General Election 2011 - Ramsey

[Grianane]

1. Some decentralisation of gov departments around the Island - it is not that big a hardship to travel at the very most 30+ miles to get a document or to work or similar. Good idea

2. Still not too late too turn Jurby into a class A1 racing circuit with a proper skid pan and driving school etc. (Okay not Ramsey but there could well be a feed off). Should at least be costed

3. A lock gate system as Douglas and Peel have, some are fooled into thinking it is a Marina - but in my opinion there can only be one Marina and will and should be in Port St Mary. See No2

4. Do something proper with the pier - yes it is an eyesore - but it has so much potential - stop the gov arseing about pretending - there is massive potential with the pier. Pull it down - unless a private developer can be persuaded to do something with it.

5. Ban drinking in public before and after hours - period. (That goes Island wide for me anyway). What hours? The licensing hours were abandoned years ago.

6. A massive upgrade of the shop fronts in the main street and squares - incentives to make them look smarter (I don’t know but something has to be done - for fecks sake people get prosecuted for having untidy private properties) - they look horrendous. That should be done by the Commissioners - with incentives based on rates.

7. Bin the safe houses for the Islands druggies and send them down where they belong. You'll get Spook (and a few others) to agree. 'Druggies' need help - its the dealers who ought to be 'sent down.'

8. Keep the Cottage Hospital open and let it be properly functional for all not just those whom live in the North of the Island - it should and can be a superb facility for all Islanders. Yes

9. Stop closing the Mountain road at any first available excuse - road maintenance - they are having a laugh and seriously taking the piss. There are alternative routes, and they don't take that much longer.

10. Promote the Albert Tower (stop filling the fecker with aerials). Promote it as what? Its quite pretty, but its only there to commemorate a fleeting visit by a member of the British royal family.

11. Promote the Pier (pull it down period or spend what has so far been spent (on deciding) toward making it a potential money maker. See No4

12. Promote the biggest river on the Island. Explanation? Promote as what?

13. Promote the Harbour (a proper working one and the second largest -I believe). As above.

14. Promote Rhumsa the town as it should be and not the town you have made it.

Fulltide

 

all good stuff, I wonder if anyone will listen

[Evil Goblin]

It seems reasonable to ask if Teflon Al will stand again given that the Teflon at long last seems to have worn off. The solids have now well and truly hit the fan and the fact that he will find it impossible to duck accepting a goodly portion of the blame rightfully being attached to Governments in which he held senior positions, perhaps discretion will be the better part of valour and he will retire on his substantial, non-contributed, index-linked pension?

[Torry loon]

1. Some decentralisation of gov departments around the Island - it is not that big a hardship to travel at the very most 30+ miles to get a document or to work or similar. Good idea

2. Still not too late too turn Jurby into a class A1 racing circuit with a proper skid pan and driving school etc. (Okay not Ramsey but there could well be a feed off). Should at least be costed

3. A lock gate system as Douglas and Peel have, some are fooled into thinking it is a Marina - but in my opinion there can only be one Marina and will and should be in Port St Mary. See No2

4. Do something proper with the pier - yes it is an eyesore - but it has so much potential - stop the gov arseing about pretending - there is massive potential with the pier. Pull it down - unless a private developer can be persuaded to do something with it.

5. Ban drinking in public before and after hours - period. (That goes Island wide for me anyway). What hours? The licensing hours were abandoned years ago.

6. A massive upgrade of the shop fronts in the main street and squares - incentives to make them look smarter (I don’t know but something has to be done - for fecks sake people get prosecuted for having untidy private properties) - they look horrendous. That should be done by the Commissioners - with incentives based on rates.

7. Bin the safe houses for the Islands druggies and send them down where they belong. You'll get Spook (and a few others) to agree. 'Druggies' need help - its the dealers who ought to be 'sent down.'

