Tuesday 27 October 2009

Manston air pollution danger

To put the danger in the reduction of air monitoring at Manston here’s a link to a diffusion tube:

http://cambridge.org/us/engineering/author/nellisandklein/downloads/examples/EXAMPLE_9.4-1.pdf

As you can see they are literally a 7cm test tube that’s exposed for a month to record any air pollution. As they’re the simplest – and cheapest – way to sample air pollution they’re usually used in large quantities and mainly for roadside fumes and pollution at a busy crossroads or junction.

Manston has 3 of these. 2 in Manston village and 1 in Minster.

You wouldn’t use just 3 diffuser tubes or sites would you? And all aligned in parallel with the runway rather than under each end where the planes land?

The more detailed air monitor in Kentmere Avenue, Ramsgate - directly at the end of the runway, the end where planes aren’t supposed to land anyway in the 106 - was turned off 2 months ago and TDC state that “even with increased traffic (at the airport) it will not be reactivated”. And notes that even their pre-August monitoring was subject to various failures of data capture and reporting – presumably the monitor was broken and never repaired, like the radar, for years - and part of Infratril’s massive alleged investment programme.

As you also know, the noise monitors were removed from Clarendon School and a Tower Block in Ramsgate (both in the centre of town where the population is) from 2006 with TDC’s help.

Richard Samuel and Brian White were both on the KIACC committee at the time. No noise and air monitoring results were produced until late 2008.

The noise monitors have never been replaced in 3 years and the air monitoring has been faulty and now almost removed.

Now why would there be only 3 of the most basic air samplers, no noise monitors despite repeated requests, no mobile monitor and the one more advanced air monitor switched off?

Why would a council and airport do that? Monitors are not expensive: a few hundred pounds ort a few thousand pounds each. Diffusion tubes cost pennies.

Ramsgate and Broadstairs and Margate could be peppered with air and noise monitors.

But the reason is obvious isn’t it?

No monitors means no data means no problem in terms of expanding the airport.

The Kentmere Avenue monitor for example was switched off in August just at the time of the night flight announcements.

With monitors it means the noise and air pollution would be accurately recorded.

You don’t need to be an aviation expert to recognise that flying 747’s at nearly roof top height over the local population – often in breach of the no overflights and training flights aspect of the 106 – would increase health impacts.
That’s cancer. Asthma. Genetic birth defects.

So we have a council and airport not just wanting to expand an airport – that’s a matter for discussion as to how robust their plans are – but doing so by deliberately removing and avoiding recording the effects of noise and air pollution and the resulting effect of cancer, asthma, genetic birth defects.

Which of course are far higher around an airport than at almost any other infrastructure.

Which councillors would knowingly and deliberately and repeatedly downgraded noise and air monitors and requests for improvement over periods of years?

Roger Latchford made the case for airport expansion on KIACC. He can’t be unaware of the problems around noise and air monitors.
Brian White actually removed them.
Richard Samuel was Chair of KIACC at the time.

None of them can claim they didn’t know.

Nor any of the councillors. A grubby little secret to be shared between the councillors and civil servants and Infratil to expand the airport in breach of all the safety requirements.

For years.

Just like Thor used to do. And still does.

None of them can claim not to be aware of the danger to public safety of removing monitors from an airport slated for expansion.

What were the thinking? Forget the public? Or the public’ll never know?

Even Steve Ladyman has received letters from me pointing out these problems and has ignored them.

We seem to have councillors and civil servants so keen to expand what is a failed airport even by Matt Clarke’ s admission that they’re willing to deliberately endanger the public they represent.
That’s you, your families and friends.

Aviation fuel doesn’t fall like stair rods from a 747 it spreads like a blanket of smog in a radius of 20 miles or more.

Across virtually all of East Kent.

And the noise and air monitors removed.

They’re so foolish they’re even poisoning their own families.

For what?
A little bit of council glory?

A pat on the back from County Hall?
Some promised cancer jobs?

A sudden turnaround of success at Manston after the failures of Planestation, EUJet, KCC-USA, BAWC and now night flights again?

