Just Exactly What Are We Celebrating?

Hello and welcome to the last post on this here blog for the year that has passed, good ol' 2013...but at what point do we decide that this year should be celebrated?...or do we look to embrace the infinite opportunity of the year ahead?...or are we just never tiring of excuses to get pissed...(ooo look, fireworks-Ed)...

So today we take a gentle stroll into my heart of darkness, my broken heart so full of hope...the descent is easy, it's just the shrekin' trekkin' back again that's a real beyatch...accepting reality and actually living in it are two very separate kettles of fish...it genuinely breaks my heart to see what has or hasn't happened over the last year...and when it comes to the St Martins Issue, that same pain has hung on me for over a decade now.   

It will come as no great surprise to regular 'availees' that I personally have not celebrated Christmas or New Year for some time...in fact, I barely even celebrated my own 47th birthday recently...I make no secret of nor apology for the fact that I have been so overwhelmed by other things going on in and around my life, that these 'celebrations' have become almost trite reminders of how far removed I am from the 'community' that I'm supposedly part of...and why and for what?

Whilst I can say that I have occasionally on occasion in my earlier life got very casually very bent out of shape...(shall we say euphoric?-Ed)...yes, lets...however, I'm by no means any sort of party animal, and I've never once enjoyed any of the very few times I've gone out in Mt Gambier...I've never felt comfortable or safe because I've generally been on my own and have always had people just staring and glaring...(in your defense it was generally women staring and men glaring-Ed)...whatevs...but it gets worse...

(Worse?-Ed)...every time, and I mean every time I went out I'd run into my child's mother, my ex-partner...(ooo ouch-Ed)...exactly, that's some small town bullshit right there...not a great time for either of us and a direct knee to the groin of any idea of a 'fun' evening...that's what it's like when you still have a degree of affection for someone and a child together but aren't together yourselves...(sorry, I didn't mean to poke fun-Ed)...no, it's cool, it's just the shizzle...it is what it is...and it gets worse than that...(worse than that?...do I really want to know?-Ed)...

Surely...my various failed attempts at any other relationships were destined to their demise by the always prevailing all pervading sense of cheating on my child and ex-partner...my commitment to being a father and/or to my child (and I've never been certain which navigates and which steers) demanded and produced an almost tangible commitment to my child's mother to the extent that trying to be with some-one else felt like cheating...on both mother and child...(wow dude, sob, that's one of, sob, the most beautiful, sob, things I've ever, sniff, heard-Ed)...yeah, well if you ask me, it sucks.

And this is just my version of what I understand to be a not uncommon experience for people in these sort of fragmented relationships, particularly when they're vaguely decent people who give half a rat's arse for their ex and child/ren...(vaguely decent? half a rat's arse?...that's setting the bar fairly low isn't it?-Ed)...well, I like to include myself...(ah self-deprecatingly witty Wilde, self-deprecatingly witty-Ed).

And these days I just don't go out full stop, not least of all because I have no-one to go out with...what the Lutherans, SAPol, Rory McEwen, and City Council, etc, haven't done to Pariahtise and isolate me over the St Martins Cover-up...(and several other parents involved-Ed)...well quite, it's not just me that's been attacked and suffered for it...anyway, what they haven't done to me I've effectively done to myself...together we've been highly successful in making me a very angry, cynical old hermit...(and that's no way to live-Ed)...quite...

I have quite deliberately distanced myself from other people whom I like because I was desperately concerned to not drag them into my bullshit and therefore under the the looming thunderhead of Pariahtisation and retribution...and others have put this to me exactly as I believe it to be...put simply, people are terrified to speak out because they get their businesses threatened.

I am aware of several 'incidents' where those telling me have claimed interactions with senior Council staff that have started as jovial bribes, moved quickly to terse insistence, before disintegrating into open hostility and direct threats...unfortunately but understandably, it has been quite emphatically asked of me, and I have promised, to not mention these incidents specifically...I can only ask that readers accept me at my word that these things have happened.  

(Don't you think it's a bit much to blame Council though?...I mean, I understand the whole agenda of 'character assassination' the Lutherans, SAPol, Rory McEwen, etc, visited on yourself and other parents to denigrate and discredit you in your local community as part of their collusion to Cover-up the gross abuse of a class of 7 year old children at St Martins Lutheran School-)...hey that's my line...(but how is Council responsible?-Ed)...

Well you've read the previous posts re the implicit involvement in the St Martins Cover-up of Mayor and 2010 Liberal candidate Steve Perryman, the St Martins stuff referenced but not identified in the secret report Council did about me and released via The Border Watch, my extensive engagement with numerous Councillors re the St Martins Issue...(yeah, yeah, ok, I get it...nobody on Council can claim ignorance as an excuse for failing to act, and in the case of Steve Perryman, his behaviours have been specifically focused on helping the Lutherans cover-up the St Martins issue-Ed)...well quite...  

And again I refer to but ignore the advise I've repeatedly had to not post about things that could be used against me, but what is there to hide?...this is what I suffer because of what has been deliberately done to me, and I see nothing to celebrate and have become so cynically jaded that I find that my dominant and prevailing thought in these situations is 'what the shrek is wrong with you people?'...'what the shrek are you celebrating?'...and I know that realistically the problem is largely mine not theirs... 

Breaking News: The Board of the Ardrossan Hospital in the Copper Coast (Moonta, Kadina, Ardrossan, etc) has for some reason chosen today to announce that they will close the 5 beds 'private' section, with the loss of 6-7 full-time nursing positions...unfortunately this unit is considered unsustainable because it costs nearly $20,000 a month to operate with often only 1-2 patients because many potential patients attend another public hospital only 15 minutes away...

Reportedly the 68 bed resident aged care section will continue to operate along with the medical practice unit, which is some good news dragged out of the fire...however, the immediate obvious consequence is that those losing their jobs will be hard pressed to gain employment in their field in that immediate area, and of course that's going to impact drastically on them and their families, and that effect trickles through the community economically as well.

And to close, a little astrological advice that is a promise that is a New Years Resolution that requires it's very own Language Warning...this year I'm going to fetch my freak flag and my light out from under yonder bushell and let it all hang out, let it all fly...and I apologise to readers of gentle disposition and genuine intent, but you know who I'm talking to when I say that it doesn't matter what star sign they are because their horoscope is always the same...all day, everyday...week in, week out... 

Horoscopic Language Warning: Don't fuck with a Scorpio.

Tomorrow: 2014 - A Brave New World

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...may your god bless you and your families and if there's any blessing left perhaps I could have a small bit...just a bit...cheers and laters.

Day of the Groundhog - Why Blog?

Hello and welcome to the blog with only 2 days left in 2013...where'd that go then?...it's been a weird ol' year that seems to have taken forever yet has just streamed by...personally, I blame this here blog, and hence Groundhog Day, only in reverse...and today's post is sort of one long, rather indulgent apology woven with self-justification...(and the title is Day of the Jackal re-badged-Ed)...yeah, ta.

In the hilarious Bill Murray movie, Bill's weatherman character gets 'trapped' in the same day, over and over, but eventually uses the opportunity to grow as a person, particularly emotionally...I on the other hand, have for some several years now ground out the same day over and over but instead slowly shut down whole sections of my life, not least of all by way of a coping strategy...(well good luck with that-Ed)...thanks...for example, I reckon that I spend approx 1/4 of my time doing this blog...some days it's all day...

And sometimes it's all the time, eg, when I post about the numerous senior local figures who are specifically, intimately involved it the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up, amid the blaze of pro-Lutheran propaganda spewing through the local media at Christmas, overlaid with the relentless coverage of the latest Child Abuse Commission/Review/Whatevs...then my personal trauma just becomes an all day, every day deal...it always demands it's tithe...I've posted about this stuff just recently...

Yes this blog is part self-promotion in a political sense, and in a context where I cannot afford advertising...(and are currently banned out of the Mt Gambier media-Ed)...well quite...but it's wholly driven by the issues that drive me...and in that context I am as much a vehicle for these issues as this blog is my vehicle for exposing and discussing them...(you have issues buddy-Ed)...damn straight...

I don't choose to be angry and therefore go looking for things to be pissed off about, indeed it's almost the opposite...and there's certainly no need to go looking...and nor do I go looking for things to build a political career on, these things have found me and dragged me into being political. 

I do it because I feel driven to at least try...and so I spend approximately all my time...(indeed, very nearly all-Ed)...glued to the media one way or another, eg, often finding myself with the headphones in the TV and the radio also on so I can listen to the Local ABC Radio programs whilst tracking what's happening on other news services...or getting anxious because I'm missing the Country Hour, etc.

And yet again I've been advised to not share my discomfort and dis-ease with those who would gladly see me suffer so, but better to share an understanding of the suffering than suffer in silence...and so whilst I try to make the blog at least vaguely accurate and even partly prophetic, it is also part self-redemption, part therapeutic, and part cathartic...

Dealing publicly with these public issues helps me deal with my own personal ones in a context where dealing with these public issues has generated/created many of the personal issues that I now deal with...(unfortunately that makes perfect sense-Ed)...tell me 'bout it.


An Apology or Two: prefaced with my New Years Resolution that when it comes to 2014, I'm going to go harder...(harder?...harder than going hard all the time on hard issues?...how's that done then?-Ed)...well, it'll be hard...(oh haha...you already go like an angry bull at a very provocative gate, so how the shrek are you gonna go harder?-Ed)...well there-in lies the grounds for an apology.

It's a combination of things, but for over a month I've been basically just functioning again, just, and have lost track of many issues through barely following the national media apart from the ABC and The Border Watch...not having immediate Internet access hasn't helped, nor has barely leaving the house...basically I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself, and in that context I need to harden the shrek up...(it's always about context with you isn't it-Ed)...

