Silence! Council coverup at work.

Same-old same-old at the RTC Finance meeting tonight. This was the meeting after the Annual Public Meeting to audit the accounts. Delayed from a fortnight ago the first attempt of Richard Nicholson as Chair was to prevent any questions at all. Even to refuse an agenda at first. Bizarrely they wanted to sign off the accounts without any questions. Then said they’d be signed off and then questions. But no copies provided. I was the only member of public there. And I left after 10 minutes leaving them talking to an empty room. And only 7 councillors out of 16 with only one apology. Finally the Town Clerk announced verbally salary costs of $90,300 for 2 full time and 1 part-time staff with an extra part-time and apprentice to be announced. Given Richard announced his salary was a lot less than $40k at the last public meeting I don’t understand how $90k costs works out. Maybe some pensions. Maybe not. It can’t be councillors costs as apparently they’ve refused to take salaries – fairly easy given almost all of them are doublehatters at TDC. It was then agreed that a separate meeting should be held for the public to question the accounts – councillor shouts of “go on call the police” (!)– easy for them to say as the Town Clerk and Richard Nicholson are now liable for the sign off. Dave as Mayor was wise to duck that one and pass the buck(s). Luckily, Richard is also the new Chair of the Airport Committee (taking over from Hayton and Harrison in the coverup) so can no doubt explain the Manston missing fines and end of KIACC scrutiny of the airport. Just delay as they cling on isn’t it. From memory last year the RTC budget was $300k – yet Ramsgate provides $17M in tax. We seem to be finding doublehatters and civil servants to provide droplets of tax back while saying there’s no money. Even most the councillors can’t be bothered with the charade any more. I've never seen more than half a dozen out of 16. And no minutes on the website or months late. Nothing to say and nothing to do but cling on. $17M tax a year from Ramsgate alone. And $300k reinvested back – with $90,300 in salaries. The accounts have been submitted to the Audit Commission and then signed off by councillors with a refusal to open the books as required and refusal to allow any scrutiny. A sham of democracy – no wonder so few of us vote. Yet we all pay tax. And use the facilities of the town. Yet it’s somehow not for is to know the costs and value provided – even with FOI. Silence! Silence! These costs are not for you! Pathetic. Don’t pay council tax. Pay it late. Pay it wrong. Pay it late again. Let the Fraud Squad and Audit Commission scrutinize the accounts. Ask for your copy. Cancel your direct debits. They’ll soon remember it’s public money. Today’s Private Eye details the $2M fraud at KCC over utility costs and 7 year jail sentence – about the same amount of money as the missing Manston fines. And RTC and TDC are covering up for Infratil at the expense of the public. Another lost year in a lost decade as they ride the decline down in a bottom 10% council. Another spurious meeting and delay and deny. And Infratil fly and pollute. Time for Change.

No confidence in the RTC and TDC accounts

An abysmal fudge by TDC claiming to support an airport in the aquifer as it goes bust. And remaining shtum on the monitors and missing $2M fines. KCC and TDC and the Environment Agency have actively colluded with Infratil to endanger the public. The Police need to investigate and press corporate manslaughter charges. No doubt the hope is that Sandy will be a scapegoat for the Gang of Four on peripheral misuse of office charges. Most of the Duffers and Gang of Four wouldn’t last the winter, never mind winter in Pentonville. This Wednesday at 7pm the annual audit of RTC accounts creeps out of the woodwork after being refused at the Annual Town Meeting a fortnight ago. No draft or signed accounts on the website. Ramsgate’s $17M council tax reduced to $300k TDC fob-offs and KCC’s $2.3Bn funds reduced to $25k KCC councillor gifts. Mind you, maybe it’s best not to trust the Duffers. Or factor in corruption and bungs. Information on salaries, pensions, expenses, Pleasurama contracts, Manston fines, disabled grants, 0% fraud etc etc no doubt attempted to be flannelled away by RTC. Who will sign them off though? And McGonigal and the councillors can cover up the mess with more fake accounts and reports on the $2M Manston fines and by remaining silent. Death by Duffers seems to have been the approach by Cancer Bob and now Cancer Clive over the last five years knowing the airport was on the aquifer and knowing the monitors were removed. It seems to be councillors against the public to hang onto their public jobs. And MP’s using Parliament to stay silent. Refusal of FOI and webcams. Silence on recall and referenda. Waiving public salaries as gestures. Vague manifestos. Fake consultations. And they wonder why people don’t bother voting. Developing an airport is one thing. The public can take a view on jobs or night flights. But removing the monitors and downplaying the pollution though is a crime. While Cayman Islands construction and political payoffs is just embarrassing. Even now Cargolux fly off-route over the towns and planes land on the aquifer. And silence on Thor: banned but still operating and silence on the contamination. And where will McGonigal end up next with her talent for rejigging the fines, 0% salary fraud and keeping shtum for the paycheck on the rates. A vote of no confidence in the accounts, a council tax strike and Police investigation into council fraud is relevant for a bottom 10% council. Same old and stale duffers clogging up the system. And managing to pollute their own relatives and neighbours, and jettison Sandy while groveling to Buchanan and covering up the corruption. Another lost year after a lost decade. Garbutt for Mayor in 2013. Time for Change.

