Bob Abbott responsible for Global Warning

From the Editors desk...

Well, maybe not, but that is the next headline or news lead in story I am expecting to see. Now, this will frighten regular readers, but, I am actually NOT going to trash a politician for a change? LOL! Actually since 2003 I have never written an editorial, (nor felt the need to), in defense of any Pollie or Political Party, but an article in the paper this week (Elderly suffering under council bloat) was really the last straw for me, particularly following on from the news on TV in recent weeks. The last few months seem to be 'Bash Bob Season'? Normally I am the first to give our pollies a hard time, but really? It seems that Bob Abbott seems to be responsible for all our woes recently? In all seriousness, this particular situation I am referring to is a 'No Win' one? Residents & Ratepayers Associations are inferring that he is 'Starving Pensioners' by not cutting back Council spending, primarily sacking a heap of Council Staff...

Now, let's see, even if the State Government did allow that (Yes, remember, that 3 year promise was a State Government one, not Bobs), then we would be seeing all over the news about how young families are handing back their houses to the banks because they were made redundant and can't pay their mortgage due to nasty Bob Abbott sacking them? Correct?

Amalgamation has caused a heap of problems, and just as we all know with paying our day to day expenses like food, petrol, geeez even Sport Sign-on fees, absolutely everything has gone up, and even if we still had the 3 councils then rates would still have increased. I am not an economist, but commonsense would tell me that if my family costs more to run, then so does council? I can understand how people who are struggling are really going to hurt with another rise in rates, though, I am sure that Bob did not sit back there in his big chair rubbing his hands in glee thinking "Hey, lets beat up the pensioners a bit more?" Even if you are the sort inclined to view Mr Abbott in that light, it is Council that makes all the major decision, not just one man? Yet! It seems to be only Bob that is copping a flogging over it?

I am not being callous, but if you are an Aged Pensioner and you are paying rates, well you actually own your own property, which I am sure a lot of Council workers don't? Costs have gone up for them as well, plus Mortgage stress, and on average they probably have a few kids too that suddenly cost more than the quoted price when it seemed a good idea to have a family? Reading a few blogs, I have no idea where so many people have the idea that all these Council employees are sitting on their butts just costing money? Some might be (not the ones I have dealt with), though I would say when you have a large employment base such as council that they would have no more slackers then the average organisation their size?

Don't get me wrong, I am not belittling the plight of aged pensioners, as stated above, everything has gone up in price and yet the Pension hasn't, but that is a Federal and Socal issue, not a council one, and certainly Bob didn't cause that? Actually, I will take this opportunity for a short 'Advertisment Break'! if you care about the plight of pensioners I would like to plug the fact now that "Pomona & District Meals on Wheels Needs You!", yep, they are desperate for volunteers, so click on that link and help them out if you can. I am sure if they need them so do other volunteer organisations that assist pensioners, so if you have the time, please help if you can!

I will state now that I have only met Bob Abbot briefly a couple of times, and he wouldn't know me from a bar of soap if he saw me on the street, but, from my years of receiving council press releases and news, both from this council and the previous Noosa Council, he does not seem to be a heartless man at all, and in actual fact, considering the in-fighting that this particular council has had amongst Councillors, he sort of reminds me of the poor teacher at school who was really good at teaching, though unfortunately had a lot of drop-kicks in the class and had to spend more time keeping them in line instead of focusing on the actual job of teaching? As a coast resident, there are a number of areas of council I am not very happy with, and since amalgamation, I have to admit, I get really cranky when I see another area of the Coast still have a particular celebration but my area has had theirs cut due to Amalgamation cost cutting? I want to know where my decent broadband speed is, even though years ago we were promised that was going to happen? I was soooooo happy to finally see the Event Management seminars start again this year, as I know first hand exactly how important they are to everyone from the local kindy to the big event organisers in holding successful fundraisers here on the Coast and thought that was yet another good initiative that had been lost in Amalgamation?

There are a number of "Show Ponies" in council that I think need a good kick up the butt as a reminder as to why they are there in the first place, but I really don't think Bob is one of them, and I certainly have not seen him rocking around with a flash harmonica or gold plated braces? Conversely, most of the issues we have had in the past with previous mayors can be considered rather suss in regard to how well they seem have done out of their positions (even when in Council)? He seems to work himself into the ground, tries to support as many Coast Initiatives as he can (and I am sure that a lot of those events that are held he would rather be at home relaxing then being polite to strangers), and remember a lot of these things are done after a full day of work, or on the weekends after a massive work week? Even if he has been conning us all of these years and actually is the 'Mr Smithers' so many people think he is, then gee, he puts a lot of hours into pretending to be a nice bloke doesn't he? A lot of other pollies would not even consider 'doing' a night event if they already had one that week and god forbid didn't have the arvo off to compensate for it? Actually, maybe not such a good example, scary mental image there seeing a visage of Mr Smithers on Big Bob LOL!

As you know, I believe in free speech, democracy, and all those daggy out-dated concepts, particularly our right to flog our pollies if they are not doing what WE have employed them to do, but hey, fair go, at least blame them for stuff they do have control over & have stuffed up, not the stuff they can't control. AND, all you people talking about the 'poor' pensioners, don't just talk about them, help them out if you can, even if it is just saying Gday to the old lady down the road as you pass her weeding her garden, when you are taking the dogs & the kids for walk? Maybe even go that step further and ask if she needs to borrow your green bin? It all helps?

Now Bob, where is our...

Cheers,
Noely
The Editors Desk

Permanent Link: Bob Abbott responsible for Global Warning
Publish Date: 28 Aug 09

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