And an airport due for expansion – despite it being built on the water supply:

http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?x=357683.0&y=355134.0&scale=1&layerGroups=default&ep=map&textonly=off&lang=_e&topic=drinkingwater#x=636350&y=169100&lg=1,2,&scale=4

What have they been doing?

Failed.
Resign Roger.

Resign Sandy

Resign Richard.

Resign Brian.

Failed.

As MP I will ensure there is a Parliamentary inquiry into the goings-on of Manston and the Gang of Four. Recorded statements, witnesses, legally binding documentation.

No votes or council tax increases in poisoning your own citizens.

Nor public sector payoffs or pensions or jobs.

And where is Ladyman? A former Transport Minister for an international airport a few minutes walks from his house? No comment?

Only silence and Labour Party postcards asking every question on night flights – expect the cancer question.

And silence from Sandys.

Too many incompetents and tired old men at TDC and too many mere hand-raiser MP’s.

In an area where deprivation in Margate has actually increased.

What have they been doing all these years?

Silence from Roger “Olympic Airport” Gale except “Thor and Manston are perfectly safe” - with Pegwell one of the most polluted rivers in Britain.

And now silence.

Except how many more planes will overfly the towns without noise and air monitoring before it is closed?

It’s worth knowing to allow the NHS to plan for the right number of coffins. Or the Environment Agency and TDC to pretend to clean the drinking water.

Failed.
Failed.
Failed.
Time for Change

Monday 19 October 2009

Less air pollution monitoring at Manston

It gets worse.

I’ve received the latest air monitoring from KIACC.

The significance of the report is that the UK limit is 40 g/m for all the nasty emissions like benzene etc, and in 2008 the average at Manston (with poor monitoring) was 31 m/g – an airport expansion at Manston can only be achieved by not monitoring the increase in air pollution.

The Kentmere monitor was also switched off in Aug 09 due to poor data capture etc – again poor monitoring.

In 2006 the central Ramsgate monitors were removed from the tower block and school and never replaced by Brian or Richard or Sandy or Roger.

The mobile monitor has never been provided after several years

Why switch off Kentmere and have no mobile monitor in the towns – making weak monitoring worse?

With Thanet having the highest lung cancer rate in Kent already it looks like our politicians and civil servants are keeping their heads down and trying to make it worse.

No votes in deliberately poisoning your own citizens - not this side of Nazi Germany anyway.

When will Brian and Richard and Sandy and Roger expaklin the removed monitors and now another monitor switched off?

They're all too vocal on jobs and night flights but we don't hear much on the air and noise monitoring do we?

And which councillors have raised this in council meetings?

They all know.

Why the silence on noise and air monitoring.

That's right. It's a criminal offence to deliberately endanger the public. And they thought they could fudge the data and removal of the monitors and expand the airprort - and then it's all too late.

And it would be.

As the death rate soars.

Time for Change

Thursday 15 October 2009

The Gang of Four and Thanet's death rate

Trying to develop an airport by fudging or removing all the safety measures.

Why would you do that?

I can understand Infratil doing it: careers to be made, profits, promotion.

I can possibly understand a civil servant doing that: careers to be made etc.

But why would local councillors and civil servants want to do that?

Jobs for the area?

OK. I can understand that.

But pollution jobs?

Bit of political or civil service brown-nosing for County.

I can understand that.

But here’s what I don’t understand.

You wouldn’t remove the noise and air monitors would you?

And then if you did, you wouldn’t refuse to put them back would you?

That would be: no monitors, no data, no problem as the death rate spirals.

That’s what noise and air monitors are for aren’t they? To flag up any dangerous pollution levels?

At an airport.

They’re not optional are they?

And then to cap it you wouldn’t try to expand the airport again would you?

Still without noise and air monitoring.

That would be deliberately and knowingly polluting your friends, family and neighbours.

Which idiots would do that? Or which criminals?

To deliberately avoid having full noise and air monitoring at an airport slated for expansion. To actually remove the monitors. And then refuse to provide them. Again and again.

