Disgruntled From Brentwood … !

No, No … 

No Photos … !

Actually, yeah, there’s a reason for that: I can’t actually think of one to put in.

At ANY rate … ?

At any rate, I’ve mentioned — in this week’s Brentwood Gazette Teaser — I’ve had two letters published in this week’s Brentwood Gazette.

And frankly thought I’d share the text of them with you.

Here’s the first one, aimed at Eric Pickles …

Dear Sir, 

I read Eric Pickles’ article in this week’s Gazette, and want to ask him the same question I — and others — have been asking his cabinet colleague, Iain Duncan Smith: could he manage on the money his government are handing to me?

I doubt it.

He tells us about the £10, 000 tax allowance he and his government have introduced: which doesn’t make that much to someone who’s been out of work for two years.

It makes no difference to someone, like me, who’s on the Work programme his government introduced: however well intentioned it is, it’s not helping as there’s little in the way of jobs to be had.What’s more, any spare cash this allowance gives me — little or none, given bills, bills and more bills — gets chewed up by amount of cash I now have to pay Brentwood Council: something I didn’t have to do, barely a fortnight ago.Can I be blunt … ?

I would normally ask a politician in his position to step down, as — despite his article’s title — he’s not helping or anyone I know.I won’t, in the case of Mr Pickles: or in the case of Council leader, Mrs McKinley.

No.I’ll be voting against them, as and when the date comes.And praying those who agree with me put him out of office.Yours

And here’s the second.

Dear Sir, 

I have to admit, I’ve just heard the news about the death of Margaret Thatcher.

And wish to offer my condolences to her children, Carol and Mark.

They’ve lost a mother.

However … ?

I have to admit to being no fan of the woman.

I think part of the problem of the shortage of social housing we face in Brentwood is down to her and her government’s choices.

I can’t cannot fault the aspirational intent behind the scheme that allowed social housing tenants like myself buy their homes: to genuinely make those properties their own.

But she also neglected to make councils — Tory led Brentwood council, included — ring-fence any monies raised to build replacements: leaving many, today, to rent privately, and others not be able to afford homes.

On top of that … ?

I personally believe that her part in transforming Britain into the service led economy it is today, left many of my generation unable to find work or training suitable to their abilities: and the country the poorer for it.

What’s more … ?

I’m VERY aware she was — according to one or two interviews I’d seen with her — quite friendly with the late Enoch Powell.

Lord knows what the implications of that are.I realise many will disagree with me.But I have to say that Britain will not see her like again.Thank heavens for that.

Feel free to quote me … !

Eric Pickles: Possibly At It Again

You know, every-so-often, you HAVE to ask questions, don’t you?

Don’t you … ?

“Do you want fries with that?” is a perfectly valid one, for example: although obviously, only in very specific circumstances. (None of which will involve Clint Eastwood saying “Well? DO ya … ?”)

“How did that photo get THAT size,” is another: I wish I knew, I’d be able to do something about it!

And a third … ?

Actually, a third is all about Brentwood and Ongar’s much loved MP, Communities secretary, Eric Pickles.

And I’ve got to admit, the question in question is “HOW MUCH … ?”

Because I’ve got to admit, I’ve just seen this article on The Guardian’s website — there’s a hoop or two to jump through, first though, they don’t make it easy … — and that’s the first thing I thought.

Whatever else one says of the man — and in person, he’s somewhat affable — I’m thinking if he’s paying that sort of money* to one man, for barely a year’s work, I have a couple more questions to ask.

Firstly … ?

“If you’re paying THAT much, Eric, will you be giving the likes of me a jobº?”

And secondly … ?

Secondly, given that Mr P’s noted for giving local councils hell in a bucket for overspends?

Secondly, I’d have to ask this:

“Mr Pickles, how do you justify paying one of your staff members that money: when it’s more than Joanna Killian — Essex County Council Chief Executive — got for the same sort of periodª?”

After all, he DOES encourage councils to spend less: he should SURELY do likewise.

Actually, there’s a thirdly, as well.

“Mr Pickles? Where EXACTLY did that money come from?”

Because if that’s public money, I think we have a right to complain …

* £580, 000, just over half a million, for 16 months: which works out at something like £36, 000 per month. Hell, I’ll work for THAT … !

