‘Waste of council tax’ attack on James Alexander (From York Press)

JA making a fool of himself again.
Would be interesting if people that are against the Council Tax rise, cancelled their Direct Debit and set up a Standing Order instead but for the amount before JA's rise. If the Council took you to Court your defence would be the Government Tax Freeze option.
JA as you are so good at budgeting etc the above would cause a lot of expence as you would no doubt send lots of letters chasing the few pounds each month and also the costs of trying to defend your actions in the Courts x however many people took the above action
With your vast budgeting skills you will now make the correct decision and not increase our council tax.
I assume you have a council tax funded laptop/IPAD/Blackber
ry and notebook to read this if you are now in the south of France at the estate agents conference( didn't know the Council owened an estate agents)

is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

roskoboskovic wrote:
is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

I just don't get why the freeze grant isn't an option. If an existing Council tax bill is £1000, a 2% increase each year means £1020 this April, £1040.40 next, and £1061.20 in 2015. If the grant were taken the figures would be £1000, £1000 and then of course the jump to £1061.20 in 2015 when the grant isn't available. However that is still a saving to bill payer of £60.40 over the next 2 years. Of course that wouldn't allow the 'Its our turn now and we want to....' spending of the current ruling group.

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote:
is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Because, Like you, he or she would have to divulge his/hers correct identity, find some courage from somewhere and put forward constructive plans and policy for the voter to consider NO? well, then I suppose your only option is anonymous, cowaredly sniping on this site, whining buffoons!

Madasanibbotson wrote:
JA making a fool of himself again.
Would be interesting if people that are against the Council Tax rise, cancelled their Direct Debit and set up a Standing Order instead but for the amount before JA's rise. If the Council took you to Court your defence would be the Government Tax Freeze option.
JA as you are so good at budgeting etc the above would cause a lot of expence as you would no doubt send lots of letters chasing the few pounds each month and also the costs of trying to defend your actions in the Courts x however many people took the above action
With your vast budgeting skills you will now make the correct decision and not increase our council tax.
I assume you have a council tax funded laptop/IPAD/Blackber

ry and notebook to read this if you are now in the south of France at the estate agents conference( didn't know the Council owened an estate agents)

I didnt know they owned an estate agents.
I do know they do travel agency.
JA and KE used it to go to Paris.
Free and paid for by us mugs.
Why did they go the day before at our expence when free travel was arranged for them through Yorkshire Forward the following day.???

That is the question ?

‘After confirming council taxes would rise again in York next financial year, he said: “We are taking tough decisions now and investing for the future to ensure York is not among this list of teetering councils.” ‘

What tough decisions are those then?

Cutting services and jobs at the coal face to save the flotsam whimsy and expensive jobs in the new expensive HQ that is allegedly saving money in the long term!

Buying expensive new furniture and art for the new offices.

Getting the council further into debt and therefore increasing overheads as debt repayments rather than decreasing debt and therefore overheads.

Let go some of the office bods that push pens around whilst being on Facebook all day at our expense.

In the end all these imbeciles are going to do is cut services, ask for more from us, get us further into debt while they enjoy the perks and leg it with no liability before we have to eventually sort it out, which by then will have cost us even more money that has been wasted when it could have been spent on public services – the whole point of a council!

James – If you really love this city and care about its future please do us all a favour in York and just resign and leave the dirty world of politics to the mostly horrible double faced people that inhabit it.

You are just not up to the job!

Interesting headline!
‘Waste of council tax’ attack on James Alexander’

Should it not read?

‘Waste of council money spent on James Alexander’

Or

‘Waste of York council tax payers money - James Alexander’

peterstreet wrote:

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote: is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Because, Like you, he or she would have to divulge his/hers correct identity, find some courage from somewhere and put forward constructive plans and policy for the voter to consider NO? well, then I suppose your only option is anonymous, cowaredly sniping on this site, whining buffoons!

So Mr Peter Street as you seem to know so much, and myself and others are whining buffoons, is there a financial risk one must make to possibly stand as an independant?

James doesnt love this City he is just using it as a jump start to join his mates at the Labour party in a nice safe seat somewhere.

capt spaulding wrote:
James doesnt love this City he is just using it as a jump start to join his mates at the Labour party in a nice safe seat somewhere.

Even the Labour party wouldn't want him as an MP, he is clueless.