I apologise unreservedly if anyone has emailed me in the last few weeks and not heard back because I can't/haven't even checked my emails...a short while back I ran, at pace, into a very solid wall of give-a-shrek ...and it's all well and groovy to see it coming, and I did, but it doesn't matter how well you are aware of said approaching wall, if you can't stop running you're still in a whole world of trouble, shortly to be in a whole world of pain...(in fact, being aware of the wall really just gives you more time to think about how much it's gonna hurt when you get there-Ed)...well exactly. 

(So you're only watching the ABC and SBS, and listening to the ABC and BBC, and reading TBW?...at least half a day, everyday-Ed)...yeah...(and still trying to 'churn out' an accurate, informative, responsible and vaguely entertaining blog with the other half-Ed)...with varying success, yes...(and you're apologising for not doing enough and for not trying hard enough-Ed)...well yeah, but...(don't tell me, it's about context-Ed)...you do listen.

Given that The Mount Gambier Independent blog has been running for nearly a year now I need to be careful that when I hear of a certain situation or allegation that 1) I'm not being set up with false information by people who would love to see me shrek-up, or 2) that it's not something someone has picked up off the blog and is regurgitating a version thereof...

For example, when trying to research the SkyTowers stuff re the Old Hospital Demolition, a couple of links to my blog appear on the first page of the search engine menu...(I'm sure that those 'TMGI availees' who went a searchin' for SkyTowers info-Ed)...and we just know some of you did...(indeed...those few would have noticed these links-Ed)...the question becomes, are people reading stuff or hearing about stuff off my blog and then that's what I end up hearing, someone else's version of my own blog.

I have recently heard some 'rumours' (because that's all they are at this stage) that there has been yet more recent cases of Child Abuse in Mt Gambier involving a local school and/or senior local identity and possibly the hospitalisation of a child...but I don't know if these are all the same incident, separate, related to the cases earlier this year of a local headmaster facing rape charges and a teacher trying to procure a child, or the Naracoorte High School Pornography case that made national news, etc, or even aspects of the St Martins Case resurfacing.

I will do what I can to research these latest 'rumours', but I note that the Naracoorte case did not appear at all in The Border Watch, even after making the national ABC news services, the Australian newspaper, etc, nor did former MP Patrick Secker's statement re 'the sorry case in Mt Gambier' re St Martins made on ABC Local Radio only days before the federal Child Abuse Royal Commission was announced, etc...(I'll cover these various issues in detail tomorrow).

Nick Xenophon: is still banging on about the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palmer United Party (Clive Palmer) and Senator-elect for the Motoring Enthusiasts Party, Ricky Muir. Apparently allegedly according to Mr Xenophon, the one page document released just after Christmas has possibly been "redacted"...(aiii, there's wee bits missin' lad-Ed)...but I'm not sure what an MoU even means, how ever many pages long, because of the massive imbalance of power within that particular 'agreement'.

There's absolutely no way that Ricky Muir will be telling Clive anything about anything. Indeed, all Mr Muir needs to do is do as he's told and keep his mouth shut other than to keep saying 'I agree with Clive', and tricky Ricky is absolutely golden...let's at least call it what it is, a MoC, a Memorandum of Capitulation...and, again, let's never forget that Clive Palmer made his fortune mining coal in Queensland under Premier Joe Bjelke-Peterson. 

Anyway, that's enough apologising for stuff for one day, and onto doing more stuff,

Tomorrow: Viewing A Year of Reviews in Review 

Did someone say 'another Child Abuse Inquiry anyone?'...someone?...anyone?...hello...

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...laters y'all and go hard...I recommend it...
 

PATS: Healthy Cheques for Health Checks

Hello and welcome to the blog, and a continuation of yesterday's discussion re Health Service issues...but first some other stuff quickly...

SkyTowers Mt Gambier Pty Ltd: remain a bit of an enigma. Former co-owners of the currently under demolition Old Mt Gambier Hospital with Damien Boots (or he's a 'member' of Sky Towers, whatevs)... SkyTowers is dissolved, demised, deceased, departed...it is an ex-company...as of late 2011 when it was placed into Receivership with receivers Ferrier Hodgson with a 'De-registration Action' initiated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in August 2012.

I tried to get more specific official information but after trawling around the Interweb several times...(and even getting your child to help to avoid the 'old man who can't use a search engine properly' issues-Ed)...indeed...I (we) managed to find nothing specific about SkyTowers at all...and if one wants more information from ASIC, one has to pay for it apparently...(the deuce you say-Ed)...so I'll have to have another go at that and re-post.

Observation: where the hell is my life headed that I feel the need to subscribe to ASIC?

Dreadlock Holiday: as Australia goes 4-nil up in the Ashes cricket series against England...(it's the song that goes 'I don't like cricketah, oh no, I love itah, oh yeah-Ed)...oh yeah.

Straight Off The Bat: I'd like to repeat my call for the Liberal Party to announce a most extravagant funding boost for the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme via their various Regional candidates, of which Mr Troy Bell is one...not least of all because patients have to sometimes travel to Adelaide, etc, just for basic health checks, eg, an MRI scan...and also not least of all because...

Breast Surgery Cancelled: at the Mt Gambier Hospital after only 7 months, ie, provision of surgical services for treating Breast Cancer that only started in December 2012 have ceased since July 2013. This was reported in The Border Watch Friday 17th December 2013, but I was not aware of any other reports about this closure...I apologise if I have missed it, but the article itself seems to infer that Country Health SA have been less than forthcoming with information.

The article states that surgeon Mr Bill McLeay does monthly surgeries at Naracoorte and Millicent, but that other patients will need to travel to Adelaide...Mr McLeay is also involved with other clinics, so his time must be limited...it is genuinely fantastic to hear about his commitment to South East patients, but is obviously an extremely fraught situation given the problems with recruiting specialists for Regional areas.

I could only hazard a guess as to how many people will be forced to travel to Adelaide for surgery, but going on figures in the media, that would be maybe 2 dozen patients...whatevs, one is too many...and it reinforces the need for patient support that actually supports patients rather than being a problem itself...     
This closure or withdrawal of service follows the recent good news of the appointment of a 'Breast Cancer Nurse' to Mt Gambier, but I am not aware whether this position is in addition to the current 'Breast Care Nurse' at the hospital, or a replacement for that vacated position, or a re-shuffling of the same position with a different name...sorry, but this sort of info can be really hard to pin down...I'll check and post.

New Ambulance Station: Again, I don't know why you would place your new (5 years ago) Fire Station and now new Ambulance Station right opposite each other right alongside the Rail Easement at a Rail Crossing in the middle of town...there are multiple examples of train derailments in circumstances involving collisions at crossings, not least of all in towns, so why would you put your emergency services in such a problematic and potentially vulnerable position?

Similar criticisms have been leveled at the positioning of the Flinders Medical Centre and Sturt Police Stations (in Adelaide) right on top of the earthquake fault line that runs through there...I believe that Flinders has been built to withstand major shocks, but it's still a rather average piece of planning/placement.

Construction is finally underway with the concrete slab laid, but I have no idea what has been happening there other than what I've witnessed in going past occasionally. After multiple delays and already nearly a year behind schedule, it was reported that work had ceased completely for 'soil reasons'...(was it 'compaction' or something?-Ed)...sounds familiar...work just stopped with no foreseeable re-start date.

But then work suddenly did start again with the digging of a massive 5-6ft hole right across the site, that was promptly filled with sand...(I'm no engineer or anything, but I don't understand why you need 5ft+ of sand under that building, particularly when the slab only covers about a third of the re-filled area-Ed)...what are you saying?...(well, just that this may be completely 'legit', but I wouldn't mind having shares in the company that provided those many, many tons of sand-Ed)...interesting observation.  

And just to be accurate, I note that this Station is being built with federal government not state funding.

So another Sunday post draws to a close, and I'll get into more revisionary items...

Tomorrow: Things and Stuff 

Here's to actually resolving at least one issue before the year is out...(but I ain't holdin' my breath-Ed)...

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...

PATS, Pets, PITS, Pots, Puts.

Howdy and welcome to the blog...to try and get through some things a bit more quickly I'm just going to dot point some stuff...(I'll believe it when I see it, 'Ramblin Man'-Ed)...fair enough...

But If I May First: one of my PITS-inducing pet hates is that the Rann/Weatherill Labor government ploughs pots of cash into it's self-serving pet projects on North Tce but has not put one extra cent into PATS for over a decade...it gives me PATS PITS.  

PATS PITS: is where the condition/response known as Politically Inspired Tehret's Syndrome is exacerbated/triggered by exposure to the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme and/or the current PATS Review...(just for the record, we made up PITS...it's not a recognised medical condition-Ed)...what's this 'we' business?...

Please read previous posts about the current PATS Review that plans to make the pitiful $8million a year funding go 'further' by denying people from even being eligible, raising the 'Co-contribution Payment', etc...with reimbursement rates still calculated on costs from a decade ago, and multiple exclusions for technical reasons and/or paperwork mistakes, and charging patients to even apply for often partial reimbursement, etc, the entire PATS set-up is a grossly offensive bias against Regional patients.

Better Than Nothing: is a phrase penned to define the PATS...there is no refunding the time and costs that Regional patients have foisted on them by an uncaring, Adelaide-centric state parliament...Labor or Liberal...in simply trying to access Health Services...which leads us back to the Penola Rd/Wireless Rd intersection and Troy Bell...(sorry, what?...where are you going now?-Ed)...