º I refer my honourable readers to the footnote just above this one! (Actually, Debbi, Nina, I don’t how much that is in Euros or dollars: but it‘s not exactly potato peelings.)

ª Going by this article, she got £289,173 for 2010 to 2011: £385, 564 would be the equivalent figure for the 16-month period. (IE from January 2010 to April of this year. I divided her pay by 12, then multiplied it by 16, to get that figure.)

Visiting Big(Non)wigs …

Hmmm …

Now, I don’t know if I’ve made an impression, or not.

I hope I have …

But suspect I haven’t.

You know, you’d POSSIBLY be thankful if I actually told you why, wouldn’t you … ?

»»·««

But at ANY rate … ?

I’ve got to admit, my street got a badly timed visit from Brentwood’s MP, Eric Pickles, this morning.

Badly timed, you say … ?

Well, yeah.

I’d run out of tomatoes.

And as I said earlier … ?

I’m none too sure if he’ll remember, but I’m hoping he will.

Because …

Well, I’ll be frank, here, if I may, I’ve always been something of a fan of the basic idea of open source source software and operating systems.

Operating systems in particular.

I’ve always liked the idea that there’s should be more than one choice for ways to run a computer: I’ve always suggested Ubuntu as a very user friendly Linux distro, for example, to any who’ve asked.

Now in the past, the current Chancellor, George Osbourne has always spoken well of using open source software … but never seemingly done much about it.

So, me being me … ?

I handed him a copy of Ubuntu 11•04.

Complete with making the point it’s free software.

And the (only mildly bitchy) point that as he’s using a version of Windoze on hit by now notorious £7, 000 laptop, he’s handed control of his machine to Bill Gates.

A foreign power, if you chose to look at it that way.

His reply was a “Well it could …”

I’ve got to admit, I told him — politely enough, I think — that there wasn’t a could about it.

So …

Well, I don’t know if Eric Pickles is reading this.

But I’d dare him — if he is — to use that Ubuntu live disc on an older machine he, parliament or party headquarters may have access to.

And use that machine as his main working machine, for a week or so, to make himself familiar with it and the software it contains.

And to see how much use he can get from it.

And then starting costing replacing Windozes.

Newzbin: Breaking News

Hmmm …

I’ve got to admit, I’ve a BIT of news, I’m going to share, that’s been on both the BBC News channel …

And on their website.

But I’ve got to admit, I’ve just had the rather sad news an old friend has died: of pneumonia, arising from a complication of cancer.

From what I’m told … ?

From what I’m told, it was actually mercifully quick: something the family concerned are grateful for.

Knowing the person concerned, they would have hated a slow and debilitating death.

The irony is … ?

Literally, I’d just had a phone call to tell me I’ve an interview, tomorrow.

And to find out that, then of a friend’s death … ?

Well …

You have to assume they’re funny.

You really do.

Because you’d be crying even harder, if you didn’t … … … …

So …

This one’s for Jen: hoping she’d’ve appreciated it.

»»·««

Lets get moving on, shall we … ?

Before I get too depressed … !

At ANY rate, I do know I managed to see this article go past on the BBC’s news-site, this morning, informing us that the British government were being officially ripped off by its various IT suppliers.

Surprise, surprise … !

Now, in spite of the amount of support that George Osbourne gave to the open source movement whilst in opposition, I’ve a funny felling they won’t be switching en masse to Ubuntu.

And I’m also going to point out that Labour weren’t the only ones to spend serious cash on IT.

Look around Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar for anything to do with Eric Pickles, MP for Brentwood, and have a read about the £7500 Laptop.

»»·««

The OTHER bit of news doing the rounds on the BBC’s news channel* and website … ?

Is the news that a High Court, today, has ordered British Telecoms — BT, in other word’s, Britain’s biggest Internet Service Provider — to block access to file sharing site, NewzBin.

And I’ve got to admit, I’m thinking I’m … hmm …

Well, annoyed is possibly one way of putting it.

Because I’m thinking this has implications.

Lots and lots of implications: probably than just one layman can come up with.

But there’s one that springs to mind, here: or possibly several.

