Hi dear availees, welcome to what I...(we-Ed)...to what we believe is the post that indicates that TMGI is an on-going venture...despite my...(our-Ed)...despite our attempts to drop and/or get over it, as a paradigm of simply functioning, it has become self-perpetuating...(that is, the fact that it exists, and for over a decade now, and for what exists on it, it becomes something that a) needs to be done, and b) we don't know how to not do-Ed)...indeed, and it's partly driven by a sense of guilt that to identify all of these things/issues as we have on TMGI, but to then/ever just walk away from it, is to be 'complicit'...complicit in the way we've seen so many conduct themselves...(yes, complicit by way of knowing but then turning away 'cos it's all a bit too difficult, all a bit too inconvenient-Ed)...exactly, so it's not about being better and/or worse than anyone else, it's just the way of things...
So TMGI The Blog will continue in some form, but, having said that, today's post is just several posts copied across from TMGI Facebook, but I/we'll get straight onto that first proper post, a review of Mt Gambier City Council's appalling misconduct re the Wulanda (Farcical Aquatic Recreation Centre-FARC) and the diabolical situation Mt Gambier Ratepayers find themselves in thusly...
Facebook 22 Dec 24
SALGA Election Changes
Hi,
Love to get on here some time with jolly news, but today ain't gunna' be that
day.
Stunned but not surprised but deeply, deeply concerned to read on the most
excellent Mt Gambier & Districts Residents & Ratepayers Association
Facebook page that the SA Local Government Assoc has endorsed a Motion
petitioning the SA government to change the date of the next Local Government
Elections due in November 2026, thus likely extending the term of incumbent
Councils, to a date as yet unidentified.
Here is the only mention I could find of this extraordinary move by the SALGA,
as cut-'n'-pasted directly from their webpage news feed;
"endorsing the sector's position that council elections should be held in
a different year to the state election."
And that's quietly, neatly tucked in at Dot Point 4, just a casual afterthought
really.
(Dot Point 1 is "changes to single garage and carport sizes".)
Such massive and fundamental changes that affect the very structure of the actual
Election Process, threaten to undermine what tattered remnants of an actual
Democracy we still have.
And I get to say that 'cos 1) we're all victims of the entrenched 'Two-Party
System', and 2) I'm a private citizen who has been attacked and prosecuted by
the collective efforts of ICAC/SAPol/Parliament and the Courts.
I've lived/been subjected to the reality of what a thin veneer the word
'Democracy' is in it's real-world application in SA.
And what lies immediately beneath that veneer is very, very ugly.
And why hasn't this massive Election Shifting news been reported in the SA
media, least ways not that I could find?
Why hasn't The Ambulance Chaser 'altruistically' informed their loyal
subscribers?
The most excellent MGDRRA found it! And so can yous, here's the link to the
SALGA;
https://www.lga.sa.gov.au/news-and-events/news/latest-news/2024/local-leaders-vote-on-key-policies-at-lga-annual-general-meeting
I also then found this on Premier Malinauskis' page, re 'Public Consultation'
earlier this year, link also below;
"Timing of council elections is another hot topic – suggestions include a
two-year gap from state elections to follow the same alternating pattern as the
Summer and Winter Olympics to combat voter fatigue, while one-in-four of those
surveyed want both elections to be held on the same day to maximise
turnout."
https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/media-releases/news-archive/final-week-to-shape-council-elections-reform
Same day as State Elections makes perfect sense, and only shortens the current
term by 8 months, tick and tick.
But the SALGA, the "sector", they endorsed a motion for "a
different year", potentially a two year gap from state elections, which
places the next proposed LG Election at March 2028, a 15 month extension.
And yes, it is the casual passing mention and lack of subsequent reporting
that's really got me spooked.
Where this is headed specifically I don't know, but there's something really,
really wrong with this.
I note that this 'Motion' occurs at a time when Mt Gambier City Council is
besieged by the fall-out of their own incompetence, hubris, and open contempt
for Ratepayers/Citizens, and the formation and success of the MEMGDRRA is the
undeniable proof.
Cheers, Nick.
Defamation Morello Ambush
28 Dec 24
Hi,
Much mirth was had the other day recalling/re-telling my fav 'Defamation
Threat' story.
Sure I've got reams of threats from lawyers, government depts and the Crown
Solicitor, etc, but this is a li'l story I like to call, 'The Jellyfish That
Grew A Spine and Roared Like A Mouse From It's Ivory Tower'. Enjoy.
Last item of the evening, Mt Gambier City Council meeting (August? 2017) and
MGCC Cr Frank Pangallo declares a 'Conflict' and leaves the Chamber.
Next comes the 'Eject Public for Secret Business' stage of proceedings so I
leave, and as I'm crossing the foyer, old mate Frank walks straight at me.
He starts goin' at me that 'my lawyer says you've defamed me' (re statements on
TMGI The Blog) and demanding I 'remove it', etc.
I laughed at him, saying, 'mate, if you had anything I'd be hearing from your
lawyer, perhaps don't be complicit in covering-up Child Abuse.'
Knowing he'd failed with his vacuous threat, Frank went with "You're not
well Nick, you're not well."
So thus far, we have a MGCC Councillor ambush/harass/threaten, and then
denigrate/abuse a private citizen, during/at a MGCC official meeting.