Deliberately and repeatedly polluting and killing their own citizens.

Why would Richard Samuel and Brian White do that?

Why would Roger Latchford and Sandy Ezekiel allow it to continue?

Why have Messrs Carter and Gilroy and King allowed it to continue.

Yet won't appear at public meetings to justify their policy.

Heads down. Hope the aviaton fuel discharge blows over?

Why would all the councillors not raise it at council meetings?

Why would the MP’s not mention it at all?

Like an asbestos factory for jobs, an airport with full noise and air monitoring means you can’t expand - because the death and illness rate would be too high.

Hence the highest lung cancer rate in Kent.

An early death rate 11 years younger than the rest of Kent: a massive statistical skew.

You die at 69 years old in Thanet. But at 81 years old in the rest of Kent.

Why is that? Smoking and fatty foods would all contribute but not that much.
Why else would you de 11 years younger in Thanet?

Low-level jumbo jets shedding aviation fuel onto the population?

The most polluted water in South East England with Infratil draining aviation fuel and chemicals directly into the Bay?

The Stour and Pegwell Bay one of the top 3 polluted rivers in Britain?

Derelict Richboro coal power station with its ash residue still present?

Thor mercury a mercury factory closed in 1988 but not closed and not cleaned up – with the water pollution spreading beyond the factory site?

I suppose the dead of Thanet serve a purpose in reminding us of the incompetence and deceit of our civil servants and politicians.

Hope it’s not your family that’s affected by the noise, the water pollution or the air pollution.

In a 20 mile square radius I can’t see how they wouldn’t be affected though.

But why won’t our officials and councillors and MP’s speak up on these matters?

http://www.helium.com/items/721286-how-does-airport-pollution-affect-the-environment

And why the delay in closing the airport?

It’s not going to expand. 79 jobs aren’t worth 130,000 lives.

Why the delay?

Failed. Failed. Failed.
Time for Change.

Tuesday 13 October 2009

'ello, 'ello, ello, Manston what's all this then says Kent Police

Mike Fuller the Chief Officer of Kent Police has been making a few enquiries around the questions raised in Kent on Sunday over Manston:

What Police safety procedures are in place at Manston airport in the event of a crash on the water supply?

Mr Fuller: Air travel is one of the safest forms of transport both for passenger and for freight flights. Before an airport is licensed its management have to meet very high safety standards, and their ability to provide these is regularly checked. Kent Police are identified as the lead emergency service and have officers who have specific areas of expertise that enable them to deal with any crisis. Our preparations are built around regular exercises with other emergency services and agencies which test those plans to the limit. As part of that we do prepare for the crash of an aircraft and the contamination of nearby water supplies. The critical role is knowing what to do immediately after any disaster, and the rigorous and repeated testing of our plans means I am confident we can deal with this and other possibilities. We also have the ability to call on extra resources both nationally and internationally if they are needed.


Sounds like a cobblers answer to me given Infratil allowed banned heavy Russian aircraft to land even during the last national security alert, changed the training flight regulations for flights over towns and removed monitors with TDC - and the already polluted water supply. Possibly the approach of “having a digger nearby to scoop up the flaming aircraft and body parts” is typical of Infratil and TDC’s approach to safety.

Or are Kent Police just concerned with securing the site and mopping up the wet bits after an accident? Serco could do that.

More dangerous of course than just a plane crash is the repeated exposure of aviation fuel onto the local population – hence the high rates of cancer in the area. Looks like our councillors and civil servants decided not to put the full safety measures in place to expand the airport as a done deal.

I’m surprised at Kent Police being so slack on this one: I’d have thought airports would be one of the pieces of infrastructure that had coppers over it like a rash. After all, lots of people die when things go wrong. Whether it’s planes crashing, goods being smuggled or even coppers in the area being polluted I’d have thought they’d want to ensure the airport was superbly run to the highest safety standards. With TDC and Infratil removing noise and air monitoring since 2006 with the knowledge and support of councillors then that seems to me a Police matter.

