Off topic but essential reading I think!

Those Who Trespass Against Us: One Woman's War Against the Nazis 
Karolina Lanckoronska

Bird flu and pandemic influenza: what are the risks?

Find out here!

Liberals vote against Tory County Council Budget...

Worcestershire County Council today voted through a 4.94% Council Tax Increase to come into force from April this year. Because of the poor financial grant settlement from the Government the package actually involves a £3.5 million reduction in spending.

Liberal Councillors voted AGAINST the budget after the Tory and Labour Groups voted down a Liberal Democrat ammendment to switch £1.775 million from County Hall refurbishent and into highways maintenance.

Speaking in the debate Cllr Mike Oborski said:-

As a Wyre Forest District Councillor I have to say that our District has had an excellent financial settlement from the Government.

Ironically however most of the people I represent are more interested and concerned about County run services - Education, Social Services and Highways. That is where they want funding and investment.

The County has, however, been treated appallingly by the Government in terms of the grant settlement.

I welcome assurances that everything will be done to ensure that the £3.5 million cuts do not hit front line services. As a Catholic I believe in miracles - so I will pray for this one.

The highways situation in Wyre Forest is dire. Across the District we have miles of rotten roads riddled with potholes. Some issues are simply not being tackled year in and year out. To take just one small example work on roadside trees has been virtually ignored. The situation is now desperate and if we tackle the problem it will cost a fortune diverting yet more money away from road surfacing and potholes.

Chairman, why spend money now on County Hall when we are heading at speed towards yet another wave of Government inflicted local government reorganisation. It makes no sense. This is a matter of priorities. That is why I would rather that cash was switched into essential highways work.

I will be supporting the ammendment but if it is defeated I will be voting against the main Budget motion.

£620,000 on Council Chamber...

Council Tax payers across Worcestershire will be absolutely delighted to hear that the County Council intend to pay out £620,000 of your hard earned cash to refurbish the Council Chamber at County Hall. Good to know they are spending it on Councillor comfort rather than wasting it on Education, Social Services or Highways. That would never do.

Sunshine tomorrow...

Labour moved a Budget amendment "That this Council over the coming year makes every effort to reinstate the million pounds shortfall in the Highways budget".

Speaking in the debate on the amendment Cllr Mike Oborski said:-

I love this motion! It is the greatest, most forceful and most meaningful motion ever put before the Council. The only problem is that it doesn't go far enough. How about adding at the end "and furthermore we all hope that the Sun shines every day and that the fountains run with rain and that everyone is happy all the time for ever and ever".

What a great amendment this is!

It doesn't say how!

It doesn't say when!

It won't fill a single pothole!

Once again I'll pray for miracles and let's all vote for sunshine tomorrow!

The totally pointless and meaningless amendment was carried - unanimously.

TENNYSON WAY - HERE WE GO AGAIN! BETRAYED!

As Worcestershire County Council breaks yet another pledge to tackle traffic problems on Kidderminster's Tennyson Way a furious local Councillor has described the situation as "an ongoing and shameless saga of broken promises and let downs by an apparently reckless and uncaring authority which is completely failing the local community".

Local Liberal County Councillor Mike Oborski explained today "Over the last few years the Tory County Council has repeatedly promised a Pelican Crossing on Tennyson Way - by the Wordsworth Crescent Junction leading to Offmore First School - as part of the ‘Safe Routes To School’ package. ‘We’ll do the Spennells Valley Road Pelican Crossing, then the Comberton Road Pelican Crossing and then we’ll do the Tennyson Way Crossing" they pledged! That was the repeated ‘promise’ made from the County Council”.

“As late as Thursday 12th January this year they were promising a Pelican Crossing. Then a couple of days later they were suddenly talking about only doing little more than ‘kerb drops’ with NO Pelican Crossing.”

Cllr Oborski continued "On Thursday 19th January I met County Officers and Police to discuss the issue. At that meeting...

- In a last minute betrayal the Officer acting on behalf of the Tory run County Council made it absolutely clear that the County now refused to spend the £95,000 needed for a Pelican Crossing. They said that they could no longer afford it!

- They then proposed "road narrowing" measures on Tennyson Way either side of the junction rather than just the earlier desperate kerb drops madness.

- At my insistence they eventually agreed to include a zebra crossing along with the "road narrowing" proposal at a total cost of £45,000.

- They then announced that if the £45,000 isn’t spent in this Financial Year (by the end of March 2006) the money available for Tennyson Way would be only £25,000. In other words the message was you agree now or get nothing,

- Finally they then PROMISED full public consultation on the Zebra Crossing package in February this year in order to ensure a start on site before the end of the current Financial Year - that is before 31st March 2006. They promised faithfully that this must and would happen!"

