PHF Manifesto Questions

[Balotelli]

I've addressed these questions to David Riddle on Facebook and he's not answered so I thought I'd open it up to all PHF members.

The context behind this is that I'm considering a vote in the local elections to try and do something about the Labour majority in council. In my ward, De Bruce I don't think it's going to be easy to shift Labour but David seems confident that PHF can do it.

I've said openly that if I get satisfactory answers to these questions I WILL vote PHF on 7th May:

Been reading the PHF manifesto. A few questions if I may:

"Maintain the town's roads and pavements by pro-actively repairing pot holes and broken pavements to enhance public safety."

and

"Endeavour to improve bus and public transport facilities in Hartlepool. "

Are both things I agree with. I've produced plans for both in the past. How do you propose to achieve these given you will

"Oppose any increase in council tax until Hartlepool's is below the national average. "

and

"Reduce town centre car parking charges, with the first 2 hours being free, with the ultimate aim of being completely free"?

"Tackle the growing litter problem by providing more litter bins in problem areas." - Is the problem not such much a lack of bins as the fact that so many people can't be arsed to use them, how would you propose to tackle that side of the problem?

"Ensure the best possible price is achieved when selling publicly owned assets using internal market appraisal and comparison." - How do you see this working? Can you give an example of how you envisage this happening? The statement in itself is a bit vague.

"While all new jobs are welcome, Putting Hartlepool First recognises the importance of increasing the number of new jobs that pay decent wages and that Hartlepool needs to move away from its dependency on low wage jobs which result in a low wage local economy." - Great, lots of people recognise this, what will PHF DO about it?

"Encourage the expansion of new manufacturing facilities" - Expand facilities that don't already exist or expand current ones? How to you propose to achieve this?

"Hartlepool is almost alone among north east towns for never having secured a significant number of Government department jobs. We will lobby for Hartlepool to receive its fair share of such jobs. " - I presume the way to do this would be through the local MP. How do you see that working if Iain Wright is still in office come May?

"The scrapping of the Local Plan has been a disaster for Hartlepool. The completion of the new plan must therefore be a priority" - How would you balance this with due diligence?

"Pro-actively encourage owners of eyesore buildings to bring them up to an acceptable standard by all legal means available to Hartlepool Borough Council" - It's my opinion that the owners of a number of such buildings are 'playing the game' to spite HBC. How do you propose to resolve that situation?

I notice your previous manifesto pledge on speed cameras has gone, why?

Yours etc.

[Inspector Knacker]

"While all new jobs are welcome, Putting Hartlepool First recognises the importance of increasing the number of new jobs that pay decent wages and that Hartlepool needs to move away from its dependency on low wage jobs which result in a low wage local economy." -
"Hartlepool is almost alone among north east towns for never having secured a significant number of Government department jobs. We will lobby for Hartlepool to receive its fair share of such jobs. " - I presume the way to do this would be through the local MP. How do you see that working if Iain Wright is still in office come May?

As Hartlepool is not just a Labour stronghold, it's a banjo plucking labour stronghold, so we get nowt as they don't need to keep us sweet and neither do the other partys as they haven't got a chance of getting in here.
BUT, that won't be an issue any more because we'll be part of the Teesside City project . So, any nice government jobs will be directed to Middlesbrough, that self promoting municipsl egotist of a  town determined to be king of the pile and Teessides cspital, with all the trappings that go with it.

[beanzontoast]

Whichever way you look at it without being a threat in Westminster,  any capital projects whether infrastructure or good quality jobs, will prove impossible if the electorate in Hartlepool continue to find  PHF or the Independants as a solution, All are decent enough people, but only a vote for UKIP  who has a national presence a manifesto and the leader shared a platform with all other leaders on tv last night offers any realistic changes.

[DRiddle]

Have you managed to get the Church in Seaton to turn their bells down yet Tom?

[Balotelli]

So David,

You've got time to take the proverbial out of other posters but not answer some sensible questions about your manifesto......

Or are you busy still trying to get people to tacticall vote UKIP?

[beanzontoast]

Balotelli you were missed today for Liverpool,  but you are spot on in your comment regarding the PHF manifesto, and as D Riddle is on record of dispising anything UKIP stands for I don't think we can find any common ground,  it is understandable when you factor in Mr Riddle is a school teacher and therefore a fully paid up member of the NUT a union no less which must indicate he is really Labour, it's understandably clear, he must know pot holes are a capital project paid by road tax to the tresury, so that part of his manifesto is a none starter, the UKIP councillors in contrast would like to bring the Nuclear pwer industry training centre to Hartlepool, he is also wrong with the bells in Seaton.

[mk1]

he is also wrong with the bells in Seaton.

