WORTH CONSIDERING?

[Sheik Yir Erse]

I'll leave the discussion now to get back to Kintyre's roads. I profess to knowing little about the details of the intial question until I see the Courier at some point.

I've had my tuppence worth. Apologies everyone for going off thread!

[John S]

Blazer dial the number, at your service 24 / 7 , go for it.

Sheik googled you got Rab C!

[general jack o'niell]

as far as i'm aware john s has been a member of this forum for longer than the majority of his detractors, just because he became an elected member some months ago doesn't mean his views should be taken as biased towards the party he represents. i'm quite sure that if the SNP had a certain policy which went against his beliefs he would not change his view to agree with a party line. that said for any member to accuse him of being less than truthful at any and all times is typical of the "silent assassins" only too willing to post a wee dig at others but only from the safety of a screen name. i noticed john being the bigger man and not remarking on the google referance, which smacked of "i know fine well who you are, but if you think i'm going to acknowledge the fact for your satisfaction you've another think coming"

as john has stated he is willing to discuss any matter as long as he knows who he is talking to, a simple private message will suffice, the rest of us aren't really that interested in all your secret identities, personally a few have even introduced themselves in public and not only so i not recognise the face, i haven't a clue who they are regarding their name? i'm probably not alone on this front, most others would think the same. sad characters, they can't reveal who they are, their screen name is better known than the one their mother gave them, good job none have stood for public office, you'd hear the collective "WHO?" ring round the town on a friday morning.

so, no, mr S is not using this forum for his own ends, and even if he was, aren't we all using it for our own end in one way or another? his way may be to guage the thoughts of the community by way of the various threads, look, read, engage, be beter informed so that when he says he is speaking for his constituents he will indeed be doing just that, others may have their own malicious agenda for using the forum? i think some veer that way from time to time but i'd hope they were redeemable, some just want to take the piss. some want to debate, fairly and openly with others, sadly they are in the minority as usually the malicious ones always have to put their oar in. most do nothing at all, but they are most likely the type that never vote but feel compelled to criticise at every turn.

this thread was about ferry or roads, we've already seen the untruths the other week by a westminster member, rightly chastised in this weeks issue of the local paper, if a signuture wasall that was needed the ferry would have been running in july. as for the roads, i don't see where the two can be classed in an either or debate, thats like asking do you want a cup of tea or do you want to watch the football? one has no bearing on the other, but together, they would make the other more enjoyable.

have your opinion, but if you want to criticise John S in my humble opinion. put your name up, or shut up!!! who said anyone was more important than the topic?

[Sheik Yir Erse]

i noticed john being the bigger man and not remarking on the google referance, which smacked of "i know fine well who you are, but if you think i'm going to acknowledge the fact for your satisfaction you've another think coming"

I'll pick that one up, as it's a direct reference to me.

Seems the google statement has been somewhat misunderstood. The point I was trying to make was that I didn't know who John S was, therefore my discussions with him were not based on anything personal against him - I have no axe to grind. John then posted his details, so I decided to see if I did actually know who he was. I googled him, and then realised I did know who he was, I believe I went to school with his brother. I am also slightly wiser as I know who the SNP Councillor is for Kintyre.

I could quite easily have phoned someone in Campbeltown and gone though the typical Campbeltown conversation of "You do know him, ...... right, you know your auntie's cousin's pal? - well John lives next door" type thing.

I have never mentioned anything about the SNP, John's integrity, or the roads issue. I purely stressed the fact I didn't believe his stance (on when he did or didn't respond to people) was, in my view, in keeping with the medium. I think we're established on what side of the identity debate John sits on, and where I sit. Don't really think there's much more to say on that. We agree to disagree.

[Sheik Yir Erse]

Sheik googled you got Rab C!

