Nothing much surprises me anymore about local government – State and Federal too, for that matter – but to be told our local council has a portfolio of investments worth some $55 million, and that some of it could be under threat in today’s weird economic climate is hard to take.

Did you pay your rates realising that some of your hard earned cash would be invested in the outside money markets? I bet you didn’t, and any correspondence received from council about your rates would not have even suggested this might happen.

We have every right to ask for our rates to be returned, or at least have some factual statement which indicates how they will be spent. Spent, not invested!!

I don’t know about you but when I get my next rate notice, which almost certainly will ask me for more money than this financial year, I will not cough up a cent until someone at city hall can tell me how my money will be spent and where.

It just gets sillier when you hear from council officers that they can’t make ends meet and major local works are falling behind due to a lack of cash, and yet they have invested millions of dollars in the outside financial markets.

What about the customers?

I’ve mentioned this subject before but it continues to irk me.

The amount of monies being paid to some senior officers, and board members, of public companies continues to blow my mind!

There it was in a daily newspaper recently the fact that Qantas “boss” for some years Geoff Dixon was given a $12 million handout.

Here’s an organisation that has lately been assailed for apparently not having the funds to properly maintain its fleet and they can still find $12 million for one of their leaders.

There should be a national investigation into the situation and let’s see them reduce the fares for the travelling public rather than throw their money at the elite few.

And it’s not just Qantas that are guilty of these obscene handouts.

What would the odds have been?

Three blokes recently bought tickets in a members raffle or something similar at Western Suburbs Leagues Club and lo and behold when the numbers were called all three won $500 each.

In fact, their numbers were called in succession.

Phew! What would the odds of this happening again?

ICAC findings to be released

I believe Wednesday (tomorrow) is D – Day for those caught up in the recent ICAC enquiries concerning land deals in the city.

At long last the hearing’s findings will be tabled in State Parliament and they should provide interesting reading.

And an honour is bestowed

I’m also told that one of our city’s administrators Gabrielle Kibble has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Western Sydney for her support of that organisation and the community and for her contribution to planning.

Congratulations Gabrielle and further best wishes sorting out of this city’s various problems.                                                  

Let’s the facts right

There I was reading the Sunday paper when I noticed a story about Manly’s Stewart brothers, who have their roots in this area, and the subject turned to their formative years of rugby league at Figtree Oval.

Quotes such as Figtree Oval having long grass, weeds, litter and graffiti across the concrete toilet caught my attention and I immediately wondered whether what I know as Figtree Oval was being grossly misrepresented.

The article continued with a comment about no grandstand there and this cemented in my mind that in talking with the Herald journo they were at the wrong park.

Figtree Oval has as long as I can recall been a wonderfully prepared sporting oval and it does not have a concrete toilet, and it does have a grandstand.

So I took a drive down Figtree way and found the oval referred to still in perfect knick, although the parklands off nearby Bellevue Road left a lot to be desired.

A bad memory lapse I would suggest, but it does gall you to continue to read about the so – called “bad things” about our city.

A chance for David Campbell to come to the party

He has held Ministry after Ministry, at State level, and was our Lord Mayor for many years without doing any of these jobs with any real distinction, but now the Member for Keira and the new Minister of Transport has a chance to really perform.

The current chaotic state of our transport system, particularly the rail link between here and Sydney, is in need of a major overhaul, and with talk of fares rising by some 25 per cent it is only natural long suffering commuters are up in arms.

I’m not a punter myself but our new Transport Minister will have to show some real form if he is to overcome this latest challenge for the new Rees government.