Cllr Oborski said "Late on the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd February I was phoned by County Highways. I was told that they will NOT be going out to local public consultation in February and that they will NOT be starting work by the end of March"

"Apparently they don't know how much cash they have left for work this year and they don't know how much cash they will have next year and so they cannot commit to anything at the moment!"

"At least that was the story on 22nd of February although goodness knows what the story they will be coming up with tomorrow or the day after!"

"They now promise that they will come back with some sort of idea in a few weeks time."

"This a totally disgraceful, dishonourable and unacceptable way in which to treat the children and parents of Offmore First School and the local community in the Offmore area!"

"I am deeply ashamed of and very bitterly angry with the County County Council of which I am a member. It should curl up and die of shame!"

"If the County Council is to retrieve any last shred of credibility in this area then it should get a grip, get sorted and start to deliver what it promised and this community needs. Nothing else is acceptable."

Oh dear!

Fran is back home today after her hip replacement operation. While she is recuperating we have an aid from Community Equipment Service to raise the level of the toilet seat. The accompanying leaflet doesn't bear thinking about:-

WARNING

On no account must this equipment be used before the clinician who ordered the equipment, has called to fit and demonstrate its use.

Drugs operation

Police have carried out 12 search warrants in the Broadwaters area of Kidderminster in the last three weeks with the aim of disrupting drug dealing.

Police have recorded several thousand of pounds worth of drugs, including skunk, crack cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy tablets, as well as recovering stolen property. Twelve people have been arrested.

The crackdown is the result of concerns raised at the first Broadwaters PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meeting on Thursday, 2nd February.

Sergeant Kevin Lane of Kidderminster Police said: “The police are going to continue to target drugs and crime associated with drugs in this area, with many more operations planned.

“We want to thank the community for their support and ask them to keep ringing the police on 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 with information to allow us to continue this momentum.

“The concerns raised by the community through PACT meetings have helped us to target criminals and we now need more residents to come forward and support us in our task, so we can work together.”

Sergeant Lane said some of the warrants had been executed in the early hours of the morning.

He said: “Drugs blight people’s lives and those that peddle such misery need to realise they cannot sleep easy in their beds. Tonight could be the night we come knocking on their door.”

Also raised at the meeting were concerns about anti social behaviour and this issue is also being tackled.

Sergeant Lane said: “Firm action will be taken with those who make life uncomfortable for local residents.”

Ends

Issued by: Lynne Masters
Media Liaison Officer

Here we go again!

Over the years as I've plodded around delivering FOCUS newsletters I have often admired the time and trouble to which many residents go to improve the public areas of blocks of flats with carpets on the stairs and landings, pictures on the wall, tables, ornaments, plants and flowers. It gives the block concerned a distinctive character of its own and makes the whole environment warm, welcoming and homely. Great!

Well, now Wyre Forest Community Housing wants all this clutter removed. Why? You've guessed it - our old friend "health and safety". Somebody might get hurt and somebody might be liable shock horror!

Let's congratulate Wyre Forest Community Housing on their heroic endeavours to slash the sky high death and accident rates as terrified tenants take their lifes in their hands transversing risk laden landings and mass murdering carpeted staircases which would defeat even Indianna Jones!

On the other hand let's not. It's Health and Safety correctness gone mad!

Let's make life even duller and yet more boring in the epic cause of removing non-existant menaces! That, and nothing more, is what God put us on this Earth for isn't it?!

Let's be completely safe. Let's go to bed and pull the covers over our heads and never come out again. No doubt someone official will be round to make sure we are not running risks with devious pyjama cords, ferocious bed mites and malignant hot water bottles!

Rant completed!

A VERY RESOUNDING "NO"!

Tonight saw the "consultation" meeting at Kidderminster Town Hall on the proposed reorganisation of Primary Care Trusts. They want to get rid of the Wyre Forest PCT and merge us in a single, one size fits all, Worcestershire PCT. Of course it is all for our own good you understand.

The answer from the good sized turn out at the Town Hall was a very vocal and completely unanimous "NO"!

Now if this really is "consultation" and they really are "listening" then the change will never happen.

A vast airborne armada of distinctly pink pigs has just sailed into view!

The Guardian reports...

FLAGGING TORIES

A word in the ear of certain Tory MPs who insist on flying the union
flag at the top of their websites: Don't feed in news from
Conservative central office without checking the contents first.
Headlines like "Britishness is not about flag flying" just make you
look confused.

You can find the "Britishness is not about flag flying" on the Wyre Forest Tory site. Happily the page where the feed appears on their site is headed with the words "Wyre Forest Conservative Party" over a - yes you've guessed it - Union Jack!