Local Eletions - Questions to candidates

[Mary G]

Cheers Petwick
For a moment I was looking for a wee thumbs up ' like' symbol to add to your post
It will be very interesting to see how this outlook/tactic translates at the ballot box.
Hope you've voted!

[petewick]

Am resident in Oban, and after having a hospital stay am recuperating in Tarbert,
so its been a mad week.

[Anne Baird]

A hint Anne: your patronising tone “You underestimate, grossly, …” is not a vote-winner. Effectively telling someone they are naïve doesn’t usually go down well . That said, I do commend you for at least being responsive.

Apologies Mary but most councillors have been shocked over the last 18 months to find that the staff involved in Dick Walsh's closure plans did not share this information with the spokesperson for education (as is clear from the FOI material obtained). They expected the independents to be devious but believed that senior staff would not be involved. If Isobel is guilty of anything it's that and no more. The ARSN members with whom the FOI material was shared, and there were many, came to a conclusion without any input from me and I believe most would vote for her if they had the opportunity. She is certainly popular among them. Your view then seems more attuned to the Lib Dem mantra but I concede that, in the absence of the evidence, you may have jumped to that conclusion on your own.

But you make a mistake if you think that cheery good-will alone is the recipe for future success. Because it is a mistake to ignore, never mind re-write, history. Whatever coalition formation will take power it will take a lot of mature negotiation and cool-heads to reach agreement on how to proceed. Whoever is involved, I wish them all the best – they have a massive task ahead of them.

Not sure why you think cheery good-will is of detriment to anyone or why you imagine I believe to be all that's required. Perhaps we'll get to know one another better. As for re-writing history, I don't believe I have. The information is there and plain for all who wish to see.

Re coalition, I believe a strong one will emerge because there are few fundamental differences and, after all these years of the Alliance of Independents, one great big holy grail. I'm not a natural supporter of coalitions as I think they often lead to mediocrity: people too eager to co-operate often fail to debate things thoroughly. These are difficult times though and the state of the council, I think you would agree, is such that it demands immediate and comprehensive therapy. So I'm personally committed to doing whatever it takes, in good faith, with people from across the political spectrum. I do genuinely hope you'd support that, but if you don't, then I suppose it' won't matter much. The support is there from the people on the ground and that's what will change this council.

[Anne Baird]

Mary, I have noticed that patronisation is very much prevailant
in the SNPs outlook and tactic? prior and during this election.
As you say, not a vote winner.

LOL! It's one way to look at it. Local elections are very different and the results are more personal, but our positive, pro-active outlook went down quite well in the Scottish elections.

Patronising people isn't something I do. If I think people are missing something, I inform them. I see Mary G does the same.

[north beachmore]

What's your position on Wind Turbines?

I am quite ambivalent about wind turbines. I think it is more about where they are placed, the size, and views of the community directly affected. I personally don't find them ugly but I did object to the massive offshore windfarm as I thought it was badly placed and too large a farm of turbines.

The reality is that we all use too much energy and the planet's energy resources are finite so we have to come up with some solutions. Like Anne I suspect that tidal or small scale hydro will be the way forward. I'd like to see the Scottish Govt invest in a plant locally to develop, make and fit domestic renewables at cheaper prices on a mass scale that can reduce the amount of energy needed to be sourced from the grid. I am sure it is cheaper to insulate and fit a mix of renewables on people's homes than line the pockets of big energy corporations through subsidies and building new nuclear power stations.

I agree that as a community, in the largest sense of the meaning, we must be mindful of usage, re-usage and recycling wherever this is possible. Unfortunately, even though this has been a mantra for many years now, people in general do not heed the advice. The result of this is that dubious policies with regard to the "mature" technology of on shore wind is banded about as the solution to our energy problems. This land we are custodian of is small, it is beautiful and it is not industrial. My question to all potential councillors is what are they going to do to secure the long term viability of Kintyre as an unspoilt, supremely attractive destination within Scotland. This is not only for the huge benefits that tourism bring, but also for the benefit of those who have been born here, who chose to live her, who remain here, who invest here. There are other ways of obtaining renewable energy. There are ways of reducing consumption. Why not pursue an agenda in Kintyre that can put the rest of Scotland to shame. We have enough onshore wind development, lets show a new path. Incentives for solar on as many suitable properties as possible. Micro Hydro on as many off-hill waterways as possible. Positive workshops on minimising energy usage. There are other ways than complete decimation of the biggest asset we have. Our land.
The fact that we have an employer in the area involved with wind turbine construction should not interfere with our local desires and aspirations. The factory at Machrihanish has provided a nominal amount of the renewable infrastructure in Argyll. The vast majority of the structures we have here have been imported! That is a green policy that I cannot compute....