After all, they are meant to be monitoring the pollution levels aren’t they? And reporting them accurately? If it’s the old council attitude of fudging the data or not doing it all as a political or civil service bit of backside-covering or to hustle through polluting policies then that seems a mix of fraud and manslaughter. Thanet does have the highest levels of lung cancer which are directly linked to airports and low-level planes. You don’t need to be a Chief Inspector to know that airplanes don’t run on candy floss and the thick back clouds emerging from the engine or into the water supply aren’t too healthy. Nor that African- registered planes tend to be a bit looser in safety ratings. Hence the MK crash – luckily onto the runway killing the crew – in Canada a couple of years ago.

This next question highlights how coppers work for the public not the public service.

I don’t remember coppers, judges, councillors, civil servants or MP’s or anyone else being above the law or justice.

Worth remembering with Manston and dodgy deals such as Pleasurama and ChinaGate or even 0% salary fraud. I think the bogus pay rises and pensions should – as with MP’s expenses – be paid back. And I don’t understand why TDC payroll isn’t looked at by councillors or published.

How is public sector crime investigated on behalf of the public?

Mr Fuller: Specialist Detectives from the Serious Economic Crime Unit work on investigations into crime in the public sector, and Kent Police have mounted successful operations gaining the convictions of all those involved. This has led our officers to develop a high degree of expertise in this field, and this has been recognised nationally. We have also been asked to run training programmes in this area of police work for officers from other forces around Britain


I’m always surprised to see David’s dad driving his van around with the website and details of someone assassinated in Kent http://www.whokilleddavid.co.uk/
Mike Fuller mentions how 93% of murders in Kent are solved with only 10 unsolved in the last 10 years which is a superb record. I don’t understand why Kent Police don’t publish details of “cold cases” or if the trail’s gone cold as in America.What progress is there in the investigation into the murder of David O’Leary? Mr Fuller: We are continuing to investigate this murder, and the case is regularly reviewed by the Serious Case Team. We have kept the family fully informed of the developments relating to the investigation. At the moment we are waiting for the inquest to take place to formally decide the cause of death. This is something which has to be decided by the coroner.

Here’s a question on why Kent Police with a further 5% increase in council tax for their budget are buying an RAF cruise-missile-spy-drone as used in Afghanistan. Sounds like too much money and not enough sense in head office. Or are the RAF or Army Air Corps or Royal Navy so rubbish at air-sea rescue or surveillance that Kent Police need to do their job for them? Apart from it being a stupid idea (maybe a tank too and a cruise missile?), I’ve been told twice now that such a policy doesn’t exist. Well it obviously does. And bizarrely Kent Police seem to think that head office reviews of spy drones doesn’t actually cost money.

Are the Police still investigating buying and using Afghan-style spy drones? How much time and funds have been spent on such projects to date?

Mr Fuller: Kent Police are working with a number of public groups on a project to examine Unmanned Aerial Systems for use in coastal work. The technology is being tested by ourselves and by BAE Systems to establish how it is developing, how it could be used by the force, and also to enable commercial developers to understand our needs. This area of work is still relatively new and changes may be necessary to existing systems before we can use this. We have not spent any money on developing this but have held talks with the developers and other interested parties. Before the force committed any money it would have to be approved by Chief Officers and the Kent Police Authority.


Kent Police seem an excellent service to me but I’d have thought Mike Fuller should be rattling a few of the padlocks at Manston, council offices and his own head office.

Separately I don’t understand why apart from a bit of petty politicking over which councillor area gets the most coppers, the police don’t assess priorities on need a bit more. And, why the Police don’t report to Council and the public on their policies and move towards a more democratic style of election of senior offices on their policies like in America. I appreciate there are PACT meetings but who in the public, and councillors, with 5% increases in council tax should have to attend PACT meetings plus council meetings etc etc.

Or will the Afghan spy drone beam in Kent Police’s reports to the public?

Evenin’ all.

Saturday 10 October 2009

Politics without parties

Seeing the national parties at work I can’t help but think that they’re so similar now that you could lump them together and have one fairly good main party with maybe 3 or 4 smaller offshoots. Rather than 3 large and bland copycat parties.

