tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14469002870313187352024-03-13T15:06:21.177-07:00Councillor Julie Morrissey blogsBrentwood Labour Councillor representing Brentwood South Ward. All views my own, obvs.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-69057681725112466602013-02-24T09:55:00.002-08:002013-02-24T09:55:39.155-08:00Potholes...time to send in the troops?<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Potholes...time to send in the troops?</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here at Tory-run Brentwood Council, not so long ago, it was decided to jettison our Highways responsibility, to the Planet ECC. <br /><br />A neighbouring satellite geographically, but light years away in terms of accountability, responsiveness and action.</span> </span></span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The frustration felt by Brentwood dwellers and drivers is mounting as damage to cars and tyres through potholes increases.</span><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vvvsg3heMGE/USpNzrH3r8I/AAAAAAAAAFs/5aa0j3FXA80/s1600/20130224_125041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vvvsg3heMGE/USpNzrH3r8I/AAAAAAAAAFs/5aa0j3FXA80/s320/20130224_125041.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Meanwhile, the administration continues with the rhetoric that 'highways is a County issue' and stands by whilst Brentwood residents and drivers struggle on.<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Conscientious</span></span></span> councillors continually refer the issue of potholes through 'the members portal' but the response is slow.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Members have also tried to raise it at Highways meetings but are silenced by the chair and red tape.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now, an ever growing band of Opposition 'freedom fighters' is set to raise this issue in ever more creative & inventive ways.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46RtosbgBw4/USpR6BOKbqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/QePe_C-wrwA/s1600/20130224_125015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46RtosbgBw4/USpR6BOKbqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/QePe_C-wrwA/s320/20130224_125015.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I took my camera out into my ward (Brentwood South) & utilised my enthusiasm for photography & art in order to raise the issue of potholes in Brentwood.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking inspiration from an artist called Slinkachu who specialises in tiny art installations, I decided that this could be an effective way of raising the plight of 'the little people'; that is all of us who are affected on a daily basis by the ever-increasing and deepening potholes all across Brentwood.<span style="color: #1d1b10;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst out taking these images, I was stopped countless times as residents asked what I was doing. Once I explained, they were fully supportive without exception and delighted to see these potholes, that cause so much damage and unnecessary worry, are being reported, if only by the Labour Opposition on Brentwood Council.<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-size: xx-small;"> <br /> Can you spot the Storm Trooper?</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy15jC3YuSo/USpOd6HD05I/AAAAAAAAAF0/Kt7odSNJdiY/s1600/20130224_123916+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy15jC3YuSo/USpOd6HD05I/AAAAAAAAAF0/Kt7odSNJdiY/s320/20130224_123916+(1).jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy15jC3YuSo/USpOd6HD05I/AAAAAAAAAF0/Kt7odSNJdiY/s1600/20130224_123916+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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</a><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />If you are affected by potholes in Brentwood and are at your wits end, like me, contact me via my council email </span></em><a href="mailto:julie.morrissey@brentwood.gov.uk"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">julie.morrissey@brentwood.gov.uk</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and I will make sure that your pothole issue is reported to Essex County Council, as well as making sure that Brentwood Borough Council know just how many people are affected</span>.</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Check out the artist Slinkachu & his blogs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span> <span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Slinkachu</span> blogs:</span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><a href="http://little-people.blogspot.com/" rel="contributor-to nofollow" target="_blank">Little People - a tiny street art project</a></span></div>
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<span dir="ltr"><a href="http://innercitysnail.blogspot.com/" rel="contributor-to nofollow" target="_blank">Inner city snail - a slow-moving street art project</a></span></div>
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</ul>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-38118786927470214312013-02-10T12:12:00.001-08:002013-02-10T12:12:13.623-08:00A Vintage Year for Brentwood Politics?<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brentwood
& Ongar Labour Party met last week for the first meeting of 2013 and it was
our best attended yet; not just in numbers (although we were nearing 30 on a
cold and wet Thursday evening) but also in diversity, enthusiasm, wisdom and
intellect. <br />
<br />
I suppose inevitably, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people at the
meeting last week included charity workers, ex-local councillors (one of 40
year service) NHS staff and ex-nurses, doctors, IT whizzes, teachers and a
college lecturer and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">the </span>breadth of
knowledge and political savvy in that tiny little hall gave me great hope for
the future.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The range of
people and our varying ages makes for lively and interesting debate. We had a
half hour discussion about localism, which was supposed to last 10 minutes and
could have gone on all night, followed by a fascinating update from 2 of our
members who used to work in the health service and were keen that we were fully
briefed on the new Health and Well Being Boards that will be in position very
soon. The sense of team<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>was powerful stuff<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course,
we have been known to sweat the small stuff and can get entirely hooked up on
the position of a bus stop or the toilet in Stratford Station; this is part
of what is important to everyday people living everyday lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But we also get our teeth into campaigns and policy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZNi6AQmGVM/URf-vmVJBmI/AAAAAAAAAFc/ULgRZB59WHc/s1600/GMEC+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZNi6AQmGVM/URf-vmVJBmI/AAAAAAAAAFc/ULgRZB59WHc/s320/GMEC+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We made some
