like I'm a 4 year old.
Denzel Washington's finest moment on the silver screen. I hope the character he was playing managed to stay in Philadelphia because if he moved to South London he could be waiting a long time for an answer.
The South London Waste Partnership [Incinerator] covers four boroughs. Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Kingston Upon Thames. The devastating health, environmental and financial implications have all been well documented on other blogs such as http://croydongreens.blogspot.com/search/label/incinerator or http://insidecroydon.com/2011/07/07/cancer-risks-from-1bn-croydon-incinerator-warn-greens/
However, what I can't help but notice is this...
CROYDON: Conservatives control the council and support the SLWP. Labour are in opposition and oppose it.
SUTTON: Liberal Democrats control the council and support the SLWP. Conservatives are in opposition and oppose it.
MERTON: No Overall Control: Labour are the biggest party and support the SLWP. Conservatives are the smaller party and oppose it.
KINGSTON UPON THAMES: Liberal Democrats control the council and support the SLWP. Conservatives are in opposition and oppose it.
STOP PRESS: Ok, so we are left wondering what the Lib Dems would do in opposition as they don't really have a presence outside of those two Councils they control. Well, the answer comes from oop North. The North London Waste Plan are lucky enough to have a Lib Dem Councillor in opposition to give us a flavour. You'll never guess what she says but... oh, you guessed it http://bit.ly/oITnjv
Why do all the Parties in control support the SLWP?
Why do all the Parties in opposition oppose the SLWP?
Are all those Parties the same?
I think I'll ask a 4 year old.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
How I met the Green Party
I, (deep breath), I used to be a Labour voter, *applause from support group* primarily because they were not the Conservative Party. Don't give me that look, everyone was heartily sick of the Conservatives back in '97 and it was a huge relief when they were finally given the elbow. Fast Forward to the next election and I was getting concerned that the gap between rich and poor was still increasing but I still voted Labour because they still weren't the Conservatives (yes, I am now laughing at myself).
It was 2003 before I allowed myself to accept what I already knew. I marched with the "Stop The War" coalition which was such a massive statement of public will that no government could ignore it. The government ignored it. In the aftermath of that betrayal I began to understand that we needed good people inside Westminster and not just outside holding the placards. I decided that I had to reject the Labour Party. Well, they started it.
I began to vote Green and it was good, especially in the London Assembly and European Parliament elections where the system tolerated votes cast for the smaller parties. I found myself cheering them on from afar like a favourite sports team.
That's when it happened.
Autumn of 2009. My local Green Party Parliamentary candidate, Shasha Khan, knocked on my door to ask what I knew about plans for an incinerator in Croydon. Of course I hadn't a clue. Nobody had, (all part of the plan, see?) but I was impressed that the Green Party were taking such an active role to raise awareness outside of "election season". Here was someone who was getting off his backside and trying to make a difference in his own area. This was for me. I joined Shasha in his campaigning to stop the incinerator and, later, in the 2010 election campaigns.
Busy times, but just a taste. Since the Elections things have been getting busier. The campaign against the incinerator goes on. Victory against Veolia in Croydon. Defending independant cinema, care homes, libraries and opposing skyscrapers amongst two-story victorian dwellings...
But that's another story.
It was 2003 before I allowed myself to accept what I already knew. I marched with the "Stop The War" coalition which was such a massive statement of public will that no government could ignore it. The government ignored it. In the aftermath of that betrayal I began to understand that we needed good people inside Westminster and not just outside holding the placards. I decided that I had to reject the Labour Party. Well, they started it.
I began to vote Green and it was good, especially in the London Assembly and European Parliament elections where the system tolerated votes cast for the smaller parties. I found myself cheering them on from afar like a favourite sports team.
That's when it happened.
Autumn of 2009. My local Green Party Parliamentary candidate, Shasha Khan, knocked on my door to ask what I knew about plans for an incinerator in Croydon. Of course I hadn't a clue. Nobody had, (all part of the plan, see?) but I was impressed that the Green Party were taking such an active role to raise awareness outside of "election season". Here was someone who was getting off his backside and trying to make a difference in his own area. This was for me. I joined Shasha in his campaigning to stop the incinerator and, later, in the 2010 election campaigns.
