Tuesday 28 September 2010

Kent’s civil service cockroaches need the boot.

Here’s details of Spain’s corruption trial for Malaga council that left the “once-charming beach resort carpeted in concrete” and “developers bungs for cash for votes”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/27/spain-biggest-corruption-trial-marbella

But silence from our cockroach civil servants.

Nothing on the mysterious Pleasurama tax haven with no viable construction plans – who was the civil servant in charge of Kent’s largest seafront development?

Silence on the 0% payrise frauds for m the Toxic Two of Samuel and White – where are the before and after payslips?

Nothing on the fake noise and air monitoring at Manston – removed 4 years ago from a school and tower block and repeatedly lied to the public.

Silence on the Double Donation to both parties for ChinaGate and Ramsgate Labour’s largest-ever donation. For Thanet’s largest-ever construction project. With plans released one week before a vote.

Repeated breaches of the design guidelines for construction, breaches of building footprint and absence of greenery and “just a couple of extra flats” breaching national guidelines on room sizes for slums – who signs off the plans and construction?

The missing disabled grants used for civil service office refurb and missing Tram Shelter insurance money.

Land sales of “spare assets” to avoid having to repair them and bolster payrises and pension funds.

Offices parks, retail parks, business parks, industrial parks, car parks and concrete – left empty.

EKO and the missing million pounds in fees and civil service “companies” and bloat – where are the invoices?

Massively over-inflation council tax increases for substandard services: a 4% increase with inflation at 0.5%? And “the lowest-ever increase” nonsense? The money’s gone North alright. To Maidstone and KCC bloat.

New build glory projects, white elephants and incompetent projects such as Westwood Cross out-of-town-shopping-centre built next-to-the-town-centre. Decimating the towns.

Another £80M East Kent road to nowhere and £3M for Dreamland – in the absence of knowing what else to do with the money except roundabouts and tarmac.

A passenger ferry that wouldn’t fit the harbour: coming soon.

Last week confirmation from Southern Water that 10 tonnes of grit and waste were stuck in the harbour waste pumps. 10 tonnes. No wonder the drains keep backing up ruining good businesses paying council tax in good faith..

Councillors strangely reluctant to speak out on oplanning issues, or enforce blatantly absurd decisions or sack underperforming civil servants – an airport really built on the drinking water supply?

Now several of these are due to an incompetent civil servants in one of Britain’s worst councils and stale councillors treating the council as a pensioners playtime.

But many of these are blatant corruption and flagrant mismanagement.

Add in the deliberate poisoning of the public from failure to act at Manston, Richboro and Thor and concreting Kent with pointless highways, Dartford Crossing and Manston-Parkway-pseudo-train-stations and byways glory projects and we’ve funded cockroaches to scurry around our towns and council chamber stealing lives, democracy, time and funds and deceiving the public.

Time for our cockroach civil servants to be sacked.

No pensions. No payoffs. No public sector jobs and an Emin Government Inquiry for jail-time.

It’s a wonder the public don’t issue a writ for compensation to the political parties head offices for substandard governance.

Time to sack our cockroach civil servants and greasy councillors.

Monday 27 September 2010

Manston cancer.

The NHS Cancer summary document for East Kent has been sent to me: cancer the biggest cause of death, and East Kent in the lowest quarter of cancer treatments.

Seems to me the NHS hasn't been doing its job very well.

And Infratil and TDC allowing breaches of the flight paths and removal of monitors have allowed unnecessary increases in cancer deaths, ill-health etc.

Seems to me TDC have deliberately endangered the public.

After all, that's why flight paths and monitors are specified around airports isn't it?

Yet since 2006, Infratil and the Gang of Four and Ladyman and Gale and Sandys remained silent.

Enforcing the 106 is but a matter of a phone call to stick to the routes - yet for 5 years this has been ignored.

For an airport funded by KCC and TDC and slated for expansion.

And silence from our 56 councillors.

Maybe they thought a cargo airport was a good idea.

And one on the drinking water supply too.

Not one public statement on the removal of the monitors.

Who exactly of these dozens of councillors thinks Manston airport is a good idea?

And if they don't think it's a good idea why the silence?

I don't see any council minutes agreeing the removal of monitors or not to enforce the 106.

Why has Thor mercury and the Environment Agency not provided the maps and toxin levels at the site next to Hornby?