great plans for 2013 at last week’s meeting – some great social plans and some
great campaigning plans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You should
come along to our next meeting – I think 2013 is going to be a vintage year in
Brentwood’s local politics. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-78195386531604089672013-01-20T04:41:00.001-08:002013-01-20T04:41:45.519-08:00HMS Brentwood Ahoy!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was elected to be a Councillor on Brentwood Council
in May last year, I’d envisaged boarding an ocean bound liner, The HMS Brentwood,
steered by members heading for interesting and sometimes adverse
destinations – with platforms for debate, rooms for flexibility, vast pools of
knowledge and expertise; with space for listening and an enthusiastic, motivated
crew. An exciting vessel full of ideas that make it an attractive and vibrant
place to be and work with, enabling partnerships and transoceanic trade.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vj-iIgek-VM/UPvhzB2sNNI/AAAAAAAAADo/sZRXuez2Azk/s1600/DSCF9520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vj-iIgek-VM/UPvhzB2sNNI/AAAAAAAAADo/sZRXuez2Azk/s200/DSCF9520.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead I find myself on board the vast container ship
‘Uninspiring’ sailing, with questionable seaworthiness, along the straightest
of Straits headed up by a crew of members who seem to be making it up as they go
along. Their main concern is the bottom (plimsoll) line, keeping a lid on every
container and flexing the Whip. It has windowless cabins with no vision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To keep it afloat there have been many casualties; tenants
have been left high and dry; arts and culture, sports and health have been
offloaded; the place is overrun with rats as the rat catcher was made to walk
the plank and the gangways are rotting because the highways department was traded. The only thing left for staff to do is to collect up the
rubbish, weekly, and announce it on the ships tannoy, over and over and over.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But! Splice the mainbrace!......there is hope on the horizon. Fortunately others aboard this grey vessel also speak of that visionary, ocean bound liner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s mutiny afoot and I know where I’m nailing my flag –
HMS Brentwood AHOY!</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-42709139258310711062013-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:002013-01-20T05:07:51.394-08:00Five Year Fixed Term Tenancies - a short sighted policy for long term agony<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Brentwood
authority wants to bring in Fixed-Term Tenancies (for future tenants only) in a
bid to stamp out antisocial behaviour among its social housing tenants – I’d
laugh if it wasn’t so serious. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S34lSwiFPcg/UPvrS7HQZeI/AAAAAAAAAEk/MyfyTjP_SZg/s1600/64006052004%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S34lSwiFPcg/UPvrS7HQZeI/AAAAAAAAAEk/MyfyTjP_SZg/s200/64006052004%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Doesn’t this Council already have policies in place to deal with anti
social behaviours such as 'too much rubbish’ or ‘playing music too loud'? <br />Well,
yes it does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Have we had no recourse until this new, draconian measure was dreamt up?
<br />Well, yes we have. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So, what is this really? This is ghettoisation, in shabby sheeps clothing. Disgraceful.</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We don't really believe that it's all about anti-social behaviour, do we?<br /><br />The flat-cap wearing, pigeon-fancying, whippet racing working classes
get another dose of classic Tory medicine.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">But worse, s</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">ome
tenants have pointed out that it might not stop there; the wording of the proposal
does not rule out the possibility that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i>
tenants may be affected if they move house, <em>within</em> the service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Some
members at the Town Hall have been getting a bit shirty when residents, and
Ward Councillors opposing this proposal, have asked questions about
the morality of Fixed Term Tenancy - huffing and puffing; snapping
and becoming impatient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">All this
impatience feels designed to put people off but to keep quiet means sleepwalking
into a housing disaster.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">These
questions need asking. Brentwood Conservative Councillors in favour of this proposal must think again. Tenants must complete those questionaires and people must continue to voice their concerns and, if that means
some huffing and puffing well, so be it. Because annoying the policy makers
by asking the questions they would rather not answer is true democracy and the
way that policies are shaped. <br />
<br />
Irritations, like the grain of sand in an oyster, can shape something that is
preferable to all.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> <br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here’s
hoping for a pearl.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-50590479864004433482013-01-16T14:55:00.003-08:002013-01-20T04:55:06.413-08:00Wooded area gets a New Year Facelift<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span id="goog_1283310122"></span><span id="goog_1283310123"></span>Following a brilliantly positive meeting last night with Newham officers and Brentwood residents, a small wooded corridor, sorely neglected for many years<br /><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">will finally get the att</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">
ention it deserves.</span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA50VpK-zO0/UPvnbVWu1aI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DrqRYkgh59o/s1600/Wooded%2Barea%2Bin%2BSeptember%2B12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA50VpK-zO0/UPvnbVWu1aI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DrqRYkgh59o/s200/Wooded%2Barea%2Bin%2BSeptember%2B12.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Following years of casework from the Labour Councillors for Brentwood South and repeated enquiries from local people, the little wooded walkway, at the rear of houses on Cherry Avenue and St Stephens Crescent, has finally been identified <br />as belonging to Newham Council and treework is set to begin <br />within the next 10 days or so (weather permitting).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Officers from Newham are keen to address the issue of overly tall Poplar trees, overcrowded tree growth, dumping and flytipping.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">They also plan to remove unnecessary, largely broken fencing and open up the walkway to encourage appropriate use and enjoyment.