Now, I’m quite happy to admit that I’ve used peer-to-peer BitTorrent clients in the past.

In fact, I occasionally still do.

I’ve always encouraged people to experiment with various different operating systems: mostly various different distributions of Linux.

And I’ve usually used a BitTorrent client called Transmission to do this.

Even with the broadband download limit I have through BT, using peer-to-peer technology.

It takes longer to download a file, like this, but doesn’t chew up as much bandwidth.

So I can’t help but be interested in this sort of thing.

Interested …

And worried …

You see, it strikes me that insisting an ISP automatically blocks a website?

Is understandable, given that Newzbin seems to be devoted to illegally file-sharing copyrighted materiel: after, I think I’d want to keep out of trouble, in their situation.

Possibly.

But I’m also wondering why on earth it’s BT’s job to police the internet: in what seems to me to be the first step on a long slippery slope towards censorship of the ’Net.

When the various movie studios could be doing something a touch radical.

Like …

Oooooh …

Maybe give their movies away?

After all, for anyone with a DVD or PVR hooked up to their TV, and a way of getting them to their computers …

That’s what they’re effectively doing, already …

* Just who ARE the newsreaders, today … ? They aren’t the regulars, I know that … !

MP’s and Rich Media Content: How to Oggle HTML5 and write to Your MP

Which I know is a bit of a gobful of a post-title.

But I think it sums up what I’m trying to say …

Possibly …

At any rate, one thing I know I managed to find in my letter box, today, was a very polite letter — about wheel-clamping — from Brentwood and Ongar MP, Eric Pickles.

At last …

But just to keep you abreast, I’d written to him, recently: mostly to ask him his stance on the Freedom Bill, due before the House of Commons.

I got a reply from him.

And I think we can say he’ll be voting for the Bill.

Double click on the scan of the letter, that SHOULD show you what I mean …

At any rate, I’ve fired off …

A reply … !

You’d guessed, hadn’t you … ?

Here’s what I asked him …

Dear Mr Pickles,

Firstly, let me thank you for answering my email with your letter of the 26th August of this year, in regards to wheel-clamping.

However, I also believe I have not had my questions answered to my personal satisfaction.

I’ll happily agree that there are some companies in the wheel-clamping industry that are as unscrupulous as you say.

However, I live in Rollason Way, near Brentwood Station.

And the wheel clamping company that my landlords — South Anglia — use have been, bar the usual teething problems one expects with type of scheme, fine.

In fact, they have been so successful in keeping commuters and non-residents out of our street, that residents had recently voted to retain the scheme.

So the government announcement about the Freedom Bill … ?

Caused a lot of heated discussion at the subsequent residents meeting, as I’m sure your colleague, Councillor Joan Holmes — the one Conservative councillor for Brentwood West — will be able to tell you. She was there, as was Councillor Karen Chilvers of the Brentwood and Ongar Liberal Democrats.

So I would like to reiterate my initial question, and — if possible — add another to the list.

Firstly, I would like to know if the government had — or is — considering making the current voluntary code of practise. As I stated in a recent letter to the Brentwood Gazette, I feel that better regulation, rather than an outright ban, would be a preferable course of action.

Secondly, I’d like to reiterate that I’d like to know which you — personally — intend to vote on the Freedom Bill, when it comes before the House in November. I believe that I — and many of my neighbours — would be comforted knowing our MP is voting against this bill: one that makes our lives more complicated, and one I think that goes against David Cameron’s much-talked-about ‘Big Society’.

Yours,

There’s hoping I get a reply to that: I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed, but let’s wait and see, shall we … ?

‹‹‹◊›››

The other part of the title … ?

Refers to the fact I found a rather nice website, earlier tonight, that’s all done in HTML5.

Which was rather fun, something I’d not knowingly come across, and was amazing — to me, at least — to experience.

Go have a look at it: I think you’ll be impressed!

Mr P’s At It Again …

Hmm …

Well …

I seem to have got a response, there …

Remember, a few days ago, I told you about the whole wheeling clamping situation, here in Rollason Way … ?

Now, granted it’s gone quiet about it, in the media.

But at least I can tell you that, after emailing Eric Pickles, the MP for Brentwood and Ongar, has sent a response.