The Ad I Want To See: is the one where Mr Bell (state Liberal candidate for Mt Gambier for the March 2014 election) is standing in front of the Mt Gambier Hospital promising to double funding for PATS so that Regional patients are at least not left out of pocket...(ah, I get it...he's been on TV making the explicit  promise of $2million for Penola/Wireless Rds, but despite all his efforts with the PATS stuff, in the latest piece in TBW Thursday 12 December 2013, it is reported that 'Mr Bell said he would push to see an increase in funding for the scheme...'-Ed)...exactly...

(So the Liberals are trumpeting $2m for the intersection-Ed)...which is great, something has to be done with that corner...(sure...but they haven't committed anything to the very important PATS funding-Ed)...not that I'm aware of...(so you'd like to see Mr Bell doing 2 ads...the one about the intersection, and another one announcing a big fat pork-barrelling raise for PATS-Ed)...well the intersection thing is effectively pork-barrelling, 'give me your vote and you'll profit', so why not PATS?...(fair point-Ed).             
Hopefully, the Liberals are just holding back the big announcement about the big PATS increase they've already factored into their election promises/costings...(well I'm sure that's it-Ed)...one can only hope, and the PATS Review shows exactly how little Labor cares about Regional patients, so Liberals don't have to rush with any announcement...but even then, any increase is an admission that those services won't be going to the patients anytime soon, patients will continue to travel to Adelaide, Melbourne, Warnambool, etc.

The good news is that Mr Bell has done the groundwork with the 2,000+ signature petition which will be put before the Upper House by MLC Michelle Lensink...(albeit not until probably April 2014 due to the Christmas break and March 2014 election-Ed)...good point, but still better than nothing...just...I was also stunned to see that Breast Cancer surgeries have been cancelled at Mt Gambier Hospital, but I'll cover that tomorrow.

Which Also Reminds Me: that the most recent report in TBW re the $27 Mt Gambier Hospital 'Re-Development' said something about a '6 bed Mental Health facility', but I had not noticed this in previous reports...perhaps I missed it, because I've been banging on about a '12 bed stand alone Mental Health facility' as being a repeatedly broken Labor promise from successive elections (2006 and 2010)...I apologise if I got it wrong but I'll check and post... 

Religion: is not my favourite person and continues to generate as much if not more conflict as it has ever resolved. I was shocked but not surprised that across Christmas Christians were targeted as they left church services in bombing attacks in Egypt and Iraq...or to hear (BBC?) that 'Christians' are amongst if not the most persecuted religious group, but I'm not sure if that particular discussion included the violence occurring within Islam itself.

It opens up that whole ugly can of worms about Human Nature and it's inherent violence...do we battle each other because of the depth of our faith, or is faith just a justification for exercising our deeper desire for violence and conflict...I repeat, are we as a species just over-evolved apes driven irretrievably insane by self-awareness?...(I've been a little of my faith lately-Ed)...hey, that's my joke...(I know, but never a truer word spoken in jest-Ed)... 

In Closing: ABC News 24 is reporting that Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Australia Jacqueline Zwambila, who is apparently aligned with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Party, has just defected to Australia...(well, she's seeking a protection visa because of personal safety concerns should she return to Zimbabwe, which isn't exactly 'defecting'...more like 'seeking asylum' really-Ed)...fair enough...and there's nothing even vaguely humorous about what's happening in Zimbabwe, another state where the saviour has become the despot.

Enough for today, onto...

Tomorrow: More Mt Gambier Health Issues

And some more updates re the Electoral Commission, SAPol, etc...but there's not much to report.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...I am using my words I am...cheers and laters.

The Groundhog Has Landed

Hello and welcome to the blog and yet another attempt to sum up whilst up-dating issues raised thus far this year and covering other stuff to boot...and rather than just churn out 'Groundhog Day in a Fishbowl' Parts I, then II, then III, etc, I'm going to embrace modified literary classics...today's?...The Eagle Has Landed...tomorrow, A Tale of Two Groundhogs, and Sunday, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Groundhog...

Clarification: in my recent post re City Council's meeting 17th December 2013 I put the boot into the local bicycling group for lobbing into that meeting to hear the bit about bike lanes, and then just leaving. This does not mean I'm opposed to bike lanes, or bikes, or bicyclists...I'm just really peeved by people who show up to Council meetings to hear their one little thing and then leave...an exasperated ahhhhh.

Furthermore, the plans as presented for the Bike Lanes along Penola Rd/Bay Rd will cause chaos. The plan shows (from left to right) the footpath, a bike lane just over a metre wide, one lane for vehicular traffic, a 2m wide painted traffic island, vehicle lane, bike lane, and back onto the footpath...again, when the bike lane times lapse and there are cars parked there, traffic will be pushed out to the centre of the road and will be forced to drive on the traffic island...where pedestrians will be standing...it's very dangerous.

Putting a bike lane through the Main Corner is an unworkable nonsense...(it's already bad enough with 2 lanes randomly merging into each other, particularly with the ridiculous parking spaces to service the Main Corner/Town Hall facilities only 40feet from the lights-Ed)...good point Ed...as much as it pains me to agree with City Council, I also think that this is a plan conjured from the mind of an Adelaide bureaucrat who possibly hasn't actually seen that section of road or the Main Corner intersection.

Why not utilise Ferrers St and the path at the back of Frew Pk Oval, etc, as permanent bike corridors with saturation signage, road markings, etc, that naturally carry far less traffic than the Penola/Bay Rd and provide access from Jubilee Hwy straight up the hill to the Blue Lake, etc?...and why has the Easement simply not been utilised in it's entirety as a perfect East/West bike/pedestrian corridor completely sans traffic?...why move the Rail Easement through the Old Rail Lands instead of just turning it into a bikeway?


Penola Rd/Wireless Rd Intersection: I disagree with Liberal candidate Troy Bell's TV ad (just on again during the cricket) in that rather than traffic lights, I still believe that this should be a Round-about, because a round-about allows smooth traffic flow along the main drag (Penola Rd) but still provides safe access from the side road (Wireless Rd)...it works at Penola Rd/Jubilee Hwy, so why not here? And appropriately timed pedestrian lights would provide safe passage...(hang on...lights or a round-about...you can't have both-Ed)...yeah you can...

By placing pedestrian activated lights for their use at the intersection, traffic can flow freely through the round-about until someone needs to try and get across either Penola Rd or Wireless Rd...'default delays' as per other lights will reduce the occurrence of traffic getting held up by constant pedestrian access...(it couldn't be that simple, could it? surely you've missed something-Ed)...don't think so...this would also be far cheaper than traffic activated lights.

Lady Nelson Bus Shelter Access: is a whole different kettle of fish shot through with both barrels by issues of appalling planning, nepotism, and Council dysfunction...I have covered all of these issues in previous posts, ie, it all stems from Council's quite rabid obsession with the Rail Lands Retail Agenda...but regardless of why the Bus Shelter is at the Lady Nelson site rather than at a central renovated Old Rail Station, access to/from there requires pedestrians to get across Jubilee Hwy...(get on with it-Ed)...

North Headed South: current bike lanes on Crouch St North just disappear 200m short of Jubilee Hwy then don't reappear at all on Crouch St South where there's just the occasional 'Scenic Bikeway' sign on a post...and because that staggered intersection is located right on a sharp bend, it has dangerously short fields of view re oncoming traffic...there is no safe place there to cross Jubilee Hwy and the authorities have dealt with this problem by just not having bike lanes for that section...ludicrous...'here's some bike lanes in the nice wide bit, but when it gets crowded and dangerous, you're on your own'...

The only solution I can see would be to install a pedestrian crossing appox 130m from the intersection, where the Bowling Club is, roughly 1/3 way between Crouch St and the Penola Rd roundabout, therefore providing relatively good vision in either direction and a safe corridor from the Crouch St bike lanes that doesn't clog up the roundabout or Crouch St intersections.

By taking the bike lane from Wireless Rd, along Crouch St Nth, down North Tce and across Jubilee Hwy on through Ferris St up to the Blue Lake, and combining that with the bikelanes along Suttontown Rd and Pinehall Ave, and what should already be a bikeway...(should have already been for about 7 years-Ed)...quite...along the entire Rail Easement through Mt Gambier, there are some workable options for making travel safer for cyclists whilst providing good options for getting from one side of town to the other.

It is not a criticism of anyone involved to suggest that everything should be done to keep bicycles away from cars and vice versa for the safety of the cyclist, only recently there was a terrible collision out on Bay Rd where a child was badly hurt...and Penola/Bay Rd through town is such a busy and relatively narrow road...simply by default, in any sort of collision, the cyclist is guaranteed to come off worse, so everything should be done to support safe cycling, but I don't think Penola/Bay Rd bikelanes are the solution. 

Voting Reform: was a hot topic this year following the rather odd results in some seats in the Senate at the September Federal Election...just heard Senator Nick Xenophon quoting the primary and preference figures from Western Australia and Victoria that saw seats go to the Sports Party and the Motoring Enthusiasts Party after major party candidates received the vast majority of First Preference votes.

Changes to Eligibility Criteria do not address the mess with the preference distribution or stop micro-parties as above from running...to formally register a party (I believe) you still need roughly the same number of people as members, and it will just cost slightly more...all these changes do is effectively rub-out genuinely Independent candidates like myself...

I agree with Mr Xenophon that the simplest, most effective reform to cancel out micro-party machinations with preference deals, is to allow any number of votes 'below the line' with say a minimum of 6 (from 75+) candidates to make it a valid vote...you wanna' do more? knock yourself out, but you only have to do at least 6...this allows anyone to run but completely negates the 'Preference Swappers'. 

Since the federal election I've heard/seen Mr Xenophon throughout the media across a range of topics, but there's one thing I haven't seen or heard...(let me take a wild guess, the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up Issue-Ed)...precisely...not a word...haven't heard from him or anything about this through the media, and as I've previously stated, not one single word about the Lutherans from anybody...(well, except the Local ABC Radio and The Border Watch praising them up-Ed)...quite.