Elections next year: what did our councillors do on Manston, Thor, Richboro?

It's abysmal so far isn't it?

What have they bene doing?

Bottom 10% council. And bottom 10% area. For £60M each year in council tax.

And no votes for poisoning your own citizens.

Saturday 25 September 2010

KCC Chair and "shaped agendas" on Thor etc

A note below to Bill Hayton KCC Chair for the local KCC meeting: as always more interesting for what's left off the agenda and avoided.

Why the silence from our councillors and civil servants on Thor and Manston - not one public statement.

How bad is the pollution?

And so much for democracy eh?

10 tonnes of grit and waster in the Ramsgate waterpumps last week according the Southern Water cleanup chaps - no wonder the drains flood and how long since the drains were checked and cleaned?

10 tonnes.

Now only the Toxic Two of Samuel and White remain with former Deputy Leader of ManstonGate and ChinaGate retiring from politics at the elections in May.

Why don't you write to Bill Hayton though: bill.hayton@kent.gov.uk and ask for not just these items to be discussed - but copies of the toxin reports and a KCC Cabinet discussion.

And add your comments to the night flights petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nonightflights/signatures?page=12

Hi Bill


Can you advise on the points below and add Thor, Manston Fire Pollution, Pegwell Pollution, New Road tax and waste, 0% fraud, 18 year death rate and 106 breaches to the agenda.

Also copies of maps, toxin levels for Thor before the meeting to inform the discussion.

Can you reissue a draft agenda for comment and approval.

Or not if it’s the usual whitewash.

Kindest regards

Tim

A sudden agenda announcement for a meeting all about Manston: 3 ways to describe the same thing: KIA, Manston and a Manston Parway rail station of some sort.

The usual charade for decisions taken – even Roger Gale doesn’t bother mentioning the Parkway now. And “Bold Steps” is some vague nonsense of linking Kent planning to Essex in another quango – and nothing done in the meantime.

No mention of overflights and 106 breaches endangering the public.

No mention of missing monitors.

No mention of the drinking water supply under the runway and contamination.

No mention of 18 year death rate.

No mention of Thor mercury and water pollution which is Andrew Pearce’s responsisbility with permits to pollute and discharge from Manston and Thor etc – and copies of toxin levels, maps etc.

No mention of KCC and TDC staffing levels and costs.

No mention of 0% fraud.

No mention of recall and local referendums.

No mention of why KCC are investing public funds in tobacco, booze and guns.

Mere construction and tarmac on the rates in the absence of any regeneration policies.

And the usual “rush and rubberstamp” of policies and unaccountable on incompetence and failure.


THE Thanet Local Board



Monday, 27 September 2010

Chatham House Grammar School , Chatham St, CT11 7PS



Ask for:
Anne Charman

Starting at 7.00 pm. Doors open at 6.30 pm
Tel
01622 696389




1.
Welcome to the meeting – Mr Bill Hayton, Chairman

- Apologies

- Introductions

- Declarations of Interests by Members in Items on the Agenda for this Meeting.



2.


Notes of Local Board meeting held on 13 July 2010 and progress on any actions agreed



3.
Paul Carter , Leader Kent County Council ‘ Bold Steps for Kent ’


Paul Carter will provide a countywide context to the opportunities, future plans and ambitions for regeneration in Thanet, focusing on the importance of improved transport links, including Manston and Thanet Parkway . Kent County Council has just launched its ‘Bold Steps for Kent ’ strategy which is now out for consultation with staff, residents, community groups and other public sector partners. This sets out how, over the next four years, KCC will provide the best possible services for its residents for less, addressing the budget challenges that lie ahead and recognising the importance of empowering local residents and communities by involving them in how their services are designed and delivered.



4.
Robert Bayford, Leader of Thanet District Council and Kent County Councillor for Broadstairs and Sir Moses Montiefore


Cllr Bayford will describe the various consultative processes that have been undertaken by Thanet District Council and give an update on The Airport Working Party.



5.
Kent Youth County Council/Thanet Youth Council


Kent Youth County Council and Thanet Youth Council members will update the recent work they have undertaken and the local issues in Thanet that matter to them.



6.
Panel discussion: regeneration and the importance of good transport links to the prosperity and quality of life for local Thanet people, including discussion on Kent International Airport , Manston and the Thanet Parkway .


