All posts in the topic Norman Withers for Mayor (Short link)
Summary
- There are 9 posts — by 4 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Jimmy Hamilton at May 09 22:53 UTC
I want Norm Withers to be our next leader here in Christchurch
Citizens are severely disappointed with slick Bob ..
Sideshow Bob ..
Society Mayor ... or whatever we may call him,
He has been to China and he has wasted and spent money with Ngai tahu,
as Gary told him to ..
but he has not seen East of Gloucester street in his flashy car
If you will ring Withers he will answer the phone,
Norm does things for ordinary people like you and me
I understand the difficulties of raising rentals on homes in Christchurch,
but Bob does not understand ordinary people at all.
He does not understand that the Chinese Government is brutal and cruel
He is a Society Mayor with Ms planning speak, and collective agreements,
Please think about this Citizens.
It takes years to build an organisation.
The defining characteristics of the Bob Parker Mayoralty are becoming
apparent,
In my opinion that characteristic is dishonesty, and some people even describe
it as a pork barrel Mayoralty.
PARKER RIGHT WING
On Friday april 11th the Christchurch Press in letters to the editor column
had a blazing headline.
“Parker’s Right-wing colours now out in the open”
I searched through the letters assuming that it was a cut and paste quote from
an angry letter writer over the City’s increase in rentals within the social
housing program.
To be called right wing in this country and especially Christchurch is
extremely damaging.
So why did the Press take this step.
How did this happen so quickly
COUNCIL RENTALS
No it’s not because he raised those rentals on Council flats.
Council has nearly 2700 rental living units; mostly one bedroom; the rents
for which vary from about $75 to nearly $200. Average is under $100 per week
.. .
But here’s the rub.
Many of the people living in these flats have income about $300 per week.
The true market rental is about double the existing rentals.
That is the subsidy is about $100 dollars per week.
Lets say you earn say $400 per week and you have to pay market rental of $180
for a one bedroom flat, your compatriots in Council flats are better off than
you.
The position was one of inequity friends, and the Council move here was
necessary.
No, this is not why we have to sack Parker, the reason he goes is his
institutionalized deviousness, slickness and dishonesty.
I used to hate 2021, because of their collective deals and follow the leader,
which eventually Gary pulled out of :
but Parker makes them 2021 look like pussy.
He demands subservience, executive control and centralized right wing
Corporatisation.
I say to you again, do you really think the editor of Press comes out so
strongly without reason.
The letters tell the story.
Your elected representatives are not supposed to represent you they are
supposed to represent Parker.
One of them told me she wished she had taken a tape recorder to the meeting
with him.
To the meeting with Parker.
WOW
After weeks of research and enquiry I finally got a private sneak look at the
deal Council have signed up to with Ngai tahu.
Remember that day in October when you put your vote in:
elected people, and you hoped you would make a difference. :
I do not think so Citizens.
The deals were already done, already the cunning Gary had set Bob up for a one
term office
[ developers names withheld]
Pork on the table today. Italy tomorrow.
There is bad news citizens and friends, the building they have leased has
savage claw back to Ngai Tahu.
The City will take the offices in 2010, but the renovation costs will be
outrageous.
You will pay.
Ngai Tahu will receive a 16% rental in a time when banks are lending at 8%
Bob has been sucked off .
Costs to you my friends = $15 million per year for Bob office
That’s only like $100 per ratepayer per year forever.
This deal is so unconscionable my friends that I will challenge it in the
Courts.
When Norm is Mayor, yes that’s right down size ordinary Norm who cares for you,
I will re negotiate this contract
CHINA
Bob’s trip could have been to any country in the world
So why China dudes
[more later names of politicians withheld]
WHY NORM WITHERS for Mayor
Try getting something done , and see who can do it and who hides
Whatever happened to Norm Withers in his life he is the best person
to be our Mayor.
I welcome criticism and comment .
I am privileged indeed to be able to research but that does not mean I
necessarily reach the best conclusion.
from Paul Scott
During the early part of the campaign for Mayor last year, I felt confident
that Mayor Bob was a good choice.
We would be rid of collective voting, individual Councillors could represent
their community, and Bob being unaligned politically would be a boost for
democracy.
ANONYMOUS DONATIONS
I suppose we started to feel a little unsure when we heard that it was property
developers [ inner city] who were bank rolling Bob’s campaign.
He said he was distanced from these people and knew not who they were, but of
course neither he nor they could receive any benefit from the donations.
That is Bob was telling us that he received thousands of dollars for his
campaign and this was not benefit to him..
Is this deceitful, is it slick or is it just plain nonsense?