Delighted to hear that, this means all the money I'm spending on plastic surgery is paying off

[Sweltered]

I suppose Rab C is a rag head right enough

[general jack o'niell]

sorry if you felt singled out, just the implied tone was in keeping with previous posts on other topics directed at other posters, hard to blame me from supposing theres was a pattern evolving and John S was the target. now that you are better informed you'll be able to make your own mind up as to the sincerity and truthfullness of his postings, even tho i've spoken in his defense i don't think i'll always agree with him, so i wouldn't assume that you would either.

i think we all would like to see both choices come to fruition, tho the letter in this weeks paper suggesting an alternative ferry route to glasgow(a non starter, but gourock could be a reasonable alternate venue) has some merit as the more i think about it the more i reckon that there would be a more cost effective year round uptake by tourists and commercial traffic, but then i always thought that the proposed route was to benefit those travelling to ireland and using campbeltown as an alternative starting point to the traditional routes already in place. it would be interesting to know what percentage of the daily traffic to and from glasgow would need to use a ferry to make it a going concern.

this is highlighted by the recent announcement by the CCC which stated that campbeltown had by far the best bid of the four bids they recieved but they were choosing to stay in tarbert as campbeltown was geographically a step too far. a statement i found highly amusing as every year on their way to tarbert over 100 yachts pass within three or four miles of the entrance to campbeltown loch on their way to tarbert, they don't sail across the mouth of the clyde and the cock of arran on their way to tarbert, they always sail down the east coast of the island, across the bennan and then up kilbrannan sound past davaar, past carradale and skipness and on into tarbert. in what way was campbeltown a step too far? i think we can read between the lines and safely assume that we were used as a pawn in their plan to force the tradespeople of tarbert to lower their prices as the CCC never had any intention of leaving tarbert, they just had enough of being fleeced every year and the ploy of putting the event out to tender had the desired result, cheaper beer in jakeville!!!!

[Ship called Dignity]

The Courier article is here below.

COUNCILLOR has hit out at the state of Kintyre’s roads which have been neglected in favour of work around Lochgilphead.

And the area’s residents have not been slow to echo Councillor Donald Kelly’s complaints.

Councillor Kelly expressed his anger at the poor service Kintyre has received from the roads department when he spoke at Argyll and Bute Council’s area committee for Mid Argyll, Kintyre and Islay.

He bemoaned the lack of essential maintenance work done on potholes and patching which were expected to take place this year.

He said: ‘I’m very disappointed with the lack of progress in the roads maintenance programme. All the efforts have been focused on the work at the new school in Lochgilphead and we’re now nearing winter which is not conducive to good road repairs.’

He added: ‘The council should be providing the same service to all its taxpayers but it’s treating the people of Kintyre like second-class citizens. Its first responsibility should be to the people of Kintyre, not in making profit from private contractual work.’

The council’s transport deputy spokesman John Semple said: ‘Work will begin next week to address the backlog of maintenance work on the roads in Kintyre.

‘The completion of the roundabout and rebuilding of the A83 north of Lochgilphead required the attention of all the council’s roadmen in Mid Argyll and Kintyre.

‘The stretch of road between Kilmory Industrial Estate and Lochgilphead is the responsibility of Transerv, whose job it is to maintain the trunk road network, but Argyll and Bute Council was awarded the work thereby generating income for the council. It is important that we, as a council, take up opportunities to generate income where we can.

‘The upshot of this is that maintenance of our own roads across the area has suffered. However our Kintyre team, supplemented with workers from Mid Argyll, will be setting about many of the trouble spots in Kintyre over the next few weeks. Motorists should be aware that there will be increased activity and should be vigilant for roadworks.’

Campbeltown residents this week told the Courier of their unhappiness at the extent of potholes and uneven surfaces.

The landslip at Ugadale on the B482 is waiting for repair but the road to Carradale is deteriorating in various places. Cars are having to go wide at corners to prevent them skidding on the uneven surface.

James Wilson, who drives his work van in the area, said: ‘The roads are poor. I don’t go a drive when I’m not working because you get a sore head with the amount of bumps there are. The roads are in a poor condition all over the area and not just in the town centre. It’s a big problem.’

Julia Conley, who works at Campbeltown Airport, said: ‘A lot of the back roads are in a bad state. It is also a big problem in the town but you never see them getting worked on. Moss Road at the airport is particularly bad. There is just a lack of care, although I am not sure if they have the money to spend on the roads to repair them fully.’