8. Keep the Cottage Hospital open and let it be properly functional for all not just those whom live in the North of the Island - it should and can be a superb facility for all Islanders. Yes

9. Stop closing the Mountain road at any first available excuse - road maintenance - they are having a laugh and seriously taking the piss. There are alternative routes, and they don't take that much longer.

10. Promote the Albert Tower (stop filling the fecker with aerials). Promote it as what? Its quite pretty, but its only there to commemorate a fleeting visit by a member of the British royal family.

11. Promote the Pier (pull it down period or spend what has so far been spent (on deciding) toward making it a potential money maker. See No4

12. Promote the biggest river on the Island. Explanation? Promote as what?

13. Promote the Harbour (a proper working one and the second largest -I believe). As above.

14. Promote Rhumsa the town as it should be and not the town you have made it.

Fulltide

Some excellent points there.

 

Don't just vote. Stand.

[Grianane]

Coffee morning at the Mitre 2 weeks ago and at St Olaves last weekend and at least one of the prospective members attended both.... there's trying

[silentwitness]

 

 

2. In Tourism we have the Bounty replica project, the Noble's Bowling Park, and importing a shed load of used tyres for the Jurby race track whilst we were trying to figure out how to dispose of those already on the Island

 

Don't forget the £250k pissed against the wall for the Villa Aqua-Leisure Centre that didn't, er, happen. I honestly don't know who I'd bother voting for in Ramsey.....I can't think what Bell and Craine have done for the town in the last 5 years apart from showing an uncanny ability to turn up for photo-shoots when other people's hard work is about to come to some sort of fruition...unless you count the underfoot lighting in the public urinals, sorry, lanes from the Quay to Parliament Street and a Swimming Pool we can't swing a cat in, meaning everyone from the North still has to drag their kids to the NSC on wet weekends and holidays. Leonard Singer is now running around town huffing and puffing.....but it don't matter who gets in, they're still anonymous/impotent in Tynwald against the Douglas Block-vote and the will of the Civil Service............

The problem with Bell is that he is too long in the tooth. It's a shame becuase Alan Bell has a modicum of intelligence and is at least presentable, if lacking Gravitas. I think he has lost his way in a mass of mediocrity, along with a number of others. The senior civil servants have become too powerful and Bell, along with COMIN have been afraid to challenge the Status Quo. Despite the fact he has been shown not to have a full grasp of the facts, I still hope he gets back in given that some experience will be needed in the new house.

[Uhtred]

Silentwitness what is the evidence for your assertion "the senior civil servants have become too powerful"; who do you mean; what are the events or circumstances that illustrate this excess of power; why won't Bell and COMIN challenge this over-powerful group (does Eddie Teare, for example, look to you like a man to be cowed by a civil servant?) how have they become too powerful; you need to back up these sweeping statements with something tangible.

[silentwitness]

Silentwitness what is the evidence for your assertion "the senior civil servants have become too powerful"; who do you mean; what are the events or circumstances that illustrate this excess of power; why won't Bell and COMIN challenge this over-powerful group (does Eddie Teare, for example, look to you like a man to be cowed by a civil servant?) how have they become too powerful; you need to back up these sweeping statements with something tangible.

http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/early/committee/eptpac061010.pdf

 

Read the Standing Committee of Tynwald on Public Accounts (above).

[silentwitness]

Silentwitness what is the evidence for your assertion "the senior civil servants have become too powerful"; who do you mean; what are the events or circumstances that illustrate this excess of power; why won't Bell and COMIN challenge this over-powerful group (does Eddie Teare, for example, look to you like a man to be cowed by a civil servant?) how have they become too powerful; you need to back up these sweeping statements with something tangible.

http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/early/committee/eptpac061010.pdf

 

Read the Standing Committee of Tynwald on Public Accounts (above).

 

I should add that the first thing that Group did was insist on pay rises for three (I think) of their members but without any performance related criteria.