The anonymous funding farce ended with a fantastic statement from Dave
Henderson who said he
“had not yet contributed to Bob Parker campaign, but that he would be and that
donation would be anonymous”.
I can not think of anyone less anonymous than Dave Henderson.
OCTOBER Thursday : Gary hands a poisoned chalice to Bob
The negotiations for the Ngai Tahu building in Hereford street had been going
on for some time. These were secret negotiations.
They were especially secret during the voting period up to October 12th 2007,
because it was the intention of the Chief Executive and Gary Moore and Bob
Parker to make sure that the public knew nothing.
Our voting pattern was carefully nurtured by Bob, who told us that he could not
envisage a purchase of WOW offices for anything like $100 million.
In the only few hours when the last of the publics’ votes were spent, and
before any messy new Councillors arrived with democratic ideas, Bob and the
team called an urgent meeting.
They rammed through the most wasteful and idiotic ratification of the deal with
Ngai Tahu , which will see Ngai Tahu receive credit card rates of 16% on their
investment from the year 2010.
The proper rate of payment should be 8% or 4 million dollars per year.
The WOW offices are said to cost $105 million, half owned by Council and half
by Ngai Tahu, but there are whispers that the renovation costs will explode
out of hand.
By 2010 lending rates will be around 8%. The proper rate to Nghai Tahu should
therefore be $4million, not the $8 million [ and ever increasing ] which they
signed up to.
Only Helen Broughton challenged this utter disgrace, bamboozled they were
having been called to an extraordinary meeting only the night before, in
urgency.
The pretext of emergency was stated clearly by Bob, who said,
‘this was an opportunity that was urgent and would be lost if not acted upon
immediately.”
Bob Parker fronted to the public the untruth that prompted urgency.
There was no urgency other than to make sure the public had no say in the
matter and the new Councillors were not yet at the table.
This was Bob’s worst career move ever. It was ludicrously dishonest.
No other group has been identified of wanting the Ngai Tahu building.
This is what I mean when I assert that Parker is dishonest
Well now, there are three separate companies and corporate identities set up to
process this foppery, and they will effectively make sure that certain
Councillors’ salaries are bloated up, and make sure that no responsibility for
anything lies with Council.
This is is debt for your children and the new working class who are to be
placed inside the four avenues, and co-operate over wheelie bins and pay the
surcharges.
COLLECTIVE IRRESPONSIBILTY
Peter Luke [ Christchurch Press] is hot on the trail now, of the collective
responsibility Parker wishes to impose on Councillors.
This is that idea that all the Councillors have to present a unified front, the
center right front after the vote has been taken.
Bob’s idea of integrity is integrity to him.
Councillors do not represent the people they represent the cabinet style
executive he has built up.
At the same time as Council had applied to central Government to receive
Funding for the Council housing rentals.
Left to Bob, the Council would have received this funding , and raised the
rentals by 24% and told you nothing.
This is called collective responsibility.
It is dishonest .
Parker will come back to Christchurch and enforce his regime , and I can give
it you no more adequately than to repeat the famous words of Gail Sheriff, when
she announced her plan of how to silence opposition to the WOW building..
“You don’t tell them anything, just show them a photo when its done”
I repeat to readers I started as a supporter of Bob Parker.
The quotations are from memory, I do not have original scripts with me.
I do not deny Parker’s ability.
I do say he is institutionalised , and I do say his words to us mean nothing,
and that he has little regard for the people of this City, and that his
objective of rebuilding public confidence in the Council is an abject failure.
paul scott wrote:
> Well now, there are three separate companies and corporate identities set up
to process this foppery, and they will effectively make sure that certain
Councillors’ salaries are bloated up, and make sure that no responsibility for
anything lies with Council.
>
> This is is debt for your children and the new working class who are to be
placed inside the four avenues, and co-operate over wheelie bins and pay the
surcharges.
>
>
Looking back to my topic
Agree? (by Oct 31) with Regional Policy Statement Changes
My article then covered some of the issues, and you Mark & Kevyn left
many of my comments not responded to.
I worry somewhat about your annoyance with rules. I think they can help
to avoid people being crammed in by market forces. But they need to be
well discussed. Dare I say we ought to discuss these matters while we
still can. Sometimes local government people are working hard to
moderate the market forces that our society currently runs on. Bob gives
people a feel-good about some issues just in the same way they will
watch new car TV ads but opnly 5% or less will ever go in one, let alone
own one. So they vote for him. That is one theory.
Is Christchurch, New Zealand, going to continue to support commodifying
of our economy, moving on to the human resource? Then is the market
going to cast off that commodity, having taken the cut, building high
density housing or whatever? Are we getting ready for a seige society,
with lots of money going to security industry, private prisons,
psychological counselling?