The rest of the panel will introduce them and give a brief overview of their organisation’s work and provide a general update on any future plans or developments.



Charles Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer, Manston, Kent International Airport



Andrew Pearce , Area Manager, Environment Agency



Paul Crick, KCC Director of Integrated Strategy and Planning, Environment, Highways and Waste



Question and Answer Session. The audience is invited to ask the panel questions on any issues or concerns that they may have.



7.
Opportunity to ask questions about local public services.




8.
Any Other Business notified to the Chairman prior to the meeting.

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Manston: "shot down in flames" warning

Manston: "shot down in flames" warning of Infratil and council failings on front page of newspaper

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=7y1Bg0Y85s1X&PBID=84956776-5fe0-4064-a733-83aabf1dd4b7&skip=

Fake consultations, repeated 106 breaches, public endangered, removal of noise and air monitors from a school and tower block over years, failure to replace etc etc.

And an airport built on the drinking water supply.

How stupid would you have to be to do that. And then want to expand the airport.

And criminal to do it by removing all the safety measures.

No monitors. No data. No problem.

Delay it for weeks and monhts and years.

That's a lot of people with cancer, asthma and so on because of Infratil and the Toxic Three and the silence and collusion of Gale and Sandys and our 56 councillors.

When the monitoring would have revealed all the the dangerous spikes in air and noise quality.

They knew monitoring was required.

They knew it was removed.

They chose to deny it.

Then they chose to ignore it.

They chose not to replace them.

Same with the overflights.

Same with the banned flights.

Same with the fines.

Same with the drinking water.

For 4 years.

Even today.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Missing public funds

Aren’t there several missing gaps in Thanet’s public finances whitewashed by our senior civil servants and councillors:

1. Where are the Ramsgate Town Council accounts and staffing costs?
2. Where are the £1M EKO accounts/million pound memo and invoices and staffing costs and expenses?
3. Where are the details of the missing or waived fines for night flights and overflights by Infratil?
4. Where are the Infratil control tower flight log and radar transponder details to check their claims?
5. Where are the before and after payslips of the 0% payrise fraud for Messrs White and Samuel?
6. Where are the Pleasurama costs and contracts after the tax haven mystery
7. Where are the Vattenfall windfarm and building contracts and revenues?
8. Where are the Turner £1M running costs allocated and over how many years?
9. Where are the missing disabled grants and costs: spent instead on office refurb?
10. Where are the Ramsgate Tram shelter monies and repairs?
11. Where are all Messrs Gale and Sandys’ costs, expenses and receipts?
12. How much goes on “double hatter” councillors for the same or similar public bodies and committee costs?
13. Where are the Port and Marina costs and revenues?
14. Where are the water quality and air monitoring reports?

Or should the public not expect to see how public money is spent? More importantly shouldn’t we jail rather than elect and fund councillors and civil servants who deliberately avoid or wriggle around these issues?

If we’re giving £60M in council tax to TDC each year, and our civil servants are taking £22M just to fund themselves, and sending the rest to £1.3BN KCC to take their cut, then we’re not getting very good value with TDC in the bottom 10% of UK councils and now Thanet in the bottom 10% of all UK areas.

What have TDC and KCC and the alphabet soup of quangos and taskforces been doing all these years? Waste and glory projects and roads to nowhere?

http://www.yourthanet.co.uk/kent-news/KCC-to-reveal-big-wigs_-salaries-and-expenses-newsinkent39997.aspx?news=local

With mismanagement of funds and mismanagement and deceit over toxic sites such as Manston-Infratil, Thor mercury, Manston Fire station and Richboro by the Toxic Three of Samuel, White and Latchford it’s amazing there’s anyone left to fund our public fools and knaves.

And the brazen silence of TDC’s 56 councillors and their cosy club of cover-up failure.

Friday 17 September 2010

More boils for Ramsgate

I see the glass carbuncle for the harbour slipway has been provisionally approved.

Along with the Granville Folly and glass stump for developer profit. And glass B&Q Turner Centre, in Margate. And Halfords Big Box for Vattenfall.

We seem to have incompetent councillors and civil servants who having destroyed the towns are unable to put sensible policies in place without grasping at anything and shouting "jobs" or "land sales" before the election.

