tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post5015354051568405360..comments2023-12-21T00:14:07.455+00:00Comments on <center>EASTCLIFF RICHARD</center>: Ferrygate - Where Does The Buck Stop?Richard Eastcliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10514972891192411470noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-54148996973007888082013-05-26T19:56:27.007+01:002013-05-26T19:56:27.007+01:009:14 there are several forms of redress: Public/Po...9:14 there are several forms of redress: Public/Police/Council inquiry with fines/P45's/jail etc. Plus reductions in future council tax.<br /><br />A block on payoffs and future civil service jobs is viable too.<br /><br />Plus prompter FOI.<br /><br />It's clear that it's in the main parties and civil servants interests not to expose these problems but rather cover them over.<br /><br />A strange reworking of the roles of public representatives.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-64844900021200420242013-05-26T17:53:08.066+01:002013-05-26T17:53:08.066+01:00Have they got any balls left to drop? Seriously th...Have they got any balls left to drop? Seriously though, what other secret subsidies are they hiding from us? If they only feel it's necessary to tell us once mind-boggling sums like £3.3m have been racked up, how can we ever trust them again? Surely TDC must now be classified as a failing authority and external controls brought in immediately to stop another disaster on this scale?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-16956281976534595192013-05-25T18:38:38.002+01:002013-05-25T18:38:38.002+01:00At least it takes their collective minds off Pleas...At least it takes their collective minds off Pleasurama and dont forget Dreamland is still going on. I wonder which ball they will drop next?God help ushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12726756701964575422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-25919316422013763592013-05-24T21:14:32.142+01:002013-05-24T21:14:32.142+01:00TDC, both it's officers and councillors have b...TDC, both it's officers and councillors have been up to this kind of bad practice for years. The question is what retribution and redress can the citizens of Thanet hope to get for this gross wasting of mainly poor people's taxes. (Yes poor people pay taxes too!) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-21524643421850363802013-05-24T14:16:46.376+01:002013-05-24T14:16:46.376+01:00A relative of mine worked in Kent County council a...A relative of mine worked in Kent County council and one day objected to the council's use of an internal department for a job rather than an external one. The reason for this objection being that the inter-department charge was £40k and the external company £2k. After receiving a ticking off he was told "it's not real money anyway".<br /><br />I suspect us tax payers may differ on that opinion. Working for the council in the main means no accountability for negligence or simple stupidity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-52159732475614915242013-05-24T10:18:39.289+01:002013-05-24T10:18:39.289+01:00I think the nub of this crisis is business and com...I think the nub of this crisis is business and commercial acumen. TDC have ably demonstrated that they possess none.<br /><br />It may be perfectly reasonable to put in place some kind of debt restructuring scheme with your largest customer, as TDC say they did. What is not reasonable is to have no idea of the limits of that scheme. It would appear that nobody at TDC placed a sensible cap on the debts of say £1m. In fact they allowed them to balloon way out of control, and now we are faced with £3.3m.<br /><br />The very fact that it appears that other debtors, not TDC, sensibly pulled the plug on TEF demonstrates the council's woeful lack of control in this situation. If the other debtors had not filed for administration, would TDC have allowed TEF to go on its merry way? How much more debt were they thinking of hiding from us? The answer is they didn't have a clue.Deep Throatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-82656377226849369322013-05-24T09:31:09.582+01:002013-05-24T09:31:09.582+01:00George who?George who?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-4257460990664048952013-05-24T09:27:40.210+01:002013-05-24T09:27:40.210+01:00John Hamilton. To summarize. Your argument is th...John Hamilton. To summarize. Your argument is that elected Cllr Driver has no mandate to represent the electorate. Whereas you purport to write on behalf of the electorate.<br /><br />What is your mandate ?<br /><br />It is clear to me that John Hamilton does not entirely see what is going on.<br /><br />Imagine JH, if you will, the feudal England you advocate. The Baron in his castle is silent. He has been silent for weeks.<br /><br />One day a peasant walks to the edge of the castle moat and shouts "Baron you parasitic rascal be silent today"<br /><br />And the Baron was silent.<br /><br />But the Baron was seen riding out to meet with the Sheriff (Shire Reeve). <br /><br />Next day the peasant went to the Baron's castle and told him be silent. Then went to the Sheriff's castle and told him be silent.