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Interested residents met with officers from Newham last night (Monday January 12) and were delighted to hear of the plans for the wooded area.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">They were reassured that wildlife will be taken into account and informed that the reason the work is taking place now is to get the trees reduced or removed before nesting starts. <br /><br />One delighted resident ended the meeting by saying "I'd just like to say that it all sounds really good and I'd like to thank you for all the hard work".</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br />Julie Morrissey, Labour Councillor for the area, Brentwood South said "This is just the perfect result at the end of years of enquiries and discussion. The meeting last night was incredibly positive. The officers from Newham came to the meeting with the sole intention of listening to local people and being flexible - this they did, and they were. <br />I am very much looking forward to monitoring the results, with residents, over the coming months"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Cllr Morrissey went on to say that there has been a great response to the competition for a name for this wooded area and the results will be made public at the end of the month.</span></div>
<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1d1b10; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></em></span></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-63722736742635809082013-01-13T06:10:00.000-08:002013-01-20T05:24:35.011-08:00Political Storms Ahead<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.5pt; letter-spacing: -1.25pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Forecast
Summary<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SY0Mj84_dzI/UPvv0iTdSyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0gsG4dG4dGI/s1600/800px-Brentwood_High_Street%252C_Essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SY0Mj84_dzI/UPvv0iTdSyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0gsG4dG4dGI/s200/800px-Brentwood_High_Street%252C_Essex.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Today</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Some bright or sunny spells but staying cold after a <br />
widespread frost early on, and with some wintry <br />
showers likely, particularly across parts of Norfolk.</em></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tonight</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Staying very cold. Gradually clouding over with snow <br />
spreading from the northwest to all parts. This will <br />
lead to some accumulations, especially later, also <br />
some very icy conditions......</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">......and that’s my concern...”icy conditions” and Brentwood
High Street – or the paving to be precise. I’m going to say it – IT’S SLIPPERY.
The paving in Brentwood High Street is tricky to walk on and especially so when
wet, snowy or icy. People slip over on the new paving. Not sure how much
clearer I can be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">£7 million on a slippery High Street. It beggars belief.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw a tweet this morning from a Brentwood resident
alerting Brentwood Council of the fact that she observed a ‘fit and able’ man
slip over on the paving. No response or acknowledgement.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And when will there be an acknowledgement of the terrible state
of the paving in Brentwood High Street. When will we see repairs?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am a frequent pedestrian in Brentwood High Street, not
least because the right hand (Post Office) side is part of my ward (Brentwood
South). Clearly the paving needs serious attention. Yet I have not been made
aware of any plans to address the cracked and uneven slabs, the chunks of
paving stones missing and seesawing kerb stones – despite The Labour Group reporting
these issues repeatedly. A walk along Brentwood High Street now requires such careful
navigation that I would expect to have seen a regular repair team in place over
the last few months. If you have building work done at home and the work begins
to crack or chunks fall off – you would be within your rights to call the
builders back to make good. Where are the High Street contractors? Why are they
not putting it right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would also expect to see some sort of update from Essex
and Brentwood Council - accepting the problem, warning people to take care
especially in wet or icy conditions and informing residents about plans to
address the issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <span class="licensetpl_attr"><a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Kai_Tatsu" title="en:User:Kai Tatsu">Kai Tatsu</a> at <a class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/">en.wikipedia</a></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446900287031318735.post-5380968495624074872013-01-13T05:33:00.000-08:002013-01-20T04:56:48.351-08:00Quotas for Women or Just a Level Playing Field?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spare me ‘the level playing field’ excuse or ‘getting there ‘on
my own merits’.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mOsYFoq3M8/UPvpWc7t-1I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/EKWHMGjsiAk/s1600/220px-Votes_For_Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mOsYFoq3M8/UPvpWc7t-1I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/EKWHMGjsiAk/s200/220px-Votes_For_Women.jpg" width="136" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This highly convenient slice of rhetoric suits the suits at
the top. It aims to pluck at the guilt strings touting this myth that women must
fight the good fight with no help or extra investment. So, do men receive no
extra help or support to get to the top? Have we forgotten about ‘the old boys’
or The Freemasons network’? Not least the very fact that all women over 21 did
not have the right to vote until 1928. Thereby ensuring that men have had all
the political and powerful advantages for years before women achieved equality.
In short, men have been enjoying ‘all me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
n shortlists’ and ‘all men quotas’
allowing them to reach the upper echelons in business and government.</span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unlike the Tory leader of Brentwood Council, I’m quite comfortable
with the fact that now is my time to enjoy the same level of support and
investment to ensure that I have the opportunity to achieve. I will not cow-tow
to the idea that for me to eschew support, as men did <strong>not</strong> before 1928, would be
a sign of weakness and inequality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you believe that quotas and all women shortlists are unnecessary
then by default you must believe that men are better ‘at this sort of thing’
than women, as statistics show that there are more of them, in government and
in the boardroom. You are then part of the problem.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243110887582962538noreply@blogger.com0