The predicted avalanche of dingbats and drop bears for the council elections didn’t eventuate to any great degree, but there’s a few matters worthy of comment.
The Astonisher backs a loser, with a bit of the worst timing you could imagine … worse still, the timing was of the paper’s own making.
And Uncle Fester has been festering about something … Deputy Doo Dah Vern Veitch isn’t happy with some of the comments appearing on the pristine pages of this blog. So like all others, he gets equal time for refutation.
But First
Bentley’s on leave this week, but as he so bitingly proves time and again, a good ‘toon ,encapsulates a given situation in the most telling terms. In the grand tradition of Menzies and Queen Liz, Julia and Bazza Obama and Kevin Rudd and Kevin Rudd, politics throws up memorable love matches. Toonist-at-large Paul Zanetti reckons the latest political pairing will end in tears before bedtime.
Bit like Swanny and KRudd.
On the international scene, the Syrian peace talks drew the laser beam of the Guardian’s Martin Rowson, who nailed Putin’s shitty attitude to a proposed Syrian ceasefire.
Cheek of the Week PS Union interferes in council election.
Jenny and the report to sack 350 staff.
New Boss Old Problem
The Astonisher’s battle with numbers is getting almost as epic as its battle with words.
Still no wonder their interpretation oif readership figures has us rolling around the LMAO.
But It’s Not The Astonisher To Get The Week’s Wankley Award
From WIN’s Monday night news.
Nex
t week, Barnaby Juice?
Labo(u)r Of Love?
Although Jenny Hill has spurned her Labor affiliations for a ‘truly independent’ stance (anyone hear a cock crowing thrice?) Labor is a loving and forgiving church. Why else would a paid-up party member from Brisbane , this young fellow …
… travel to hot and humid Townsville for the duration of the council election, selflessly taking on the role of Mayor Mullet’s campaign manager. His name is Dylan Kerr, and The ‘Pie understands despite his tender years, he has been in the thick of campaign hurly burly in the form of student politics (QUT?). Some have described him as a ‘genius’, which is as it may be, but there can be no doubting his forgiving nature. Dylan is clearly willing to donate his time and effort to someone who has shunned her life-long Labor affiliation in a selfless attempt to become our truly liberated, independent mayor, free of any party coercion on policy?
Who’s paying him is unknown, but. well done, Dylan, fight the good fight, old son, there should be more like you.
Ummm,, actually, there probably are.
And One Union Attempts A Laughable Bit Of Bullying Flapdoodle.
One could get all upset and rip up the nighty at the presumptuous gall of it all, but in the end, you have to love the self-delusion.
After the roll call of candidates was completed, those who nominated received the following letter and attachment from one jeanine Orzanio – seen here a pal.
I understand you have now been sent a letter from our Union regarding seeking your commitment to protect conditions, which includes an invite to a community event, our Union is holding, as follows:
Date and Time: Wednesday 2 March 2016, 6 to 7 pm
Venue: Newmarket Hotel, 499 Flinders Street, Townsville
If you wish to accept our invitation, attached is the Pledge for you to demonstrate your commitment.
We will be informing our members of the commitment you have made.
Should the completed pledge not be received we will also advise our members of this.
The Pledge can be returned either by –
Emailing to: email hidden; JavaScript is required; or
Faxing to: (07) 3846 5046 and marked Attention: Tania Johnson
If you are wishing to attend the community event, we also remind you to RSVP, for catering purposes, your attendance by emailing email hidden; JavaScript is required.
Kind regards
| Jeanine Orzani ORGANISER E email hidden; JavaScript is required TOWNSVILLE OFFICE 485 FLINDERS STREET, TOWNSVILLE, QLD 4810 PO BOX 135, TOWNSVILLE, QLD 4810 T 07 4771 2873 F 07 4721 1582 M 0417 714 767BRISBANE OFFICE GROUND FLOOR, 32 PEEL STREET, SOUTH BRISBANE, QLD 4101 PO BOX 3347, SOUTH BRISBANE, QLD 4101 T 07 3844 5300 F 07 3846 5046 W theservicesunion.com.auL |
The pledge is question is this piece of up-themselves poppycock.