New Labour as Thatcher-lite, Cameron Tories as New Labour-lite and Libdems as a bit of everything.

Cameron’s raised some sensible points recently on curbing civil service salaries – but aren’t councillors meant to do that? – and publishing accounts and payroll for councils and quangos – but doesn’t that happen anyway? – and cutting MP’s by 10% or c.60 seats.

Personally I’d slash MP’s to 400 seats and 200 in the Lords, slash quangos which are simply more civil servants in new guises and limit civil service departments except by Parliamentary Act.

And ban Party whips except on national security issues.

We seem to have failed financial services and failed governance and regulation.

None of the parties seems able to reduce public sector bloat or improve efficiency and as with MP’s expenses at all levels of the service it becomes a costly and cosy club with few penalties for failure and little incentive for reform.

All the more surprising given 99% of the public are not members of political parties and the National Trust has more members than the political parties and civil service put together.

And anywhere from 40% to 70% of the electrate don't vote - the lowest levels ever.

While party funding is either from the State itself which seems designed to perpetuate the status quo and failure of support and half from corporate or trades union donors.

So, all the research shows the problem with politics is the parties themselves. Throw in the myriad of quangos etc and Britain becomes a creaking shambles.

And all on monopoly, often secretive, and borrowed funding. Largely aimed at protecting political and civil service careers.

At County and local levels the main parties have almost no relevance at all – I can’t see what local politicians do except name-call and become pseudo-civil servants defending the civil service.

Having said that the Thanet civil service is quietly distancing itself from its own failings and that of the politicians and producing its vision plan

And on page 17 are various core initiatives that seem fairly good.

The only problem with all of these though is – what’s been done so far? What about the £600M of council tax over the last 10 years? Plus business rates plus national tax and EU funding? We seem to have had a decade or two of no policies at all.

Anyway here’s the outline Thanet plan again (with a 2 or 3 year consultation before sign-off(!) )

􀂃 Develop key industrial and employment sites and support development of the airport.
OK: especially Richboro as a 2nd Pfizer malaria facility and the airport would make a terrific water park to protect water supply

􀂃 Support a creative, cultural and tourism economy.
OK – what’s been happening so far? Every area has a couple of festivals.

􀂃 Diversify the Port of Ramsgate.
OK – to what and why? Not just the ferry?

􀂃 Regenerate Margate (including developing key sites and improving the Old Town).
OK – Turner and Dreamland again?

􀂃 Promote Thanet as a Destination.
OK. As always.

􀂃 Reducing crime and fear of it and develop diversionary activities.
OK – what activities? Ramsgate needs a Lido and Skate Park and Icerink

􀂃 Consult on new “green policies”.
OK

􀂃 Extend and improve walking and cycle routes.
OK – which ones?

􀂃 Promote best environmental practice in building construction.
OK

􀂃 Promote quality standards for town centres and parks/open spaces.
OK – a bit bumf-y as it depends on the policies completed. The public sector seems to spend a lot of time on other public sector marks such as "Quality Coast" that are of little relevance

􀂃 Delivering quality new homes (including affordable homes).
OK – not the silly 4th town centre infill though? Doesn’t brownfield land and derelict land get used first? And why build a 4th town centre when much of Margate has decayed?

􀂃 Deliver a housing renewal programme in Cliftonville West Renewal Area
OK – which ones

􀂃 Address fuel poverty
OK – free electricity from Vattenfall (the world’s biggest windfarm) for all homes in Thanet seems ideal and extra heating/insulation for pensioners.

􀂃 Discourage further in-migration of vulnerable people.
OK – from what to what

􀂃 Discourage loss of domestic gardens/larger homes to smaller units.
OK – from what to what

􀂃 Increase opportunities for exercise and play and promote healthier lifestyles.
OK – which ones

A couple of points are missing: reviving the town centres, the existing “computers for Thanet schoolchildren” programmes, school and University policies, Coastguard/ambulance/Fire policies, water and air pollution, lung cancer and the early death rate, and the 1,750 deaths of unknown estimate but on the whole fairly good but lacking detail.

