Yes I ran for Mayor in Collingswood. I knew I didnt stand a chance, but I did it anyway. Maybe to shake up the Old Guard and Norcross-ites, LOL

Highlights of Mayor Gerry Ellis’ year

The Mayor said he would tell people of some of the highlights of his Mayoral year. A few days after becoming Mayor he had been introduced to the Queen as she came off the Yellow Duckmarine in Liverpool. He said to her, “Did you enjoy your trip on the Duck?”, the Queen didn’t answer the question and it was later pointed out to him that it was a breach of etiquette to ask the Queen a question.

Another event he’d been to had been in Woodchurch when it was raining, so sheets had been used to stop them getting wet. Unfortunately one of the sheets had blown over sending water cascading down over the Mayor. The Mayor continued his speech and referred to a good relationship with other cultures, the work of the Wirral Multicultural Organisation and the monthly citizenship ceremonies.

Remembrance Sunday was the first time the Mayor had been to the “splendid” Remembrance service in Birkenhead, as in previous years he’d attended the remembrance service held in West Kirby. The Cockleshell Heroes event “turned out to be one of the highlight’s of the Mayoral year” and the “best publicity Wirral had”.

He loved going to theatres and the Mayor was Honorary President of a couple of theatre groups. The Chrysanthemums Pantomime Society were particularly pleased that he was Mayor as he was a former member.

City Council members deadlocked Wednesday night over the proposal.

Newly elected Councilwoman Cindy Pool was considered by many to be the swing vote. She got groans from the audience for voting “no”.

“My constituents told me that they wanted this to stop,” Pool said afterwards. “Not necessarily for him to be back in office, but they wanted this to go away.”

The 3-3 tie came after passionate pleas from residents. One said: “There will be no moving forward until this is resolved. You can end it tonight and do the right thing, or continue to spend our money and make us a laughingstock of St. Louis County.”

Paul, who was elected last year, was ousted in April for allegedly illegally communicating with a Walmart developer and failing to keep control over council meetings, among other charges.

He’s now appealing the impeachment in St. Louis County Circuit Court, along with lawsuits against individual council members and the city.

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Pirrello, a leading figure during Paul’s impeachment trial, told KMOX News that he’d like to know how the ex-mayor is paying for defense attorney Chet Pleban.

“I don’t know where he has an unlimited bottomless pit of money to pursue all of this,” Pirrello said. “I think one of you all should be asking him that question. Where is all your money coming from?”

Paul has deferred KMOX questions about his personal expenses.

Pirrello: “The fact that he is continuing to perpetuate all these different lawsuits is only wasting taxpayer’s dollars. We have to defend ourselves. He is putting us in that situation.”

Pleban took the opposite approach, noting that the council could’ve avoided further expense by reinstating Paul.

The council voted unanimously to hold a special election for Mayor in November and also to hire independent counsel to advise them on issuing bonds in regards to the tax increment financing passed last year for a proposed Walmart.

KMOX © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

As harsh as it might sound, unfortunately it seems like the running theme of the last few months has been the growing clumsiness of Celia Wade-Brown’s mayoralty.

• There was the $350,000 new office or ‘luxury nest’ which saw some suggestions that the whole council could be replaced by “teddy-bears”
• The “total shambles” slashing of 150 council jobs which led to Celia asking ”How did that happen? Why were our hands not on the steering wheel?”
• The not being bothered to meet despite the seemingly urgent need to ratify water restrictions during the regional water crisis.
• The attempt to kill the fly over by commissioning a further $40k report to consider alternatives… which promptly recommended building a fly over. Arguably a rock solid waste of time of time but it also led to an embarrassing episode of cowardice.
• Which all saw Celia getting the attention of Whale Oil… and apparently the wrath of the Green co-leadership.

But probably the most significant episode was the decision by the left of the Council to remove the long-term WCC CEO, Gary Poole. Poole was seen by many to be close to the Prendergast regime and out-of-step with the lurch to the left taken by the Council under Celia. But he was also the dominant figure around Town Hall arguably holding much of the real power.

The political significance of this removal and the amount of work behind the scenes to remove such a big figure cannot be underestimated. Which is why it seems extraordinary that no one on the left seemed to think ahead and consider who they might appoint to the role and in the end the hole was filled by the only viable alternative… who happened to be a right-winger who literally wrote the book on out-sourcing, restructuring and downsizing councils… seemingly at odds with Celia and the Green-left caucus.