When Norm Withers said to me at a hearing that the St Albans pool was
very leaky and had no reinforcing, he was not answering my point that
earlier maintenance would be in order for many facilities- the subject
of my Draft Annual Plan presentation last year.
The corporates persuade funds to be given for intial construction but
not maintenance, whether it is parks or whatever.
So much rates money has been going on changing roads around New Brighton
and cutting big trees but little on selling the yachting, rowing,
sailboarding, landyachting, surfing, variable intensity exercise
dune-top walks, disabled archery, doing fun things in the back yard,
kites, art galleries, drama, tree-trapeze possibilities. It is not good
enough to think the change of roads will attract high rise developers
which will bring in gentrification to fix matters. A more direct
approach is in order.
Complaints
Yes , there have been complaints about my writing on the Norm Withers for Mayor
column.
This first of them was from .. well, a Lawyer chap … who indicated that some
of the ‘Cannon shots’
were a tad loose, and would I like to correct them.
He insisted in fact …. So
First up, what did I mean when I referred to a ‘Pork Barrel’ mayoralty.
Well .. of course I was referring to other posts and Bob Parker’s assertion
that
Immediacy and urgency was required to commence the inept deal with Ngai Tahu
to purchase the Hereford street property.
This was a porky.
A porky so big, in fact, it was almost bacon, and clearly big enough to fill a
pork barrel.
Next, what did I mean when is wrote that one of the Councillor’s wished she had
taken a tape recorder to the meeting with Bob Parker.
Well I meant to use the word (s)he and that therefore, and that is it could
have been one of the men.
It was not Sue Wells, and I did not mean to imply that she tapes everything
she says so she can go home and listen to the sound of her own voice.
Also, could I verify that I received a TRUE copy of the Ngai Tahu agreement
with Council.
No, I can’t and there is evidence now that Bob has the only copy in existence
tucked away in his locker, hoping it will go away completely, and that Peter
Luke [ Christchurch Press]
will not ever get the chance to read it.
So ashamed is Bob of this agreement, now he realizes that it will come out in
2010, and end his Mayoralty.
Apart from the lawyer’s complaint there were others:
Mainly … instead of griping about it why don’t I do something.
Well I told the complainants that I am utterly insignificant, and that all I am
trying to do,
is state how completely and utterly ignored we the people of Christchurch
inside Bob’s
‘ well oiled machine’
But the call for action is strong
The following Councillors are sacked forthwith, and may not enter local or NZ
politics again for a decade :
Bob Parker : for telling porkies, and for trying to rebuild Christchurch
from the inside and according to his own image, for running a closed shop
and for holding hands in public with Barry Corbett [ symbolism]
Sue Wells : for stating in her profile that she wanted to continue
'leading the people of Christchurch' … and for believing that she is in
a ‘academically gifted’ family .. and for reading the Resource
Management Act twice, and for speaking planning regulation pompous speak ..
and for dreaming that it should be her who holds Bob's hand
Barry Corbett for wanting to stab ‘taggers’ , and for having absolutely no
idea about ..
the fact that some people in Christchurch do not have enough to live on …
and for being a hypocrite about China
Gail Sheriff … for being Gail Sheriff
All other Councillors except Withers and Broughton are on formal notice.
Readers may join and sack other Councillors at will, with reasons
This is our City not theirs.
from paul scott
By writing here, I am aware that my criticism of 'Slick Bob' Mayor
comes up to the front of the recent topics list, but we can also see quality
Green posts here; and it is where I have learned more political reality than I
could have possibly imagined. I hope I will be forgiven for continued
belligerence.
Well ... Slick Bob ... 'knee jerk' is at it again.
Stung by criticism that didn't come Garry Moore's way until his third term,
Bob has moved further into Central Politics ... as I warned you is his
intention.
Yet again posing himself in an opportunity for publicity, he promotes a light
train set
to Rangiora, Lyttelton and so on .. Knee Jerk Bob has used the purchase by NZ
GOVT of the train set to promote himself again.
Lets look at the facts.
Ken Lawn from Regional Council Canterbury states clearly that a civilian train
service Railway from Rangiora, Kaiapoi area to Central station will cost $250
million.
Nahh .. read $500 million cost.
Presently there are 11,000 people each in Rangiora, and Kaiapoi.
Cost to you my friend is $NZ 500,000,000 divided by say 50,000
[ future population of Rangiora and Kaiapoi = 50,000]
Thats $10,000 per citizen.
Cost to NZ is $10,000 for each possible train set traveller.