Cancer victim councillors to vote on night flights

It seems a rather pointless formality at TDC given the airport is up for sale and most of the public opposed. It will be interesting to see who votes for it though. And more interesting that the New Duffers are still in favour of developing the airport. Despite the safety breaches, economic failures and the aquifer. Interesting to see if any of the councillors speak up and call for the 106 to be pulled on public health and safety grounds. Cancer doesn't only work for night flights after all. We seem to have clusters of rosettes and civil servants actively endangering the public. Time for Change in 2013 As Mayor I will close the airport and rebill the fines and cleanup cost to Infratil – a company woiht larger profits than KCC’s budgets (why they were relying on public funds seems bizarre to develop the airport even after removing the monitors seems bizarre). Instigate a Police investigation – even now we have not just the aquifer problem or 0% salary and missing $2M fines civil service corruption but Cargolux ignoring the flight routes and TDC and the Police sat on their hands. Same old and stale duffers clogging up the system. And managing to pollute their own relatives and neighbours and covering up the corruption. No doubt Sandy and the Gang of Four make good scapegoats but they’ve hardly acted alone – not one public statement from a councillor on cancer or corruption or public health and safety. Time for Change

Kent Police launch Operation ArrestPaulCarter

Speaking from Maidstone Chief Constable Learmonth said: “We are determined to catch this Paul Carter criminal. Not the KCC maintenance bloke what done a runner with 20 grand, but Paul Carter the KCC Leader. Whether it’s Infratil and the noise monitors or Thor or investing in tobacco he has killed more Kent citizens than Hitler.” Kent Police are liaising with colleagues in the Met, Sussex Police, New Zealand Police and Interpol as part of Operation ArrestPaulCarter. Paul Carter drives a Jag with some wellies in the boot and known accomplices include Wild and King along with Terry Farrell, Charles Buchanan, Steve Fitzgerald, Matt Clarke, and the usual KCC Highways Tarmac Gang of Murphy, Jacobs, Balfour and Beatty. Deputy Chief Constable Beautridge said: ”Carter has been sighted near the fifth Dartford Crossing, Manston Parkway, a Gatwick Parkway and not one but two regional airports on the rates. Along with various ticky-tacky housing estates, a highway a byway, an underpass and an overpass. And several schools with asbestos from the 1970’s. He is involved with gunrunning and may have left the country with Infratil or Cargolux on the last unmarked 747 from Manston while we’re risking our lives raiding drug dens.” The public are warned not to approach Carter and his Gang as they are dangerously incompetent and they could end up with their driveway badly tarmaced whether they want it or not, with demands for council tax, business rates, civil service bloat and 0% salary fraud. Chief Constable Learmonth added: “I have got my eye on McGonigal, Button, Sproates and Pierce. And the senior KCC Directors what done it too. And I ain't forgot the Gang of Four neither. The other Paul Carter is believed to be in the Ukraine, which is a bit better maintained, and down the nick we all think he should be knighted in the New Years Honours List and pensioned off to the SirRogerGale Retirement Home for Pillocks.” Kent Coastguard refused to comment as to whether Carter was hiding on a ship in the Channel as they thought they’d leave it to the RNLI to do their job for them. Laura Sandys MP promised to urgently enquire into the possibility of cleaning up Manston and Thor by saying little and doing less.

Cancer for tripe again

Same old tripe at the Annual Public RTC meeting: shhhhh. Keep quiet. Same old drivel from the RTC/TDC councillors. And apparently questions from the public are not allowed. You know the drivel. Dave renominated as Mayor and overruled my candidacy. About 9 councillors and 12 members of the public there for the required Annual Meeting. No presentation of the Accounts – and not on the website - and refusal to answer questions on salary costs and Manston fines. It’s your money. Shush. Keep quiet. A verbal report from the Mayor and Clerk that everything’s wonderful. A cosy 1970’s club on the rates. But there is a Mayor’s Kidney Charity which is helpful for you and your families. And warm words on volunteers - so you can pay tax and do the work yourselves if the cancer isn’t troubling you. Shush. Keep quiet. Let’s play let’s pretend. And they wonder why TDC is a bottom 10% council. And the electorate don’t bother voting. And only silence from KCC and Kent Police – requiring Treasury funding from falling tax and fines. Mistakes at the airport aren’t a crime. But covering them up are. Every day’s delay endangers you. Or does it not? Garbutt for Mayor again It’s only another lost year. Time for Change.

It’s Time for change tomorrow: Mayor election

Tomorrow (Wednesday) the mayor election for Ramsgate Town Council at 7pm. Dave stands down and I’ll be standing as a vote of no confidence and directly elected mayor: Stop the Pollution, Stop the Corruption, Stop the Constuction. Raise your hand and 30 years of failure is over. A directly elected mayor can restructure not just the civil service but also the elected council. Too many councilors. Too many civil servants. Too much tax n waste. Too much failure. 1. Close Manston, a WPZ and arrest Infratil 2. Close Thor and Police inquiry into EA 3. Police investigation into 0% civil service fraud - by the most senior civil servants - and missing Manston fines 4. Begin Poole’s Pool: a 2012 swimming pool – the Olympics upon us and nothing done 5. Call for Special measures and TDC council tax strike for funds to RTC 6. Reopen tourism offices – and retain volunteer offices 7. Cancel Pleasurama-Bungarama with Police investigation 8. Reopen Town hall and repair Eastcliff bandstand and Westcliff lift 9. Reopen Dreamland, create Margate Town Council and demolish Arlington 10. Begin East Kent Film office: film jobs for East Kent not West Kent 11. Pfizer growth: Viiv and Going Glaxo fund 12. SME and Bank Forum for growth $2.3Bn tax at KCC and $60M at TDC each year – simply wasted or spent on tarmac and civil service vanity projects and bloat. A Lost Decade and 30 years of failure - leaving only Ground Zero and Year Zero. Time for Change