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Old 14-02-2009, 00:13   #116
garinda
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Re: Anyone made a secret Freedom Of Info request about me ? Andrew?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil View Post
How can we live in a dictatorship where people have no voice when "Thankfully through public opposition these ideas have been forced off the agenda."???
Point taken, and I'll try to clarify what I meant.

To me it seems apparent that some good voices are being silenced in Hyndburn. We've been given examples in this thread where members of the public have tried to ask questions at public meetings, and they have been quashed, and dismissed as being 'rude'. (I'll try to resist a kettle/black comment here.)

From other posts on Accy Web there is evidence that councillors are being sidelined and ignored, because they aren't in the inner sanctum of the cabinet.

I've said recently in another thread that Cllr. Britcliffe is a very good councillor for his ward, and obviously the people who kept him elected for twenty six years think the same.

Sadly we have a system whereby the party who polls the most councillors forms the ruling body of the council, and then they decide who the leader will be, and that's democratically fair.

However we end up with a council leader, in a very powerful position, who wasn't elected to that position by the people of the borough as a whole.

I know that is the system we have, and there is little chance of it being changed, and the same criticism could also be levelled at national level, in that we vote for an M.P., but then have a P.M. foisted on us by the party who secured the most seats.

In Hyndburn I do think we have a council leader whose egotism clouds the issue when it comes to what is best for the borough. There have been many ludicrous, costly schemes, his pet projects, which thankfully have been shelved.

Again I feel like I'm repeating myself, but if I thought the leadership of H.B.C. was good, you'd certainly hear no complaints from me.

Living in Labour controlled Lambeth was hell, and I paid the highest Poll Tax in the land for the privilege. On the other hand when I moved to the neighbouring borough of Conservative Wandsworth, we paid the lowest Poll then Council Tax in England, and were served by a fantastic council. Similarly Labour controlled Glasgow City Council provided it's residents with excellent services, and value for money. So I do feel able to make comparisons.

To me the issue isn't party politics, it's about competence, and happily, unlike councillors who aren't part of the inner circle at H.B.C., and people at public meetings who dare to voice their opinions and questions, I can't be silenced, and this forum lets me, as well as everyone else, have their voice heard.
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Last edited by garinda; 14-02-2009 at 00:18.
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