My Voting Cards....

[steveL]

Steve,

Thank you for the answer. If that's the case then fine.

If you want to message me the email address directly then that's up to you but I'm sure I'll be able to dig it out should I need it. I've certainly got other means of contacting her.

But surely you DO need it now because you'll obviously want to ask her why she thought one thing and then voted another - unless you're simply fixated on PHF that is.

[Jamescampbell78]

Send it to me anyway, I'm sure I have it but it can't harm having it confirmed.

[grim reaper]

JC78;
Do you really think ANYONE can be worse than the self servers we have had for decades? 
Do you really think anyone else would/could get away with the underhand/at times illegal and alleged illegal practices we have witnessed? 

Do you think anyone else would waste as much of our money on ego trip events and initiatives? 
We really do need to start with a clean sheet and monitor the newcomers VERY CLOSELY. 
I suppose a crude analogy would be, would you still employ a bank clerk that embezzled money from the bank, rather than a new employee that MIGHT be just as bad? 

Everyone has an idiosyncratic side that could wind up others ( DRiddles alleged 'slipperiness' for instance). 
His reluctance to answer all questions doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Why should he display all of his cards so close to polling day? 
He knows the avid readers of this site in the Civic...why give them clues as to strategy? 

You need to spend more time having a retrospective look at what has gone on under the scabs reign and the lack of foresight in the times before that and come to realise that indeed, anyone IS better than what we have at the moment.

Remember, if new blood makes a mess of it, we can always vote them out.
           Why on earth would you want to keep the scabs et al in???      

[DRiddle]

I like that post from Grim reaper.

As an add on from that, here's a hypothetical questions that no one has asked me.

David "Would you act as accountant for one company, and then, acting in your position as portfolio holder, award a contract (which became worth around 7 figures) to a 'separate' company, albeit one which appeared to have 'close links' to the one you'd previously did some accountancy work for? As an expansion of that question, would you STILL do that, if said company had been formed by two councillors from your party? Would you also completely by-pass the tendering process normally undertaken in doing that? Would you then place 3 councillors from your own party as trustees of the two separate organisations but allow them to resign, unchallenged, as it became evident there were issues within the organisation? Would you allow the manager within one of the organisations to pay below national minimum wage to various employees, and then do NOTHING to help them get their money awarded to them by a tribunal? Would you also stay very quiet as both the police and the charity commissions investigators became involved?"

If any DID ask me any of that.......... I personally would say "no, I wouldn't allow that to happen".

[Jamescampbell78]

You make some good points, I don't want the current lot in but without some diligence you could end up with something worse.

I actually don't think the current system works to be honest. If we're having trouble getting the "SCABs" out, how easy would you think it is to simply vote the next incumbents out?

The mayoral system could have worked had there someone better suited been elected, as it was Stuart Drummond, the joke candidate really was the best on offer.

If people in the Civic really do read this forum then maybe I could start posing questions for them on here too?

That's the main issue with the current incumbents or anyone in public office, particularly in Hartlepool. They're not challenged publicly enough, the local paper doesn't do it, the local MP doesn't challenge or provide oversight on the local goings on and people seem to be discouraged from asking questions of local officials being branded trouble makers and local looneys.

[Jamescampbell78]

Good post David.

Goes back to my point on open challenge.

[steveL]

"That's the main issue with the current incumbents or anyone in public office, particularly in Hartlepool. They're not challenged publicly enough, the local paper doesn't do it, the local MP doesn't challenge or provide oversight on the local goings on and people seem to be discouraged from asking questions of local officials being branded trouble makers and local looneys.

Soon after David quizzed Ged hall at a council meeting Labour stopped members of the public asking follow-up questions which were essential when a councillor dodged answering the initial question. Now they can't even ask the original question - instead its read out by Stubbs with the councillor having had 7 days to prepare an answer.

It's also far more frequent now to have submitted questions rejected as they have to go through the Council Chairman, Stephen Akers-Belcher first.

Labour's move to restrict questioning was supported by the Tories and only PHF are committed to putting htings back as they were.

[Interested]

Quote by Jimmy
"Before you vote them out you must ensure who you are voting in will be no worse"

Am i losing something here........................or maybe my age is getting the better of me?

Youre not voting Jimmy are you?

You spent the first month of your time on here convincing all and sundry not to vote, now it would appear you are the "knight in shining armour" .....................................Jimmy to the rescue!!!

Cmon young man, you categorically state over and over again that you wont be voting and everyone else should follow suit, so why the sudden obsessive behaviour with PHF and politics???

[Inspector Knacker]

Before you vote them out you must ensure who you are voting in will be no worse.

A recurring theme of your tenancy on this forum, constantly wheeled out. 
Sounds like a car salesmsn saying keep on buying the rubbish model because the competition is an unknown quantity....only one way to find out.

[Jamescampbell78]

Yes,

Ask them lots of searching questions before you decide whether to vote for them or someone else or not at all.

[DRiddle]

Anything else you'd like to ask me or PHF James?

[Jamescampbell78]

Nothing occurs at the moment David.

Might have a few for all candidates generally before 22nd but I'll put them out there in due course.

[DRiddle]

Fair enough. We're happy to answer anything.