As with the jiggery pokery of trying to sell Albion House to safeguard civil servants pensions and then sleight of hand with the public petition to preserve it we have the collapse of Socialism or Conservatism and the rise of Cretinism.

Imagine if Bath was peppered with these boils - our stale councillors and civil servants couldn't even run a bath. Let alone safeguard listed buildings.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Toxic Thanet. Toxic KCC. Toxic Airport.

A sudden agenda announcement for a meeting all about Manston: 3 ways to describe the same thing: KIA, Manston and a Manston Parway rail station of some sort.



The usual charade for decisions taken – even Roger Gale doesn’t bother mentioning the Parkway now. And “Bold Steps” is some vague nonsense of linking Kent planning to Essex in another quango – and nothing done in the meantime.



No mention of overflights and 106 breaches endangering the public.



No mention of missing monitors.



No mention of the drinking water supply under the runway and contamination.



No mention of 18 year death rate.



No mention of Thor mercury and water pollution which is Andrew Pearce’s responsibility with permits to pollute and discharge from Manston and Thor etc – and copies of toxin levels, maps etc.



No mention of KCC and TDC staffing levels and costs.



No mention of 0% fraud.



No mention of recall and local referendums.



No mention of why KCC are investing public funds in tobacco, booze and guns.



Mere construction and tarmac on the rates in the absence of an regeneration policies.



And the usual “rush and rubberstamp” of policies and unaccountable on incompetence and failure.



THE Thanet Local Board



Monday, 27 September 2010

Chatham House Grammar School , Chatham St, CT11 7PS



Ask for:
Anne Charman

Starting at 7.00 pm. Doors open at 6.30 pm
Tel
01622 696389




1.
Welcome to the meeting – Mr Bill Hayton, Chairman

- Apologies

- Introductions

- Declarations of Interests by Members in Items on the Agenda for this Meeting.



2.


Notes of Local Board meeting held on 13 July 2010 and progress on any actions agreed



3.
Paul Carter , Leader Kent County Council ‘ Bold Steps for Kent ’


Paul Carter will provide a countywide context to the opportunities, future plans and ambitions for regeneration in Thanet, focusing on the importance of improved transport links, including Manston and Thanet Parkway . Kent County Council has just launched its ‘Bold Steps for Kent ’ strategy which is now out for consultation with staff, residents, community groups and other public sector partners. This sets out how, over the next four years, KCC will provide the best possible services for its residents for less, addressing the budget challenges that lie ahead and recognising the importance of empowering local residents and communities by involving them in how their services are designed and delivered.



4.
Robert Bayford, Leader of Thanet District Council and Kent County Councillor for Broadstairs and Sir Moses Montiefore


Cllr Bayford will describe the various consultative processes that have been undertaken by Thanet District Council and give an update on The Airport Working Party.



5.
Kent Youth County Council/Thanet Youth Council


Kent Youth County Council and Thanet Youth Council members will update the recent work they have undertaken and the local issues in Thanet that matter to them.



6.
Panel discussion: regeneration and the importance of good transport links to the prosperity and quality of life for local Thanet people, including discussion on Kent International Airport , Manston and the Thanet Parkway .


The rest of the panel will introduce them and give a brief overview of their organisation’s work and provide a general update on any future plans or developments.



Charles Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer, Manston, Kent International Airport



Andrew Pearce , Area Manager, Environment Agency



Paul Crick, KCC Director of Integrated Strategy and Planning, Environment, Highways and Waste



Question and Answer Session. The audience is invited to ask the panel questions on any issues or concerns that they may have.



7.
Opportunity to ask questions about local public services.




8.
Any Other Business notified to the Chairman prior to the meeting.




County Councillors for Electoral Divisions within the Thanet District :

Bill Hayton (Chairman)
- Broadstairs & Sir M M'fiore

Robert Burgess
- Margate West

Robert Bayford
- Broadstairs & Sir M M'fiore

Elizabeth Green
- Ramsgate

Michael Jarvis
- Margate & Cliftonville

Charles Hibberd
- Birchington and Villages

John Kirby
- Ramsgate

Chris Wells
- Margate & Cliftonville




The purpose of the Board is to provide opportunities:

· for elected County Council Members to work more closely with public, and with voluntary and private sector partners locally, to meet the aspirations of local people

· for a regular forum for community consultation and participation that will encourage discussion and debate on matters of particular relevance to their area

· to consider the need for services in the local community, and look at the effectiveness of existing services

· for KCC’s Cabinet and Cabinet Members to consult on strategic issues affecting a Local Board’s area

· to allow County Council Members to consider funding applications made to the Small Community Capital Projects fund.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

East Kent death rate

East Kent has a health differential 18 years younger than the rest of Kent – similar to Burma or Haiti.