The lack of an actual strategist or political operator on the left was there for all to see through the clumsiness of the whole episode.

In saying all of this, Celia Wade-Brown remains in a pretty strong position electorally with the power of incumbency on her side. Word is that the series of events above has seen the centre and right of politics look to find a credible candidate that it can unite behind and properly challenge. But until that happens and someone actually credible emerges (and assuming the cycle tour of cock ups has ended…), then it is hard to see Celia being knocked off.

Of course, in the coming weeks we will cover the candidates in the wards and mayoralty races in far greater depth along with all the big campaign issues, whether the City is on its deathbed and the shape of governance in the region.

For those of you who don’t know Richard III is where we receive to iconic Shakespearean lines. “Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York”, and “My kingdom for a horse”. Both lines convey so much with so little. The first, things were horrible now things are getting better because the house of York is rising. It could also be taken that our refers to Richard (W. Lochridge O’Bryan) and his co-conspirators the audience. We (the audience) are after all discontented that Richard is not King, he thinks were on his side. “My kingdom for a horse” shows great desperation he’s losing the battle if you could get him a horse so he could escape he would give up his Kingdom. A Kingdom he spent years and the blood of others to acquire.

A little history about the Play itself. Richard is a plotter and schemer he’s not happy because he’s not King. So he plots and he schemes, moves pawns around has people jailed and un-jailed slowly moving his way to the top. Once he gets there Civil War breaks out and it all ends in blood, his. Richard is an interesting character he’s the villain but in some ways you sympathize with him. He’s disfigured, a hunchback and it’s clear he’s not very well loved by his family or other Nobles. So he plots and schemes trying to win hearts and minds through flattery or force whichever tool happens to work best for the job at hand.

W. Lochridge O’Bryan plays the part of a villain quite well. His asides to the audience let you in on his machinations. It takes a powerful character and actor to hold the stage alone and he does this nicely. Margaret (Tina Preston) makes a vindictive, angry, revenge seeking woman seem sympathetic. You understand she’s lashing out because she’s lost everything. Yes she’s cursing everyone to horrible fates, but her curses come from a place of pain. Tina is able to convey this with her voice, face, and mannerisms. It’s not easy to make someone seeking revenge sympathetic and it was a nice touch. Lady Anne (Anna Gillcrist) is the secondary object of desire for Richard. Besides the throne he wants to woo her, in part it does appear that he has genuine feelings for her. Though it seems at best she is another pawn, at worst a conquest for a man who can never have enough. I commend Anna for taking a character who is in a sense only an object to Richard and humanizing her.

The other actors all come and go playing multiple characters. It’s a bit frenzied but with a careful eye and ear you can tell the characters apart. If you pay attention to their dress and mannerisms, as well as the cadence of their voice you can tell everyone apart. You should be paying attention in the first place it Shakespeare. Watching Shakespeare is not a spectator sport you have to be engaged mentally and physically the entire time. Keeping up with the dialogue watching the subtle movements listening to the changes of tone. It’s the type of exertion that’s worth your effort though, it’s rewarding to go through the emotions the characters do. To reach the close when the lights go down.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, is a small black box theater but they can put on Shakespeare with the best of them.

Richard III runs Fridays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 7pm through June 16th.

For more information please visit:

www.zombiejoes.com

All photos credit: Zombie Joe

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20268781_20601920,00.html

Cherry Tree Farm Tce 9 May 2013.

Eric Pickles decided that concreting over Farm Terrace Allotments was in the Community’s best interests after all.

Regarding the decision the Mayor stated -

‘the 60 or so Farm Terrace allotment holders affected will be offered good quality, alternative provision within the borough – many within walking distance.’

DT Tweet - Cares for Compost because that’s what her PR machine advised her to say.

http://www.watford.gov.uk/ccm/content/strategic-services/press-releases/2013-05/allotment-decision-endorses-health-campus-.en;jsessionid=9F66F0697FEE0E360FC3C77601BCF137  This is absolutely NOT true.  The alternative site is an arduous car drive away.  It is not an intimate site as is ‘The Terrace.’  The new soil is clay and of poor quality and often water-logged.  The Council has 10 plots reserved there designated for un-named ‘experiments’ and some kind of venting device???  ‘Contamination’ at the new site is not out of the ball park.  Ms Thornhill FibDem Mayor seems completely unfazed by the lies she submitted to the Secretary of State in order to get her housing project up and running at Farm Terrace.  There is yet another housing project going up on St Alban’s Road as we speak.  This has no garage provision as it is deemed adequately served by ‘Public Transport’.