Obviously it is incumbent of me to contact him yet again but I cannot believe that he's simply forgotten, and I remind readers that he specifically asked me to 'drop it until after the election' when I spoke to him back in August at a local car dealership (previous post)...when I do write, readers will be the second to know (after Mr Xenophon of course).

Enough for today...hope I didn't bore you with the bike lanes stuff, but I like to try and proffer options or even actual solutions not just critique. 

Tomorrow: The Old Man and The Groundhog

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters.
     

Boxing Day 2013: So That Was Christmas

Hello and welcome to the blog and hope you had a great Christmas...and whilst I promise to shortly deliver a scoriaceous dissection of the whole affair re organised religion, etc, today I remain buoyed by the spirit of the season, so just some minor scathingness today...(scoriaceous is never a word-Ed)...uh-huh, yeah 'tis...from 'scoria' the clinker-like volcanic gravel or "the refuse, dross, or slag left after smelting" (Macquarie Dictionary).

(If today is Boxing Day -Ed)...yeah...(and boxing means punching-Ed)...different 'boxing' I think, not sure but I reckon it's about returning gifts, ie re-boxing to exchange or return...not sure, but carry on...(and today are also the sales where they all 'box on for bargains' too-Ed)...yes...(and punching means a fist-Ed)...yesss...(and yesterday was Christmas-Ed)...is this going to take much longer?...(well does that make today Fistmas?-Ed)...

I don't know whether to be more offended by the vaguely blasphemous nature of that comment, or by the fact that that is 30 seconds of my life I won't be getting back...(hey, forget you buddy-Ed)...

Laugh I Nearly: whilst channel surfing last evening, I ran into The Big Bang Theory just in time to see character Sheldon repeat my spiel from a few posts back about how Christmas is actually a Christian misappropriation of the Pagan festival celebrating the Winter Solstice, etc...(yeah, but he didn't say anything about Ankhs or little men in spacesuits-Ed)...get over it...  

Bandah Aceh: became synonymous world-wide with Boxing Day in 2004 when one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded triggered a massive Tsunami that decimated the region, killing approx 150,000 people on that island and over 250,000 in the region...I was deeply disappointed to see/hear long reports on the ABC/BBC that there is still a lot of infrastructure, etc, that hasn't been properly repaired or replaced, and wonder how this portends for the people of the Philippines.


And again it seems so glib to just churn out a few statistics and move on, so a potential support mechanism that I've identified and have discussed previously, and have also heard/read discussed, eg, turning Foreign Aid payments partially into support for producers in Australia, eg, citrus growers or cattle producers, and then providing food via our own Navy and Merchant Fleet, Airforce, etc...we could be...(and some would say should already be-Ed)...a 'Regional Food Store' providing Federal Government subsidised food aid to disaster zones in the region...    


Comes Under Feedback Sort Of: I was politely shocked and genuinely joyed...(only joyed, not overjoyed?...don't want to overdo it?-Ed)...well quite...but I was 'joyed' that someone I know unexpectedly lobbed on my doorstep the other day with a couple of bottles of booze, saying 'Merry Christmas, I don't read your blog but I know plenty who do, we were just discussing it at a do the other day'...(a do the other day?...was it a doozy of a do the other day?-Ed)...move on...  

'Don't read it myself, but rest assured that you're punching buttons all over town, and people are quietly cheering you on from the wings because they're as sick of this corruption stuff as you are'...well, I'd believe cheering from the carpark, 'cause I can't see anyone loitering in the wings...but I fully appreciate why no-one would want to be seen supporting me, let alone step out into the Spotlight of Retribution next to me...(well one can hardly wax lyrical about one's Pariahtisation as one has experienced it and then expect any other one to metaphorically stand next to one-Ed)...errr, quite...(and cop the same abuse-Ed)...well exactly...however...

Crunching The Numbers: via the rather erratic statistical graphs and meters about viewer numbers on  the blog, indicates that a few 'regular' availees tuned in on Christmas Day...thankyou...and it makes me even more committed to trying to get my facts straight and my aim true, so as to send my barbs through the heart of the wee beastie...(after all, a Fletcher is someone who makes arrows, which by definition must be straight and true or otherwise useless-Ed)...highly educational and historically accurate yet whimsically philosophical without being a complete prat...you're a delight Ed, truly you are...

And I'm sort of half declaring this 'gifting' as I am after all at least half a sort of politician and this 'presenting' was self-identified as being sort of related to my 'politicking', but there's nothing to be admitted about how it might affect my behaviour politically...I am what I am and I do what I do and I say what I say because unfortunately I believe it to be true...and I'm not trying to be noble or even suggest my behaviour is beyond reproach...

And I'm certainly not above using my genuine surprise and pleasure at being acknowledged like that to quantify and preface re-referencing former MP Rory McEwen and the ludicrous and infamous The Border Watch '50c Scone Rort' report as mentioned in a previous post...off all the things to go Rory about...not paying for a scone...absolutely trite, absolutely collusive, absolutely ridiculous...what about the St Martins Child Abuse Issue?...why not go the former member about his extraordinary comments in TBW and his behaviour in general re St Martins?...but I digress...

The Droving: drives me mad, and I've just seen yet another report about it on the ABC praising up the stoic drovers, and the tradition, etc...fair enough...but the 2 main drivers behind the droving are 1) cost, and 2) my good mate Tom Brinkworth...(and yes, it's the same TB who left 100's of his cattle to starve and rot on a South East property several years ago, but the RSPCA ( Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) cocked up the paperwork and he actually received 'compensation'-Ed)...

I note that I have received vastly differing but allegedly definitive recounts of this RSPCA fiasco ranging from 'yes, it was a genuine paperwork mistake', right through to it was 'a deliberate mistake as part of a conspiracy to excuse TB'...gord knows, but the reality is that TB grossly maltreated cattle, and it's not the first time, and I fail to see why some blithe administrative mistake suddenly makes 100's of dead and dying cattle just disappear.  

Several months ago there was a story (ABC Landline?) about this current massive cattle-drive from Winton in Queensland to somewhere near Hay in northern New South Wales that at least offered a partially balanced view of the realities about the devastating environmental and economic impact for property owners along that route...as one pastoralist said, 'we rely on this roadside fodder and dwindling creeks, etc, to get our own cattle through the season, and this drive will destroy local waterways and remove any and all feed.'

In an ABC Radio interview 6-7 months ago, TB openly if unintentionally identified the reality of this drive, namely, that he had brought 1,000s of cattle in Queensland and wanted to move them to a property in NSW, but there was no feed at the new site...forget the 'noble tradition' and no offense to those individuals involved, but this is an exercise in saving TB money, with a healthy dose of 'screw you' to everyone along the way.

Mr Brinkworth simply didn't want to stump up for 1) the trucking costs of moving those cattle, and 2) the cost of feeding them on the barren property in NSW if they were moved there immediately by truck...by 'droving' over several months he's not payed for food or water, or for trucking, and by the time they get to NSW, there'll hopefully be some feed grown there.

Is that the time already?...best pull stumps here for today...

Tomorrow: Strictly GDF Again

Rounding out a few more issues covered thus far this year.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers, season's greetings, and laters...

Merry Christmas Message

Hello y'all and yule tidings and Seasoned Greetings...and all that festive stuff...how ever you choose to celebrate Christmas, may it go swimmingly...

In the spirit of the season may my gift be this short sharp post.

I would like to thank all of those people who do apply themselves in positive ways...for example, just because I rail against the Lutheran Church and things like the lunch they're putting on today with the support of City Council at the Main Corner (and I will eviscerate it further in a future post), that doesn't mean that their are not people involved who are relatively genuine and have worked very hard, etc.

However, that doesn't mean that I resile from anything I've had to say about the Lutherans, Council, or the Main Corner...I'm just acknowledging for the sake of balance that there are likely people involved who are unawares of the corruption and missing money issues with the Main Corner and Council's nepotism re same, and/or the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Issue...(geez, you've got a hell of a way of capturing the 'festive forgiveness' spirit of the season-Ed)...perhaps...

Perhaps I'm just so jaded and cynical that I cannot find a place in me more positive than objective acknowledgement...and when it comes right down to it, with issues like St Martins, it is not my place to forgive anybody...with the ratepayers money burned and crass nepotism of the Main Corner, Council should be apologising to the ratepayers of Mt Gambier, not to me...and while they're about it Council can go on the front page of The Border Watch and apologise to that young mum they vilified over Drainage Ponds a while back.

Anyhoos, there are likely many people who are genuinely involved in preparing and presenting today's lunch for 'the disenfranchised'...I fully support the concept of providing a community lunch and have absolutely no problem with the Council sponsoring it...(indeed, this is the sort of thing Council should be spending ratepayers money on, rather than say, crappy grey pavers along the Main Street-Ed)...well, quite.

I genuinely thank those people for at least trying...my ire is inspired by those behind the whole shebang and the insidious self-promotion and all the other crap that goes with it, and all that goes before it...I know I sometimes struggle to separate the grain from the chaff, but I try...and by shrek there's just so much freakin' chaff...(ain't that the truth-Ed)...  

And also thankyou for the support and feedback re this blog...I know I whinge and moan about 'why am I the only one doing this?' but it is very apparent to me that I'm not the only one who has these concerns about their community...as I've previously stated, it is perfectly understandable that people don't wish to specifically associate with the blog.

What I find almost pleasing, is the idea that whilst some are less than impressed with some of my language and content, etc, the attitude tends toward appreciation of the fact that at least I'm giving it a go...

Merry Christmas to everyone...and may your God be with you now and for always...and if you don't need a god's blessing, just have a great day.

