From what I hear around town we are ready and it’s obviously the State Government that doesn’t think the same way.
Obviously they are frightened that if we got a vote the Labor Party element would get a well deserved flogging and we would become independent again.
And if you think back to when we did have an independent city council we enjoyed good times.
Progress was a key word then whereas today it doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary.
And this yet another committee of so – called leaders that’s being set up is definitely not the answer.
Too many of those named on the committee have had their chance and failed.
So give us the natural right to decide who WE want to run our city and before 2012 and give us a say in our future.
Sensible back down
The city council’s decision to back away from charging inspection fees for local sporting and community canteens is most welcome.
A proposed $250 administration fee on top of the $144 already levied on businesses to get a health okay was just too much from day one.
When you look at it this was only a grab for cash and many struggling small businesses didn’t deserve such treatment.
And council’s decision not to replace turf wickets at Dalton Park and Reed Park, Dapto, with synthetics is also welcome.
Our brawling drinkers
We just cannot keep out of the media with the Glasshouse Tavern recently named the second worst club/pub in NSW for violence while honourable mentions went to Towradgi Beach, The Harp and North Wollongong hotels, Castros and Dapto Leagues Club.
And I can recall some years back when The Glasshouse Tavern was THE place to go for a QUIET meal and drink.
But I can also recall at that time that a walk down The Mall at night was quite safe and pleasant.
Out of touch
The Leader of the Opposition was right when he recently accused The Minister for Transport and Minister for Illawarra David Campbell as being out of touch with reality over the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s shoddy response to charges against certain local businesspeople and former city councillors.
And I read with interest some comments from the Director of the Institute of Criminology at Sydney University Professor Mark Findlay who suggested ICAC was “too political”.
And that would explain the delay in charges down this way where Labor continues to rule the roost.
A job well done
The re – election for a 10th term for Kiama Mayor Sandra McCarthy deserves a special mention, particularly in today’s topsy turvey “political” world.
Ever popular and appearing to be someone who just gets on with the job Cr McCarthy has survived despite an earlier run in with the Labor Party which saw her controversially expelled.
Give us a break
Now that the NRL season is over I hope we can read the local daily without having to put up with yet another photo of Wendell Sailor.
And by the way Wendell where did you get to in the finals?
Money down the drain
Here we go again another $2.7 million towards the costly Blue Mile project that offers so little to the great majority of Wollongong ratepayers.
A bright new pathway along our foreshore used by so few of us and yet we need an estimated $156 million to fix up our lagging infrastructure.
And it’s also time that those council people responsible for filling in the potholes do the job properly!!!
Tallawarra stance welcome
The city’s administrators do, however, need a pat on the back for their hard stance of no major expansion of new housing on the Tallawarra power station site.
We certainly don’t need the area, which offers natural beauty, strangled with housing.
What a joke
In a season where they have dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons the NRL capped it off on the eve of their grand final when Jarryd Hayne has been excused for a misdemeanour in the preliminary final and was allowed to saddle up for Parramatta in the big one.
But then again I suppose it didn’t come as a surprise when you really look at how poor the management of the league has become.
Does this mean that similar offences in the future will receive the same treatment?
John will be a big help to Rugby League, like giving players contracts similiar to Workchoices.
by Trevor Mott
07 Oct 09 09:20