I was going to reply to the discussion on this last week and have deleted my response now as I still don't know how I feel about the issue of names and psuedonyms

All I can say is I am a little dismayed at the amount of information I received through my door before the election in May and since have heard very very little of what is happening unless you pick it up in the Courier. I welcome John's approach to using the forum - and while I sympathise with people keeping their idenitity I can also sympathise with John's situation too.

[Beachcomber]

The council’s transport deputy spokesman John Semple said:... 'It is important that we, as a council, take up opportunities to generate income where we can.'

John, surely the council should not place the opportunity to generate income *above* their obligation to provide a suitable standard of service to the people of Argyll & Bute, and Kintyre in particular?

Sure, if they've got spare capacity make use of it to generate income and help keep our council tax bills down but to take on revenue-generating work in preference to maintaining the region's roads to a reasonable standard smacks of profiteering at the expense of the taxpayer.

Aside from the A83 (which ain't in all that bad a shape), I'd dearly love to see something done about the awful state of the B842 north of Carradale which is the prime daily route to/from work and school for quite a few people on the east side of Kintyre yet seems to have received virtually no maintenance in ages. Will it take a fatality before the council do something to improve sight-lines and blind spots?

Regards
Gary Sutherland
---------------------
Carradale, Kintyre
Tax-payer

[Bobbie En Tejas]

If someone has a legitimate question, what difference does it make what their name is, because probably others have that same question. If a politician is being interviewed on the radio or tv, and then callers call in with questions, the answer doesn't change just because the person is faceless, does it?

This is not for or against anyone, just a thought about politics in general.

[Annie]

Ditto!

[Beachcomber]

If someone has a legitimate question, what difference does it make what their name is, because probably others have that same question.

Plus, of course, how do you know that the person *is* who they are claiming to be anyway?

Welcome to cyberspace.

[LO]

It strikes me that John S is getting a bit of a kicking here when we should really be questioning the system that forces local authorities to subsidise their local road maintenance programmes throughout Scotland. I have been aware of this situation since the time of the landslides north of Tarbert in 1998 and was quite shocked at the time when it was explained to me that the only way the Council could afford to operate a roads squad and carry out their own programme of maintenance was to carry out trunk road repairs on behalf of the old Scottish Office. If you recall, there was then outrage when this work was subsequently taken from them with the formation of organisations such as BEAR and whoever won the local contract the last time round. It looks to me as if the Council has now managed to secure some sub-contract work either from the main contractor or the Scottish Government to subsidise their current road maintenance programme which may be an unpalatable fact of life that we have to live with.

It is all very well to attack John S, but do any of his detractors know when these contracts were exchanged?
If it was before May then the new administration has inherited the situation and is hardly going to be in a position to rip up the contract.
Given that the situation at Lochgilphead High School has been chronic for months it seems likely that this was work secured prior to the election. I don't know if that is the situation or not but even if it is the latter perhaps securing this type of work is a necessary evil in order to have any road maintenance and to secure jobs?

Finally. it should be obvious to most people by now that it is dangerous to believe everything (anything!?!) you read in the papers whether they are local or national. This has been illustrated in spades over the past few weeks with the rubbish printed in The Herald about the £90m being spent on Argyll and Bute's coastal towns, the various opposing tabloids who have "the truth" about poor, wee Maddy and of course last week's non-story in The Courier about the ferry which was really a piece of "clever" (I use the term advisedly) electioneering which has now backfired spectacularly. Unfortunately most people believe what they want to believe rather than trying to find out what lies behind the headlines and which personal agendas are being pursued.

[Ship called Dignity]

Lots of good points there Les especially the point about when the contracts were awarded.

It strikes me that John S is getting a bit of a kicking here..

Unfortunately, that is the way it is and will be large part of being an elected member. I am quite sure there will be alot worse said which will never ever venture on here.

Always did wonder if the councillors get to see the Courier article before they are published incase they have been totally mis-quoted?

[Ranald]

Always did wonder if the councillors get to see the Courier article before they are published incase they have been totally mis-quoted?

Hell no!