<br /><br />And they were silent.<br /><br />Next day the Baron and the Sheriff sent out a jester, Simon the Jester, to entertain the peasants. He told tales of the peasant who tells the Baron be silent. And the peasants laugh and egg the jester on. <br /><br />And this is the psychology of dominating the minds of the Baron and the Sheriff. It is they who end up playing to the peasants.<br /><br />Then one day an oaf like peasant, John, announced "At least jester shows have survived the loud mouth peasant"<br /><br />John the Oaf never had a clue. But he was ubiquitous announcing that he "Cut through bullshit"<br /><br />Poor deluded John (Whose given name was George) <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-11424946310942255752013-05-24T08:20:45.158+01:002013-05-24T08:20:45.158+01:00Think we could do with a template letter that we c...Think we could do with a template letter that we can all send to our respective councillors demanding the removal of the CEO from her post.RossMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08258361741646962812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-86961244200951415442013-05-24T06:40:09.729+01:002013-05-24T06:40:09.729+01:00John Hamilton,
Out of all of the councillors, whi...John Hamilton,<br /><br />Out of all of the councillors, which one is likely to ask difficult questions next week? <br /><br />Ian Driver has his value. You might not like his flip flopping from party to issue to disaster, but at least he as some backbone, and more front than Blackpool. <br /><br />I think next weeks meeting will be spent with blue and red blaming each other, and only driver trying to get to the bottom of things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-20088084007019085792013-05-24T01:32:08.198+01:002013-05-24T01:32:08.198+01:00Councillor Driver, as you are a man who has lied t...Councillor Driver, as you are a man who has lied to the electorate, and changed allegencies at least 4 times, do yu think you are in a position to comment on the competence and hoensty of officers? <br /><br />You have NO mandate from the electorate for the position you hold, and indeed in the last council elections the electorate completely rejected you.<br /><br />Is that why you refuse to seek a new electorial mandate from the electorate that you lied to, the fact you are CERTAIN to lose? <br /><br />Perhaps you should resign with immediate effect, with no compensation, as that is clearly the eletorate's wish.John Hamilton - talking sense and cutting through bullshithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04286883736579945122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-87661329066051399622013-05-23T22:17:44.031+01:002013-05-23T22:17:44.031+01:00That sounds like accountant doublespeak. You can&#...That sounds like accountant doublespeak. You can't 'lose' money that you would never have had in the first place.<br /><br />If Tescos were handing out tins of baked beans for nothing in the hope that their penniless customers might pay them one day, somebody somewhere would be sacked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-69274392425374792852013-05-23T22:17:00.246+01:002013-05-23T22:17:00.246+01:00Don't worry Euroferries will come to the rescu...Don't worry Euroferries will come to the rescue.OBO110Xnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-65564991501491146252013-05-23T21:46:45.143+01:002013-05-23T21:46:45.143+01:00Although there is now a loss of
£3.3 millions, th...Although there is now a loss of <br />£3.3 millions, the loss may have even been greater over the last two years if TDC had pulled the plug on TEF 2 years ago. At least a few hundred thousands appears to have been paid in that period.<br />And look on the bright side, over the last 15 or so years since the port has been owned by TDC it must have put quite a lot into TDC's coffers. <br />So where does TDC now go with the Port as it looks like there is a hole of about £1.5 to £2 millions in its income?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-79611435952901605932013-05-23T21:25:48.633+01:002013-05-23T21:25:48.633+01:00Dear Deep Throat
Lightning has struck as I read y...Dear Deep Throat<br /><br />Lightning has struck as I read your comment, and the extra voltage through my vibrator's mains adapter spurned a thought from my old seafaring days that indeed harbour dues were charged to the individual vessels so the vessel could be arrested wherever it was for non-payment of harbor dues elsewhere. This should also be the case in your local port.<br /><br />Yours<br />Captain slightly-singed Birds-EyeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-4797603260068325442013-05-23T21:18:39.271+01:002013-05-23T21:18:39.271+01:00TDC also state "Following the news of the ter...TDC also state "Following the news of the termination of business by the ferry operator Transeuropa<br />NV and its subsequent filing for insolvency, the council has reviewed its debt position with the company."<br /><br />This is a misleading statement as there is really a list of companies owing the money, which would have been Transeuropa NV and a number of other companies, all based in Cyprus.