Council Budget Consultation: Don't Believe The Hype

And by hype I mean Mule Muffins...(nice way to politen it up-Ed)...is politen actually a word?...(surely...to make things more polite...politen; the feedback suggested you should politen up this blog; politen-Ed)...yes, alright, thankyou...but nicely made point about the feedback...anyway...

Hello Thailand, South Korea, France and Canada...now regular availees of this here blog...(and I suppose 'availees' is a real word now?-Ed)...surely...availees; those whom avail themselves of my blog; availees...

I do acknowledge the feedback I've had that my manner in at least one of the Council Budget Consultation Meetings was considered to be abrupt and disrespectful...I genuinely apologise if I caused offence to anyone that I didn't mean to offend...and for some my mere presence, nay existence is in itself offence enough...(oh charmingly put sir-Ed)...

And yes, I am being heavily sarcastic...I didn't go to those meetings to be offensive to anyone, and I would ask that readers review my posts about the extraordinary behaviours of various Councillors and Mayor Steve Perryman toward me...

I genuinely try to be polite and respectful, and I do genuinely apologise if I caused offence...but I digress...

And by Mule Muffins I mean Bullshit...(ah, there you go...so much for politening-Ed)...I'm just stating it as it has been said to me...(actually, I believe it was "what a condescending load of bullshit"-Ed)...indeed it was, and this is also a great paraphrase for several other comments I have heard on the same subject...

And that subject is the latest Graham Greenwood article in The Border Watch Friday 12th July 2013 (attached). Please refer previous posts re this 2013/14 Budget and 'Consultation Process'.

"Council listens then acts to bring in a fair city rate rise"...what a pithy and erudite summary of the reality as Council would have you believe it...not the actual reality like what really 'appened Guvna'...(whaaa?-Ed)...like what really happened Governor, said with your best Cockney accent...a snide reference to the condescending 'pat on the head' master/servant mentality of some on Council as epitomised in the tone of this article.

I re-iterate; how does Graham Greenwood know what happened at these meetings when he only attended the last one of five?

1) Council deliberately drew the process out as long as possible to manoeuvre around the heavy opposition they knew was coming, and carefully manipulated the debate through The Border Watch...ooo just look how much we're listening...

2) "Ambit Claim" - is one way of excusing the common gambit as described (and fall back position) of aiming for at least 6.1% by announcing 6.9% and then pretending to pull back...it is a fall back if and when the opposition comes...and it did...and not just me, far from it...and Council was clearly shocked at the level of opposition.

And no doubt that Council has reacted to the heavy opposition, pulling back to 6.1%,. they literally had no choice, but they would have rammed through the 6.9% if there was the usual lack of involvement from the community.

And again kudos to those who did attend and say 'I'm alright, but I'm worried about the town, the young people trying to get started', etc...and kudos to Council if I must...(just get on with it-Ed)... for immediately cleaning up all the rubbish dumped off the HooHoo Lookout...it was there Sunday morning and gone again by Monday lunch time.

3) The only "odd heated outburst" I witnessed was at me by Mayor Perryman, Councillor Von Stanke, et al...and of course the one polite rant about wasted money that Mr Greenwood refers to...

I note that Mr Greenwood identifies the Main Corner, Civic Centre upgrade, Library, and bike lanes, and then spends over five paragraphs/sentences denigrating the speaker over their 'bike lanes mistake', but fails to further mention the other three...apart from a brief reference to "running costs"...I refer Mr Greenwood to his own repeated calls for an Inquiry into the Main Corner fiasco.

4)  "...typical of the misinformation that has been peddled by the social media network."...can't be me...I'm the anti-social media network...(bazinga, but of course that is about you-Ed)...and probably others as well...but yes I agree, that's probably me...

5) Council rate increases are set to increase cumulatively over the next five years...Councillors repeatedly said this at the meetings...'The Five Year Plan'...and Mayor Perryman repeatedly misrepresented this truth in the media by denying any such cumulative rise.

And all closed out with the metaphoric pat on the head "A rate of 6.1% is a good and fair outcome."
   
I re-iterate; Council set out to do certain things, namely increase their borrowing to allegedly do certain projects, and hike up rates accordingly...and that is exactly what Council did...including doubling their own borrowing capacity with the justification that they needed the money to do the projects they were allegedly still 'consulting on'...(whaaa?-Ed)...precisely, what the shrek?...

I maintain my position that The Border Watch is a vital community asset, but when they print massively biased misrepresentations of the truth, such as this article, they do great damage to their own credibility...and that has nothing to do with me..

Tomorrow: Attorney General John Rau Runs Off At The Mouth on Child Abuse

Just getting the actual quotes, but John Rau said some truly offensive things on Channel 10 news tonight re 'parents who are never happy', and 'stunts for upcoming elections'...

And this from the AG in charge of the most corrupt department there is...The AG's Dept makes the Education Department look almost pristine and efficient...almost...

Again, apologies for late blog, couldn't be helped...I am Nick Fletcher and I'm always apologising for something...when appropriate...on this here my blog...cheers...