Also with:

• An airport on the drinking water supply
• Removal of noise and air monitors
• Airport runoff draining into the road system and sea at Pegwell Bay
• Thor mercury banned in 1988 but still operating 20 years later
• Richboro power station derelict for 15 years
• Asbestos in buildings
• Oil tankers refuelling close to shore

Clearly this is a major failure of public health - if not the “Kent system” of public health protection.

How has this happened? When were Kent Public health briefed on these issues? What action has been taken?

Should there be a coverup or should there be dismissals and/or jail sentences?

Why the silence from Gale (other than assuring the public the airport and Thor was well run and any water pollution was due to the public pouring paint down the sink), Sandys, Latchford, Samuel, White and 56 councillors: is it not important?

Looks like Party and Civil service careers and glory projects put ahead of the public. And funded by the public.

Monday 13 September 2010

What is the Port for?

Last night not one but 3 security guards stand looking at a car park of HGV's funded on the rates - and then another half dozen lorries parked on the nearby promenade.

No doubt having the usual crap in a bag and throw it on the beach.

What is it for? To tax-fund a lorry park and derelict promenade? Should the Police be diverted for lorries parked a dozen feet from a specially-provided HGV park?

And why is the proposed Vattenfall building nothing more than an office block. Weren't these alrady built and stand empty?

And you hardly need a warehouse for deliveries of turbines that stand in the sea.

Retail parks. Business parks. Car parks and lorry parks. But no park parks.

Stretches of tarmac. No proper paving. No grass verges. No flowerbeds.

Certainly cheaper and easier for the council to repair. Maybe add some bits of offcut fencing from a motorway centrasl reservation.

All these things that aren't just for beautification but important for Climate Change. And even more so in Thanet in replenishing the water supply under our feet.

And our councillors and civil servants seem to have nothing to offer except roads, building and car parks.

Has EKO - simply TDC and KCC - closed or is it still funding civil servants to merely outsource to an estate agency - to build on the drinking water supply.

For Prime Minster's wages, Messrs Samuel and White don't seem to be doing a very good job.

For half a million quid for the pair, Messrs Gale and Sandys specialise in silence and nonsense.

And why do we have 56 TDC councillors - with many of them doublehatters for the other councils?

3 small town councils of 9 each and an effective and reduced KCC could easily provide the shoddy services to date.

And for £22M out of a £60M council tax budget are our civil servants really good value?

We seem to have the bloat of jobs and pensions for life and failure to eject substandard or pointless roles.

While in Canterbury we've the tax and waste of building a huge new student hall of residence when Thanet 30 minutes away has 3,000 empty houses. Presumably Cantebury something similar and Dover as many.

Do they not talk to each other.

With the collapse of SEEDA and GOSE - and zero regeneration plans - KCC is reverting to simply being a potholes council and Thanet a car parks council.

Considering we already have miles of road and acres of car parks there doesn't seem much of a need.

Sunday 12 September 2010

BBCTV: Thanet in bottom 10% of UK districts

BBC TV rates Thanet as 295th out of 324 areas of England as “least resilient to economic woe”.

weblink http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11164337

The debate on the spending review last Thursday night on BBCTV highlighted the terrible state of Thanet and the likes of Paul Carter of KCC and Laura Sandys MP were there to discuss public services etc.

