For example, my comments yesterday about that comment "And thank God for that!" have drawn both howls of laughter, and the observation that someone was possibly celebrating that the blog would be back ASAP (as soon as possible)...I'm sorry, but I think it is a direct criticism and abuse...
And for all my scandalously libellous diatribing, the general response is that these issues and the conduct of authorities, etc, are unbelievable in and of themselves, not unbelievable in terms of untruthful or inaccurate reporting on my behalf...and I genuinely appreciate that, and I work very hard to find that middle ground between accurate and appropriate reportage and light relief through humor.
For example, some say I need to be more professional with no personal abuse, swearing, etc, whilst others are apparently having a good laugh and are encouraging me to continue very much in the same vein. Some have stopped reading briefly because it was too heavy and/or too repetitive, whilst others identify an almost 'addictive' quality that has 'drawn them in'.
More than one person has laughingly said 'I hope I don't appear in the TFTIM (The First Time I Met) posts', and others laugh about those who might be having such concerns...it has occurred to me that those whom laugh about the TFTIM posts know that they will not be appearing therein...another person calls it Task Force TIM...hilarious and very flattering...part of my blog has taken on a life of it's own...
Given the often overbearing nature of the subject matter, I do deliberately try to break it up a bit with humor...(attempted humor-Ed)...without minimising or undermining the contents...and I do carry a lot of residual resentment, frustration and anger from years of trauma, most particularly that trauma and stress and suffering that has often been deliberately lumped onto myself and other parents re the St Martins Child Abuse Issue (previous posts).
I also have all my own personal issues of being an 'out-of-towner', an 'outsider' in the highly bigoted and insular community that Mt Gambier is...and that's not lashing out or being vindictive...it is a reality that I have experienced repeatedly...and there are those that use it to control and coerce, eg, City Council...
If you speak out about Council or go against the flow in any way you can expect to get attacked, probably via the local newspaper The Border Watch...and you won't be getting invited to all the ratepayer funded soirees, etc...the pressure to conform and comply is absolutely relentless, from the top down...
Even in today's TBW there is a long letter (attached) from Mayor Steve Perryman rambling on about what great consultation Council has done with it's Budget Consultation process, and how hard Council works on consultation, and why don't people show up to these meetings, etc...but nobodies fooled Steve, nobody believes that...not one word of it...
Your letter is a direct reflection of the truths you are trying to address and deny Steve...Council listens to no-one but It's mates, and if we plebs try and contribute, we are wasting our time, and if Council doesn't like what we say, we get attacked, eg, the lady who spoke out about drainage ponds (previous posts).
I refer to my previous posts about the extraordinary conduct of Councillors toward me at those meetings, with multiple waving of hands, Cr Von Stanke out of his seat, leaning across the desk abusing me at volume, Mayor Steve Perryman twice specifically, deliberately trying to pick a fight with me...behaviour as unacceptable as it is laughable...anytime you want to step into the squared circle Steve and really test your metal...or are you just a trudging, predictable coward who picks fights he knows aren't going to happen...
I'm think I'm going to have to organise a Charity Boxing Event and give all of these people what they want...a chance to take a swing at me...I am of course joking...I could not imagine 'Boxing On' with anyone on Council...too old, too slow, too stupid...(and the Councillors aren't much better, ah bazinga-Ed)...hilarious...
Can you imagine me taking on Cr Hannah Persello...now that's hilarious...me standing there with my hands by my side whilst she stands on a box to clobber me...and all the whilst me apologising in case I was hurting her hands with my bison-like skull...and her most likely apologising to me...come on, tell me that doesn't paint a hilarious mind picture...whack, oo sorry Hannah, how's your hand...thump, are you ok Nick?...(apologies and all due respect to Cr Persello for being dragged into my alleged humor).
The reality is that Council has repeatedly done whatever it's constituent members personally wanted, with an absolute disregard for the community, and anyone who speaks out gets absolutely hammered...(you just can't help yourself, can you?-Ed)...what?...(you weren't going to do this in this post, you were going for something a bit lighter I thought-Ed)...fair enough, I did say that...but I'll just finish this bit...(I knew you were going to say that-Ed)...
I completely reject the vacuous comments by Mr Perryman about utilising 'web-based' consultation processes to improve input...it just makes it more unaccountable, and in the case of the Old Hospital, you only get to respond to a very specific, very narrow set of predetermined questions based on some other alleged consultation.
Beyond that, it is an unsustainable lie to suggest that Internet consultation makes it easier for people, as opposed to attending meetings...Council quite deliberately held all the Budget Consultation meetings at problematic times, eg, middle of the afternoon on weekdays.
The only "interest group" I see operating is Council itself and the various vested interests attached to Council, all of whom conspire to get what they want for themselves and each other...and everyone else can get stuffed...particularly me
But I digress; this is effectively a bridging post to allow myself and readers a little light relief...tomorrow it gets very nasty again...(nastier than this?-Ed)...I guarantee it...
Tomorrow: DeBelle Ends - Part Whatever - The Layton Report 2003
oops, more tech problems...this is Nick Fletcher's blog and I is he...
And problems fixed...I did that...hooray for me old troglodyte that I be arrrrrgh...letter attached
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