Or rather, I should say his Parliamentary Assistant has: the former Brentwood Borough Councillor, Karen Sheehan.

Hmmm …

Who I’ve got to admit never impressed me, when she was in post. (Councillor Holmes and Chilvers, on the other hand, did. Well, Councillor Chilvers did and does: Councillor Holmes is also one of Brentwood’s Conservatives: but, much like Councillor Chilvers, at least got herself in the papers, occasionally, and tried to at least look like she was making an effort on behalf of her constituents.)

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?

My point is that — so far — I’ve had a response from someone.

It does leave me with a question I think I’d like an answer to.

May be a couple …

Firstly, I’d like to ask you, if you’re one of my neighbours, to email or write to Eric Pickles, yourself: here’s the link to do that.

I think the more of us who write to him to complain about this bill — or, at least, this provision of this bill —, the better.

Secondly … ?

I think I’d like to ask both Councillor Chilvers and Councillor Kendall — who’s the Lib-Dem leader for the area — to comment on this post: I think I’d like to hear their views and have them publicly available.

Yes, I know both their and Councillor Clarke’s* view on this: after all, many have said that the Lib Dem’s and Conservatives aren’tin a coalition locally.

But I think we should hear what they have to say.

* Councillor Clarke is the other Lib-Dem councillor for the Brentwood West ward. So you know!

Getting Pickled, again …

You know, I’ll happily admit, I’m a complete tart when it comes to seeing me name in print.

But — much as I know Trevor, Movie Night Adrian and the rest of the gang will be making oh-so-amusing comments about that — I’ve ALSO got to admit that seeing the announcement from Eric ’The Elephant’ Pickles, MP, about his axing of the Audit Commission got me thinking …

He’s burbling about it on the BBC News channel, as I write.

Either way, it got me thinking that someone should send the Gazette a letter about it.

Oh, and the Times. And the Guardian. And the Observer. And the Mail, as well, just to be even handed …

Here’s what I sent them …

Dear Editor

I’ve got to admit, I’ve been following the news that our MP, Eric Pickles, has ordered the scrapping of England’s Audit Commission with a sense of alarm.

Now, I’ll happily admit to being no expert on these things.

It could well be that farming out audits and investigations of local and national government could well be done more cheaply at a local level, by private companies and not-for-profit groups.

What worries me, however, is whether these organisations are covered by the Freedom Of Information Act.

Given the noted arguments about Mr Pickles’ £7, 000 laptop, Brentwood Council’s own seeming inability to manage taxpayers money and the gerrymandering actions of a Conservative led Westminster Council the Audit Commission famously uncovered in the 1980s, I think I’d like to ask a question.

I’d like to ask if Mr Pickles — our MP, after all — is using the coalition governments austerity measures as an excuse. To lay groundwork for the coalition to be able to hide things.

A serious question, I know.

But one I think should be answered.

Ahem!!

At any rate, feel free to express your opinion as well, either by leaving a comment here.

Or by email to the relevant paper … !

Another News Zoo …

You know, isn’t it funny what you can pick up from France … ?

Me … ?

I got this lovely postcard from Sarah and Kevin D, from their recent travels …

Bless ’em!

I’ve got to admit, though, that today’s been the first chance I’ve had to scan them in: bless her, sarah popped the card — and some of the photo’s — over on Monday: the day after the D-Day teaser.

What’s funny is the family French villa isn’t that far from Cæn …

And Sword beach …

But I’m digressing, aren’t I … ?

I’ve actually had a reply from Eric Pickles, MP, Brentwood’s MP, following on from the Rethink email campaign I’d signed up for, last year.

Obviously, the £7, 000 laptop can’t be that good, if it takes him all that time … !

Says I …

The actual letter, itself, though … strikes me as being a bit bland, and non-commital.

Quite probably, I think I’d have a word with a couple of friends of mine, to see what they think.

I’ll let you know what they say.

Meanwhile, feel free to sign up for the Rethink email campaign, yourself …

•••••

Let’s move on, shall we … ?

The other thing I was going to tell you about about was what I’m picking up about Rollason Way’s endless parking and road’s argument.

Or arguments, I should maybe say.

No, before you ask, I’ve not heard any more about the actual clamping scheme.