Nobody could quite explain how even through the good times, and several decades, Thanet, and East Kent, has been the Third World part of Kent:

the bottom 10% of UK councils for TDC
worst drinking water in South East and Southern Water: Manston airport and derelict Manston RAF Fire Station
highest lung cancer rate in South East
collapse of glory projects such as Manston cargo airport and EKO
pollution of Pegwell Bay and derelict brownfield contaminated sites
Thor mercury – banned but open
Ships polluting Margate and the Blue Flag beaches
3,000 empty homes: dying 18 years earlier than the rest of Kent

In a nutshell it seems to me:

an abysmal council for overall planning and regeneration
a disastrous 1974 decision to try and merge 3 distinct towns (and a similar attempt with the Westwood Cross 4th town centre nonsense)
a derelict RAF airbase built on the drinking water supply
shoddy CAA and council air and noise monitoring
terrible town planning with rampant overbuild and shoddy standards
“District dumping” with West vs East Kent
frozen politics: Red vs Blue on town lines and no Margate Town Council
airport cancer
pensioner 1970’s culture and industry
KCC culture of “London’s Patio” with highways and Costain and Balfour and Murphy and Jacobs
public sector culture of secrecy and tax “n” waste and awaydays, masterclasses, seminars, briefings, memos and bumf
public apathy at the failure to reform and rubber-stamp consultation

295th out of 324 areas in England. Abysmal isn’t it?

Time for Change.

Time to call in the Pleasurama development – for an icerink

Time to call in the shoddy harbour and Port developments for an overall review.

Time to demolish Richboro and Arlington House for proper regeneration.

Time for a 2012 swimming pool.

Time to close Manston and Thor and Manston Fire.

Time to stop an £80M New Road.

Time for cancer specialists at QEQM

Time to protect Pegwell Bay and our coast.

Time for a new economy.

Time for a KCC Cabinet member of the Coast and deprivation.

Time for Margate Town council and fewer councillors and double-hatters

Time for free windfarm electricity for every house.

Time to stop ships anchoring and refuelling and polluting off Margate.

Time for refurb and repair rather than New Road and empty houses and office parks, business parks, retail parks but not park parks.

Time to stop the corruption and pollution and construction.

Time for Thanet to be Kent’s Green Lung.

Time for Kent to be England’s Green Lung.

Time for Exciting East Kent.

A place with clean air, clean water, clean streets, clean beaches and clean fields.

Time for Change
----

Terrific shop display and comic in Canterbury on polio: down to last 2,000 cases in only 4 countries: Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India from world epidemic in 1988. Must be possible for UN Millennium Goals on HIV, TB and malaria:
http://www.rotary.org/en/EndPolio/Pages/supporters.aspx

Friday 10 September 2010

9/11 or 999 for Kent?

Kent’s faced a strange set of anniversaries this week: the beginning of the Blitz 70 years ago on Tuesday and tomorrow the anniversary of the New York 9/11 attacks.

The Blitz has still left its scars on Kent – whether it’s the folk memories of the raids on Ramsgate and Canterbury or still bomb-sites.

But AlQaeda? What’s that to do with Kent? Suicide Attacks such as 100 dead in Pakistan this week or incidents in Iraq are confined to the Middle East. Islamic insurgents such as Jemaah Islamiah are confined to sporadic attacks across the Thai-Malay border, Indonesia or the Philippines. And the networks dismantled to a few hundred prisoners in Britain and even less in Guantanamo.

But Kent certainly boasts rich pickings though for a Jihadist: whether it’s Dungeness, Dover Europe’s largest Port or even the birthplace of Christianity at Canterbury Cathedral.

Perhaps more disturbing is Kent’s open front door at Manston. The last few years have seen banned aircraft flying into Kent from Ostend and Africa: a deadly mix of ageing craft, sloppy safety standards, an unfettered cancer cost and cargo from bushmeat to gunrunning to blood diamonds.

Only this week Meridian Air was banned hard on the heels of MK Air along with banned Russian Ilyushins and DAS Air.

Repeated flight breaches means any Jihadist worth his salt could file a flight log and crash into Canary Wharf, Big Ben or the EU Parliament within a few minutes of fly-time.

Or perhaps in shades of AlQaeda learning to fly but not land at flight schools before 9/11 - a half dozen Lear jets or Cessna would make a less dramatic but large impact into Canary Wharf.

If Kent is caught napping then the rogue nuclear states of Iran, Syria, North Korea and Burma pose a constant danger. As our Kent regiments have seen in Iraq and Afghanistan – and the Iranian ayatollahs and similar “purple revolutions” of the Middle East and Central Asia – a “war on terror” can only go so far but people power cannot be stopped.

We’re entering a post-Cold War age of a clash of religions but of ethics. Greater democracy removes the need for fundamentalism: ETA this week announces a ceasefire and the Real IRA pose only a diminished threat in a reformed Ulster. While the Blitz that scarred Kent eventually saw democracy triumph over dictatorship in 1945 and in 1989.