Tomorrow: Back To The Grind

And more catching-up with issues covered thus far this year.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters.

GDF Part II

Morning y'all and welcome to the blog...no mucking around today...straight into a thorough review of the year in posts...(not least of all because it's Christmas Eve and hopefully everyone's got much better things to do than read you bangin' on-Ed)...well quite...

But before I cut crook about all and sundry, I ask that readers pause in their celebrations over the next few days to acknowledge those terrible circumstances that beset many people across the globe...the millions displaced in the Philippines, or from Syria, or the Central African Republic, and now the world's newest nation South Sudan...those living in perpetual war zones like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

There is nothing I can say that makes these situations any less confronting and that might bring some sense to what are predominantly the results of our own actions...(as humans-Ed)...quite. It is not inappropriate to celebrate the relative wealth and peace and stability of Australian society, but I feel we are duty bound to appreciate that our levels of personal affluence didn't just happen and that we must continue to strive to support those who support us, eg, primary producers.     

So it is that I celebrate Christmas...just because I'm not having a particularly great time of it currently, across a range of issues, I find so much to celebrate in my own life if I can be bothered to look...and my cynicism and dis-ease with a couple of people...(a couple of people?...seriously?...a couple?...we're coming back to that one-Ed)...whatevs...it doesn't mean that there aren't people who are genuinely doing great things to offer support, and not just at Christmas.

Christmas of course being the Christian assimilation of the Pagan feast of the Winter Solstice, as the Egyptian 'Ankh' symbol was used by early Christians to offer the Pagan European tribes a symbol containing the Crucifix but also resembling the Earth Mother idolism figure prevalent in many cultures...(where do you get this crap?-Ed)...and it has been theorised that the original and very ancient Ankh symbolises an Extra-terrestrial astronaut in a spacesuit...(an alien?-Ed)...I'm just sayin' what they're sayin'...anyhoos...   

So it is that every year around this time I wear with inevitably resigned good humour the avalanche of pro-Lutheran propaganda that I have previously identified (posted) as happening via The Border Watch newspaper and ABC Local Radio...and today's TBW is predictably chockers with super dooper stories about how great the Lutherans are...(and we'll be devoting a full post to that particular effort-Ed)...indeed we will.

I re-iterate: amongst all the horror stories being aired via the Federal Child Abuse Royal Commission, the DeBelle Inquiry and subsequent Parliamentary inquiry, multiple cases being exposed in the media in general, etc, etc, never once have I heard the Lutherans mentioned...not once...

And of course in today's TBW the Christmas message from Mayors Steve Perryman, Peter Gandolfi, and Richard Sage...and Don Pegler's and Tony Pasin's, etc, etc...and the good news is that I'm wrong in my concerns that everything is going to hell in a hand basket because apparently it's all great...everything's great...and only going to get greater...please note heavy sarcasm content in previous statement.

I get it that everybody's gotta talk it up a bit, and particularly around the highly stressed time of Christmas, and with the social conventions of celebration and religion, etc, etc, but it does nothing much for me...(can I just point out that in discussing the local media and senior politicians you've just listed a couple of those 'couple of people'-Ed)...yeah, yeah I know...

(And then you can chuck onto that pile the current and former state Premiers Jay Weatherill and Mike Rann-Ed)...no, I know...(and nearly everyone on City Council-Ed)...only nearly?...I'm either not trying hard enough or really losing my touch...(if by touch you mean grip and if by grip you mean mind, then I concur-Ed)...hilarious...but some other issues      

The Old Hospital Demolition: is all but over and I haven't been past there recently but you can see part of the building still standing...I have no interest in celebrating City Council's indulgence in yet another costly disaster, and I re-iterate my concerns that the legal action against the Receivers will ricochet onto Council and therefore ratepayers, and my personal belief that this is a deliberate set-up to pay millions more to SkyTowers/Boots for a 'worthless' property.

Again, how is it appropriate for that demolition to have proceeded whilst 1) there have been official complaints lodged with the Ombudsman re allegations of corruption and the awarding of the Demolition Contract, and 2) SkyTowers/Boots have a Court action underway that questions the actual value of the building/site? The whole thing reeks...

And again, even if I knew anything more than I've already discussed in previous posts about what was happening with those official complaints I'm fairly sure but not certain that I'm not allowed to talk about it anyway...(but, being public knowledge and as discussed in various media coverage, it is appropriate to say that there are criteria in place that effectively direct any allegations of corruption made to the Ombudsman, to then be forwarded to the Office of Public Integrity and/or the Independent Commission Against Corruption-Ed)...indeed.

Beyond that, I have almost no idea what is or isn't happening...and even if I did know all I can say is that the buildings all but down, and the monies gone and the whole thing reeks...

I'll finish here and will post tomorrow to make up that missed day but I genuinely hope that everyone's got many better things to do tomorrow so I'll catch you,

Tomorrow: For More GDF Shizzle 

 or failing that, after Christmas...Merry Christmas all...

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my Christmas Eve post on this here my blog...Seasons Greetings and cheers and laters...

City Council Meeting 17/12/2013

Hello world and welcome to the mind-numbing excitement of sitting through yet another Council meeting...and why should I be the only one to suffer...(right on, don't just share the love baby when there's so much pain to go 'round-Ed)...

But First, More Hypocrisy: that I forgot to include in the previous posts re the Hypocrisy of Playing Politics...and hot on the heels of their ludicrously transparent Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan, Labor has now released a 40 page 'Regional Statement'...when I first heard this 'RS' mentioned last week I thought that it was another story about aspects of the ITLUP...surely, I thought to myself, surely the Rann/Weatherill Labor government wouldn't come up with 2 concurrent loads of absolute crap...(ah, so naive-Ed).   

Just for the record re the ITLUP, last week in Adelaide during the extreme heat, the public transport system was in absolute chaos with trains stopping mid run and/or lengthy holdups, track problems, cancellations that weren't announced, etc, and Public Transport Minister Chloe 'The Lights Are On But Don't Bother Knocking' Fox, arguably the most vacuous politician in South Australian parliament, gets her mug on the news bleating about 'gee whiz it's not good enough and I'll be looking into that'...(super, so that's all sorted then-Ed)...thankyou, I'll do the sarcasm 'round here.

(And aren't you being a little harsh on Chloe Fox?-Ed)...no, I'm sick of seeing/hearing her talk about 'looking into things' whilst the same debacle unravels around her...it's nearly as bad as Minister Gail Gago and her dribble about how the Regional Statement is reflective of the aspirations of country people and was drafted after 'lots of work with locals and reflects their ideas'...so according to Ms Gago it's the Liberals who are insulting Regional SA in criticising the RS as being a pointless thought-bubble, an 'embarassment that treats Regional peoples with disdain' about 'Regional issues that Labor should already understand after 12 years in power and/or are already available'...(fair point-Ed)...exactly...

Ms Gago reckons that means the Liberals are dismissing the input of regional people, "this is not a blueprint" but 'a guideline that places the responsibility with locals with some support from government' and was 'driven by locals'...(bollocks...the state is run from North Tce, for North Tce, and 'Regional locals' have no say or control over what Labor have done for their entire time in government which is sacrifice, slash, and dismantle...look at the Wind Turbines Fascism, the Forestry Sell-off, the Keith Hospital palaver, Fracking at Penola, etc, etc, etc...wherever you look it's 'slash and burn' to prop up Adelaide-Ed)...testify. 

Both the ITLUP and the RS are farcical pre-election 'Blue Sky' documents that are designed to deceive and distract...deceive by giving the impression that Labor has some sort of plan for the future, and distract from the reality of what they have done to date...and that is sacrifice everything Regional to pay for baubles for Adelaide (please see previous posts)...I completely reject these 2 documents as farcical and offensive...these documents are for the consumption of Adelaidites who generally have no idea what is going on in their own state...but I digress...

No Politics in Local Government: didn't stop Mt Gambier City Councillor Andrew Lee from unleashing that most definitive of political expediencies, the Dorothy Dixer, at the last Council meeting for 2013, held last Tuesday 17th December...(a DD is a question deliberately asked as a set up for a self-promotional answer-Ed)...exactly, and is used by government backbenchers to set up their own Ministers for propaganda style responses...and so Cr Lee asked Council's Operations Director Daryl Sexton to explain to Council how great everything is going with the Old Hospital Demolition. 

(Let me guess...everything's just super and on-time and on-budget and there's no asbestos and blah, blah, blah-Ed)...exactly, it's almost like you were there...there was something about some Asbestos but that's all fine and it's all apparently under budget and everything's super...and the 'propping-up of the Old Laundry' is an extra cost that's not part of the original Tender and therefore likely to be a costly 'variance' that doesn't appear on official costs.

As always the fundamental problem I have with anything coming out of Council is their repeatedly demonstrated propensity for deceit, eg, their constantly changing justification for failing to act on the Old Rail lands, followed by the current shenanigans of moving the easement to make room for the Shopping Centre they are clearly still pursuing for that site...they are not interested in presenting accurate, factual information to ratepayers, rather Council presents their own agenda supported by their own version of facts and figures.   

This criticism is not just a manifestation of my displeasure, an unjust criticism mired in personal animosity...(no, it's all that and then some-Ed)...hilarious, but many a true word spoken in jest...

Well Punch My Buttons: with a Ride-by attendance by some clowns in lycra who lobbed into the meeting 10 minutes late and then left the moment their 'Bicycle Lanes' issue was discussed...and who dragged their kids along to mill about out the front of the meeting for their photo opportunities with the ABCs Stuart Stansfield and The Border Watch...