 

i think that report highlights my points exactly

[mannin1]

 

 

2. In Tourism we have the Bounty replica project, the Noble's Bowling Park, and importing a shed load of used tyres for the Jurby race track whilst we were trying to figure out how to dispose of those already on the Island

 

Don't forget the £250k pissed against the wall for the Villa Aqua-Leisure Centre that didn't, er, happen. I honestly don't know who I'd bother voting for in Ramsey.....I can't think what Bell and Craine have done for the town in the last 5 years apart from showing an uncanny ability to turn up for photo-shoots when other people's hard work is about to come to some sort of fruition...unless you count the underfoot lighting in the public urinals, sorry, lanes from the Quay to Parliament Street and a Swimming Pool we can't swing a cat in, meaning everyone from the North still has to drag their kids to the NSC on wet weekends and holidays. Leonard Singer is now running around town huffing and puffing.....but it don't matter who gets in, they're still anonymous/impotent in Tynwald against the Douglas Block-vote and the will of the Civil Service............

The problem with Bell is that he is too long in the tooth. It's a shame becuase Alan Bell has a modicum of intelligence and is at least presentable, if lacking Gravitas. I think he has lost his way in a mass of mediocrity, along with a number of others. The senior civil servants have become too powerful and Bell, along with COMIN have been afraid to challenge the Status Quo. Despite the fact he has been shown not to have a full grasp of the facts, I still hope he gets back in given that some experience will be needed in the new house.

 

Are you F*****G Mad

[Evil Goblin]

I agree, Mannin 1. Given the results of the experience of Bell and Craine they are two members we could well do without.

[Last Ten]

Listened to Leanord Singer on radio and have to say he is a peoples person and I think he will give the two existing candidates a right run for their money.

 

Good luck Mr Singer, I think you have learnt from your last stint in Parliament and know what the people now want :-)

 

LT

[Shake me up Judy]

Yes, I'd go along with that, Len Singer spoke very well at both the public meeting in Ramsey and in the Talking Heads programme yesterday. I think he'd be getting one of my votes.

[Grianane]

Mr Singer struck me as a bit past it at the Manx Radio any questions event at the town hall, and from the video on the Manx Radio Elections website he's starting to show his age. Lets not forget he would have to function effectively in Government for 5 years if elected and I struggle to think of anything he achieved for Ramsey whilst there previously - although he was well travelled with the IOM film commission - he's 68 now can he still function so well at 73.

 

One remnant of his past representation of the town is however lasting, those bl**dy green feet on all the pavements supposedly to show the safe routes to school.

 

AB and AC might have their limitations but we need a better offer than Mr Singer if the town is to replace them..

[VinnieK]

AB and AC might have their limitations but we need a better offer than Mr Singer if the town is to replace them..

 

That's the local argument. The national one would be that Singer on the backbenches is a less worrying prospect than Craine or Bell in CoMin or as the chief minister

[Grianane]

AB and AC might have their limitations but we need a better offer than Mr Singer if the town is to replace them..

 

That's the local argument. The national one would be that Singer on the backbenches is a less worrying prospect than Craine or Bell in CoMin or as the chief minister

 

 

Your right that's the wider issue, however there is a paucity of credible candidates coming forward generally throughout the island and I'm at a loss to see how any of current nominees would do any better than those already there.

 

However you look at it the present system doesn't produce the 24 most suitable/competent/qualified island politicians, it produces 24 politicians who have each won a small popularity contest within their own constituency area, its highly likely that a person who fails to get elected in Ramsey (for instance) would still have been a better candidate that someone who was actually elected in another constituency, and that is what we're stuck with.

 

I would never vote for Peter Karran - I don't live in Onchan but just listening to him and seeing how he performs in Tynwald puts me off, but there's no doubt the OAP's in Onchan will re-elect him - does that make him Chief Minister material?

 

From a constituent viewpoint I'd rather vote for someone who will try, rather than someone who will just sit on the backbench and snipe - if you don't make decisions you can never be wrong, and in my mind that is not justification for giving LS a vote.