It would be useful to have an understanding if the plans and costs and likely public sector costs.

Thanet seems to have been towns in search of governance.

It seems foolish to have 750 staff in Thanet and 850 staff in Canterbury and so little happening for the towns.

Nearly 2,000 civil servants and c.£200M just in council tax for half a dozen small towns: collecting the bins, potholes and a few arts events as a minimum.

Ramsgate Town Council is in danger of falling into the same trap as a mini-TDC with now 2 full time staff and a Town Clerk on £35k pro rata and 16 councillors.

And many of the councillors duplicated at TDC. Locally, the volume of seats simply can't be filled due to public apathy and disgust except by husband and wife teams and party duplicates.

The number of seats should be slashed to 11 in each town without duplicates and 30 at County Hall.

Plus the existing 750 staff at TDC. Plus the 40,000 at KCC - the County's largest employer(!).

For £60M council tax each year from the area and £22M spent on TDC payroll it seems a lot for very little.

For any of the political parties or the civil servants.

Failed. Failed. Failed.

Time for Change.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Thanet coastguard


I hope the Ramsgate ferry happens: congratulations to anyone of any party that makes it happen. 20 years and counting. This year and counting.

Certainly a far better idea than the silly “new town centre” of a shopping centre with in-fill houses on farmland near-the-town-centres at Westwood.

Thanet’s looking more like a polluted, derelict and burned down version of Milton Keynes every day.

If the ferry doesn’t happen before the election then I will help drive it through from Parliament - and in the meantime instigate a minibus/passenger service that drives onto the existing TEF ferry.

I’d also throw out any silly road closure filming bills from County hall: isn’t the County meant to open and close County roads and if they’re not then who is responsible for existing closures of the County’s roads for festivals etc with KCC’s £2bn budget (and a £100M Highways budget) and no meetings in September because they had nothing to do after the councillors awarded themselves a pay rise the previous month

With Pegwell Bay the most polluted river in Britain apart from the Thames and the Medway, I hope Thanet Coastguard are paying close attention to the Port as well as the cargo ships and tankers moored a few hundred metres from their offices.

There seems to be an average of about a dozen ships, all of which should be moored in their destination port and pose a risk of waste/fuel tanks being flushed out and waste disposed overboard.

Into the sea. And onto the beaches and bays.

So everyone can swim in it and paddle in it.

While TDC and the EA monitor-it-by-not-monitoring-it.

The EA do seem to do water sampling around the beaches although the full toxin results seem difficult to get hold of.

Still no news on the Thor mercury site next to Hornby and BandQ toxin reports (obviously nothing has been done since it closed-but-not-closed in 1988 and the councillor for the Nash Road estate where the pollutes water runs downhill and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up in the Tivoli Brook.

With Thanet built on chalk, as you’d expect water drains into the sea and through the various fissures.

Still no news if Pleasurama is built above the clifftop – so that means it is. Nor how Cardy are developing the site through the SwissBank/Caribbeantaxhaven “SFP – Site of Former Pleasurama Ventures” Why aren’t TDC doing it with Cardy – isn’t that why we pay £60M in council tax in Thanet: £40M for KCC and £22M for TDC’s payroll plus extra mini-quangos like EKO: KCC and TDC councillors and officials in a mysterious “joint venture company”.

Doesn’t seem as if Thanet’s coast – or the public - is very well guarded at all.
Or if anything has been spent on or in the towns beyond funding civil servants - the Tory Party conference has called for all council and quango payroll to be open (FOI and EIR access laws allow that already) - but where is TDC's? MP's and councillors publish their costs but not civil servants?

What has been going on?

If you’d forgotten here’s the night flights petition for another ridiculous consultation like the fake Xmas 2005 consultation, the ChinaGate consultation and Ramsgate Labour’s would-you-like-an-airport-but-don’t-mention-cancer-around-airports consultation - and feel free in the space provided to ask for the air and noise monitor reports since they were removed in 2006.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nonightflights/signatures.html

Looks like our councillors and officials are actively working against the public rather than for them and with them.