I contextually apologise to these 'Bicyclers' in that I'm venting about an issue that has really pissed me off on a number of occasions, just that theirs is the latest and probably most blatant example...(example of what?-Ed)...I'm getting there...an example of people who show up to Council meetings solely for the purpose of hearing their particular issue, and then leave...don't show up at all until it's about them and what they want and then when that's done, they leave.

Council spent far more time on this 'Bike Lane' issue than any other, bleating about how the state government doesn't listen to it and it isn't fair and blah, blah, blah, and bloody boohoo...and do they have any idea how ridiculous they sound/appear when complaining about being treated in exactly the same manner they treat the ratepayers of Mt Gambier?

Along with the embarrassing capitulation re displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Straight islander flags in Chambers...these two issues took up more time than everything else combined.

For all of the disastrous, self-indulgent and fiscally devastating decision making that Council perpetrates on Mt Gambier, constantly justified and defended with a carefully manipulated construct of their versions of the facts...(down our way we call them lies-Ed)...indeed...and I have earned my right to (and proudly  own) my animosity toward Council given their outrageous conduct toward me...rather than go through it all again I ask that readers review my posts re, for example, the 'Budget Consultation' meetings earlier this year.

A quick indulgence though because I am not above mocking and taunting Mayor Steve Perryman for his pathetic, transparent and ultimately failed attempts to pick fights with me at 2 of those meetings...and regardless of my conduct leading into those meetings, what does it say of him and Council that this is how they behave toward people who speak out about Council's corruption and incompetence...(people?...why the plural?...don't you mean 'the person'...don't see anyone else trying-Ed)...fair point... 

Conflict of Interest: issues arose yet again re a Liquor License Application and saw Crs Biddie Shearing and Andrew Lee excuse themselves, but yet again Mayor Perryman and Cr Des Mutton failed to identify their COIs and remained in the Chamber...just the latest in a long line of COIs where members sort of just wander in and out randomly, leaving some meetings but not others...(or even leaving at one point in a meeting but not later on in the same meeting on the very same issue-Ed)...quite.

I'm Very Confused: though as to the sudden and very brief announcement that Council is reducing rates to 'only 5%', down from the current '6.9%'...(I thought it was meant to be 6.1% currently-Ed)...no idea, I'm just quoting how I heard it stated, that rates had been dropped from there, '6.9%', down to '5%'...(but why?...and how?-Ed)...second question first - no idea, there was no discussion about how - and why? - again no discussion - but I'll hazard a guess...aren't there Local Government elections less than a year away?...(ah, of course-Ed)...

Even More Confusing: is that this massive rate reduction appears to have received no coverage in the local media...I apologise if I missed it...but I would have thought that this was front page, lead story, critical news for the people of Mt Gambier...why has that not happened?

I'll pull stumps here, but this arvo I'll post the Review Post about where various issues currently sit.

This Arvo: What's Happening to What

And a brief heads-up that for the larger part, nothing's changed.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters. 

Groundhog Day in a Fishbowl

Hello y'all and welcome to the blog and apologies for effectively missing a day's post...and today I'll try to retrieve that lost day, or maybe tomorrow...but as my child said, 'Nobodies going to miss one day, and the world will keep spinning'...fair enough...and as we close in on Christmas and the New Year I'm going to indulge in a little self-reflection and reviewing of the 'Year In Posts'.

Unfortunately there's no avoiding going round and around over the same issues, so today a quick review of those issues and where they currently are...and a quick summation might be 'look where you left them and they'll probably still be there'...(a bit like car keys or those damned secateurs-Ed)...sort of, only far more annoying, and in many cases much more concerning.

But First: I caught part of an interview with former Australian Cricket Captain Ian Chappell in which he described the effects of his divorce on his then 11 year old daughter. Discussing it with her (in her mid-twenties) he recalled she said that she blamed herself and had carried that for the years since the divorce...and with the wisdom of parallel experience, I was reduced to tears...and proud of it.

As per my previous posts, my parents divorced when I was 4 or 5 and I blamed myself until 'self-realising' in my early 20s that that was what had happened...it was/is the critical issue that has defined who I am and how I perceive the world...and for all it's taken from me so has it instilled in me a deep and abiding sense of apathy and conscience.

Ironically, from the total lack of self-esteem that has plagued my life and left me shiftless, unfocused and metaphorically if not physically just sort of wandering about, from there has developed a tangible sense of self-belief that has actually driven me with an almost zealous desire when I do commit, when I do believe I'm right in what I'm doing...(sorry, I'm confused...how does that work then?-Ed)...

Well, because I'm naturally predisposed to question everything that I believe and think, when I make that commitment to something, it is wholly based on challenging my own position over and over and being in possession of the facts...and if I am presented with even a single fact that challenges or compromises my personal belief, I have no qualms in embracing that reality and modifying or even changing my position.

And it has it's costs but also it's rewards, for example, for every mistake I've made as a 'separated parent', and there's been plenty, because I will automatically question my own behaviours I have had no problem with seeking counselling or apologising to my child for my failings, etc...I'd rather apologise than have my child self-blame for my own stupidities and problems...

As I've stated before, I'm not interested in believing I'm right or thinking I'm right, etc, I want to be correct not right...and if that means admitting I'm wrong to get to a position of being 'more correct' then so be it...I completely reject this absurd notion that 'a man never admits he's wrong or apologises'...what a load of bollocks...I believe that the greater ones capacity to accept responsibility as well as credit, then by definition the greater one is...(nice-Ed).

And so it is that I try to conduct myself with this blog...as much as I have indulged in personal abuse and self-protective venting, I have slowly worked myself away from crass personal denigration, and have always tried to not let my personal fury, animosity, etc, compromise a genuinely subjective discourse based on substantive facts...as opposed to say, the gutless, anonymous, bigoted vilification as per the 'Dick Stretcher Comments' left on this blog back in August 2013...if you've not availed yourself of those extraordinarily abusive and really quite sad rantings, please do...

I believe that once you get past the mindless vitriole, multiple unfounded and unsupported accusations of criminal behaviour against myself and others, undisguised 'class bigotry', abuse of other parents followed by disingenuous, mocking apologies, etc, etc, then the underlying reality shines through...I'm clearly punching buttons that some would rather deny even exist...and my conscience is clear because my intent is genuine and my commitment unwavering...

And I don't care what you say about me 'Dick Stretcher' because I've made a conscious if somewhat inevitable and unavoidable decision to partake in this blog and I accept that there are cowardly, corrupt people who would rather I didn't...but when you attack others who have suffered, those who continue to suffer, and accuse them of criminality, and slander all and sundry because of your own personal bigotry, then you've crossed the line.

Your abuse signals to me that I'm right on the mark and that for what it might cost me, it simply needs to be done...but when you randomly vilify, denigrate and abuse others in trying to get at me, well that says everything about you and those you act for and/or with...  

There was a fascinating discussion recently on the completely impartial BBC World Service re the idea that doing the right thing makes you happy...and how this is a ridiculous notion that self-contradicts because often doing the right thing is challenging, upsetting, even deeply traumatic, and can come at great personal cost...so is this my personal experience.

And when I reported these comments to police as per their own advice on ABC Local Radio, the young officer thought he was just hilarious when he said 'it's not a threat unless someone points a loaded gun at your head and says I'm going to kill you', made the action with his hand, and then laughed at me...and I've never met him before, but he knew exactly who I was...and we both knew that there was more threat than explanation to his little pantomime...and we both knew why.

Call me paranoid, tell me I'm delusional, I just don't care because that entire little exchange was an unspoken discourse about a whole other subject matter...and I segue very unpleasantly into the state sanctioned cover-up of child abuse being overseen by SAPol officers at Mt Gambier Police Station...I speak of course of St Martins Lutheran School.          

St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up: continues to be covered-up...(covering-up the cover-up...you don't get much more 'covered-up' than that-Ed)...indeed...and again, when this first kicked in June 2002 off I was extremely cautious about the facts, not least of all because of the vicious pack of sniping Harpes who were part of the first group of parents to complain about teacher Glyn Dorling and his behaviours toward our children.

That lasted about 24hrs because when I spoke to the Principal John Alexander the next day his own comments about not telling other parents and moving Glyn Dorling to the Church's office adjacent the kindergarten, etc, were the red flags that indicated that there were going to be problems...but I certainly never imagined that this would develop into the current pro-paedophile disaster that it has become.

I do not need to go any further in explanation because the St Martins Abuse Issue and subsequent Cover-up has been thoroughly discussed across multiple posts...the real issue remains that everybody knows yet fail to do anything about it...all of our illustrious leaders and elected officials, etc, all know.

Again, for all my own personal faults and failings, for all the guilt I carry re my failures to resolve the St Martins Issue, my conscience is entirely clear when it comes to this blog...and as always, I try to 'Strike Up, Not Out'.

Apologies for sort of straying from the path yet again, but it's still all relevant to what is happening in a broader context...I and other parents have been relentlessly vilified and attacked by the Lutherans, et al, as they conspire to cover-up the abuse of our children...well if I'm going to be the problem, so be it, but I'll decide for whom...(go big fella-Ed)...

Tomorrow: GDF Part II

Actually getting to some other issues,,,and possibly this arvo' instead of tomorrow.

I am Nick Fletcher and I am not a problem, I am The Problem...and such is life...cheers and laters.

THPP Part II

Hello and welcome to the blog and another quick look at the extraordinary hypocrisies at play in politics...not least of all my personal favourite, one politician accusing another of "playing politics".

(Apologies for late, late post but Interweb connection dropped out yesterday...and didn't come back...and took half the post with it...very annoying...so 2 posts today)

I'm not entirely sure: that South Australian Labor Premier Jay Weatherill, when saying "he's playing politics" just yesterday, was 1) referring to state Liberal leader Stephen Marshall or Prime Minister Tony Abbott, or 2) if it was in reference to the 'Holden Bail-out Deal' for workers or the failure of the Federal Liberal government to initially increase support for General Motors Holden or both...