Question for JA, you say you need to put our council tax up yet elsewhere in todays press, it is revealed that a landlord owes £42,000 in council tax for 4 properties, lets be generous and say the Tax is £2,000 for each one, the amoutn owed implies over 5 years council tax. What have JA and his staff been doing to let things go this far ? Over to you JA answer please.

peterstreet wrote:

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote: is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Because, Like you, he or she would have to divulge his/hers correct identity, find some courage from somewhere and put forward constructive plans and policy for the voter to consider NO? well, then I suppose your only option is anonymous, cowaredly sniping on this site, whining buffoons!

What a clown.

keepitshut wrote:

peterstreet wrote:

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote: is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Because, Like you, he or she would have to divulge his/hers correct identity, find some courage from somewhere and put forward constructive plans and policy for the voter to consider NO? well, then I suppose your only option is anonymous, cowaredly sniping on this site, whining buffoons!

So Mr Peter Street as you seem to know so much, and myself and others are whining buffoons, is there a financial risk one must make to possibly stand as an independant?

there are very large financial risks attached to being a Councillor, so much so I wonder why anybody would want to become one, especially so, when one considers the vitriolic comment that appears on sites such as this usually posted by whining buffoons, but dont take my word for it, do your own research! by the way you do not happen to work for the council do you? I ask as many posters seem to do so! if you do why are you not working as you are getting paid and before you ask I am retired and my real name is Pete Street!

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote:
is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Spot on. Local democracy it certainly isn't. I've been saying this for years. Any numpty can join a political party and then be given budgets and responsibility. York's had it's fair share of dodgy councillors too.

I'd scrap councils and 'local democracy' completely. It simply isn't required. What would be better would be salaried governors who are specifically employed based on merit and experience to run a council properly. Political interference at local level just creates more problems than it solves and then we have to listen to the local democracy-mongers blaming each other for each others mistakes. It would also stop attention-seeking self-aggrandising egomaniacs such as James Alexander from holding a position of responsibility.

And while we're at it. Scrap the parliaments of Scotland and Wales. Horrendous wastes of money and control, extremely divisive and most definitely not required in a United Kingdom. Keep the Northern Irish Junta though as it's stopping them fighting although if you want to unite the Northern Irish, ban religion completely. They'd have something to unite about and against then.

Finally, I am trying to work out how we the public could go about getting a 'none of the above' box placed on a voting form at national and local level. There must be some way to do this. Nationally, it's a great way to tell the people at the top that we think they're all a bunch of mortgage-flipping expense-ripping low-lives, bribed elected autocrats who brown-nose their way about in the world and run-scard of the banks. They're not all like that of course and this country is still a very good place to live compared to others. The people who run it though are fairly daft and uninspiring which brings me full circle to the chap at the head of this story.

Madasanibbotson wrote:

capt spaulding wrote:
James doesnt love this City he is just using it as a jump start to join his mates at the Labour party in a nice safe seat somewhere.

Even the Labour party wouldn't want him as an MP, he is clueless.

Question for JA, you say you need to put our council tax up yet elsewhere in todays press, it is revealed that a landlord owes £42,000 in council tax for 4 properties, lets be generous and say the Tax is £2,000 for each one, the amoutn owed implies over 5 years council tax. What have JA and his staff been doing to let things go this far ? Over to you JA answer please.

I'd like to know the same, if we are a day or two late we get a snotty letter demanding payment , and if you don't pay you will have to pay the years council tax in full.
Too many councillors on here scoring petty points...as said before, where do you find the time through your working day?

bolero wrote:

peterstreet wrote:

keepitshut wrote:

roskoboskovic wrote: is there any way that in the future york city council could be run by anyone other than the main parties.the big three have each made a mess of it and have been shown to be incompetent in their own way and the green party would turn york into one big cycle path.a group of independents acting on behalf of york residents would seem to be the only answer to the absolute mess we are in at the moment.

Fully agree, why dont you stand for election next time round?

Because, Like you, he or she would have to divulge his/hers correct identity, find some courage from somewhere and put forward constructive plans and policy for the voter to consider NO? well, then I suppose your only option is anonymous, cowaredly sniping on this site, whining buffoons!

What a clown.

no! retired! read the post properly you buffoon!

Coun Alexander hit back, saying the Lib Dem criticisms typified why the party had achieved few significant economic developments while in power.

Why didn't Alexander criticise the Lib Dems for this while they were in power ? He has been a councillor for almost six years, but, only in control for 20 months, so had four years in opposition to push for economic development.

The truth is, that many policies which held back economic development in York, like the 50% affordable housing policy, were Labour initiatives, and supported by them. The affordable targets have only come down because the council couldn't justify them after eventually producing an AHVS/AHEVA, and not as a result of Labour trying to encourage more housebuilding. The fact is that since Labour came into power housing has declined even further, so Alexander has a cheek to criticise the Lib Dems.