But you were involved is some sort of protest/complaint about the bells being too loud I believe. Please be so good as to clear that one up with a fuller explaination. .

[mk1]

Mr Riddle is a school teacher and therefore a fully paid up member of the NUT a union no less which must indicate he is really Labour

Is that not a bit like saying  'X is  racist. A  homophobic ill educated  bigot which must indicate he is really a UKIP man'?

[mk1]

, but only a vote for UKIP  who has a national presence a manifesto and the leader shared a platform with all other leaders on tv last night offers any realistic changes.

Can you clear something up for me. Do UKIP still intend to increase defence spending by 50% and build a couple of new aircraft carriers?
Have you got permission from Nigel  to answer that type of question?

[Balotelli]

Road tax does not exist.

The tax commonly referred to as road tax is vehicle excise duty and goes into a central pot for all kinds of things.

For me, there are things a local authority could implement to deal with potholes and the condition of the roads.

I'll give someone from PHF a chance to address these questions before I'll share the idea I had to deal with Hartlepools road surface problems and the the issues with my ideas that a friend who happened to be an officer of HBC pointed out with my plan.

[Balotelli]

BTW the context behind my UKIP comment is that David Riddle has spent a lot of time in the last week or so encouraging people on social media to vote 'tactically' where PHF don't have a candidate.

In all cases, barring Seaton, that recommendation was to vote UKIP.

I think the phrase was 'use a weasel to catch a snake'.

He also described the current UKIP councillors as harmless and phrases that implied they were a bit thick and easy to manage.

[beanzontoast]

Balotelli I did indeed mention road tax but aren't you playing with words when you call it road excise licence,  it still goes to central government and into a black hole it should be spent on motorists and potholes,  this is so is it not PHF are playing to the audience and the gulability of Hartlepool people who believe PHF can get potholes filled in

[Balotelli]

Agree that there are elements in PHF who believe that playing on populist sentiments is the way forward but when challenged on the detail behind these nice soundbites they refuse to discuss, lest the lack of substance be uncovered.

I'll send you some information privately. You'll no doubt find it of interest.

[mk1]

In all cases, barring Seaton, that recommendation was to vote UKIP.

I think the phrase was 'use a weasel to catch a snake'.

He also described the current UKIP councillors as harmless and phrases that implied they were a bit thick and easy to manage.

We all have visions of where we would like to be but we have to deal with reality first. Labour have a strong hold on Hartlepool but they are only the largest minority and not the majority. Our local MP/Labour need a kick up the ar*se. The best way to do it is for the anti-Labour crowdd (the majority) to unite under one flag. However this is not going to happen because personal advancement always trumps the public good. Thus we have no hope Tory/Lib/UKIP candidates that only make sure Labour get back in. The ideal would be to unite under one flag. Currently I see UKIP as the front runner but who knows the Taxi man may tiumph. Point is UKIP or Taxi man they will have no influence and no power to change anything. UKIP are  going to get a handful of seats at most and for all the big talk they are very much a fringe party who will be in no position to impliment their looney policies. So yes I see the prospect of a UKIP MP as a headline-grabber much like (in every respect) Dumbo when he got elected-a joke. If UKIP win or come close to Labour then Labour North might be stung into action and  remove the shower of shi*te we have in the Council Chamber. We went down the path of promoting diversity by advancing one very  vocal minority and they have abused their position by making sure only members of that minority are in  positions of power. At the very least Labour will try and reform the local group. It is a win-win situation.

[mk1]

Agree that there are elements in PHF who believe that playing on populist sentiments is the way forward but when challenged on the detail behind these nice soundbites they refuse to discuss, lest the lack of substance be uncovered.

PHF are a local issue group and as such have no need for a 'manifesto. Watch them in action and tell me they have not got Labour under the cosh in the chamber. The Labour Group is a total shambles and staggers from crisis to crisis. Every word by a Labour Councillor in the chamber is written out in advance by CAB. Total an absolute power in the hands of a man who would struggle to complete a Macdonalds application form.
UKIP are trying the US 'Tea Party' style of politics. Lots of buzz-words and  appeals to public sentiment. Catch-all promises tailored to suit  whoever you are talking to at the moment even if it contradicts what was said yesterday. They really have no policy and are just out to trick as many people as possible into voting for the chimera
I urge you to search YouTube and view the interviews with ordinary Tea Party members. It is no exageration to say 'stupid' does not even come close to describing them. UKIP are the same. They have made a point of signing up the previously political inactives without stopping to ask what it was that made these people docile. 
Again a YouTube search for the speeches of  Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Christine Odonnell, Ted Cruz etc will prove to you that being terminaly stupid is no bar to public office. If enough idiots  group together they can vote in their own idiot.