FTAG wish to mount a challenge to the Secretary of State and have 3 months from 8/5/12 to issue proceedings.

https://www.facebook.com/SaveFarmTerraceAllotments?filter=2

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/10406879.Campaigners__absolutely_gutted__over_allotment_decision/?ref=mmsp

Cllr Debbie James with her husband Andrew during his term as Mayor of Fazeley

Former Mayoress of Fazeley Cllr Debbie James was voted in as the towns Deputy Mayor for 2013/14 at Monday’s meeting of the Town Council.

Cllr James was Mayoress from 2009 to 2011 when her husband, Cllr Andrew James, was the Mayor of Fazeley.

Debbie is the third member of the James family to hold the prestigious role of Deputy Mayor of Fazeley; her husband Andrew was Deputy Mayor in 2008/09 and her daughter Rebecca James was Fazeley’s Deputy Mayor in 2011/12.

Cllr James said, “I am honoured to be chosen to serve as Deputy Mayor during the next year and I look forward to fulfilling the esteemed role.”

Fazeley’s new Town Mayor was announced on Monday, 13 May 2013, with Deputy Mayor Cllr Simon Clements taking the chain of office for 2013/14.

At the latest meeting of Fazeley Town Council, Cllr Rebecca James handed over the Mayoral chains to Cllr Clements.  As Cllr James stepped down, she was presented a framed certificate in honour of her loyal service as Town Mayor and then both Cllr Clements and Cllr Richard McDermid paid tribute to her year in office, for her work carried out as a young councillor, juggling council work and home life throughout the last year.

At the end of the meeting, Cllr Clements announced that his Mayoral charity for 2013/14 will be the Midlands Air Ambulance.  He said, “If it had not been for the Midlands Air Ambulance, I would not be standing here tonight.  I hope that during my year in office, I can help repay the work carried out by the dedicated crews of the Midlands Air Ambulance.”

Cllr Clements, who has been both Fazeley’s Deputy Mayor and Tamworth’s Mayor Consort during the last twelve months, was joined by his wife, Cllr Tina Clements (Tamworth’s current Mayor), daughter Kirsty and friends on the prestigious occasion.

Late in the afternoon of Election Day, people trying to get their votes in before the 7PM deadline go to the election officer to get their ballots.

One of the things that kept me preoccupied (and away from hellokindredstrangers) is the 2013 Midterm Election in the Philippines, my country. In this election (which happened this past Monday), people were asked to elect 12 Senators and a Party-list representative (see the following link if you aren’t sure what “party-lists” are about in the country’s political system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party-list_representation_in_the_House_of_Representatives_of_the_Philippines) at large, and their House of Representatives member, Mayor, Vice Mayor and six City/Municipal Councilors at the local level. And despite the passage of time, certain things have not changed.

Just outside the precinct, a media vehicle sits right next to a cluster of campaign posters.

You know it’s election season in the Philippines when you notice the following around you:

a) Vehicles roam around with loud speakers, blaring campaign jingles of the candidates that paid them to do so. [I have tried but failed to capture a picture of this because either I see them when I don't have my camera, or they aren't there when I am lugging my camera around!]

b) Flyers and banners of candidates all over the place. There used to be tons of campaign posters that stuck to walls that blighted the landscape and were difficult to remove. Thankfully, the authorities have cracked down on that lately and recent elections haven’t been blighted by such.

c) Local celebrities (of various kinds) campaigning for a position in the government, or helping out in someone else’s campaign.

d) News that talk about candidates breaking campaign rules, committing verbal gaffes, mudslinging each other (probably a universal thing when elections come around), or worse sending goons to kill off rivals and their supporters. The last is the reason why we have

e) Gun bans (where you’re not allowed to bring out in public your firearm) that run from mid January to mid June of an election year. Due to this, there are usually checkpoints (especially during late nights) at random locations. There are always at least several hundred people who get busted for violating that each election season.

f) Someone you know tells you about being offered money and other freebies to vote for a certain candidate.

g) You won’t be able to buy alcohol on the day before or on Election Day.

h) On the Saturday before, the biggest election rallies take place – usually in order for a political party (or alliance) to summarize what they stand for in order to make one last push for votes. We have a term for that in the Philippines: “Miting de avance”.