20 months in power and he's done nothing to increase housing, despite it being one of his manifesto pledges.

He is not a man of his word, and is the worst leader of the council I have seen.

I believe all the posters should take a long hard look at what is said here.
I am no fan of any politician BUT he has an impossible task.There is no pleasing everyone and it seems its difficult just to please a few as well!
He is trying to get York working but hneeds the support of his felow councillors who are dyed in the wool socialists who frankly would rather their principles got us all in the s..t than be flexible. its a nightmare position
Having said that he is leader and I diont know who's idea it was to borrow to fund the living wage /boats etc but if he had real poer he should have stopped this going ahead..but does he have the power?..That I don't know
I fear for our City not because of james A in particular but because we sem to have politiciands of all persuasions who seem hell bent on going against whatever any politician of another colur votes for and there is little doubt that within the Labourr members there is hell on.
This is not good for York or democracy and its time they all grew up and did what was best for York and not for their deep seated political notions.
Rant over but the fact is he takes the blame for things I dont believ ehe has much control over due to the other Councillors in his party

Alexanders at it again - blocking free speech.

Four comments have just disappeared, presumably because he has reported them.

I didn't see any criticisms that were not valid, and this will only make York residents more angry and distrustful of this failing council leader.

meme wrote:
I believe all the posters should take a long hard look at what is said here. I am no fan of any politician BUT he has an impossible task.There is no pleasing everyone and it seems its difficult just to please a few as well! He is trying to get York working but hneeds the support of his felow councillors who are dyed in the wool socialists who frankly would rather their principles got us all in the s..t than be flexible. its a nightmare position Having said that he is leader and I diont know who's idea it was to borrow to fund the living wage /boats etc but if he had real poer he should have stopped this going ahead..but does he have the power?..That I don't know I fear for our City not because of james A in particular but because we sem to have politiciands of all persuasions who seem hell bent on going against whatever any politician of another colur votes for and there is little doubt that within the Labourr members there is hell on. This is not good for York or democracy and its time they all grew up and did what was best for York and not for their deep seated political notions. Rant over but the fact is he takes the blame for things I dont believ ehe has much control over due to the other Councillors in his party

Bit gullible, believing that Alexander is being held back by the trotsky/marxist pinko's in his camp. He's faithful to their cause and is yanking your chain and playing you like a fiddle.

Face the facts, he's only interested in one thing - his career trajectory, and getting as much exposure as he can.

Photo opportunities and twitter are his priorities, and pretending that he is trying to grow the economy with empty slogans; 'Get York Building', York Means Business', 'York is Open for Business' - all words and no action or substance.

Where are the policies, and where are the results ?

Where are the houses that York needs. The councils waiting list has risen 74% from June 2011 to Sept 2012 - all during Alexander's watch.

Stop defending him, and making excuses. Tell him to sort it out or get out and let someone who cares more about York than their career/profile have a go.

Ichabod76 wrote:
my posts are also being removed Why ? I didn't name any one or insult anyone, somebody wants to keep councillors posting under anonymous usernames secret

Wonder if the council don't allow it, maybe ?

Anyway, Ichabod76, you keep up the good work. You have a lot of support. Don't be put off by the Labour stooges and attack dogs - they will be not beat the truth.

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote:
Alexanders at it again - blocking free speech.

Four comments have just disappeared, presumably because he has reported them.

I didn't see any criticisms that were not valid, and this will only make York residents more angry and distrustful of this failing council leader.

This is a do-it-yourself test for paranoia: you know you've got it when you can't think of anything that's your fault!

perplexed wrote:

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote: Alexanders at it again - blocking free speech. Four comments have just disappeared, presumably because he has reported them. I didn't see any criticisms that were not valid, and this will only make York residents more angry and distrustful of this failing council leader.

This is a do-it-yourself test for paranoia: you know you've got it when you can't think of anything that's your fault!

All Labour politicians have it then !

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote:

perplexed wrote:

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote: Alexanders at it again - blocking free speech. Four comments have just disappeared, presumably because he has reported them. I didn't see any criticisms that were not valid, and this will only make York residents more angry and distrustful of this failing council leader.

This is a do-it-yourself test for paranoia: you know you've got it when you can't think of anything that's your fault!

All Labour politicians have it then !

Mirror mirror on the wall who is ...............!

FYI for the financial risk to becoming a councillor is putting down a deposit if you don't get enough votes you lose that deposit hence why us hoi polloi don't do it cos the political parties can afford to bankroll it. I voted independant in the last election in disgust at every other option. I'd rather help someone keep their deposit for being honest of their intentions then not bothering