Failed. Failed. Failed.

Time for Change.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Richard Samuel of TDC speaks on Manston

Hello.

This is a TDC and Manston public announcement.

As Chief Executive of Thanet Council I understand there are public concerns over TDC’s role in developing the airport and I wanted to use this opportunity to put one or two matters straight.

It ain’t me. I had nuffink to do wiv it.

I saw some papers but I don’t remember. It was Brian White wot done it.

He can change his job title and department name and everyfing . But he done it.

He removed them noise and air monitors. It ain’t me.

Not never.

I am sure.

Not when I was Chair of KIACC. And not as CEO of TDC.

I ain’t done it. Since 2006. I ain’t done nuffink.

It was Brian.

He never told me or nuffink.

It was Brian.

And even if I did I don’t remember nuffink.

Besides Ladyman and Gale never said nuffink neither. And they knew too.

Although I knew nuffink.

And if people are dead well that’s their problem. I sign the papers and read the memos. And that means it ain’t nuffink to do with me.

And besides since when did airports have to have noise and air monitoring?

Brian. He did it.

All the councillors will agree too. It ain’t me. It’s Brian. Maybe the councillors too. But don’t tell them I said it.

They sign off my pension and everything.

I’ve written a memo saying nuffink so that should be the end of it. Because I’ve done nuffink wrong. And if I did it’s Brian’s fault.

I get to keep my salary and pension and payoff and 0% payrise don’t I? Seems silly not to because only a few people are dead. If any at all really.

Because I know nuffink and I’m saying nuffink.

And I don’t know nuffink about Thor or Richboro or Pegwell Bay pollution neither. Brian White did it all by himself.

Me and Sandy and Roger never said nuffink never. And we're sticking to it.

This concludes the Manston and TDC public service announcement.

Could residents and TDC officials with lung cancer form a queue over here.

Thank you.

Sunday 4 October 2009

Ramsgate Town Council meeting tomorrow (Monday). Cancer optional.

At last the minutes and webpage is available from Ramsgate Town Council today - the old “get the info out the day before the meeting tomorrow” trick it seems, partial/fudged minutes etc etc – and it seems impossible for the public to add items to the agenda such as Pleasurama, Thor, Richboro, Infratil etc.

Anyone going to RTC’s 4th meeting tomorrow (7pm at Albion House, Ramsgate's Town Hall) may want to ask questions on Thor, Richboro, Infratil, Pegwell, lung cancer, early death rate, derelict buildings, £60M tax-take and £22M salaries at TDC rather than some of the ceremonial aspects.

Whoops – a couple of points of correction on the latest minutes:

# no mention of Thor mercury
# the jet dumping ground is a fact not potential: 6 dumped jumbo jets and a 7th removed at Xmas after being dumped for 10 years
# Noise monitoring inefficient – as it was removed, and still no air monitors nor mobile monitors
# no mention of TDC/RTC payroll/costs for review
# all RTC info is open to public and no exemptions would be valid. Paul Carter recently described how all local government information should be open.

Let’s hope these can be corrected for tomorrow and Infratil, Thor and Richboro added to the agenda for ongoing review.

Soem silly comments previously on the public "buying" Albion House when we already own it through TDC and public funds. Why would the public pay for it twice - and why isn't Albion Hosuwe open to the public every day as Ramsgate's only public space?

The Tourst Centree seems to havd suffered the "Margate Twesait" with Margate's tourism cnetre open every day but Broadstairs and Ramsgate on half-days for "saavings". Looks liek the town busdget sbeign shifted aroufd the towns. Don't we pay £60M council tax and £22M TDC salaries for all the 3 towns? Where is Ramsgate's £20M?

Here’s the new Ramsgate Town Council website which seems good enough with details of agendas, meetings, minutes etc.

url is http://www.ramsgatetc.kentparishes.gov.uk


Although the agenda for tomorrow (Monday) gives out at the info from the Eastcliff Residents on flight routes by Infratil etc.