Mr Weatherill uttered this...(arguably the greatest political hypocrisy possible-Ed)...quite...whilst denouncing both senior Liberals and/or all aspects of the entire Holden debacle...and it's not the first time I've head him say it either...but I have also heard senior Liberals say it as well...State and Federal..."it's not appropriate to be playing politics with such a serious issue".

Might I offer as a bipartisan proof that everybody in South Australian parliament is "playing politics"...(oh, here it comes-Ed)...hey!...how can you know what I'm going to say?...(I just know your style, I know how you roll-Ed)...fair enough...cue the proof please.....Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting...both major parties conduct over the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up...both sides considering their own political well-being ahead of the reality, the criminality, the morality, or any other 'ality'.

And "playing politics" to the point of being complicit players in the Cover-up of the gross abuse of a class of 7 year old children.

And in that context, every word they utter, every Inquiry they hold, every dribble of vacuous 'lip-service' and professionally practised faux outrage...all of it...it's all just a massive pro-paedophile hypocrisy.
 
But not to be outdone, PM Tony Abbott rose to the challenge and completely trumped the gross hypocrisy of "playing politics" as being the stupidest thing I heard/read this week, by winning dual gongs for the Most Ludicrous Statement of the Week and the Most Offensive...in reference to the impending job losses at Holden and their suppliers, Tony Abbott actually said that he was doing them all a favour, that he was "liberating them"...(no? he never?-Ed)...yep, he did...(oh my god-Ed)...quite...

(And what exactly is it that he is "liberating them" from anyway?...the unjust shackles of being gainfully employed?...shrek me, what a thing to say-Ed)...quite, it really is an extraordinarily offensive thing to say...but if it's any consolation, rest assured, I know that there are already many people who are looking forward to "ljberating" Mr Abbott from the burden of Prime Ministership...his are the worst polls ever for a new government...I confidently predict that there won't be a Double-Dissolution election any time soon with those sorts of negative numbers.

(Yes, I concur, but I don't believe that one can refer to this "liberating" statement as being a hypocrisy-Ed)...no, indeed...(it's more a crass piece of soulless bastardry indicative of a much deeper illness-Ed)...now I concur...and I was pleased to hear someone on ABC Radio this morning say exactly that 'what's he liberating them from? their jobs?'...I'm not the only one...oo, I've got one hypocrisy though. 
 
How about Tim Wilson's appointment to head of the Human Rights Commission?...(how is that hypocrisy?-Ed)...well he was, on the day of his appointment, still Policy Director for the Institute of Public Affairs...(so?-Ed)...the same IPA which has previously called for the abolition of the HRC...(sorry, what?...in the morning he works for the IPA and is officially opposed to even the idea of the HRC?-Ed)...yep...(and by the afternoon he's head of the HRC-Ed)...yep...and he also resigned his Liberal Party membership...(oh boy-Ed)...quite.

I find deeply concerning and highly indicative, Mr Wilson's statements (as repeated by Attorney General George Brandis) that as head of the HRC he will "re-centralise" the Human Rights debate...(sounds like political speak for a savage lurch to the Right-Ed)...indeed...unless you consider that both major parties are already operating so far to 'the Right' that by definition any 're-centralising' actually means a shift to the Left...(fair point-Ed).

Many would argue that Australia's behaviour re Refugees/Asylum Seekers is in itself a hypocrisy, talking up a great game that the reality on the ground proves almost wholly false...but I digress... 

This bleating from Mr Weatherill about how poorly the Federal government is treating South Australia is a crass hypocrisy in light of the labor government's behaviours within the state, eg, the sale of the South East Forestry Estate to pay for the Adelaide Oval Revamp...I covered this yesterday (Thursday)...and was overjoyed to hear someone bail him up on ABC Radio, asking why Labor has spent $600million+ on the Adelaide Oval when that money should have been used to re-structure and support manufacturing.

And Mr Weatherill's response was that the Revamp had already stimulated the economy with 3 new hotels built and people coming to Adelaide because of it, etc...(what the heck does the Oval have to do with new hotels? and who the heck is coming to Adelaide just because of that stupid Oval? what a load of bollocks-Ed)...exactly...it is a crass hypocrisy to bang on about frugal and prudent investment and/or the importance of manufacturing, and blow all that money on a frivolous extravagance...but here's another classic.

Yesterday state Minister Gail Gago was discussing/explaining the latest state distributed Federal funding for loans for Primary Producers in trouble, eg, through drought...and she actually stated that they weren't about to just provide money to farmers who "take risks" or "might be lazy" because "handouts" can lead to "complacency"...this money is purely for "loans"..."We're not there to bail them out".

(Sorry again, but aren't state Labor screaming for money to be handed to GMH to bail-out the jobs of Adelaide based voters?-Ed)...yep...(but sold off the Forestry Estate with no consideration for the ultimate realities of that decision re loss of jobs in the SE?-Ed)...oh, I think they know exactly what they've done, they just don't give a damn.

I don't have the words to describe just how offensive it is that yesterday Premier Jay Weatherill would attend Holden's Christmas break-up party and "Shout the bar"...(how very generous of him to shout beers for these people with taxpayers money-Ed)...indeed...and consider that he has sacrificed the South East economy for the Adelaide Oval and no beers here...sorry, I'm going to say it...(fire away big fella-Ed)...whatta prick...(I concur-Ed)...

Again apologies for stuffed up and late post but I'll finish here and cover City Council's own hypocrisies in a separate post later,

Today: Council Goes Bananas

Just picking the low hanging fruit about the clownage from Council.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters. 

The Hypocrisy of Playing Politics

Hello the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, and Aotearoa (New Zealand)...and welcome to the blog...this time last week in Mt Gambier it was 17C, today it's going to hit 40C...yay, not...I love my little Housing Trust house but after only a couple of days of this weather it becomes an uninsulated, single brick sweat box.

Two Birds, One Stone: Following on from yesterday, I note that the media is really flogging 'the cost of the Melbourne protests' in what is a vacuously transparent attempt to demonise the protesters and turn public opinion against them...(not surprising really given the violence visited on those people yesterday by the police-Ed)...exactly...distract away from that government sanctioned violence against their own citizens exercising their 'democratic right to peaceful protest', and switch the focus onto the protesters.  

Grease My Palmer: Wind Turbine company Trust Power are suddenly offering 'Good Wind Farm   Neighbour Payments' of approx $2,000 per annum to non-host residents immediately adjacent the proposed $700million, 120 Turbine project for Palmer...but why?...neighbours have no way of stopping those Turbines, developers don't care, and the Rann/Weatherill Labor government's 'Fascist' Turbine legislation defines their attitude, namely, that residents are an inconvenient obstacle to be crushed with un-opposable laws.

I'll take a wild stab at it and suggest that these 'GWFNPs' will have attached all manner of disclaimers, waivers, and confidentiality agreements to try and control the negative publicity that comes with people being affected by the Turbines, including being forced to leave their homes, and then blabbing about it through the media...and the Lofty Ranges Guardians (full name?) are making the very reasonable point that these proposed 'compensation' payments seem to contradict claims that there are no issues affecting Turbine neighbours. 

Nothing To See Here: On Monday 61th December 2013, in an ABC Local Radio interview with head of the Local Government Association, Ms Wendy Campana (spelling?), numerous statements were made about the importance of keeping politics out of Local Government...Ms Campana waxed lyrical about how South Australian Councils are free of politics...(say whaaa?-Ed)...well, exactly...and said very clearly as a statement of fact, not as a hope or aspiration...(you sure you heard it right?-Ed)...fair question, but yes...'no politics in the LGA and/or SA Councils' (paraphrase).

I don't know what planet she's living on, because here in li'l ol' Sow Straya, Local Government bodies are riddled with political aspirants and or subscribers...surely Ms Capana(?) must be aware of this. Just look at Mt Gambier politics and it becomes immediately obvious how far off the mark she is...(so far off the mark as to require removing oneself to another planet even-Ed)...well indeed.

Last state election (March 2010), the sitting member was former Mayor of Grant District Council, Rory McEwen...(Mayor or CEO?...or both at different times?-Ed)...whatevs...and the candidates included moi; Don Pegler, serving Mayor of Grant District Council; Viv Maher, whose husband is Labor Branch President and City Councillor Jim Maher; and serving Mt Gambier Mayor Steve Perryman...(so that's 2 serving Mayors and a Councillor's wife-Ed)...deadset...

And given that he was pre-selected as Liberal candidate well before the election, for many months (6-8?) Steve Perryman was concurrently acting as both Endorsed Liberal Candidate and allegedly bipartisan Mayor...and after a brief 'suspension' from the Mayorship for the duration of the official campaign...(as did Don Pegler-Ed)...quite...after the election, Mr Perryman went straight back to being Mayor.   

Even minimal involvement with Mt Gambier City Council makes it immediately apparent that there are clearly defined factions operating, eg, Tony Pasin, current federal Liberal member for Barker (includes Mt Gambier) as a result of the September 2013 election, is a former City Councillor, and has been completely political in his conduct on Council, including involvement in Steve Perryman's campaign in 2009/10.

I have previously covered the series of decisions that Mr Pasin was involved in as part of the Liberal bloc that runs Mt Gambier City Council, and that both he and Steve Perryman have used ratepayers money to cater to their 'Liberal supporters' in pursuit of their own political careers...both have definably used their time on Council to pursue political careers and/or ideologies, eg, the extraordinary indulgence of the grossly unnecessary Main Corner Project compared to Council's failure with the All Weather Pool.