<br /><br />The debts are owed by Transeuropa NV AND each vessel owning company, as each ferry was in a different company name.Deep Throatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-6694126780567347362013-05-23T19:02:19.603+01:002013-05-23T19:02:19.603+01:00There is no doubt in my mind that withholding info...There is no doubt in my mind that withholding information about this debt from elected non-cabinet councillors is a breach of the Council's Constitution. As such there should be political resignations. I also believe that the position of the Council's Chief Executive & Section 151 officer is untenable and that she should do the right thing and resign without any compensation Councillor Ian Drivernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-14219368721187548662013-05-23T18:48:26.701+01:002013-05-23T18:48:26.701+01:00Calling in external auditors is a time-honoured co...Calling in external auditors is a time-honoured cover-your-arse tactic. It all depends on what the auditors were shown. We already know that £1.7m of TEF debt wasn't shown in the 2011/12 TDC accounts.<br /><br />No auditor would sanction racking up £3m in debts, surely? What we need are FOI requests for the ledgers so that we can see what presumably McGonigal and her chums could see - that TEF were effectively bust years ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-73175910555478962632013-05-23T18:34:26.348+01:002013-05-23T18:34:26.348+01:00On the point of councillor Driver calling in the a...On the point of councillor Driver calling in the auditor, the report on this which is being looked at next week says in para 6.1.2 'Throughout the accumulation of the debt and up to the current time, officers have<br />shared information with the council’s external auditors to ensure proper accounting<br />practice has been followed.'<br /><br />Presumably the auditors knew what was going on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-52684562496955154642013-05-23T18:24:14.206+01:002013-05-23T18:24:14.206+01:00The auditor is Andy Mack of the Audit Commission -...The auditor is Andy Mack of the Audit Commission - the organisation is due to be disbanded as not proactive enough. Andy is feeble too refusing to request invoices, contracts etc.<br /><br />Civil service covering up for the civil service. Why rock the boat: cover it up, pretend there's no problem, it's not your money, collect your salary and pension.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-2922227941613493222013-05-23T18:21:35.964+01:002013-05-23T18:21:35.964+01:00In the agenda for the extraordinary council meetin...In the agenda for the extraordinary council meeting to deal with this on the 29th it says: "The council has now reviewed its outstanding debt position with Transeuropa and can confirm that the debt stands at circa £3.3m". Why is it Circa? Why is it not to the penny? Surely they know the exact amount that is owing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-30718848511659201112013-05-23T18:02:19.214+01:002013-05-23T18:02:19.214+01:00That email exchange from 26 April onwards between ...That email exchange from 26 April onwards between TDC's Head of Commercial Services Mark Seed and Cllr Ian Driver is a must-see.<br /><br />It shows a council officer obfuscating to the Chair of the Oversight and Scrutiny Panel, giving him all the Yes Minister excuses in the book. Absolute tommyrot and a complete contempt for public accountability.<br /><br />I hope the District Auditor, whoever he or she is, sacks the entire, festering pile of them!Richard Eastcliffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10514972891192411470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-89162169257054092792013-05-23T17:27:29.155+01:002013-05-23T17:27:29.155+01:00Just another indictment against the well paid offi...Just another indictment against the well paid officers is that the head of TDC commercial services Mr Mark Seed would not or could not confirm the size of the debt to the then head of the scrutiny committee at TDC, independent and now Green Cllr Driver as late as the 26th of April. Looks like they were still trying to pull the wool over his and the public's eyes before the elections. But Cllr Driver has reported the situation to the district auditor. It is difficult to see how the new tory chairman of scrutiny will proceed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-51811798761492214412013-05-23T17:24:47.140+01:002013-05-23T17:24:47.140+01:00Is the tip of the iceberg for what has been going ...Is the tip of the iceberg for what has been going on here for years. An area with such great potential/location/assets should be doing so much better. Who should investigate, Richard you do well, is it time for an offical who can enforce some payback to take it from here (& quickly). Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20691138.post-19392786715553109282013-05-23T17:05:48.471+01:002013-05-23T17:05:48.471+01:00The duty of care aspect in the public sector also ...The duty of care aspect in the public sector also moves jail further up the scale. It's money given - to some extent unwillingly - by the public after all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com