i) Your neighborhood voting precinct will have tons of campaign material (namely banners, flyers, and posters) nearby.

j) Some places will experience unexplained power outages on that day.

k) The official election commission won’t start counting the votes until at least a week after the voting finishes, and the results aren’t often finalized till about a month later. [Regarding this point, I did hear that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) promised to change this practice and even promised final results within 48 hours of voting precincts closing, but most of us weren't convinced considering their track record. Indeed it's been over 48 hours since the polls closed and we are still waiting for their official final tally. Surprise!]

l) There is always a losing candidate that will complain about “getting cheated” after the Election.

There are other things that characterize a Philippine election, but these are the very things I tend to notice regularly ever since I became conscious of politics.

A camera man for the TV network ABS CBN arrives outside the precinct to help set up before the designated field reporter arrives to report from there.

On top of that, there’s the embarrassingly obvious fact that many of the most qualified candidates frequently get overlooked by voters swayed by name recall, glamour, money, freebies, and a host of other rather (for lack of a better word) shallow factors. It’s sad and annoying at the same time, and I never fail to shake my head in embarrassment at something once the vote counting finishes.

I highly doubt this 2013 Midterm Election will be any different. However, such is democracy and in such a scenario you aren’t always going to get what you want. I guess it is because of this that there are people who emphasize the necessity of getting involved with your nation’s political affairs beyond just casting a ballot.

Some people finished voting hang around the precinct.

Nevertheless, no matter how this Midterm Election turns out, here’s another thing that will never change: I will always LOVE my country, even though it and its politics can annoy the hell out of me!

Cllr Chambers informed Council of the changes at the Annual Council meeting on Wednesday, 15 May 2013.

At the same meeting, new Mayor of Medway Cllr Josie Iles took over the mayoral chains of office for the coming year from outgoing Mayor Cllr Vaughan Hewett.

The Mayor’s Consort is Steve Iles. The Deputy Mayor is Cllr Jane Etheridge and the Deputy Mayor’s Consort is Gary Etheridge (corr).

The new Mayor’s charities for 2013/14 will be Demelza Kent, Help the Heroes, Medway Age UK and Caring Hands in the Community.

The changes to Cabinet include some changes to posts and roles including removing the post of Portfolio Holder for Children’s Social Care and making this area of work a responsibility of the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member).

A new Portfolio Holder for Educational Improvement role will be created and the councillor in this role will work to the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member).

The role of Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services has also been removed, reducing the overall number of Portfolio Holders (including the Leader) at Medway Council from ten to nine.

For full details of each role and to see the name of the councillor that will take up this post for the 2013/14 council year please see the table below.

Leader
Cllr Rodney Chambers
• Democracy and governance
• Inward investment
• Regeneration
• Strategic Partnerships
• World Heritage Site Status

Deputy Leader and Finance
Cllr Alan Jarrett
• Better for Less
• Communications and media
• Council Plan
• Council tax and business rates
• Finance
• Housing benefit
• Performance and service improvement
• Property
• Risk management
• Strategic procurement

Adult Services
Cllr David Brake
• Community care
• Independent Safeguarding and Review Service
• Health
• Older people
• Public Health (Lead Member)
• Services for people with learning and physical disabilities
• Telecare/Telemedicare

Children’s Services (Lead Member)
Cllr Mike O’Brien
• Children and Young People’s Plan
• Early years
• Further education
• Home to school transport
• Inclusion
• Primary and secondary education
• School services
• Special educational needs
• Specialist youth services
• Youth
• Adoption
• Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• Children with disabilities
• Children’s residential care
• Fostering
• Integrated Children’s Teams
• Leaving Care
• Looked After Children

Educational Improvement
Cllr Kelly Tolhurst
• Educational improvement as directed by the Children’s Services Portfolio Holder

Community Safety and Customer Contact
Cllr David Carr
• CCTV
• Community safety
• Community Officers
• Customer Contact
• Drugs and alcohol
• Enforcement (executive functions only)
• Environmental health
• ICT
• Legal
• Trading standards
• Travellers

Front Line Services
Cllr Phil Filmer
• Parking
• Public transport
• Roads
• Street cleaning and waste collection/ recycling/waste disposal
• Traffic management
• Transport

