensive Consultation Process has seen the community fears allayed, and people come round to Council's way of thinking'...just watch...
And to ensure this, after the first two meetings you run a big article in The Border Watch (Tuesday May 28th) stating that Cr Lee has 'heard the concerns and will act accordingly'..."Public outcry heard - Elected member to fight for reduced rate rise"...which those with concerns will read and so then withdraw from the process thinking they have achieved their goal and/or there is no need to attend further meetings.
But it didn't quite work that way did it fellas, because several people were saying the same things at the last meeting as the first two...the economic climate has changed and people are suffering job losses, massive utility bill increases, etc, and cannot afford these rate rises...don't do the Old Hospital or the Rail Lands now, they can wait...
A lady who had attended the first meeting stated the same issues raised then...'I'll be ok but I'm worrried about others and the future of the town'...etc, and read out a list of the massive increases in utility costs, eg, electricity bills now 11x cost of only three years ago...Council cannot say they haven't had it literally read out to them...
Please refer to previous posts re the extraordinary conduct of Mayor Steve Perryman and other Councillors, CEO Mark McShane, etc, at these meetings, including the quite deliberate but failed attempts by our Mayor to goad me into an aggressive response that could then be used against me.
How is this behaviour, this petty, thuggish, bullying, harassing behaviour, from the Mayor of all people, toward anyone, in any circumstance, in any situation let alone at public meetings, in any way appropriate? It simply is not. What a sad disgrace.
I am pleased that people not reading my blog have stated to me their belief that the whole 'Consultation Process' is a massive con, a deceit, a manipulation...nothing but an unbelievable farce from people who simply can't be trusted...but even more exciting is the response that shows people are not just following my blog but predicting and/or dissecting Council's behaviour in light of the information I am providing.
And I know that for all their flatulent bluster and vacuous bravado that Council is availing itself of my humble blog and so I say unto you Mr Council, what a truly sad day it is when I have more credibility in this town than all of you put together...so sad...and I can do it without saying a word...(I think that says more about how woefully inadequate, selfish, and un-trusted Council is, rather than how great you are-Ed)...absolutely...and I am not laughing...not one little bit...nobody is...there is nothing to laugh about...
The entire 'Consultation Process' is a massive con and nobody's buying it Mr Council...not nobody.
Unfortunately I was 15 minutes late for yesterday's meeting, but I didn't miss much apparently, and walked into a long 'excuse' about the Rail Lands...the contamination blahhhh, the easement blahhhh, the State government's fault blahhh, we'll bulldoze the Old Hospital blahhh, fill in with the rubble, blahhh, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah...(yeah, normally I'd pull you up for blahhhhing, but I'll give you that one...I'm sick of their lies as well-Ed)...
Present were CEO Mark McShane, Mayor Steve Perryman, and Councillors Merv White, Ian Von Stanke, Byron Harfield and Jim Maher*...and bless my cotton socks...Mr Front Porch himself Graham Greenwood...where's Robert Miles It quickly became apparent that this was another loaded crowd of sycophants and ex-Councillors...no surprise...they spent fifteen minutes telling each other how great the new pavers are...seriously...
(*I note that Cr Maher has been unable to attend previous meetings for personal reasons. I believe that he would be genuinely shocked and embarrassed by the extraordinary conduct of Mayor Perryman and Cr Von Stanke had he witnessed it.)
But even then there were those who spoke out against the Budget, particularly the massive rate increases.
One gentleman stood at the back for a while and then politely cut crook about Council moving the library to expand their offices and their "little Empire", what a massive disaster the Main Corner is, Council doesn't listen and/or care about people, (paraphrasing) etc, and then stormed out, half slamming the door...hurrah that man...and so I started quietly clapping and several others quietly joined in...hilarious...
Told you...don't have to say a word...
And don't get me started about the clown sitting right alongside Steve Perryman...(ahh, I think you already have-Ed)...who sat there gushing away about how wonderful Council is and how he fully agrees with everything in the Budget and isn't it all wonderful and golly how wonderful is the Main Corner and oh my god what a f(whoops, you nearly caught me napping-Ed)...yeah, sorry, that one got away from me a bit, but seriously, you should have seen this idiot...I hope you're reading this you idiot...
He stated that 'we shouldn't think about what damage this does for future generations because the younger people haven't shown up to "these meetings" so they obviously don't care' (paraphrasing from my notes)...(hey, you're right...he is an idiot...bet that was the first meeting he'd been to as well-Ed)...damn straight...shows up to one meeting and he's got the bare-faced stupidity to mouth off about all and sundry...(yeah, down our way we call it 'Doing a Greenwood'-Ed)...owww, nice, wish I'd thought of it...
And just on 2pm who should roll in but my close personal friend, that paragon of reportage...(ease up on the sarcasm dude, before you break somethin'-Ed) ABC producer/announcer Stuart Stansfield, whom, surprise, surprise, interviewed staunch Liberal party supporter Barney McCusker and CEO Mark McShane before sliding out of sight because that's just how he scurries...
Barney McCusker and Stuart Stansfield...I feel that in the air there is a bracing pair, a brace of hare, two more bunnies for the spotlight that I like to call The First Time I Met...(hooo, go big fella-Ed)
But back to the immediate problem...Mayor Steve Perryman must resign.
He has repeatedly lied outright about the rate increases in the local media.
In The Border Watch on Wednesday May 29 he stated outright that the rate rise "...will be around $60 per year" when he knows full well that rates will effectively rise $100 per year for 10 years, resulting in a near $1,000 rise (a doubling of current average rates). He repeated that lie the next day on ABC Radio, and then again even after someone rang in and explained the reality.
A proven and repeated deceit of the community, perpetrated by the Mayor, in the public arena.
I call on the Mayor Steve Perryman to accept responsibility for his extraordinary and inexcusable behaviour at the 'Consultation Meetings', and the definable lies that he has repeated in the local media yet again just this week gone, and resign.
This is absolutely un-acceptable and unprofessional behaviour, particularly from the Mayor, a position that is supposed to inspire confidence and demands leadership beyond self, not an angry deceitful little man who lashes out at those who disagree or differ.
Council is absolutely hell bent on the Budget and don't give a damn about how it affects the average person.
Tell your friends, family, and even your foes, write to Council by this Friday June 7th and express your concerns, and ask to be heard at the public meetings...you have to actually write in your submission a specific request to speak...
Council has no intention of listening but please try anyway.
Tomorrow: TFTIM Stuart Stansfield
*Bingo, just heard part of the interview with CEO McShane on the 6.30am ABC Radio news, and a long diatribe from Mr Idiot himself banging on about how Council has been elected, and must move forward, etc...idiot. CEO McShane says "respectful feedback" and "people have certain views and that's fine"...gee, thanks Mark, I'm allowed my 'view'...super...*
No comments:
Post a Comment