But I do know that one of the neighbours has been to see Crest Nicholson about getting their traffic diverted from one end of the street to the other.

To give you a basic summary, my flat is at one end of Rollason Way: the end nearest to the main part of Warley Hill.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, the other end — the unfinished end of the street — is the end that’s furthest from the junction with Saint James road and Warley Hill, itself.

Which means all of that lovely construction traffic still — occasionally — goes past my front room window.

Not too much of a bother, you’d think, as the sites almost finished.

Apart from a large gap, next to the block of flats where Adrian lives.

Which sounds like like it’s going to be another block of flats. Without much in the way of parking spaces, I should add.

Which, obviously means a lot more traffic.

Ho HUM!

But, from what I’m told, it seems that Crest Nicholson have bought a patch of land at the end of the street that’ll let their traffic exit and enter Rollason Way, via Kavannagh’s road.

Hopefully, that’ll mean that Rollason Way gets adopted by the relevant authorities, sooner, rather than later.

But I’ve got to wonder how long it’s going to take.

•••••

And FINALLY : !

I’m going to close by thanking the team at Life, Dr Who and ComBom, once more, for giving me a mention in the Sunday Review round up!

Nice to get a mention!!

⌫⌧⌦

That’s Some of the Money, Mr Pickles …

Well, I’ve managed to do some digging …

And managed to find — right here — the details of Mr Pickles ‘state of the art’ laptop.

It’s a Lenovo …

Ah HEM!!

Just so you know, that’s the Chinese company that had been the PC arm of IBM; at least, until it got bought out, a few years ago.

And one that I’ve not heard much about, in its modern incarnation; although in its original form, both IBM as much as Apple did a lot to popularise home computer use. But a company known — as far as I can see — for doing a workmanlike, rather than an innovative job

That cost him £869•50p

Hardly the £7, 500 that the Gazette were claiming.

What did seemingly cost a packet, was the unspecified software from Limelight Software; although, apparently, the domain registration they supplied didn’t cost much, the software they supplied cost £1065•25p.

I’m also going to point out that the public purse also paid Limelight £500 in consultancy fees, on Mr P’s behalf.

And, on top of that, there was also £1, 169•13p paid to Qunique, the company that supplied the laptop, for a document scanner kit*. Now while I realise that there’s specialised kit for scanning in books, scrolls, large sized images and whatever else, I can’t see Eric Pickles needing such a thing.

It does raise questions. For a start, why does he — or any other MP — should need much more than a all in one printer-scanner-copier*? Costing anywhere from about £70, to about £250ish.

And what was the £1069 worth of software? The various claim forms lodged with the Fees Office have large areas of black ink.

Mr Pickles says he has nothing to hide.

The claims forms seem to say otherwise.

* I’m no expert. But this, to me, looks the sort of large scale semi-pro industrial kit I’d’ve expected Miss Vix — who did so much of the artwork for my pub quiz posters — to want to use. It looks the sort of price I’d be expecting an artist to pay for a piece of kit enabling them to digitise large-sized (up to A2, which she was capable of doing) images, when they needed them to be transfer to a website.

Money, Money, Money

Well, I’ve had a response …

From the man himself! Which is more than I can say I got from the Gazette …

I left a link to the last post about the Eric Pickles laptop saga, to see what kind of response I’d get.

From Eric Pickles.

And I’ve got to admit, it was pretty bland. Here, courtesy of his Parliamentary assistant, Kay Bellwood …

“Thank you for your email to Eric Pickles MP about his expenses claim for computer equipment. Mr Pickles has asked me to send you the following comment for your blog:

‘I purchased my computer equipment from an office supplier. The invoice for the equipment was submitted to the Fees Office which paid the supplier direct.’”

Now is it me, or am we getting fobbed off here … ?

I think we are.

Granted, the purchase may well have been within the rules — we’ve heard that before — but the reply from his office does not tell us which suppliers, how much it cost, the specification or operating system of the machine concerned or the alternatives Mr Pickles explored for reducing the cost to the taxpayer.

Nor, as I think I mentioned in my last post, does it tell us where the rest of that £7, 500 went.

Yes.

I believe we have been fobbed off.

With a bland answer.