BLACKPOOL COUNCIL - THE SHOCKING AND PATHETIC TRUTH

BLACKPOOL COUNCIL - THE SHOCKING AND PATHETIC TRUTH

92% OF VOTERS WANT BLACKPOOL COUNCIL'S JULIAN KEARSLEY SACKED

92% OF VOTERS WANT BLACKPOOL COUNCIL'S JULIAN KEARSLEY SACKED

BLACKPOOL'S GREATEST VISITOR ATTRACTION OF 2008

From out of town? Get directions to the sinking ship here

MARGARET KEREKJARTO - UN-ENDEARING SNOTTY, IGNORANT ATTITUDE

MARGARET KEREKJARTO - UN-ENDEARING SNOTTY, IGNORANT ATTITUDE
Note to MARGARET KEREKJARTO, JULIAN KEARSLEY and leaders of Blackpool Council.

The council tax payers of Blackpool have a right to voice opinion on service dished out by people they pay to employ. It's called free speech and it would be irresponsible of me not to bring your actions to the attention of other council tax payers on the Fylde coast.

The service you offer is short of pathetic. Who is manning the enquiry desks at the council offices in Blackpool?? Some 12 out of 15 desks left unoccupied in the busiest period the other day.

It seems Kearsley, Kerekjarto and the rest are pretty incompetent at doing their job so it seems logical for them to be relieved of their positions within the council.

CASH DOWN THE DRAIN?

Since when has Blackpool needed a celebrity to re-open a primary school? How much extra does it cost the Blackpool council tax payer?

Dame Kelly Holmes - Waste of money?

The figures don't lie - http://tpa.typepad.com/home/files/council_spending_uncovered_1_publicity_north_west_regional_table.pdf Blackpool publicity spending has shot up a staggering 420% in the last 10 years, is it any wonder?

I think it is time Blackpool council spent tax payers money on cleaning the town centre up rather than luvvying it up with celebs at our expense.

BLACKPOOL COUNCIL TAX RECOVERY - SEX DISCRIMINATION?

Sorry if the following doesn't make much sense. I'm typing in a furious mood.

As a Blackpool resident I am appalled by the way Blackpool Borough Council deals with it's council tax payers. I have just received a letter from the council to inform me that an outstanding payment was due from last year - first I've heard of it. Not only that, Julian Kearsley decided to contact my employer (without informing me) to recover the debt out of my wages.

First thing's first. My ex wife was claiming as a single occupier of the property we both owned and because I was paying the full mortgage it was agreed that she would pay the council tax. It should therefore be obvious to the council that my ex wife was living alone in the property and should - at the very least - be 50% responsible for the outstanding balance.

I contacted the council this afternoon and requested to speak to Julian Kearsley. As I suspected, Mr Kearsley was far too busy (poss hob-nobbing with celebs or just too self important) to speak to me and I was put through to a lady called Margaret Kerekjarto.

From the outset I was not impressed with Mrs Kerekjarto's snotty attitude. I told her that the council have caused me problems with my employer - not for the first time. Her attitude was pretty much tough, you are 50% responsible for the debt so we'll take the money however we wish. I was appalled with the attitude and response and I asked why they hadn't therefore taken 50% from my ex-wife. She responded again by saying we'll get the money from whoever we wish.

I told her I wasn't happy with this and I felt it was my duty to warn other Blackpool council tax payers of the actions taken by the council if they or their ex partner fail to pay their debts. Unfortunately it would seem the council would prefer to take the money off the gentleman rather than the lady - to me this smacks of sex discrimination.

Like I said earlier, this is the second time this has happened to me in the exact same circumstances. Last time I informed the council of my ex-wife's employers but again they have failed to take part payment from her when she is living alone at the property.

I called Mrs Kerekjarto again in the last few minutes to inform her of my actions and how I felt duty bound to inform other Blackpool residents of the council approach to debt recovery. She said she takes it as a threat and will report me - which incidentally sounds like a threat in itself. Let's face it, if she was happy with the council's actions then it wouldn't be a problem.

It's offensive to think that the money taken from my wages may possibly pay towards council leader's celebrity love-ins with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Dame Kelly Holmes and the like.

Wednesday 30 April 2008

Fury as veterans boycott Blackpool event

A LEADING veterans' group is to boycott Blackpool's biggest summer event after branding it a 'PR exercise'.

Members of the National Service Veterans Association have accused 'thoughtless' organisers of the National Veterans Week celebration of putting marketing before the needs of war heroes.

They say poor parking and transport links to the hub of the celebrations, at North Pier, will make it impossible for members – most of them in their 70s and 80s – to run a marquee promoting the association's activities or participate in events.

John Black, secretary of the National Service Veterans Association by Blackpool's North Pier

The secretary of the association's Blackpool branch, John Black, said: "Blackpool won the right to stage this event on the premise that it would pay tribute to veterans. But we feel we have been excluded from the activities due to the uncaring attitude of promoters."

Mr Black said the association, which has 60 active members locally who have served in conflicts such as in Korea and Malaya, would take part in the parades and ceremony at the cenotaph – but not the other events.

He added: "It's supposed to be for the veterans but it's purely commercial. The event organisers have failed to grasp the true purpose and treated it as a purely marketing exercise. We feel we deserve to be treated with far more respect."

Members say the main North Pier location for the events, which will take place over nine days from Saturday June 21, is unsuitable.

Mr Black added: "Some members are in frail health and have had hip and knee replacements. The location is a very bad choice. It's thoughtless and inconsiderate.

"We normally have a marquee to show equipment we used like bayonets and field packs. We can't carry all that heavy equipment."

But Major Jim Houlds-worth, chairman of Fylde Ex-Service Liaison Committee, which is organising Veterans Week alongside Blackpool Council, said all 28 local ex-service associations have been invited to attend liaison committee meetings.

He said: "We have covered all options. I can't understand why they feel like this. Their rep hasn't turned up to meetings but they have been sent minutes."

He said transport has been arranged to ferry equipment to North Pier and tables and chairs will also be set out for veterans.

More than 2,000 veterans are expected to flock to Blackpool to take part in events ranging from a spectacular aerial Grand Prix to a ceremony at the newly-restored cenotaph.

Other veteran associations say they will also face difficulties.

Jacqui Longden, home manager of Blackpool's British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (BLESMA), said: "We are limited to what we can do.

"I agree with other associations who say it's going to be difficult parking, getting down to the pier and having to pay car parking fees."

Gerald Rose, chairman of the National Service Veterans Association, said: "Birmingham looks after its veterans. There was free parking, free buffet and drinks and tea dances. "Blackpool is the flagship this year. It's up to the council to look after them. Without their veterans, where would they be?"
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)