Do you think old Knee jerk slick Bob has a chance in NZ NAT GOVT 2011 what do
you think.
But there is another problem dudes.
Our Railways lines are narrow guage. Based I think based on the half length of
a horses leg in 1867.
It doesn't work .. it can not work for modern transport ,
and that is why Toll $AUD pulled out.
Regional transport manager Jill Atkinson states clearly that the figures are
"telephone number costs"
She says
" the question is could ratepayers bear the costs of this, and the answer is
probably no"
To pull our railways into the modern world will take many $NZ bilions.
Maybe we should front it ..but Bob, old slick knee jerk Bob will be well gone
..
paul scott
Hi Paul, Mayor Parker has had a pretty mixed performance so far. He's done some good things around boy racers in particular. But it seems perverse to me that Mayor Parker is happy to spend $3 million to purchase the rights of an Auckland suburb's garden show, and wax lyrical about spending half a billion on light rail, while at the same time putting up the rents of our poorest and most vulnerable Council Housing tenants by 24%. Jimmy On Tue, May 6, 2008 at 11:21 PM, paul scott <<email obscured>> wrote: > By writing here, I am aware that my criticism of 'Slick Bob' Mayor > comes up to the front of the recent topics list, but we can also see quality Green posts here; and it is where I have learned more political reality than I could have possibly imagined. I hope I will be forgiven for continued belligerence. > > Well ... Slick Bob ... 'knee jerk' is at it again. > Stung by criticism that didn't come Garry Moore's way until his third term, > Bob has moved further into Central Politics ... as I warned you is his intention. > > Yet again posing himself in an opportunity for publicity, he promotes a light train set > to Rangiora, Lyttelton and so on .. Knee Jerk Bob has used the purchase by NZ GOVT of the train set to promote himself again. > > Lets look at the facts. > > Ken Lawn from Regional Council Canterbury states clearly that a civilian train service Railway from Rangiora, Kaiapoi area to Central station will cost $250 million. > Nahh .. read $500 million cost. > Presently there are 11,000 people each in Rangiora, and Kaiapoi. > Cost to you my friend is $NZ 500,000,000 divided by say 50,000 > [ future population of Rangiora and Kaiapoi = 50,000] > Thats $10,000 per citizen. > Cost to NZ is $10,000 for each possible train set traveller. > > Do you think old Knee jerk slick Bob has a chance in NZ NAT GOVT 2011 what do you think. > > But there is another problem dudes. > > Our Railways lines are narrow guage. Based I think based on the half length of a horses leg in 1867. > It doesn't work .. it can not work for modern transport , > and that is why Toll $AUD pulled out. > > Regional transport manager Jill Atkinson states clearly that the figures are > "telephone number costs" > > She says > " the question is could ratepayers bear the costs of this, and the answer is probably no" > > To pull our railways into the modern world will take many $NZ bilions. > > Maybe we should front it ..but Bob, old slick knee jerk Bob will be well gone .. > > paul scott > > > paul scott > North avon, > Info about paul scott: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/scottpaul > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/4D9vZmsEKR02S8HctVLEDu
At half time, in the town hall, at the Mayoral election speeches; the first
person, Mr Parker shook hands with, was Mr Withers; so it was no surprise, when
he became deputy mayor.
Give Mr Parker a chance.
My written question to the candidates, was ,what will be the first thing you
will change before Xmas; but it was never asked.
The first thing he did was use his authority to make roads safer.
The new offices will still be central.
The rent rises are a powerful statement, at the beginning of winter, when
everything is more costly because of weather related prices.
Hi Brenda, I agree, it was a good move for our city. It has shifted the problem around, but at least it was a start. Bob Parker did not back Norm Withers for deputy Mayor. Bob Parker put forward Bob Shearing to be his deputy, but Bob Shearing was defeated in a backroom vote (by just one vote) in favour of Norm. The full Council then voted at the Council meeting for Norm. This is modern style consensus politics! Jimmy On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 4:27 PM, brenda dew <<email obscured>> wrote: > At half time, in the town hall, at the Mayoral election speeches; the first person, Mr Parker shook hands with, was Mr Withers; so it was no surprise, when he became deputy mayor. > Give Mr Parker a chance. > My written question to the candidates, was ,what will be the first thing you will change before Xmas; but it was never asked. > The first thing he did was use his authority to make roads safer. > The new offices will still be central. > The rent rises are a powerful statement, at the beginning of winter, when everything is more costly because of weather related prices. > > > brenda dew > > Info about brenda dew: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/brendadew > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/1kUauuwlTVJw6biHLNhtPy
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