Keighley precept to rise by 3.4 per cent (From Keighley News)

For the attention of Cllr John Phillips.

Dear Sir.
The following is the definition of the word “Democracy” as contained in the Encarta Concise English Dictionary.

1.Representation Of People, the right to a form of government in which power is invested in the people as a whole, usually exercised on their behalf by elected representatives.
3. Democratic Government System, a system of government based on the principal of majority decision-making.
4. Organisational Control By Members, the control of an organisation by it's members who have a right to participate in decision-making process.

In these definitions Cllr Phillips I hope you can see how Democracy operates, for example; power is invested in the people as a whole; principal of majority decision-making; members who have a right to participate in decision-making process. The co-opting of a councillor by the council onto the council is not a democratic process and does not give constituents a voice in choosing who will represent them. And before we go down the road of having elected representatives acting on our behalf , this has long gone from our democratic process, that is why the public no longer have faith in the government and local authorities.

Looking further at these definitions I cannot find where your statement of; “the expensive by-election had been deliberately engineered by our usual small band of quisling town councillors”, fits in with democracy.

Quoting again from the Encarta Concise English Dictionary it says.

“Quisling, a traitor, especially somebody who collaborates with an occupying force.”

Do we constituents take it Cllr Philip that anyone who goes against Keighley Town Council in support of the democratic rights of the constituents are seen as a traitor to the council? If so, just who is Keighley Town Council actually serving, itself or the constituents? I can only come to the conclusion Keighley Town Council needs more of your quislings in order for it to be more democratic.


Your are further quoted as saying:

“Finance committee chairman Cllr John Philip proposed the 3.4 per cent increase. He said this would only have been 0.4 per cent if next week's Riddlesden and Stockbridge by-election - forecast to cost the council £10,000 - had been avoided through co-opting a new member.”

Cllr Philip, can you provide the constituents with a detailed breakdown of how you come to the forecast figure of £10,000 as the possible cost for holding a democratically held by-election?

You further state; “The 3.4 per cent increase will see the town council levy a total precept of £386,250 for 2010/11. This amounts to a charge of £24.30 on properties in the benchmark band D category. “ According to your own figures then, the Riddlesden by election will place 3% increase on the total precept.

Being a mere constituent, not worth spending £10,000 on so I may exercise my democratic right to be involved in the selection of my next representative, you may question my following calculations. 3% of £386, 250 I get to be £11,587. If my calculations are correct, then your forecast £10,000 cost of a by election , which you have now added in to the total precept , has seen an increase in the total precept of £11,587, that puts Keighley Town Council already making a profit from the by election.

If for example there are 10,000 properties which come under the benchmark band D, the Riddlesden by election would place an increase of £1.15p on each property. That leaves £23.15p Keighley Town Council has not explained the increase for. Why is the cost of the by election being given so much publicity by Keighley Town Council? Why are those within the council who stand up for the democratic rights of constituents being referred to as quislings. Why do we have our Town Mayor Cllr Margaret Ward, writing into the Keighley News, Thursday January 28 in regard to the cost of the coming Riddlesden by election, saying:

“I would urge people to be careful. Democracy can be used to manipulate, intimidate, and exploit situations for ones own purposes.”

No Cllr Ward, the suspension of democracy is what leads to intimidation, exploitation, and abuse by individuals for their own purpose. If Cllr Margaret Ward is concerned about the expense and motive of the coming Riddlesden by election, would she support Riddlesden having it's own Parish Council, then as a Keighley Town Councillor she need not have any more concern?

If any of Cllr Philip's Town Hall quislings are reading this article, on behalf of the ignored constituents of Keighley Town Council, keep up the good work, our only hope of being able to exercise our democratic rights is through your actions and eventually having our own Parish Council.

To Mr Graham Forsyth, Keighley.

Mr Forsyth, You a one of the few who has stood up for Democracy, for that you must most certainly be named.
That I was, not named as the ‘Quisling’ in Cllr Philips political ramblings did not hide the fact I was, in my view, the target of despicable and salacious remarks. These remarks were allowed to continue even though I had repeatedly protested to the Mayor that personal insults should not be included in any financial report.
Later on Cllr J Newton used the word ‘Vexatious’ in an agenda item with which it was proposed to limit the use of local elections, then admitted, she had not known of its use, nor indeed did some others in the chambers. The word was then partly explained by the Town Clerk to the assembled members. Such an admission indicated to me Cllr J Newton was encouraged to use the word by others within the chambers and such implications were to create vexatious harassment to those of us with a differing point of view. It was seconded by Cllr Mitchell and passed by a majority of councillors.
I see the problem Keighley Town Council has is an intellectual deafness. In my view there is an omnipotent cancer that has created a mediocrity that is only interested in grit bins, bands balloons, and an ever increasing salary bill.
The waning rational and creative power of this Council is due solely, in my humble opinion, is a lack of understanding the thoughts of others, including that of the media, Bradford City Council, our financial adviser, Mr Keith Pickles and anybody else who has the temerity to disagree or offer advice to a committee regarding its financial and operating structures. Obviously everybody else is wrong!
I had warned the prestigious Management and Staffing Committee that I was aware of a possible four by-elections within Keighley. A week earlier I had informed Cllr Philips, Chair of the finance committee, in a private telephone call, of the same issue. My comments were met with a hostile comment by the Mayor that I had threatened the Council with such a comment. The Mayor subsequently withdrew that comment, for which I thank her.
Two local by-elections outstanding and possibly two more to go. Yet those in charge of Keighley Town Council still don’t understand that the public are fed up with it spending policies.
My statement in the chamber that it was ‘about time’ to a proposal by the Council that it investigates opportunities of a more substantial benefit of Keighley was met with total silence. Eight years of office and at last reality is creeping up to some members in Council that spending money as in the past is not what the public requires. Implementation of policies that are of tangible benefit to Keighley is long overdue! Such is the mentality of those who attack me that they are rather surprised when I respond! Will the lies, innuendoes, the use of the words, Quisling and Vexatious go away, As stated, because of the mentality within the minds of some council members, I very much doubt it

This increase is a disgrace it is way above inflation.
I am a pensioner and every penny counts. Why should I contribute to this election? If my roof was in need of repair to the tune of £10,000 would I be able to go the tax payers for a hand out? No I would have to manage my existing expenses and income or do without. This Town Council is a joke! Asking again for ratepayer to dip into there pockets. Bradford Council are asking at the most for a 1.9% increase and looking around at other town councils they seem to be asking for increases below inflation.
This council wants disbanding I think they live in a different world than the rest of us. Perhaps some one should inform them that we are in a global recession.

(Those in charge of Keighley Town Council still don’t understand that the public are fed up with it spending policies.) HOW TRUE

(Eight years of office and at last reality is creeping up to some members in Council that spending money as in the past is not what the public requires) HOW TRUE AGAIN

To Riddlesden and Stockbridge Ward.

Nearly 20% of the eligible voters turned out and voted for democracy in the ward. Yes I perceived some sad and angry faces at the count, but to all those people who wanted more balloons, badges and jazz bands in the park instead of the right to vote for a candidate of choice you were rightly subjected to the will of the people in the area.
Maybe a sense of what I consider to be a rational approach to the spending policy of Keighley Town Council can now take place or will voters in other wards have to demonstrate that things have to alter or risk alienating even more of the Keighley electorate. Keighley Town Council must listen! £28,000 for a news letter! The Keighley News prints most of the news for FREE!

‘This Town Council is a joke!’ states a Keighley constituent, and yet this council was formed with the intention of being a ‘New Broom’ of thrift and full democracy and yet……..!!!

David Samuels