Busy times, but just a taste. Since the Elections things have been getting busier. The campaign against the incinerator goes on. Victory against Veolia in Croydon. Defending independant cinema, care homes, libraries and opposing skyscrapers amongst two-story victorian dwellings...
But that's another story.
Sunday, 3 July 2011
The David Lean Cinema now showing more than meets the eye.
The poster for Croydon Council's new policy on art house cinema seems convincing enough at first.
Attack of the Killer Costs - Escape to Fairfield Halls.
It promises a thrilling ride where our councillors, faced with an onslaught of unstable balance sheets, come up with a brilliant scheme to rescue the cash flow and bring the prized movie reel back to the cheering crowds. Of course it's all a work of fiction.
Just then the screen goes blank and our bemused pensioners are left sitting in the dark. Not for long, they are soon ushered outside. To a non-purposed built room, sometime in the future. "Trust us," says the Council, "we're doing this for your benefit. That's what we do here."
Always proud to serve. (Croydon Council motto)
Always proud to sever. (Croydon Council practice)
Attack of the Killer Costs - Escape to Fairfield Halls.
It promises a thrilling ride where our councillors, faced with an onslaught of unstable balance sheets, come up with a brilliant scheme to rescue the cash flow and bring the prized movie reel back to the cheering crowds. Of course it's all a work of fiction.
The opening scenes show an elderly couple, bathed in sunshine, meeting up with friends to spend some time enjoying their retirement, well earned from a lifetime of honest endeavour. The purpose built theatre welcomes them in to a sanctuary well away from the smelly popcorn and unappealing blockbusters of the local VUE cinema which is aiming at a very different market. "Good job I don't want to see any of those films" remarks one "I'd never get up the steps!" But as they chuckle their way into the Clocktower the camera zooms in showing a sinister group watching bitterly in the wings.
"I want it for MYSELF!" screams Fairfield Hall director Jon Rouse as he slams his fist onto the table. "But Massster, you are the CEO of Croydon Council, you can do whatever you want. After all you have already shut nearly all the arts in the borough while swiping £1.5million of public money for us" his minions try to appease him. "Oh yes, haven't I just." The memory pleases him for a moment, but not for long." It's no good, those bloody bloggers are starting to smell a rat. You'll have to do it. Just wait till I'm gone." "Yes Massster" Sara's eyes turned hard. As cabinet member for customer services, culture and sport, she loved shutting down public services, even if it cost money instead of saving it. "This'll be just like the libraries, that was great fun and I'll get myself all over the papers again. No such thing as bad publicity. Voters usually vote for names they recognise, and they'll remember me for years. God, I love power." It had been another great day.
Sara's plans were soon in place to discourage visitors. Shut on Sundays, shut on Tuesday evenings, poor website, reduced advertising, reduced mailing lists. They could claim to be reducing costs even though the running of the Clocktower would still have to be paid despite the reduced income from shutting the cinema. David Lean - Croydon success story. Sara shuddered. "Hardly bears thinking about" she thought, "And now all these lovies coming out in support too. Ronnie Corbett. Julian Fellows. JULIAN BLOODY FELLOWS? A TORY LORD?. Still, I bet when push comes to shove he'll still vote for us rather than any of the others."
The only issue troubling Sara was the City Status bid. Who the hell would move into a city shutting down, or privatising, its art houses, libraries, care homes, etc. "I could say it was all for the Big Society" thought Sara, "that's the sort of meaningless drivel that can get you out of anything."
Just then the screen goes blank and our bemused pensioners are left sitting in the dark. Not for long, they are soon ushered outside. To a non-purposed built room, sometime in the future. "Trust us," says the Council, "we're doing this for your benefit. That's what we do here."
Always proud to serve. (Croydon Council motto)
Always proud to sever. (Croydon Council practice)
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