While the murderous child-soldiers of the Congo, Sudan and Rwanda such as the Lords Resistance Army rape and slaughter millions to secure blood diamonds and the gold and tungsten blood minerals used in your mobile phone or computer. http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/

Surely Kentish safety lies not just in stamping out rogue operators like Infratil and Meridian or Total but greater democracy and prosperity in far-away places. And ethical stances such as KCC divesting its guns, booze and tobacco investments. Or Kent’s universities, Police, NHS and phone retailers becoming blood mineral free in their IT procurement.

In Kent we’ve seen far too many public authorities that are rated by the government itself as stagnant or sub-standard. Yet the UN Millennium, Goals marks the single greatest framework to eradicate poverty, famine and disease. They’re meant for here not just there. We’re working to establish these with every public authority in Britain, the World parliament “House of Commons” for the UN.

While Climate Change initiatives such as Desertec promise not only carbon-free, renewable solar power and wealth to the Sahel states http://www.desertec.org/. But re-energising Kent’s pharmaceutical and engineering industries such as Pfizer – and we could certainly use the solar and desalination expertise as Kent warms up, tips up and floods with Climate Change.

The only certain way to prevent 9/11 isn’t more bombs and bullets or car bombs and suicide flights but delivering the UN Millennium Goals as a backdrop to greater democracy, prosperity and sustainability. Eradicating malaria for example was something we did in the Kent marshes a hundred years ago – along with cholera, rickets and polio – and may need to do again with Climate Change.

In the 21st century not to be able to provide clean drinking water, vaccines, condoms, trees and seeds – the kind of goods available in any Boots or B&Q – for half of the world only encourages a Jumbo-sized explosion in a future 9/11.

Tim Garbutt is the Managing Director of Sincerity Agency the leading Green and Ethical advertising agency in East Kent: www.sincerityagency.com

Thursday 9 September 2010

Dig toilets not graves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3ObqcRAh9M


Arts event in Trafalgar Square today to highlight 10 years on from UN Millennium Goals to end poverty and disease by 2015.

Over 167 children die from diarrhoea fronm dirty water and cholera - every hour.

100 years of democracy and £60M in council tax-take each year and "Third World Thanet" has Manston airport and Manston Fire on the drinking water supply.

Derelict Richboro power station and pollution of Pegwell Bay.

Thor mercury toxic site near Hornby unknown.

Broken and blocked drains with excrement.

Padlocked public toilets - closed, demolished and shorter opening hours.

If you told me I wouldn't believe you.

In Kent.

In England.

In the 21st century.

I wouldn't believe you.

Time for Change.

Time for every public body to adopt the UN Millennium Goals.

Time to clean our grubby towns.

Time to open and increase our toilets.

Time to demolish and clear Richboro.

Time to plant trees and flowers and grass verges.

Time to publish our water and air quality data.

Time to publish our disease and mortality rates.

Time for Change.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Goodbye Manston? Goodbye Richboro? Hello Cancer.

Not mentioned by councilors or civil servants or MP's at all.

No statements about Manston built on the drinking water.

Nothing.

There is the front page of Your Thanet about banned aircraft flyting onto Manston - so much for UK airspace etc.

And why was there a Jumbo jet flying into Manston at 2am and 3:30 am on Sunday/Monday? the airport closes at 11pm. Do they just fly in or did Infratil know? Did TDC know?

The ERA newlsetter features 4 pages on overflights and asks for a "Planespotting report" for Octobber: eraeditor@yahoo.co.uk

I think Manston will be bust by then: there's only Cargolux and a couple of presumbly half-empty Flybe. And it is built on the water supply.

But our councillors never mention that.

There is a useful "Who are the Guilty Men" article in ERA for the next election

Airport Committee:

Mike Harrison
Alasdair Bruce
Peter Campbell
Richard Nichioloson
Jo Roberts

Cabinet:

Robert Bayford
Roger Latchford
Simon Moores
Chris Wells
Martin Wise

Not mentioned are:

Richard Samuel
Brian White
Paul Carter
Alex King
Roger Gale
Laura Sandys

An airport on the drinking water. A 24 hour cargo airport. Some of the highest canceer rates. A mortality rate 18 years earlier than the rest of Kent: on a par with Haiti or Burma.

