Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#41
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#42
suspect he meant Thanet
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#43
What a condescending remark to make about his neighbouring areas regardless of which council he was referring to.
Just had a thought maybe he meant one not so efficient as his own.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
#44
Shepway Council have delayed talks, as a rule turkeys don't vote for Christmas.
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#45
D Little wrote:Shepway Council have delayed talks, as a rule turkeys don't vote for Christmas.
A more factual and less slanderous statement would be;
Shepway Councillors voted not to proceed with a public consultation (8 for, 2 abstentions and 19 against).
It's a great pity for East Kent in my opinion but Shepway are confident they can go it alone and Canterbury appear to think that poorer Dover and Thanet would drag it down.
Jack of Hearts
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#46
Many years ago there were discussion re sharing one CE for Dover and Shepway needless to say Shepway did not. Vote for this .Ashford withdrew from the idea of an East Kent Council earlier on in the discussions same as they withdrew from having shared services for East Kent Housing.
Personally I think DDC put to many eggs in one basket complete one thing at a time.
Dover will not benefit Canterbury are more prosperous and Thanet have always been all over the place.Do you really think the residents of St Radigunds will see any improvement to their area.We know our council tax will go up .Will Councillors from Thanet or Canterbury have any interest in our deprived areas.I went on the bus through St Radigunds yesterday. Parts are a tip ..
It makes me sad that this part of Dover is not well served.Where are their Councillors?
I do hope Dover will reconsider their options.More power to the Parishes and Towns in the long run will mean they will need more paid officers and Councillors .So the circle will go round and round
We fought off being an unitarary years ago only Medway was created.
So much money Is spent on consultants who try to sell you an idea.Time wasted on meetings .
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#47
I have often wondered whether people in Medway benefited with lower bills after becoming a unitary authority and have local services improved or worsened.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
#48
Howard, what was being discussed was not a Unitary as the topic heading describes. Good old Reg & I believed that an East Kent Unitary was the best solution for the area & meant the demise of KCC & DDC. Both he & I had been KCC members saw & experienced the way this area really did not fit into the KCC agenda. Keith will no doubt agree. Nigel C in his tenure also saw the same picture. Some who get elected go native & enjoy the gentlemens club atmosphere. They become detached from the public who rarely know who they are or use them. I could go on but local government needs reform. KCC is too detached & distant & DDC too small to be properly resourced.
The wider Unitary is the solution & maps our local economies of East Kent.
In the meantime we have KCC elections & need to see who will represent us in an effective way whilst it still exists.
The alternative from KCC supremo Paul Carter is abolish all District/Borough Councils [12] in Kent & let KCC rule all directly from Maidstone. That is the model he is currently touting around Westminster.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#49
Unitary was a bit off topic Paul as we have had shared services for some time and a super authority was always on the cards. Your comments on KCC don 't surprise me in the least, at the last elections many Tories changed hats to UKIP got re-elected and congratulated each other in the chamber at the first meeting back. Paul Carter wanting to be the Tsar of all Kent doesn't surprise me either and it is a frightening thought with planning decisions being made without local knowledge.
Jan Higgins likes this
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
#50
Paul Watkins wrote:Howard, what was being discussed was not a Unitary as the topic heading describes. Good old Reg & I believed that an East Kent Unitary was the best solution for the area & meant the demise of KCC & DDC. Both he & I had been KCC members saw & experienced the way this area really did not fit into the KCC agenda. Keith will no doubt agree. Nigel C in his tenure also saw the same picture. Some who get elected go native & enjoy the gentlemens club atmosphere. They become detached from the public who rarely know who they are or use them. I could go on but local government needs reform. KCC is too detached & distant & DDC too small to be properly resourced.
The wider Unitary is the solution & maps our local economies of East Kent.
In the meantime we have KCC elections & need to see who will represent us in an effective way whilst it still exists.
The alternative from KCC supremo Paul Carter is abolish all District/Borough Councils [12] in Kent & let KCC rule all directly from Maidstone. That is the model he is currently touting around Westminster.
Some people on here may be unaware this post is from the leader of DDC.
Captain Haddock aka Bob Frost might confirm if its a parody
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#51
David, Paul is absolutely correct in his analysis.
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#52
Paul Watkins wrote:Howard, what was being discussed was not a Unitary as the topic heading describes. Good old Reg & I believed that an East Kent Unitary was the best solution for the area & meant the demise of KCC & DDC. Both he & I had been KCC members saw & experienced the way this area really did not fit into the KCC agenda. Keith will no doubt agree. Nigel C in his tenure also saw the same picture. Some who get elected go native & enjoy the gentlemens club atmosphere. They become detached from the public who rarely know who they are or use them. I could go on but local government needs reform. KCC is too detached & distant & DDC too small to be properly resourced.
The wider Unitary is the solution & maps our local economies of East Kent.
In the meantime we have KCC elections & need to see who will represent us in an effective way whilst it still exists.
The alternative from KCC supremo Paul Carter is abolish all District/Borough Councils [12] in Kent & let KCC rule all directly from Maidstone. That is the model he is currently touting around Westminster.
Although I support an East Kent Unitary, I think you are fooling yourself if you think it is KCC who are too detatched. There is mutual disdain between the populous of Deal/Sandwich and DDC however KCC have actively supported many local initiatives like improved rail services and youth services.
Jack of Hearts
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
#53
Captain Haddock wrote:David, Paul is absolutely correct in his analysis.
Its this bit I was referring to:
"Some who get elected go native & enjoy the gentlemens club atmosphere. They become detached from the public who rarely know who they are or use them"
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#54
And having been recently 'black balled' so was I!
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#55
Thinking back former councillors Roger Walkden, Keith Sansum, John Goodwin and Sue Nicholas have always been accessible and posted here on various subjects. Paul Watkins, Corporal Codpiece and John Heron of the present incumbents keep us advised and Peter Wallace is active on social media. The officers at DDC are first class in my experience and always responsive to questions.
KCC are a completely different animal and I don't blame the councillors as most issues are not relevant to Dover. As for the bureaucracy I have never come across an organisation in my life as useless as KCC. Trying to report a street light out of action or potholes requires infinite patience and a desire to fill out endless forms that reject the information you give. Add to that they never reply.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#56
Firstly, thank you Howard for the kind words.
Paul(Nice to see you in Deal the other day) n I wasn't selling anything lol
Regarding a unitary I'v come round to support such a body in recent years, not being a fan in previous years, but it would need the KCC to go at the same time.
Town councils should be given more powers, and those elected should recognise it's not just about wearing a chain lol.
I'm sure Paul there are many other subjects we could agree on lol
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ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#57
I would also like to see KCC go to be replaced with more larger local councils that actually know what their areas need unlike KCC.
Paul Watkins likes this
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 1590- Registered: 22 Oct 2015
- Posts: 86
#58
Cpt Haddocks post on being black balled reminds me of the Marx quote (again Groucho not Marx by the way) ' I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER".A philosophy that I care to share and I think maybe one that the venerable Cpt subscribes to.
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Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
#59
Being continually canvassed that Unitary is preferred option. I also know other Councils will press the button & rejoin should KCC i.e. Leader continue with his continuous lobbying Government , either as Leader of Kent or head of County Council's network. Playing the game doesn't always work whilst others use their own rules.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#60
I think Paul Carter would do better in both of his roles lobbying for more Government funding for local authorities rather than spending time empire building.
Jan Higgins likes this
