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.
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