While the “debates” continue” although the politicians and civil servants seem to have no answers on noise and air and water pollution by the Gang of Four agreeing with Infratil to remove monitors and keep quiet on safety breaches – then the flights continue, which increases the air and noise and water pollution.

The pollution problems and council crimes at Guerra in Italy and Corby Council last month would be relevant here for such cover-ups.

With many of the Town Councillors also TDC Councillors and previously Charter Trustees then we seem to be having a lot of meetings, fairly short and innocuous agendas and extra costs for committees. They know how to organise and run a council surely? Although TDSC isn’t the best example given it’s rating as one of Britain’s worst councils – hence the public’s formation of RTC.

Let’s hope that RTC really picks up the pace for November’s meeting as they seem not to have a meeting in December or August – maybe there’s nothing to do for the town.

Where are the regular Police reports? NHS? Education? Ambulance? Fire? Coastguard? MP's? Environment Agency? TDC? Aren't the public entitled to have a monhtly report from our officials on how they're safeguarding us and improving the area?

Certainly webcasts could be in place and toxin reports from Thor, Richboro etc.
I’m also a little concerned over what seems an extra fence for the Pleasurama site restricting the promenade – and still no details of whether the SwissBank/Caribbeantaxhaven company are just a front organisation (why are they paying Cardy the builders and not TDC?) and if the building is built above the clifftop.

Murky goings-on at TDC that RTC shouldn’t be replicating.

After all, some councillors and civil servants are foolish enough to think that airport pollution form aircraft doesn’t drift over the whole Isle and that water pollution doesn’t drift through chalk into the water supply or sea pollution doesn’t drift round all the Isle.

What is the 1,750 deaths figure from TDC released last month? All deaths in the Isle? Early deaths? Based on what sources?

What have our councillors and civil servants been doing?

Failed. Failed. Failed.

Time for Change.

Thursday 1 October 2009

A polluted Thanet Council. A polluted river and sea.

A report in Thanet Extra (page 2) on the “Thanet cesspit” that is the pollution in Pegwell bay one of the worst 2% of polluted rivers in UK.

http://www.thanetepaper.co.uk/index.aspx

The report correctly highlights the much tougher punishments elsewhere in Europe for deliberate pollution.

Geoff Wild the KCC legal and flytipping expert has repeatedly refused to remove the dumped jumbo jets at Manston: ask him yourself: geoff.wild@kent.gov.uk

Brian White and Richard Samuel for years have refused to provide noise and air monitors that would record the aviation fuel onto the sea: ask them yourself brian.white@thanet.gov.uk and richard.samuel@thanet.gov.uk

They are available for question son 13th October at the Pavillion Broadstairs to discuss 7,500 extra housebuilding in Thanet.

While Infratil and Matt Clarke continue to dump aviation fuel into the outflow system that feeds into the Kent Highways road drainage and dumps straight into Pegwell Bay. Approved by Brian White.

And the Environment Agency simply records that fact: ask them yourself: Andrew.pearce@environment-agency.gov.uk

While Thor mercury has no decontamination whatsoever – and both Steve Ladyman and Roger Gale previously in Thanet Extra described the airport and Thor mercury as "no danger" and "well-run" facilities.

The fact of the matter is our councillors and civil servants have deliberately connived to remove all safety measures at Manston to allow its expansion and deliberately endangered the public.

Only with public protests over night flights have they suddenly back-tracked and tried to cover their traces.

Thanet is polluted because of our civil servants and councillors not despite them.

The cosy club of pensioner politicians is too idle or too stupid to evaluate the council properly.

Richard Samuel and Brian White should be jailed. And Sandy Ezekiel and Roger Latchford should resign.

4th Ramsgate Town Council meeting 5th October: where are the toxin reports on Pegwell and Thor and Richboro? Where is the TDC payroll? Where are the EKO quango ChinaGate costs?

With Thanet as the worst district for lung cancer and an 11 year early death rate the failures of our councillors and civil servants and MP’s have literally been killing the public.

The time is coming to clear out under-performing councillors and civil servants.

Failed. Failed. Failed.

Time for Change