tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146278836891082902.post4154599919393794807..comments2023-07-25T16:47:45.388+01:00Comments on Bob the Black Country Brummie: In for the first time at No 7Bob the Black Country Brummiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01854624203714692383noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146278836891082902.post-39874539041853971382008-03-04T10:55:00.000+00:002008-03-04T10:55:00.000+00:00Yes Bob it was the bye election and you are quite ...Yes Bob it was the bye election and you are quite right Linda and some others did and I made a big fuss about it. I am referring here to our local councillors in Newton who in my opinion have not supported issues like these. I hope that Dave Hosell will take a more positive lead role. As for labour record nationally I think “more needs to be done”. With respect to the car parking charges, although some concessions were made the general principle of charging disabled patients is to my mind quite wrong. I will continue to campaign to get this changed. Thank you for your comment I only wish our local councillors were more vocal on this blog. With this series of posts I am trying to stimulate debate locally and hopefully encourage more people to participate in local politics it can only be good with a council election approaching.Bob the Black Country Brummiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854624203714692383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146278836891082902.post-82435251689263392682008-03-04T09:57:00.000+00:002008-03-04T09:57:00.000+00:00I can only assume you mean the by-election when yo...I can only assume you mean the by-election when you say.. 'at the last election'... Bob, because Labour's General Election Manifesto had a complete chapter about older people.<BR/><BR/>As for 'none of our councillors spoke out publicly against these decisions' that is just plain wrong. Councillor Linda Turton was extremely vocal about the parking charges (and not just for blue badge holders) at West Bromwich hospital. The issue was called-in by the Scrutiny Management Board (a public meeting at which a number of elderly and patient representatives put their points) and succeeded in getting the hospital to change its charges to make it easier and cheaper for the elderly and disabled. I sat on that Committee and together with my colleagues I was extremely vocal about this, so I cannot accept that allegation.<BR/><BR/>As for the anti-poverty unit, it is still in existence, it rakes in millions of pounds every year in additional benefits, despite the fact that the Council was ridiculed by the Conservative Party and the tax payers Alliance when we recruited in to the service recently. They described it as "a non-job".Bob Piperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13792439016502695274noreply@blogger.com