Renfrewshire Council's Scrutiny and Petitions Board met today and one of the items on the agenda was the petitions against the changes to the Warden service, there were 9 petitions and the SNP/Lib. Dem. majority on the board ruled every one of them 'out of order' all those signatures, all that effort from the elderly campaigners thrown in the bin.
What has happened here is that the SNP/Lib.Dems. without consultation, introduced charges and savage cuts to the warden service to residents of elderly complexes, they then refused to accept any arguments or petitions, they have put in place a petitions board which is a sham, it is a con.
They have made it possible to carry out savage cuts and also made it possible to avoid peoples complaints for a year after the cuts, that's their sly rules.
Let me remind you of what they have told the elderly residents,
' cutting the number of wardens will lead to an improvement'
' doubling the workload of the remaining wardens will lead to an improvement '
'removing the overnight warden and replacing her with a panic button will lead to an improvement '
This is politics SNP style, meanwhile the vulnerable elderly are waiting with trepidation for the hit, I was with them this afternoon and they are completely demoralised, they feel betrayed by the SNP and are frightened for the future, as one 90+ old lady said to me "a panic button is all very well but, in the middle of the night when you are worried and scared it can't make you a cup of tea and sit and chat to you" The Nats. should be hanging their heads in shame.
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19 comments:
Not like the bold Labour Party terry who changed the rules of the scrutiny board so that you needed the signature of a Labour councillor to get anything considered. well done ex convenor.
Why did they rule them out of order? What was wrong with them? Can the residents appeal?
A warden to sit with every pensioner and have a chat and cup of tea with in the middle of the night is what labour would provide is it? Who would pay?
Politics SNP style? Do you really want people to give examples of how Labour have done the same things? But of course all you need do is sweep them away with calls of 'but I didn't agree with that either' as usual.
Then we come to the petitions...how many signatories were there? I think many would be surprised at that, and also who it was who started the petitions and were the one of the first signatories.
Until you and others of your ilk realise that working together for the common good is what you were elected to do, instead of working for the good of the Labour party, you will never again be in power.
Is a cup of tea and a chat the responsibility of the state, or is it rightly families who should fulfil this funciton?
(popper) 28/01/08 - As a past convener I’m not aware of this.
(Anonymous) 29/01/08 - They, the SNP have incorporated rules in to the petition board which render the process meaningless, these SNP rules were not met by the elderly petitioners.
In this case they cut the wardens and the people involved can’t petition for a year, that’s dishonesty.
I understand they are looking at an appeal and more.
(Anonymous) 08:31
“A warden to sit with every pensioner “
This is what they had, a night time warden on the premises, and the SNP have removed it.
“how many signatories were there“ ? approx. 635 not bad for elderly people.
I think the people are getting a good look at the SNP now.
What rules were broken?
I am surprised that the petition did not take legal advice before submission. Which points of validity were in dispute?
(Anonymous) 12:15 The SNP had a rule written in that a council decision could not be petitioned for a year.
That IMO makes it a dishonest farce.
Perhaps your labour colleague should have checked with you and Cllr Shakey about the rules and regulations of submitting a petition before getting all those signatures, after all you both sit on the scrutiny and petitions board and should know it's procedures!
(edna) 29/01/08 -
AS a result of the cuts in the warden service and the refusal of the SNP to consult and listen to the petitioners, there are now approx. 635 people who signed up + their friends and relatives as well as those who just observe and see what is happening who will never trust the SNP again.
And they are right.
Is it not true that a labour councillor submitted a petition despite the very first line of the rules on petitions stating that councillors cannot submit petitions (after all they can raise these issues in the chamber)?
Is it not true that under Labour only those in council sheltered houses were exempt from charges and that this meant that other council tenants had to subsidise these costs?
Voters should also remember that the SNP backed down in the face of Islamist terror. The Labour party did not. Instead they met the challenge and future generations will thank them for it. The Labour government helped bring freedom to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scotland should be ashamed for electing the appeasers.
(Anonymous) 31/01/08 - All council tenants and council tax payers subsidise things that they don’t necessarily use.
The more salient point is that elderly residents have been hit with charges and had their wardens removed because the SNP are in power.
Terry you forgot to mention that you voted to accept the rules of Board (13th Sept 07 I think).
(Anonymous) 04/02/08 - Why are you trying to muddy the water ?
The SNP could have accepted the elderly people’s petition and they didn’t, they could have consulted the elderly and they didn’t.
The SNP told the elderly people involved that cutting the wardens from 12 to six would improve the service, doubling the workload of the remaining wardens would improve the service, and removing the night warden and replacing her with a panic button would improve the service.
Would you like to comment on these points ?
Terry, you DID vote to accept the Rules, didn't you?
(Anonymous) 17:47 - Why are you afraid to answer my points.
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