The thigh-slapper is Ms Orzani’s bombastic and empty threat viz; Should the completed pledge not be received we will also advise our members of this. The clear indication is that members will be urged not to vote for whatever swine declined to bow to the power of this (unelected) union diktat.
Asking a prospective office holder to make a union-inspired pledge of this self-interested nature is immature and laughable … and is telling prospective councillors to ignore the possibility of changing circumstances that could impact on ratepayers (their potential bosses and main responsibility) and may well require a re-think in areas that affect Service Union members.
That a union brings this up is not all that mysterious … you may recall this hoo-ha in 2012 when Mayor Jenny Hill has her easy-target arse well and truly kicked when she complained to authorities that CEO Ray Burton had withheld a crucial report from her … a report that would support an option for of sacking up to 350 council staff be sacked to save money.
Be interesting to see if Mayor Mullet and card-carrying Les Messagebank Walker sign the pledge.
The Deputy Mayor Has His Say
Townsville Deputy Mayor Vern Veitch
Apparently Vern Veitch has been suffering in silence all those slings and arrows of outrageous f–kwits in the comment section of this blog-not his words, but The ‘Pie gets his drift. So with an election on, our own Uncle Fester let’s us know what he’s been festering about (apart from being called Uncle Fester).
‘There is often a criticism of council debt on this page and poorly informed comments about the cost of rates compared to other places.
Council can only borrow to build infrastructure and we are restricted in where we can borrow from – mostly Queensland Treasury.
At amalgamation we inherited debt from the old Townsville City Council and the old NQ Water, with most of the debt from the latter that was borrowed largely to upgrade the Ross River Dam. Since then, our borrowings have been for building a large sewage treatment plant and making a substantial upgrade to our drinking water plants to increase capacity. Smaller items included roads (North Shore Boulevard which we are progressively getting reimbursed through infrastructure charges for as development extends along it) Civic Theatre upgrade and what is now known as Townsville RSL Stadium. There are numerous other bits of hard infrastructure that have also been built, all of them used on a daily basis.
So, for the critics, my question is – what would you not have built?
As to the question of rate levels, like many I have friends and family living in other states. I recently did a comparison with a friend in Melbourne who was not happy to hear that he pays more in general rates (without water and other services) than I do in total for a house of similar value. A family member on the NSW central coast near Woy Woy pays about the same with water but their road maintenance is abysmal. I’ve talked with residents who have properties in some nearby rural areas and they also admit to paying more for residential properties in those locations than in Townsville – despite lower property values and significantly less facilities that are mostly free or can be accessed at very low cost.
I drove around Brisbane area including Ipswich for a few days last year and was shocked at the condition of their minor roads. Whilst their main roads are massive and well maintained, the same cannot be said for many of their urban roads.
We need to ensure that we are quoting facts and comparing apples with apples when the discussion of comparative rates is the topic. And make sure you take your wallet if you want to park at a Sydney beach.
Vern Veitch
Clr Division 3
Townsville Deputy Mayor
In Passing ….
The ‘Pie thought we might have an all-gal tribute band in the making during the week, when he we were confronted with a pic of Crosby, Hill ….and Woods?
For reasons known only to their own spinning selves, The Astonisher decided to illustrate the yarn about cruise liner Amsterdam paying us a surprise visit due to bad weather with the above posed image. A handy little yarn, but one can’t imagine what possessed the paper to think the above photo was in any way relevant (obviously taken the day before the liner’s arrival). None of these people had the slightest bit to do with the economic windfall, such as it was.
OK smarty, you cry, what would you have done? Oh, dunno, maybe a pic of the liner …
MS Amsterdam
… showing what exalted company Townsville was in as a destination – accidental or otherwise.