As ol' mate Frank slunk back into the Ivory Tower (the Chamber) out the door
came Nick Serle, Cr Mark Lovett and CEO Mark McShane.
I had a last parting shot at Frank about 'covering-up the abuse of my child and
dozens of others', and because I didn't back-off, the 3 stooges a) walked right
into that spray, and 2) were stuck in the entrance alcove/doorway.
Lovett kept telling me to "just leave" whilst doing a hilarious impersonation
of being intimidating, and Serle, who had started-out glaring at me,
immediately realised what he'd walked into and was staring sheepishly at the
floor.
McShane twice made thinly-veiled threats re the gym we both attended, where he
had also attempted several provocations, eg, walking at me, etc..
My official complaints re this ambush/abuse were returned by the Minister
to/for CEO McShane to resolve, even though he was named as a perpetrator.
I'm still waiting for a response.
This is just one of multiple instances where MGCC personnel, upto and including
'the Mayor' have harassed/attacked/threatened me at MGCC meetings, but sure,
it's their precious Councillors who need body guards at meetings; pathetic,
cowardly, laughable.
Cheers, Nick.
Facebook 21 Jan 25 re MGDRRA & Wulanda
Hi,
In reference to the latest (today 20 Jan 25) post on the Most Excellent Mt
Gambier & Districts Residents & Ratepayers Assoc Facebook page, and
their story re Mt Gambier City Council debt/borrowings, especially as it
relates to Wulanda.
And when I say MGCC Debt/Borrowings, I mean of course 'Our Debt/Borrowings, and
'Our' as in 'Us', and 'Us' being the Residents & Ratepayers of Mt Gambier.
Here's the link to the MEMGDRRA site, perhaps peruse that first and then come
back to this;
https://www.facebook.com/MGDRRA
Now I'm doing that 'cos 1) there's specific points in that post I wanna'
address, and 2) more importantly, I want to address it here rather than
contaminate the MEMGDRRA page with the "notorious" and
"controversial" (both The Border Watch) views of Nick Fletcher.
If one ignores MGCC's cynically deceitful 'Public Consultation' with the
stooge-riddled 'Public Committee', CEO Mark McShane's various
lies/justifications, eg, must accept the funding or never again/MG is
dying/interest rates low, borrow now/obesity crisis, etc, etc, and the $40m
'Without Fixtures & Fittings' Planning Application figure, etc, even then
MGCC's ultimate and only "mandate" was for a $39.1m facility.
MGCC has since officially moved that to $64m, but their own Budgets across the
last 5 years have the cost at $80m+.
I've gone through the Budgets, done the math, $80m+.
(I haven't included amounts secreted in and/or syphoned from other Budget
areas, eg Gardens/Parks Maintenance 'cos although I know it's happened, eg,
associated roadworks, I don't know specific amounts, etc, so I'll stick to what
I do know.)
However, everyone I've spoken to who has been involved through their
business/family/friends, every single one scoffs at my $80m+ and says it's
North of $100m.
And we don't know the figures 'cos MGCC are determined to keep them secret, but
we do know that MGCC has borrowed several large sums re Wulanda, and apparently
continue to borrow.
We know that the FARC (Farcical Aquatic Recreation Centre) is running at
$3m-$5m loss per annum and that has to come from somewhere.
So much goin' on here that I'll expand on this post over at TMGI The Blog,
which I guess means that that is continuing in 2025.
Bottomline, I believe that MGCC is already effectively/actually 'bankrupt' but
that the State Labor government will continue to fling Taxpayers' hard-earned
down that vacuous hole rather than admit reality and 'sack the Council', bring
in Auditors, etc.
And if you think it's just Wulanda that's the problem, then please to be having
several more thinks.
No-one in SA wants the realities of this disastrous Council known.
Cheers, Nick.
Facebook 21 Jan 25 New Tennis Stadium
Hi,
Pardon moi for hogging The Internet today, but ABC Sth East Radio played a 10min story this morning re 'a new 16-court tennis facility' for Mt Gambier, with one proponent saying they want it at Corriedale Pk.
I remind Mt Gambier's ever-suffering Ratepayers that back when Mt Gambier City Council were copping criticism for approving 'Wulanda' and the cost, etc, MGCC promised/announced over $1m for an upgrade of the 50m pool, and same for the Olympic Park tennis courts.
And that when Mt Gambier lost the prestigious and profitable 'International Tennis Tournament' over a decade ago 'cos the courts weren't "safe", MGCC publicly stated "it's no big loss, it doesn't generate much income for the town".
Apparently this new tennis facility has been "discussed" and possibly reported earlier, so apologies if this is old news to yous, I just heard this morning.
MGCC is reportedly not committing to anything until 'they finalise their Olympic Pk Master Plan later this financial year (25/26)'.
Which is MGCC code for 'we desperately need to bulldoze some buildings/courts to create parking for Wulanda'.
More plans to have plans but we can't plan until we plan the other plans, at least that's the plan.
It could be said that MGCC speak in Plan English.
Cheers, Nick.
Tomorrow: The White Elephant Has Come Home To Roost
I am Nick Fletcher, that's Ed...(cheers-Ed)...and Ed is a confected literary device used to create conversational discourse rather than lecturous litanies of vapid facts and obtuse opinionisationings, and to help set-up jokes etc...