Still no sign of the RTC accounts - maybe the public shouldn't know how public money is spent by public representatives? But all public fuinds over £500 are meant to be detailed now. Everything. Salaries. Pensions. Contracts. Expenses. You name it.

Still no sign of the Thor toxin reports: how toxic is the site? Are barrels of mercury still stored there? How much has been spilled?

Richboro concerns me: when were the council hoping to blow it up or were they just going to let it slide into the sea or the discharge leak into the water?

Other councils demolish them as a health and safety hazard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2qY8bytQjE&feature=related

Ask Richard Samuel: he's paid as much as the Prime Minister from your tax: plus the 0% payrise fraud: richard.samuel@thanet.gov.uk

Expect no reply. They're still paid until they're sacked. What do they care?

Sunday 5 September 2010

Thor water. Thor kidneys. NHS scrutiny?

With widespread concerns over water quality, when will TDC – or NHS - publish the toxin reports and pollution damage for Thor mercury, Richboro and Manston? As well as the raw data for seawater quality and sewage discharges.

As with removing the noise and air monitors with Infratil and banned and illegal overflights of the towns, it’s as if our politicians and civil servants are deliberately endangering the public by remaining silent.

No wonder the death rate for East Kent is a shocking 18 years earlier than the rest of a Kent - and on a par with Haiti or Burma. Our pensioners are not even making to enjoy their pension by dying off at 63 years old rather than 81 - leaving 3,000 empty homes and dozens of shops.

Elections, P45’s, pension removals and jail may be some incentive for our failed public services to improve but it will be the public that bear the cost in early deaths and ill-health – and paying for the privilege through normal taxes as well as the toxic cleanup and extra hospital, hospice and mortuary costs.

All we need now is for the NHS and QEQM to charge us for body bags, cancer drugs and car parking to offset the costs of the increased burials of Thanet’s Lost Decade.

When will the Thor and Richboro and Manston toxin details be provided?

Saturday 4 September 2010

Manston: illegal overflights and silence.

Manston: front page of the newspaper the illegal overflights.

No mention of the cancer cost.

Where are the grandmothers of the dead?

Where are the mothers of the dead?

Where are the coroners reports?

Silence.

On Thor.

On Manston - the drinking water and dumping in Pegwell and missing monitors.

On Manston Fire station.

On Richboro.

Silence from Gale and Sandys and 56 councillors and KCC.

The resignation of the Chairman of Southern Water.

And more red alerts on bathing water quality.

It's meant to be like this.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Where is Sandys?

It’s been 3 months since the lection and Parliament has been on hols for a month or two.

What has been done in Thanet?

Where are the Thor toxin results or are MP’s not allowed to see those or make them public?

Where are the Richboro toxin results?

Why is Manston Fire station lighting fires and putting them out with drinking water?

Has an extradition request been put in for the criminal Infratil Directors?

Where are the payslips to compare before and after the 0% payrise.

We seem to have only silence.

And to be fair silence from Roger Gale.

And silence from 56 Thanet councillors.

How strange.

Unless they’re mere Party hacks. MP’s for their Party rather than the public of Thanet.

Thor mercury or the civil servants don’t come before the public. Nor the Party.

And we fund all these people to highlight public concerns – especially major problems.

Even basics like MP’s expenses being published or Ramsgate Town Council accounts being available on the website haven’t been done.

How can the public compare value for money or check if there’s any wrongdoing if the information is hidden or fudged.

It’s like a council of the 1970’s with stale pensioner-councillors bumbling around and being unwilling to disclose public policies and funds.

Recall now allows 10% of the electorate to “call in” an MP for wrongdoing – after the MP expenses farce – and all civil service costs over £500 are to be published (and all costs and other information available under FOI.

Even MP's meetings and diaries - as in USA.

So where is it all?

Or do we have a conspiracy of silence. Party over public. Brassneck lies on fiddles and simple deceit and fraud?

Roger Gale has spent 30 years watching Margate burn down - is the same expected of Laura?

District elections next year – and the opportunity to “Rate your councillor. Rate your civil servants” in an online vote and forum means questions will be asked on who knew what and when – and what they did.

Where is Sandys? When will she speak up? Or is this the best of it?