Non-Believer

Not many over here...have a look around. Any idea how long it takes a mahogany tree to grow to maturity? Check it out, and some Far Eastern hardwoods. He even had a sign in the shop advising customers of the environmental toll that their purchases were making on the planet. Still took their money though. Utter hypocrite.

Reminds me of a man who owned an up-market furniture shop, did a lot of business in furniture manufactured from endangered exotic hardwoods, mainly from the Far East. Couldn't sell enough of it. He also claimed to be an environmental activist and regularly attended demonstrations, including the big one in Peel about 20 years ago. One day somebody challenged him about the conflict. The response was to giggle and walk away.

Are there actually any Douglas Councillors who don't have their nose in the DBC or Govt trough in one way or another?

It has taken an impartial external review to expose this situation and these failings. Now obviously this is the purpose of the review, it's what these things are for. What is worrying IMHO is that those at the top of this Dept had apparently allowed this situation and failings to develop and were either blind to them or disinterested enough to ignore them. Or, perhaps had any concerns dismissed if they had indeed flagged them up. Simply resigning is not good enough. Questions need to be asked of the attitude and competence level of those previously richly rewarded for the responsibility of the management of this Dept. And of their own overseers who allowed them to proceed in such a fashion, because this clearly goes beyond the Dept itself. It is symptomatic of our whole current system of governance.

The one in DOI must have their work cut out. Or they're permanently asleep.

Methinks that Derek's experience now serves the taxpayers better by being outside the tent, pissing in. Rather than accepting a role with whatever good intentions, then finding out that the edifice he's joined has no intention whatsoever of restructuring or adapting to the times and being assimilated into the "pissing out" club of tent occupiers and staying schtum is the best and most lucrative way of staying in the tent.

Ah, but the Gods of the DOI have the divine capacity to declare an Indian summer and autumn in order to progress the work. And an equally divine capacity to bullshit just in case it doesn't materialise.

And that faint desire began and ended largely with the hiking of taxes and charges to the general public across the board. With a small reduction in relatively low-paid coalface jobs whilst layers of management remained intact or even proliferated. It would be good to see a breakdown of where and at what level the @ 1500 new jobs since 2016 really are?

Fleet Manager answers to Director of Transport? - whether it's via another tier(s) might be another question. Weren't assurances given not so long ago that Govt headcount was reducing?

Indeed. Article in MR News covers a response from Cabinet Office to a question from Juan Watterson that reveals that full time Govt staff numbers are still growing. Up now to 8100 (amounting to 7000 full time jobs apparently) from 2016's 6700. One might wonder how many of those were in Cabinet Office itself? Empires full steam ahead eh?

Page 13 of the Independent; Tim Baker declines to answer Ms Edge's Tynwald question on just how much the DOI spent during lockdown period Mar 15 - June 30 on the grounds that it would cost too much in DOI officer's time to compile answers. A response apparently okayed by Rodan. So that's ok then.

What is the state of the old Methodist church? I was in there recently and couldn't see a lot wrong from a layman's point of view?

Wishful thinking. It would take more than one new COMIN member to chip away significantly at that edifice. Regardless of who they were.

Some might say that it would certainly be a financial mistake to resell because it wouldn't realise what was outlaid for it in the first instance? The Courthouse and its grounds already have competition both from a proposal for the Methodist Church and the Town's own Market Square for indoor and outdoor functions. As I see it, there are two obstacles. Firstly, the community minded people willing to try are in short supply, the last possessed considerable drive and have still failed. Secondly, the level of business and economic movement available in the rest of the town to justify that input and effort. It doesn't currently exist, though fallout from COVID hasn't helped. We could well be left in this situation for many years before, if ever, something to offer some sort of return materializes. So do the Commissioners have any timeframe for how long they are prepared to remain responsible pending the arrival of a viable return-offering usage for the Courthouse? There has already been considerable expenditure on alterations and upkeep?

I wouldn't dispute some of that Rhumsaa, but at the end of the day to date, few of the proposals raised to justify its purchase have come to fruition (with the exception of the farmer's market, pun not intended). Three years of charitable effort have now been sadly wasted too. It's dormant all right, for six days a week with very few exceptions. How long are we proposing to continue trying to find a use to offer some return for it, whilst continuing to be responsible for its upkeep? Simply making light of the situation whilst offering hypothetical "it could be worse scenarios" isn't bringing in any return for the outlay, since cited by yourself as being "over the odds". ETA. I am I right in thinking that the new owners of the Waterloo Rd Methodist Church have their own ambitions for a community and exhibition centre? A bit of unwelcome competition?