Tories would turn York miserable (From York Press)

Indeed. Arts and culture are important factors in the general feeling of well-being in a country.
We already have so many generic mainstream bars (our old Arts Centre is now one of them) we need something that gives back.

Interestingly the author here refers to a letter we weren't allowed to comment on. A quick read of this website shows comments are now being disallowed on any story or letter involving the council leader James Alexander or his policies.

I'm a little disappointed that The Press is ceding to demands to shut down debate, questions and valid counterpoint.
I remember when Mr Alexander used to be an accessible, open councillor, he used to post on here, comprehensively and helpfully, to answer criticisms and questions.

Now it seems no comment at all is allowed.
Where have we seen that before in history?

Buzz Light-year wrote:
Indeed. Arts and culture are important factors in the general feeling of well-being in a country.
We already have so many generic mainstream bars (our old Arts Centre is now one of them) we need something that gives back.

Interestingly the author here refers to a letter we weren't allowed to comment on. A quick read of this website shows comments are now being disallowed on any story or letter involving the council leader James Alexander or his policies.

I'm a little disappointed that The Press is ceding to demands to shut down debate, questions and valid counterpoint.
I remember when Mr Alexander used to be an accessible, open councillor, he used to post on here, comprehensively and helpfully, to answer criticisms and questions.

Now it seems no comment at all is allowed.
Where have we seen that before in history?

Well to George Orwell's 1984....so we will have to learn newspeak to speak of JA

At last Buzz we have come together, your comments have hit home well and truly.
The writing is on the wall as far as Buzz and Capt Spaulding are concerned we are going to be banned from these colums very shortly for the very reasons you have outlined.
I dont think we will be marched off to some secret place yet but our man seems to be heading that way.

Dude speak for yourself, I'm not planning on being banned.

Buzz Light-year wrote:
Indeed. Arts and culture are important factors in the general feeling of well-being in a country.
We already have so many generic mainstream bars (our old Arts Centre is now one of them) we need something that gives back.

Interestingly the author here refers to a letter we weren't allowed to comment on. A quick read of this website shows comments are now being disallowed on any story or letter involving the council leader James Alexander or his policies.

I'm a little disappointed that The Press is ceding to demands to shut down debate, questions and valid counterpoint.
I remember when Mr Alexander used to be an accessible, open councillor, he used to post on here, comprehensively and helpfully, to answer criticisms and questions.

Now it seems no comment at all is allowed.
Where have we seen that before in history?

Alexander has become a law unto himself, and actions like this will be his undoing...... !!!

As for the letter, take a look at how Cameron and his crackpot crooks are crushing our country and driving the poorest in society to their knees (with some people having to walk 20 miles for food as thay can't even afford a bus fare)... At least York is a bit of a haven from the blue mist, even if our local reds seem to be running everything from ideas spued out by a one-arm-bandit type ideas machine
".... bus lane" ... "in" .... "middle of"..... "nowhere"....

Time for arts barge apologists to get the message.

If you want to fund projects like this yourselves or via voluntary appeals then fine. Go ahead.

However, if you want taxpayers money, then traditionally there have been some hoops that you have to jump through to earn the right to take money out of my pocket.

First you have to demonstrate that there is a need for additional arts space in the City. Such an analysis needs to be publicly available. You haven’t done this.

Secondly, if you can establish the need, you must demonstrate that public funding is needed to take the project forward. You haven’t done this.

Thirdly you must publish the reasons why an old floating barge is a preferable location to the re-use of one of York’s empty buildings. You haven’t done this.

Finally, you must then convince us that not only can the funding be raised to buy and modify the barge, but also that you have a robust business plan, covering at least 5 years, that will address maintenance and day to day expenditure. You haven’t done this.

All this information needs to be published before you try to convince us that establishing a few part time bar person jobs is worth sacrificing the livelihoods of dozens of real public service workers, who face the dole under Alexander’s borrow and spend policies.

Bring back annual Council elections!

Oaklands Resident wrote:
Time for arts barge apologists to get the message.

If you want to fund projects like this yourselves or via voluntary appeals then fine. Go ahead.

However, if you want taxpayers money, then traditionally there have been some hoops that you have to jump through to earn the right to take money out of my pocket.

First you have to demonstrate that there is a need for additional arts space in the City. Such an analysis needs to be publicly available. You haven’t done this.

Secondly, if you can establish the need, you must demonstrate that public funding is needed to take the project forward. You haven’t done this.

Thirdly you must publish the reasons why an old floating barge is a preferable location to the re-use of one of York’s empty buildings. You haven’t done this.

Finally, you must then convince us that not only can the funding be raised to buy and modify the barge, but also that you have a robust business plan, covering at least 5 years, that will address maintenance and day to day expenditure. You haven’t done this.

All this information needs to be published before you try to convince us that establishing a few part time bar person jobs is worth sacrificing the livelihoods of dozens of real public service workers, who face the dole under Alexander’s borrow and spend policies.

Bring back annual Council elections!

Annual council elections would prevent the damage being inflicted on us by the present council and its egotistical leader.
Definately the way forward.

Bring back annual Council elections!

You can't bring back what we've never had, and as for the council, we've had Labour in the past and what a corrupt mess they were. Then the LibDems were tried and what a disappointment Galloway, Waller & Co were. Now it's the New Labour liars, isn't Calamity "I've no plans to visit the Philippines" James wonderful?

I'd be very happy to let the Conservatives have a go, it would be difficult for them to be worse than the other two.

There were annual elections for Councillors in York up to 1995
Having a proportion of the Council re-elected each year wouldn't guarantee that any particular party was successful, but it would give electors a chance to give a regular verdict on current performance.