Who will you be voting for on the 3rd May 2007?

[Surfbored]

Let me get this straight.

A forum member is standing in the forthcoming election, put a poll on this forum and at time of writing is clearly ahead by an outrageous percentage.

Sorry to be negative, but this poll is a clear indicator of nothing bar people having too much time on their hands and a playground mentality.

Let's hope that WHOEVER gets elected come election day, is up to the job, can contribute positively, and deliver results to the community and it's people.

Let's also hope that this non-scientific amateur approach is not indicative of what is to come ....

[campbel]

Let me get this straight.

A forum member is standing in the forthcoming election, put a poll on this forum and at time of writing is clearly ahead by an outrageous percentage.

Sorry to be negative, but this poll is a clear indicator of nothing bar people having too much time on their hands and a playground mentality.

Let's hope that WHOEVER gets elected come election day, is up to the job, can contribute positively, and deliver results to the community and it's people.

Let's also hope that this non-scientific amateur approach is not indicative of what is to come ....

Yes - all very true and was set-up to instigate debate and highlight the forthcoming election. Bit like running a poll on a street - you only get an indication of those you ask...

Will remove the poll and leave the debate if those wish so

Sorry about George - it actually only allows five

[John S]

Let me get this straight.

A forum member is standing in the forthcoming election, put a poll on this forum and at time of writing is clearly ahead by an outrageous percentage.

Sorry to be negative, but this poll is a clear indicator of nothing bar people having too much time on their hands and a playground mentality.

Not my poll surfboard

Let's also hope that this non-scientific amateur approach is not indicative of what is to come ....

Agreed 110%

[sniper]

No, Councillors time is not limited to working hours, In fact I'd like to see many of the public committees which currently take place during the day actually take place in the evening to facilitate more public input and consultation. the figure of 40 hours is an approximation. The average full-time councillor works 43 hours pw that’s work not travel, lunch etc as you would expect.

john,

Is it the case that now there is a wage avaliable for councillors you are willing to spend 43 hrs a week on council business or would you allow the same time had you been in office the previous term and if so are you willing to donate any wages you earn if elected to the South Kintyre community?

Any thoughts on this yet John???

[Pete Reek]

I saw one of the folk standing for election today, and he was dragging what looked like a couple of bits of a tent with him.

He told me he was "canvassing"

[John S]

If what you said made any sense, I might have. Maybe it's me, try again Hitman.

[sniper]

If what you said made any sense, I might have. Maybe it's me, try again Hitman.

Must be you John because I have asked the same question twice and you appear to be side stepping the issue and you have a very loose grasp on identity.



Lets hope it's a case of third time lucky!

[Kilchoan]

Whoa Deirdre!

"I would be very wary of predicting an SNP government (Sorry, an Alex Samond for First Minister Party) landslide at this point. I know that when my father was elecetd MP twice for the SNP in 1974, the SNP thought they'd made it and that a domino effect independence was a cert. By 1979 that was out the window."

Such optimists as your good father were the stuff of the SNP then and they are the stuff of Solidarity now. There's a big difference between that and actually being in a strong position to win, which the SNP seems to be now. All that would stop it would be an anti-democratic collusion between the mediocre bunch that brought us endless consultations and precious little action.

"Having worked for the Council and submitted a public petition (on bringing back funded higher education grants and funding for universities so as not to penalise students with children, and poorer, non traditional students) to the Scottish Parliament I think you might give me some credit for understanding how the Council and the Scottish Parliament works."

I do. My apologies if it seemed otherwise. George McMillan also has good experience at Council level and is weel kent. Of the three I rate, John is the one with the best chance of winning as he'll take local votes, bedrock SNP support and the switherers who seem, according to most polls, be swinging towards the SNP. He's also connected to the party most likely to win nationally so seems the best bet.

"Possibly you never read the Courier letters page or national newspapers where I have advocated for Kintyre's needs and highlighted the inequality that rural areas suffer over the years. "

I've been reading socialist stuff in the press for a long, long time. It's a tactic and most folk know it. I don't, I really don't, doubt your sincerity or your passion but I think that sometimes gets devalued when there's too much of deliberate advertising. News coverage doesn't equal effort and effort doesn't equal news coverage. If you're the rare exception then it's a shame but there's a long line of Lib Dems and Tories whose toothy smiles beside potholes rather spoil that pitch.

Dinna fret, you won't get that first vote but you'll be there. Three of them I wouldn't dignify with a number.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Just curious, sniper, as I don't know any of the parties, don't know how the politics work there and will never be voting in scotland, but would you be willing to donate 43 hours of wages a week? I don't think anyone in politics should get rich on it, but unless one is independently wealthy, how would they eat and pay bills... unless they worked another 40 hours a week at another job?

[Kilchoan]

Must be you John because I have asked the same question twice and you appear to be side stepping the issue and you have a very loose grasp on identity.

Would that be the question about payment for councillors? If it is then maybe you'd take a wee gander at the work that went into deciding that councillors should be paid. Be happy. This marks the end of an era when the only people who could afford to stand for election were the unemployed/unemployable or the well off. As representatives they fell short of the mark in many respects. Now that all councillors will be paid (like MSPs, MPs and MEPs) we have half a chance of attracting candidates who are more like the rest of us - earning a living but not enough to take up a 40hr a week hobby during working hours. They'll have a right to be paid, but along with that comes the obligation to put in a whole week's work. I can think of a few Argyll councillors who took the retirement bung rather than face that.

And in any case, if you were going for a job interview for that kind of salary would you expect to be interviewed by 6000 random individuals, some of them hostile? There are easier ways to make money.

[Malky]

Sorry about George - it actually only allows five

Campbell, I've changed the forum config file so you can add George McMillan now if you wish.

Malky

[sniper]

Thanks for the reply John!

[John S]

Sniper,

You'll excuse me but I don't have the time right at this moment to constantly be monitoring the forum, I am certainly not trying to avoid answering your question. Since you haven't clarified I'll make an attempt.

As George McMillan will confirm, we had a conversation about this before the last election, I'd love to have stood but could not afford to stop working in order to give being a councillor the dedicated time it requires. The job I was doing at the time was also not particularly compatible with being a councillor and working part time.

I really don't understand what you mean about giving money to charity but I can tell you I will certainly not be any better off being a councillor than at present.

[Beachcomber]

Is it the case that now there is a wage avaliable for councillors you are willing to spend 43 hrs a week on council business or would you allow the same time had you been in office the previous term and if so are you willing to donate any wages you earn if elected to the South Kintyre community?

Out of interest, Sniper, what percentage of your own annual income do you donate to the community?

[petewick]

I`m voting for the person thats poster is highest up the lampost,at the bottom of the big kiln on May the 3rd

Aye Arty, you've been passin' the Big Kiln quite a lot recently on your way to the Creamery Cabaret!!!!


petewick