To: pontypridd.observer@mediawales.co.uk
Subject: Freedom of Speech or Bickering?
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:34:05 +0000
Dear Sir,
In response to Cllr. Allen Bevan's letter of the 14th October I have copied you a recent e-mail I sent to the Director of Environmental Services to indicate a little of what I do in and for the ward I have been elected to represent. Might I now be allowed to clear up some incorrect assumptions and illogical points he made in his letter:I do not claim expenses; a quick check will show this to be the case. Indeed for 2009 to 2010 the Labour leader of RCTCBC received £57,221.39 for one of his three public purse jobs, which incidentally netted him some £120,000 per annum a while back but has now dropped to around the £90,000 per annum mark, and no doubt all to be accounted towards a 6% employee, 12% council contributed, pension! Incidentally the pension fund currently shows a deficit of £490 million, which I suspect we'll soon be told is nothing to do with Cllr. Bevan's Labour chums.
So whilst some of your readers might not see it as strange that Cllr. Bevan has not questioned any of his chums’ public purse remunerations for doing more than one job or their membership of the community council I suspect one or two of the more astute readers will see through this attempt to mislead their thought processes.
Can I also point out that 13 years of Labour policies allowed the Banks to collapse! Fortunately the "not my fault" excuse and attitude now being employed by Cllr. Bevan and his Labour chums is not washing with many of the residents of our Borough. Perhaps less bickering and more positive actions like getting rid of the £44,000 per year Leader and Cabinet members’ only car or the multi-million pound Labour Only (well nearly) Propaganda Paper called "Outlook" would be a start, unfortunately I suspect that due to their political and social value they will be kept at the cost of peoples’ jobs.
Finally, in my letters I give my opinion on various issues from local ward to borough and to national level, and even on those where I have no influence. To follow Cllr Bevan's point regarding "influence" to its logical conclusion we would have no issues raised from anyone other than those in power, effectively a police state. Now I suspect that would suit several people, including the Labour councillor and his friends, but not his employer. Fortunately members of my and many many of your readers families, fought in, and helped win, two World Wars to give me and your readers the opportunity to do what the Labour politician does not want. So whilst I can appreciate that freedom of speech can be a bit inconvenient for Cllr. Bevan and his chums, can your readers imagine how inconvenient it would be for us all if we didn't have that freedom that he so arrogantly calls "bickering"?
P.S. In the interests of clarity and as the employee of the new labour MP would Cllr. Bevan care to state what he is paid out of the public purse or unlike my public remunerations is that figure to remain a secret?
Yours "bickeringly"
Cllr. Mike Powell
Trallwn Ward,
Pontypridd
RCT Liberal Democrats
07779 337839 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 07779 337839 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru
WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU
From: trallwn@hotmail.com
To: David Jones
Subject: Trallwn issues 11.10.2010.
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:54:37 +0000
Dear Mr. Jones,
I have attached several photos to illustrate some of the issues affecting my ward and I would be indebted for your views on them.
1. There is no dropped kerb on the pavement to B and Q's, as is the case in Central Square between both sides of East Street at its junction with Ralph St and the same is true at the Basset St junctions too.
2. There is builders rubble on the steps between Sion St and West St. though it has been cleared up but is still there. If the steps are not shown as adopted are members of the public allowed to store their building waste on such property? This issue was raised at the recent PACT meeting so I shall need to feed back the councils response.
3. There are two red waste bins left on the car park area behind Bridge St. Yesterday the smell was very unpleasant. Has RCTCBC given a licence to the owner of the bins to leave them in its car park or if not will RCTCBC be taking any action to get them removed?
4. The photo of the speed indicator shows the make and model of one that the council uses. These indicators record and store the data for use by the Highways Department. Could I have a copy of the data that has been recorded from the one used in my ward please?
5. Image 5 shows the recent accident, 12.26 on the 4th Oct. 2010, in Central Square. Does the council have any plans to make the road system safer in Trallwn before there is another fatality or are fatalities the trigger for action in non Labour held wards in RCT? This issue was raised at the recent PACT meeting so I shall need to feed back the councils response.
6. We are still awaiting traffic calming near the two schools in Trallwn. When will this be done?
7. With the introduction of increased car parking charges in Pontypridd Town Centre there is a corresponding increase in on road parking in the surrounding wards. Does your department have any plans to introduce permit parking or other remedial action in any of the affected wards?
8. There are several bags of rubbish that have been outside Lock Court for some time. As it appears the council is not going to remove them could you tell me why please?
9. The water is still holding on the footbridge crossing the A470. The bridge is used by lots of residents and school children. Could you tell me if your department is able to actually rectify this ongoing problem and if not could you tell me who can please? Oh, and the newly laid wearing/anti slip surface is peeling up due to the constant immersion in water. If the drainage is not going to be rectified could a water proof non slip surface be laid so the school children only have to have wet feet for the day rather than wet feet and bums?
Cllr. Mike Powell
Trallwn Ward,
Pontypridd
RCT Liberal Democrats
07779 337839 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 07779 337839 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru
WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU
