Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Yes, both lanes have people driving on them like bats out of Hell. The very meagre, and limited traffic calming mesures on Fielding Lane, introduced after the sad death of a child ten years or so ago, certainly haven't worked.

There's certainly nothing as hi-tech or effective as the all singing, all dancing, flashing disco lights that are in place on New Lane, the moment a car approaches 30 mph.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

IMHO they are useless and a waste of money. The only thing that slows them down is a real speed camera.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Whatever is the most effective method, I've never seen cars drive as fast on New Lane, as either Fielding or Stanhill Lane.

Perhaps the most effective way of all of slowing traffic down to a safer speed is having a council leader living in the vicinity.


:rolleyes:

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

I used to live on New Lane and can confirm that cars do come round the top corner at a shocking speed. They just whiz past you......some larger vehicles made the house shake. :eek:

They tear down the lane and only slow down as they approach the speed camera near Grove Street.

Before the camera was in place they used to speed all the way to the junction at Union Rd.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

When did you live there, before the flashing Saturday Night Fever Disco board before the bends, warning you of your speed, and telling you to slow down?

I've nothing against the speed calming measures, I just think they're also as needed on are what are now major rat runs to the motorways. Thre was a car doing well over 60mph coming down Fielding Lane tonight, near the Stop and Rest.:(

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

I lived there before the disco boards and for a time afterwards.

I noticed an improvement after the disco boards and road bumps were implemented. I reckon we used to get cars regularly coming round that bend at 60mph or so before that. :(

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

In light of the recent public outrage, regarding the abuse of MPs' expenses in Westminster, with everyone now falling over themselves in apologetic contrition, with promises to be more sensitive to the public who provide those funds, can we look forward to a similar glasnost in local politics, and an end to ignoring the recommendations of an independent body regarding expenses, and an end to voting for expense limits increased by such a massive percentage increase?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Some people will still not be happy Garinda. If you have an independent body that you must follow (I don't believe politicians should vote on their own wages/expenses/etc) then if that body recommend a limit which people are still unhappy about and demand councillors vote against it, it makes a mockery of the fact that there is an independent body. There will always be disagreements when it comes to spending public money.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Which 'people'?

Surely if the expenses are set by an independent panel, the council should be bound to accept them, if as you say politicans aren't to set their own expenses and/or salaries.

The question I was really asking was, given the outrage in Westminster, and the call for reform and more public accountability of politicans, will this trickle down to local government level too?

Or can we expect some councillors on Hyndburn Borough Council deciding they are worth more than the expense limits recommended by an independent panel, and deciding to ignore them, and vote to award themselves massive percentage increased allowances, as they did this year?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Well for example, would you have a problem if HBC had voted in favour of all the independent bodies recommendations in the last example of such?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

As far as I can understand some of the recommendations were acceptable, others weren't. Hence why some councillors chose to ignore them, and voted to award themselves the vastly increased allowances.

Council makes a meal of rises - News - Accrington Observer

Can we expect to see locally a similar attitude trickle down from national politics, with MPs calling for reform, and a more sensitive understanding of public opinion, or will some local councillors carry on next year, with the same disregard to the recommendations of an independent panel, and continue to turn a blind eye to the ensuing public outrage?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

I am well aware how councillors voted at the time. If the independent recommendations were accepted, would you have a problem?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

No, they seemed very reasonably arrived at.

If they had been accepted there would have been no newspaper headlines, no public outcry, no scores of angry letters in the local press, from people afraid for the security of their jobs, nevermind being put on short time, or settling for no pay rise at all this year.

It would have been sensible to accept the independently arrived at recommendations.

Do we think in light of the expenses scandal at national level, we can expect to see such disdainful arrogance from out local politicans in the near future, in regard to their expenses?

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

http://www.smiley-lol.com/smiley/manger/foretnoire.gif
Hyndburn councillors told they need receipts for meals (From Lancashire Telegraph)

http://silent-productions.net/images.../smiley051.gif

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

How sad for those councillors who thought that the abolition of buffet lunches would mean that they could claim meal allowances instead and get one over on those evil Labour penny-pinchers.

It also amuses me that the same high-ranking Conservative councillor who used to chide me in meetings for claiming petrol allowances has now started claiming petrol allowances.

