From Greg Muller's Desk by Graham Greenwood

Short post today because I have been over these issues before, so please review my previous posts on the Mt Gambier City Council's 'Budget Consultation Process', outlining the gross manipulation of the debate, including outright deceits, committed by Council in both the meetings and the media...(oh, and don't forget their extraordinary behaviour in repeatedly abusing you, and the hilarious if grossly in-appropriate 'Epic Fails' efforts of Mayor Perryman-Ed)...indeed...

For example, even after being repeatedly bailed up and held to account on the actual proposed rate rise of nearly 45% over the projected 5 years, Mayor Steve Perryman continues to state "only $60 a year"...that is an outright lie and he knows it but he just can't and/or won't stop saying it...

As best I can tell, the ABC has virtually ignored the 'Consultation Process' other than Stuart Stansfield showing up half way through the fifth and final meeting, recording only pro-Council views whilst carefully avoiding me, and then running those 'interviews/recordings' of 'Mr Idiot' (previous post), Liberal supporter Barney McCusker, and CEO Mark McShane, and only cursory mention of some-one whom cut crook then stormed out.

The ABC seems to be running an agenda of 'Plausible Deniability' by simply not going to things that they don't want to acknowledge, eg, they don't even go to Council's regular meetings. I have barely heard the ABC discuss the 'Consultation Process' at all, other than the two interviews covered in previous posts.

Graham Greenwood's article in The Border Watch Friday 7th July (attached) is a perfect template for the deceit and manipulation that defines the 'Consultation Process'. All support for Council with only a brief reference to two meetings full of 'please don't do it' statements, all rounded out with the 'official' Council threat to cut other services..."...what are people prepared to go without to achieve a lower rate increase?"...

Perhaps Mr Greenwood, and indeed Mt Gambier, would benefit from examining Councillors approving luxury vehicles for each other as opposed to standard sedans, the insanity and gross cost of employing Greg Muller as a 'Consultant', pointless street paving and who's getting paid for all those pavers, etc.

And maybe he can sort out the $344,000 that Greg Muller de-frauded/ stole from the Main Corner Project in 2011...an issue raised in Council by a Councillor and as yet still un-resolved...why don't you sort that out Graham...

A brief re-iteration: Council knew it was going to get negative feed-back on it's 'Proposed Budget' so it ran multiple meetings knowing that people with concerns will show up at the first couple of meetings. This gets appropriate coverage in The Border Watch because it simply cannot be denied, but even then the focus is all on 'not doing the Rail lands'. I refer to previous posts re Council's Rail Lands Retail Agenda. (Graham's article goes straight there...'hand it back and turn it into shops and houses'...)

Then comes a long TBW article about how the only Councillor to attend those first two meetings has 'heard ratepayers' and will lobby for 'a reduced rates rise of only 6.4% rather than 6.9%'. Those with concerns stop going to the meetings because they feel they have achieved their goal, and then Council loads up the last two meetings with ex-Councillors and other assorted acolytes and vested interests.

And when there is still concern and opposition, then Council resorts to open threats to axe other services, lies about the cumulative rates rise, etc, and openly attacking me at public meetings...(that's because you're special-Ed)...cheers...

Council has no intention of listening to anything anyone has to say that in any way opposes or even differs from what Council are doing anyway behind the 'Consultation Process'. They have already doubled their borrowing capacity using the justificatiion that they need that money for these supposedly 'potential projects'.

I note in today's TBW that Council is already discussing 'renovating' or 'refurbishing' areas of the Old Hospital for future use, before the decision to demolish has supposedly been made.

What happened last time Council 'renovated' something?...we ended up with the Main Corner fiasco where $4.5million blew out to over $10million (and rising daily)...lookout for a trendy cafe for local landholders at ratepayers expense, most likely given free to a Councillor's child, Aunty, whatevs...(god I hope you're wrong-Ed)...me too Ed....me too...

Tomorrow: The Budget Meeting

In the interests of balance and accuracy, I must acknowledge that following criticisms I made in a previous post about the 'Indoor Pool' issue and Tony Pasin and Barney McCusker, that it has been put to me that Mr McCusker is very genuine in his pursuit of an 'Indoor Pool', and has been promoting the issue for quite some time.

I accept this as being true, and in that context I apologise un-reservedly to Mr McCusker.

I do not however, retract my criticisms of Liberal candidate Tony Pasin and his failure to address the pool issue in 8 years on City Council. Indeed, if I were to apply my own template of 'Loyalty Mis-Appropriated',(previous posts re the Labor Party betraying their own candidates at the 2006 and 2010 state elections) it is highly possible that Mr McCusker's Liberal party loyalty and genuine intent has been 'hijacked' by the entirely disingenuous Tony Pasin.

I note that Mr Pasin has organised a 'Small Business' forum this evening at exactly the same time as Council's 'Budget Meeting' which will mean that a number of business owners will be at that meeting instead of at Council giving them the rollicking they so richly deserve for massive rate rises that will potentially sink many of those businesses...but I'm sure it's just an unfortunate coincidence...

I am Nick Fletcher...and this here is a blog...my blog...(nice-Ed)...