The Astonisher Mangles Its Maths Again
Posing one of the deeply philosophical questions of our times, the Townsville Bulletin during the week managed to come up with one of the most deeply philosophical answers of all time.
Well, it was in the week when Einstein was proved right.
The Bulletin Does A Lord Ronald on The Proposed Airport Upgrade
The Magpie this week was put in mind of the great Canadian (two words not often seen together) humorist (there’s another) Stephen Leacock, and his oft quoted line from Gertrude the Governess –
‘Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.’
First during the week, this was published, prompting one Magpie reader to ask ‘Is this an advert, an advertorial, editorial or something else?’
Well, putting aside speculation that the headline suggests about the airport’s bargaining technique, the answer to the commenter is the column is certainly the first three, and probably something of the fourth, too.
But talk about rotten timing for a great steaming load of rotten self-serving claptrap.
First Chris Morris, now owner of Jupiter’s (the newly christened The Ville) had a little rant during the latest of these laughable space filling gab fest ‘seminars’ sponsored by the Bulletin where the line-up of speakers embarrassingly outnumber the audience. Mr Morris was channelling The Magpie when he bluntly said Bali flights just took money out of the town, (and we get hungover drunks in return), and the airport should be targeting more flights from Australian cities.
Then today, Jetstar used polite corporate language to pour cold water on the arrogant idea of a passenger impost for three to five dollars per passenger to fund a $42 million upgrade of Queensland Airport’s property. Again, The Magpie – ahem, modestly gazing at fingernails and drawing circles in the dust with claw as humblebrags that he – anticipated Jetstar by some months, too.
Kevin Gill TEL Chairman and Queensland Airports spruiker – Pic Astonisher
The passenger-funded upgrade is a thought-fart from the staring-eyed sweat bead CEO of Townsville Airport Kevin ‘Rhymes With’ Gill, who has been trying to take we yokels for a ride to finance his company’s asset enhancement.
And until it was forced to print the story from an even bigger advertiser –i.e JetStar – the paper was an unquestioning supporter of the upgrade and the ticket impost. So they were forced to ‘ride off in all directions’, courtesy of Morris and Jetstar.
Gill Should Go
It is The Magpie’s considered opinion that it is bad enough to have the inefficient and largely unaccountable gravey-trainers of Townsville Enterprise clamping their suckers on the ratepayers public purse, but to have this self-serving shifty twicer as the chairman of the a ratepayer funded organisation is absolutely untenable.
He isn’t interested in doing anything for this community, just himself and his southern masters – at our expense.
Former Mayor Les Tyrell stared down dodgy developer Craig Gore and his principle urger Anna Bligh when they tried to get the ratepayers to fund a third of the white elephant cruise liner (read naval) terminal.
Now – QED – the same tactic is being used on the airport upgrade issue – which isn’t an issue really, the place just needs an on-going spruce up here and there.
Only this time, instead of ratepayers, these venal southern blow-ins want to slug passengers to make it even dearer to enter and leave this city.
Has anybody ever heard a conversation like this?
‘How about visiting/holidaying/having a business meeting in Townsville?’
‘Sorry, no can do, won’t set foot in that airport, it’s the pits. Just won’t go near the place until it’s done up and has shops and all that stuff.’
By all means, Gill, do up the airport. Only you pay for it – on the novel concept that Townsville is making you shit-loads of money (you are a monopoly for chrissakes), so the community deserves it.
And if the upgrade is done, the locals deserve to get those contracts you are so eager to hand to Brisbane companies, when there are plenty of qualified contractors available up here – and please STOP BLOODY INSULTING US with juvenile excuses about the expertise to do tarmac upgrade at a working airport doesn’t exist up here. IT BLOODY DOES AND YOU KNOW IT.
If you had a shred of decency, you would resign immediately as Chairman of the TEL Board, but I guess that answers the question in itself.
Tosser.
Enough Of The Serious Stuff
A couple of Scandinavian chaps calling themselves truthfacts have taken to having some deadly serious fun with graphs.
H
Funny how the truth can sometimes be … well, funny.