And of course how could I forget current Grant District Mayor Richard Sage...(you haven't-Ed)...fair enough...Mr Sage who was one of Mr Pasin's opponents at the September 2013 election whilst remaining as serving Mayor of the Grant District Council...(sorry, stayed acting as Mayor whilst running in the Federal election?-Ed)...yup...(is that legal?-Ed)...yeah, it is in a Federal election...I checked...(I bet you did-Ed)...whether it's appropriate or not is a completely different issue.

And I restate that which others have also already flagged, that whilst Mt Gambier City Council is controlled by the Liberal faction, the Grant District Council has been doing the bidding of the Labor Party for years...and that Mr Sage will run as an alleged Independent at the March 2014 state election, along with current member Don Pegler also as an alleged Independent...and that there will be a 3-way Preference deal with Labor, effectively the same deal that saw Mr Pegler elected in 2010 and Rory McEwen in 2006. 

Oh, nearly forgot former Liberal advisor Peter Gandolfi who was Mt Gambier's Liberal candidate in 2006 and is now Mayor of Wattle Range Council...and I'm sure there's others...suffice to say that statements about 'no politics in local government' may not technically be 'Hypocrisy', but they certainly don't stand up to any scrutiny.

Totally Hilarious: Going to Mt Gambier City Council's meeting Tuesday 17th December and listening to them whinge about how the state Transport Department didn't consult with them about the Penola/Bay Rd bicycle lanes...this from a Council who do absolutely whatever the constituent members want to do for themselves, each other, and their mates...from a Council that completely ignored the community and built a pointless 'sun-shade Bus Shelter' way out of town...(and throw the whole Main Corner/Pool issue in there as well-Ed)...fair enough...

Many people were opposed to the Main Corner but support a covered pool...and what did we get?...a Commercial Function Facility constructed with ratepayers money and then given to Councillor Des Mutton's son...this 'oo they're not listening to us or consulting us' whinge coming from Council, now that's hypocrisy...I'll cover this more tomorrow along with other Council issues from this months meeting.

Nearly as hilarious was listening to our illustrious Premier Jay Weatherill bleating about how poorly South Australia is getting treated by the Federal government re the closure of Holden's plant in Elizabeth (Adelaide)...and when he was bailed up on the ABC Radio yesterday by someone asking why Labor had wasted all that money on re-doing the Adelaide Oval instead of investing that $600million+ in manufacturing, Mr Weatherill responded that the Oval project was great for SA and had 'led to 3 new hotels being built in Adelaide'...(whaaa?-Ed)...gord knows mate.

That's heaps for today, but I'm just kicking off, so...

Tomorrow: THPP Part II

Damn it's hot...but then I do have a fridge and lots of ice-cold rainwater...pity one cannot drink the crap coming out of the tap because of the chemical stench...filled up my 250litre garden holding bin the other day and the reek was reminiscent of paint thinners...disgusting and disgraceful...we have this fantastic, relatively pristine resource and we pollute it with this Flouride crap...ahhhhhhhhhhh damn it's hot.

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...stay cool, keep it real, and Strike Up Not Out...laters agitators.

Odds and Sods and Bits and Bods

Hello and welcome to the blog...and today just a dot point round-up to catch up with various issues as they bubble along...and apologies for mis-labelling yesterday's post with the same title as a previous post...I was bound to repeat myself eventually...I've made yesterday a 'Part II'.

But First: the entire title would also nicely summarise a day at the races...I am inspired to verse sir...
          For hopeful punters we have good odds,
          From pounding hooves come flying sods,
          To eager steeds champing their bits,
          To fashionable young fillies showing off their great...(whoa, whoa, whoa...I'm going to have to stop you there champ...you can't say that-Ed)...what?...many women and some men go to the races deliberately dressed to show off their bods...

For crikey sake, early in 2012 (late 2011?) there was a specific, official public decree at one of the major race meetings that women had to wear underwear because so many were going to the races sans modesty...anyway, what's wrong with saying 'great bods'?...(yeah, I thought you were going to say something else...let's move on shall we?-Ed)...say what exactly?...(moving on-Ed)...

Odds: are that gambling will be on the rise, as Pokie notes now have a new size...two new sizes in fact...it is reported that there will be a massive increase in 'problem gambling' in New South Wales as they have just raised the note limit that Poker Machines will accept from $10 notes to $20 and $50 notes...this will reportedly mean that those 'addicted' to Pokies will be able to chew through their pensions, family inheritance, etc, even faster...as you can probably guess, I'm not a fan of 'Pokies' because they are very carefully researched and applied to separate addicts from their cash asap (as soon as possible).

There has also been a lot of criticism in Mt Gambier for the negative effect that hoteliers operating Pokies has had on the availability of live music venues...I appreciate the argument that purely as a business decision a quiet regular income via pokies wins out over providing live music which requires costly extra service staff and security personnel, and can result in damages to toilets, etc...but the social problems caused by Pokies are absolutely undeniable.

I acknowledge that not every person who plays a Pokie is an addict, but also remind readers that 8-10 years ago, Mt Gambier was reported as the per capita Poker Machine capital of the world. There would no doubt be concerns from Support Provider services that the closing of the Holden Plant in Elizabeth (Adelaide) will lead to the social disruption and dysfunction that exacerbates problem gambling with Pokies. 

Sods: are for turning and so are cheeks, but the sods running SACA are a pack of freaks...I'm not sure if 'sod' as an abusive term stems from 'Sodom and Gomorrah' or 'Sodomite' or whatevs, or from the supposed worthlessness of a lump of dirt...don't know, don't care, so long as it gets the point across that I ain't happy ma'...(SACA is the South Australian Cricket Assoc)

'Oh, the Adelaide Oval Redevelopment is just so great...national Australian Rules Football (AFL) will be back there and to protect the crickety bits we've got super-dooper 'drop-in pitches'...hooray for us'...very, very expensive drop-in pitches thanks very much...(what's a 'drop-in pitch'?...for that matter, what's a pitch?-Ed)...the actual strip of specially compacted earth and lawn where the batters bat, the bowlers bowl, etc at the centre of the oval...(ah-Ed).

A 'drop-in pitch' is removed en masse at the end of the cricket season to protect it from the rough and tumble of AFL and stored and maintained elsewhere...(so removing it, storing it, putting in some other turf, and then I assume replacing the pitch again 6 months later...isn't that going to be very expensive?-Ed)...very...(and then doing that year after year-Ed)...astute observation my learned friend...(and does that make the pitches themselves 'sods' because they're technically just super-sized, extremely expensive lumps of dirt?-Ed)...nice...('super sods' perhaps?-Ed)...no need to over do it...(sorry-Ed)...

So, moving super expensive sods round and round and round...over and over and over...(the same ground covering the same ground in replacing itself-Ed)...unfortunately that makes perfect sense.

A 'pitch' is also the spiel that one presents to promote an idea or project, eg, the Rann/Weatherill Labor state government's 'pitch' to the SACA to get SACA approval for the Adelaide Oval included the promise to write-off SACA debts nearing $90million...(ohhh, so a 'pitch' is a bribe-Ed)...hilarious.

Bits: of course are for exploratory drilling and the looming environmental disaster of chemicals spilling into aquifers and leeching, seeping Methane pollution as we seek a solution for all our problems at the bottom of a dirty great hole...(witty Wilde, witty-Ed)...ta...and the problems that the demise of manufacturing at General Motors Holden will precipitate for the South East and the rest of regional South Australia as 'jobs' becomes the sole basic justification for pretty much everything mining...and that sees the minimalist environmental restrictions currently in place, duly shredded...and that means frickin' Fracking.

Fracking (Coal Seam Gas Extraction) exploration drilling plans for the Penola area has drawn a muted opposing response, but that has to be better than none at all...and that could be a 'lack of reportage' as opposed to an abundance of apathy...at least it was featured recently on ABC TVs Landline, including interviews with a couple of locals...and any publicity is better than none.

Unfortunately I don't think that the Labor or Liberal parties give a fat dead rat's fundamental when it comes to the rights and welfare of Regional South Australia, and they have both already committed to CSG Fracking...so where do citizens turn at the March 2014 state election if they wish to vote against the insanely ludicrous proposition of pouring tons of untested chemicals into the ground in the middle of one of the world's premium wine producing regions?

Bods: are us it's simple as that; bods fry in the sun so wear a hat; bods on the ground do a presence make; bods on the ground to Lock The Gate...LTG is the movement that grew from opposition to CSG Fracking in the Eastern states, but has had little effect dealing with the highly corrupted pro-mining attitudes and legislation in place in those states...and nothing is different here.

And yesterday's Melbourne Inner City Tunnel protests also saw plenty of bods on the ground, courtesy of the police who attacked peaceful protesters exercising their allegedly democratic right to oppose...the footage was almost hilarious as police came jogging in single file from around the corner where they had been hiding...(you could almost here them going hup, hup, hup, hup-Ed)...not so hilarious as they immediately ripped into those just standing there, grabbing people and flinging them to the ground.

Given the current spate of 'one punch deaths' where people have died after hitting their heads on the ground, how is it appropriate for police to enforce the law and restore the peace by assaulting unarmed people who legally are powerless to even protect themselves let alone retaliate?...anyone of those people violently thrown to the ground could have suffered a serious even fatal injury.

It puts me in mind of the Coolamdiddie Drain (spelling?) protests where SAPol turned out a dozen armed officers to deal with a handful of peaceful protestors...and hopefully this is what happens in the South East...(what?-Ed)...hopefully there is so much resistance to Fracking that they have to turn out the Peelers to deal wif' 'em uppity peasants...more power to the people in stopping frickin' Frackin'.

Tomorrow: Hypocrisy - Thy Name be Politics

Politicians accusing other politicians of playing politics, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters.