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Post by brian on Mar 25, 2011 8:31:37 GMT
From the Visitor web site ( www.thevisitor.co.uk/community/police_called_as_council_meeting_erupts_1_3211220 ) A TOWN council meeting descended into farce as – in a rare move – the police were called to restore order in the public gallery.
One of the members of the public now wants an apology from Morecambe Town Council after the events of last Thursday evening, March 17.
Steve Williams, who stood for a seat on the Town Council at the last election, accused the council of acting illegally with regards to a Freedom of Information request he had made.
When another member of the public shouted out in objection to Mr Williams being reminded he had only three minutes to speak, council chairman Roger Plumb elected to call police in a bid to calm things downSteven Carey Williams (and/or his wife) is a banned member of this forum. |
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Post by accykeef on Mar 26, 2011 15:57:17 GMT
I didn't realise that they were banned, I thought they had just crawled gracefully away.
These activists are probably the reason why councillors will not take part in our forum and why public debate on a forum is not possible.
As a web designer, I have an idea for a unique discussion website where all of the members control the discussion and if a majority of members object to an individual, that individual is warned and if the bad conduct continues, they are banned. I would like to propose we adopt this system here in Morecambe for the town council but as MTC just can't be bothered replying to my emails - I cannot discuss it with them.
I would be prepared to fund it as I think other councils and organisations would be interested in the product.
It is a way of promoting Morecambe without knocking something down to save money.
I sometimes feel sorry for councillors as they have to deal with unreasonable people and have no way of treating them with the contempt they deserve. With my system a full and frank debate would possible and maybe get Morecambe on the map for something positive for a change.
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Post by brian on Mar 27, 2011 13:06:06 GMT
The council's web site has a forum, if they ran it as an open discussion area then there's no reason it wouldn't work with the controls you mention. The problem was it was abused by certain councillors with their own goals in mind.
Trinity is a banned user, I've never known those two crawl away let alone do anything gracefully.
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Post by accykeef on Mar 27, 2011 17:04:23 GMT
The members of the Council clearly do not want to get into any sort of debate with the people who elect them in case they get asked some difficult questions. To me, a web forum would be the best way of gauging public opinion and would be an efficient way of reaching the masses but taking into account their past record with anything computerised, I suppose it would be more their style to appoint a town cryer to stand on the Stone Jetty and dribble into the sea.
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Post by WillowTheWhisp on Mar 29, 2011 14:16:38 GMT
Who is it thsat is wanting the apology from the council? Is it Steven Williams or the person who tried to get him to shut up? Mr and/or Mrs Williams were both banned from here following several requests for them to behave and stop slandering people. It was nigh on impossible to tell which one was using what ID as they don't seem to think it matters if they log into forums as themselves or each other. That wasn't really the problem though, the problem was more about posting addresses of other people in public - and specifically incorrect addresses and inviting people to meet them in person for open conflict. They were given plenty of chances before the ban was finally imposed. What a wonderful advert for Morecambe to have police called in to a disruption of a council meeting.  |
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Post by brian on Mar 30, 2011 11:53:42 GMT
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Post by accykeef on Mar 30, 2011 12:10:10 GMT
Same old story repeated.
We have received our polling cards this morning and I notice in addition to the local muppet elections, we are having 'a referendum on the voting system for uk parliamentary elections'.
2 things I would like to ask but am not allowed this democratic right.
What is the strategically worded question we will be answering?
Why are we having this additional vote when it is not a local issue?
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Post by brian on Mar 30, 2011 12:23:50 GMT
Register for a postal vote, you get the paperwork early and have time to research the questions and candidates  Too late to register for these votes though. |
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Post by accykeef on Mar 30, 2011 19:04:08 GMT
I don't really need a postal vote but would like the opportunity to ask some questions.
I could write a snail mail letter but feel that our elected faceless wonders should make an attempt to embrace modern technology.
In the same vein I would scrap parliament, save a fortune and have the commons conducted over a properly designed webcast, where MP's were in their one and only home and the constituents could comment on proceedings.
That will never happen because the gravy train is unstoppable.
Perhaps it could be trialled at MTC - sorry silly idea
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Post by brian on Mar 31, 2011 11:50:28 GMT
My only question to MTC would be "what does it require to abolish a town council?".
To date I haven't seen them do anything that couldn't have been done by the city council whom I wouldn't mind paying extra if it was guaranteed to be spent in Morecambe.
According to the recent finance figures from MTC, they have yet to spend the revenue from year 1 and we're days away from year 3. And guess what, on my council tax bill they are the only ones to increase their levy.
They're also discussing a 50K/year figure for an office for a town clerk and civic centre. So much for claims that it wouldn't cost the town's tax payers anything.
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Post by WillowTheWhisp on Apr 4, 2011 11:11:51 GMT
We could have done with a postal vote as neither of us will be here on the day. For the local elections here I don't really think it matters a lot who gets in though. It doesn't change. Keef will probably know what I mean  |
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Post by accykeef on Apr 5, 2011 12:57:33 GMT
We should be grateful, at least our Market toilets are downstairs, unlike those in Accrington.
I got one of my questions answered this week, as along with most other households in the UK, we were treated to a nice little booklet telling us all about local elections and more importantly, the referendum on the voting system used to elect MPs to the House of Conmens.
Having read the booklet several times, I now feel able to explain the new system in order to help the majority of UK citizens who nearly, but not quite, understand our present system.
The current system is quite simple, people vote for their favourite candidate by putting a cross next to that candidate on a ballot paper. While there are critics of this system, it is in my opinion the most straighforward system and the winner is the one with the most votes.
The new system or AV (Alternative Voting System) is quite complicated and I will do my best to try and explain it to you.
The ballot paper contains a full length photograh of each candidate and next to each body part is a box, into which the voter enters a BPR (Body Part Rating).
eg. If voter considers the candidates head is to big for their body, a 3 or 4 is entered into the box. If however the head is about the right size for the body, then a 7 or 8 is added to the box. The same rating system is used to assess the candidates feet, eyes, knees, ankles, chest, back and the ugliness of their wife/husband/partner/dog/feret or whippet.
Once the votes have been cast, the votes are counted and if no candidate emerges with a big head, large feet, creepy hands, knobbly knee caps and a really ugly partner, the one with the smallest head drops out and the candicate's partners are put into a vat of custard and one is picked out at random. The chosen candidate's partner then has to yodel whilst accepting the nomination on their partner's behalf.
If the acceptance speech contains any reference to politics, the process has to be repeated until the winning candidate can speak for over 10 minutes without answering a single political question.
I may have misunderstood the booklet but I am sure that there will be more people than me wondering exactly how much the ridiculous exercise has cost the tax payer.
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Post by WillowTheWhisp on Apr 21, 2011 22:05:18 GMT
Our Labour candidate for the local council came round with the Labour MP this week campaigning for the local elections. I asked him what his views were on the toilet situation here in Accy. He promises that if they get in the main downstairs ones on the bus station will be re-opened 7 days a week. He gets my vote if he can do that. ;D
We have actually managed to sort out a proxy vote for us when we're away on the 5th - maybe we should pass on your clarification to her ----- our 19 year old daughter! ;D
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I had been telling my hubby about the time I was in Morecombe when the Moby Dick and Hotel was hit by lightening and burnt down. My parents, sister and myself had just come off the Moby Dick when lightening stuck