Another week another set of
examples why Labour are not worth a vote in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Firstly the cabinet meeting was
yet again an utter farce. It was timed to clash with the 2014 Budget to allow Welsh
media outlets to focus on the Mr. Osborne rather than the savage cuts being
instigated by the LabCab. The time also meant that many hard working Council
Taxpayers would not be able to attend to voice their disapproval at the
decisions being made. Although had they attended they would have witnessed
another clearly choreographed meeting with all the decisions predetermined and
agreed prior to attending the Pavillions. Therefore the cabinet meeting clearly
demonstrated a clear lack of respect for democracy.
The meeting also saw the controversial
changes to local catchment areas which meant many parents will have to travel
farther to take their children to school. Despite campaigners raising the issue
with the Cabinet, they were ignored completely. Another topic was the 7.3% rise
in charges across the board with the exception of school meals and parking.
This means that the price of meals on wheels, burials childcare and leisure
facilities will hit hardest those that Labour claim to be the champions of in
society. The price hike also raises another interesting question about RCT’s
business and financial acumen. If prices are too high then people will not use
services like the Cinemas or Swimming Pool (areas which RCT has already cut
funding for), therefore there is little or no savings to be made from such an
increase. Clearly the Council have not conducted any research into how the
rises will affect income from charged service and may have projected savings
based on current usage. It is possible to hypothesise that if RCT had cut the
price in some areas there may have been increased usage, ergo increased income.
Another clear indication that the management and cabinet are not qualified for
their positions.
Secondly and straight from The
Thick of It comes RCT Council contacting the police to investigate parody
accounts of Paul Cannon and Eudine Hanagan. The accounts satirise (although
some of the opinions could be quite believable) against the background of the
cuts and decisions to put friends and family into senior management posts in
the Council. In what was an enormous waste of time and taxpayers money our very
own Baldemort and Human Gerbil leapt into action and valiantly contacted the
police because people were making fun of them and are now considering legal
action. The farce took another turn when Mike Powell, John Bell and Karen
Roberts were all accused of setting up the accounts in what appears to be a
clear attempt by Labour to capitalise on the use of the parody account storm
brewing. Labour may well be criticised for using bully boy tactics to stifle
the opposition. Another thought is that
the recent stories have overshadowed the eye watering hikes in prices and have intentionally
whipped up a storm about this story as a deflection tactic.
It is a sad indictment of our local
Labour Councillors when they put their egos above their constituents’ best
interests. The result is a preposterous waste of time and taxpayers money in
trying to scare off dissenters with the police and legal action, while our
communities are left to crumble. We need to unite and stop the further decimation
of our once strong community.
Ysmaliwr