We all have to live, I suppose.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Come on Ken, give 'em a break.

It must be hard, getting used to all these new rules.

I'm starting a charity, which aims to deliver food parcels, to any malnourished local counciilors.

By the way, if any councillor is feeling the pinch, I'm offering myself up for adoption, so claims could be made for my care.

I think me being a bit childish should outweigh any worries that I might be a little too old to require a babysitter.

P.M. me.

:dummy2:

:D

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

I'll put a motion to council that the age for claiming childcare allowances for dependents should be raised to 46, that do you? I'm sure it will delight at least one member of the chamber.

As time goes by and the new administration looks to make cuts of £2.2m this year I am constantly surprised at how many times the words 'promise' and 'cast iron guarantee' had been used in the run up to the election by people who weren't even sure if they'd be in control after May 5th. It is patently obvious that the previous council administration had been a bit too free with the cheque book and I welcome all the changes that are being made.

I've said it before but I am perfectly capable of making my own butties and if the time ever comes where I have to claim for something I will be more than happy to provide a receipt.

It is fairly standard practice for businesses to be fully accountable with the taxman.....

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Ya agree total Ken its a hard life in politics, evidently a thing which was found out my an MP who found his £68,000 salary wasn't enough so felt the need to go back on his promise Not to claim expenses when he retained his country council seat, as you say We all have to live I suppose;)

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Ta Dad-a.

http://discernthetime.com/messageboa...b%20smiley.gif

:D

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Doesn't sound too good on the face of it, does it? However, the most cursory glance of Graham's expenses will show where that money is going and as I've said before I would not do that job because it's bloody hard work and your life is not your own.

The county council expenses are being used largely for good causes and organisations within Rishton alone have already benefitted from it. I wonder how much of Peter's old £43k salary was donated back to community groups? Peter got to go home every night, he didn't hold surgeries every single week or spend 6-8 hours travelling to and from London every four days and he wasn't sharing a house with someone he wasn't overly familiar with.

As someone who is well acquainted with politics you should know full well how much more the setup year costs an MP and such muckraking is beneath you.

I'm sure Peter wouldn't have claimed his county allowance if he'd become MP....

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Good boy, close your eyes and dream sweet dreams.

It's those fragile 17 year olds that I worry about.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

He wouldn't because he would have resigned both his council and county council seats Ken which to my mind would have been the proper thing to do. Being a constituency MP is totally time consuming and I would imagine it hasn't got any easier since Ken Hargreaves days, if anything it will have gone the other way and as for your defence of Graham, if he'd done the right thing he would have had to have managed on his pittance 68 grand a year plus exes of course;) ya its a hard life all this travelling and living a nomadic life until you get settled, but he knew the score and wanted to do it so I'm sorry excuses don't wash with me Kenneth old chap:)

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

Alas, that is something we will never know now although my impressions of the nature of the man suggest otherwise to me. I admit that trying to hold on to three positions is unviable but the residents of Accrington don't seem to be screaming too loudly about Graham retaining his county seat.

As has been pointed out by several people, a county seat not only keeps your feet on the ground but also gives you a wider knowledge of the local big picture. Graham is doing a splendid job in my opinion and has been of invaluable help since before I joined the council.

The Conservatives may rail against this new mergeance of district, county and parliamentary levels but I fail to see how greater discourse between the three is in any way a bad thing.

It smacks of envy, to be blunt.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

ENVEY:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl38::rofl 38:Thanks Ken thats the best laugh I've had for years, in fact I might even print that out and frame it:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

More "Sick as a Parrot" i would say.:D

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

That is my feeling too...and I commented as much, though not in those exact words, in my letter to the Observer.

PB can say what he would have done if he had got to Westminster, but it is never going to be tested...so the truth of the matter can never be ascertained....much like the protestations by the opposition(and I'm talking any opposition, not just the current one)......when in a sticky place, they slate the current government and say what they would do if they were in power....fully knowing that their pie in the sky(for that is often what they are) ideals are never going to be tested. By the time they come to power the political landscape has changed and the things they would have done, no longer fit the bill.

Re: Living off the fat of the land.
 

That's what the Liberals have done for nearly a century.

Until that ever so nice Nick Clegg came across so well on the television.

Winning them a joint first place in Pol Idol.

:rolleyes::D