Housing and Community Services
Cllr Howard Doe
• Adult learning
• Bereavement Services
• Disabled adaptations to housing
• Events and Festivals
• Green-spaces
• Heritage
• Homeless and housing options
• Housing allocations for social housing
• Housing Strategy
• Leisure services
• Libraries and Community Hubs
• Private sector housing
• Registration
• Sporting Legacy
• The development and management of the council’s housing stock
• Theatres and arts
• Tourism
• Voluntary sector

Strategic Development and Economic Growth
Cllr Jane Chitty
• Building and Development Control
• Community centres
• Economic development
• Europe
• Housing site allocations through the Local Development Framework
• Local Development Framework
• Planning
• Rural Strategy
• Social regeneration
• Sustainable Communities

Image from: http://www.berita8.com/berita/category/gaya-hidup

A four-year-old child named Robert Tufts was elected as the mayor of Dorset, Minnesota. How? Well, according to a post, that town elects their mayor by randomly picking a name from a hat. You just need to pay $1 to join. His key to success was to have other people putting his name in the hat. How? Well, that little boy actually campaigned for the job by handing out pins to local businesses.

For more information on this topic, visit  http://huff.to/140w6Nm .

4-Year-Old Mayor: Kindergartner Robert ‘Bobbie’ Tufts Selected to Govern Dorset, Minn.

He hasn’t finished a full year of kindergarten, but 4-year-old Robert “Bobbie” Tufts is already running an entire town in Minnesota.

Read more

http://www.mpls.tv/

READ MORE HERE:  http://news.yahoo.com/detroit-mayor-calls-084500228.html

In the Godfather movie, there’s no scene that better conveys that same transition of control as when Michael Corleone, after a meeting with Moe Greene, chastises his older brother Fredo and says, “Fredo, you’re my older brother and I love you, but don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever.” Which mirrors a teaching moment Don Vito gives Sonny in an earlier scene, after Sonny slips up in the meeting with Sollozzo the Turk, Marlon Brando chastises him, “What’s the matter with you… don’t ever tell anyone outside the family what you’re thinking again”.

“Don’t ever go against the family.” I imagine those are the words spoken in the corridors of our City Halls, as politicans and business interest combine to trump the interests of the constituents, all under hushed tones. Does the Media cover the real issues? When our elected officials cut our paid for services because of “deficits” in the budget is it mismanagement or a con? Where is the money going when the tax base or the population is increasing? So we pay more for less. Maybe the priority is that outside consultants and contractors receive salaries of $250, $350 an hour for the same work a City employee can do for $35 or $50? After all a relative might own the firm… How about the subsidies and tax breaks that large developers receive from the City? Construction is always a good venue to hide money. I mean how can some city council officials get elected with no money, but finish their terms as millionaires. I imagine that behind close doors, for our politicians, it’s like “Push it to the Limit” from Scarface:

Even when a problem is brought up, like pension obligations, the reform always hits the little guy, the service employees, like the tree trimmers, janitors, and the guys who fill pot holes. While the exhorbitant pensions and salaries of the Los Angeles Police Department and LADWP are relatively untouched. You can use the same analogy that Shaq used, on us, the constituents. We’re like Fredo from the Godfather, we’re not ready to take the reins of our government. Ideally we should be like Sonny and doing whatever it takes to hold our officials accountable, but we’re apathetic. Hopefully we don’t wait for the system to fail and inherit what’s left, like Michael Corleone.

Peter Abbate (Photo: NYS Assembly)

Comptroller John Liu may be facing the scrutiny that comes with two associates being convicted of an attempted fraud scheme on his behalf, but his mayoral campaign is still plugging along. Indeed, Mr. Liu will be endorsed by Brooklyn Assemblyman Peter Abbate tomorrow morning, according to a Democratic operative with knowledge of the event.

The endorsement does make some sense. Mr. Abbate, the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees, is a veteran legislator known for being a staunch backer of public employee unions–something for which Mr. Liu has also made a name for himself doing.

Additionally, Mr. Liu has particularly passionate support in the city’s Asian American community and Mr. Abbate’s district was redrawn to contain the heart of Brooklyn’s Chinese constituencies in Sunset Park and Bensonhurst. He now represents one of just three Asian American-majority Assembly districts in the state.

According to the source, the announcement event will take place in front of the Amico Senior Citizens Center along 13th Avenue.

Mr. Liu has previously been endorsed by Councilmen Peter Koo and Charles Barron