Conservative Election Address

[Duke Fame]

Your correct to look at waste, none billing is unforgivable. Previous comments suggest the commercial waste spread sheet for starters. I'm sure back dating wouldn't be an issue, with people only to willing to pay what they owe, once the oversite has been brought to their attention. You never know once all the outstanding money has been collected we may even be able to cover the over spend, reduce the community charge, and have free parking

What’s your point re. Commercial waste? I must have missed it.

[belleesummerbee]

Carl its a bit late but just to let you know, as i suspect you wont have read the footy results, SCFC won on Saturday 2-0 attracting a crowd of 6,393. As a blue nose i know you wont understand the social and community aspects of a football club, but as your party are the champion of small business you will appreciate how important the football footfall however small is the shops and watering holes located in Edgeley and the surrounding area. I would go as far to say that some businesses are kept solvent buy this influx every other week through the season, which will be even more important once Sale RFC leave. Its easy from the outside looking in to say the Council is not a lender of last resort, which i agree, but always look at the bigger picture. Would you have had a different view if the three local ward members wore blue rosettes rather than red?

Your correct to look at waste, none billing is unforgivable. Previous comments suggest the commercial waste spread sheet for starters. I'm sure back dating wouldn't be an issue, with people only to willing to pay what they owe, once the oversite has been brought to their attention. You never know once all the outstanding money has been collected we may even be able to cover the over spend, reduce the community charge, and have free parking

[Duke Fame]

Hello Carl,

Specifically on the Stockport County issue don't you think that your view is framed around what you believe the Council IS NOT to Stockport as opposed to what Stockport County IS or Should be to Stockport.

Surely a football club with all its implications is not just another business. Would you not agree that SCFC is unique to Stockport whether you are a football fan or no.

Also on this issue you didn't answer the question about  - why you think that the Council agreed to lend the money to SCFC in the first place? Do you not think that with the community services the club provides to our town it should be viewed in that context, almost say like Social Services?

Should we also remember that although as you quite rightly point out there are hidden costs associated with the arrangement it was indeed a LOAN.

Finally, as we all know SCFC is in a very precarious position in terms of both a business and a football club - do we know how many people they employ both directly and indirectly?

Here's my view on this, any football club is just another business, it is not a council service, the council is also not a bank.

Let me give you some quotes from http://menmedia.co.uk

"A struggling football club is to get a loan in the region of £180,000 from a cash-strapped council."
"The move is the latest in a long line of attempts to prop up the club."
"In 2010, the council paid £80,000 to have its logo branded on shirts, matchday advertising and programmes in a bid to keep the club going."
"Since going into administration three years ago after defaulting on a £300,000 bill, it has suffered a string of relegations and failed takeovers."

Based on that, I ask, are we actually ever going to get this money back? The council itself needs to save £12m next year,
I'm sorry I just can't support the loan. Here's a question (I don't have the answer, but it still something to ponder),
did the board of Stockport FC get paid last year? If so, Why? use that money, must be around £180,000, if not more.

Let me just clarify again, I am not against county, I don't want to see them fail, but I don't think the council should be its saviour.

To make it all a little more awkward, the Stockport County manager is on the Labour propaganda leaflets - I wonder what more they Labour lot have promised.

[bluebelly]

hi carl
what do you think about the closure of station ticket offices in stockport ?
lookforward to your reply
cheers rob

[Carl Rydings]

Hello Again Carl,


On a very local issue, it is my understanding that commensurate May 1st 2012, The Marple Co-op (good news for you Duk) is planning to extend its opening hours to/from 6am til 11pm, Monday to Saturday. What are your views on that and the implications if any to the Marple Community?  

They can open however long they wish to. Obviously, the council should monitor the situation, if any problems
do arise from the extended opening times, I'm sure the council can work with the Co-op to resolve them.

[Carl Rydings]

Hello Carl,

Specifically on the Stockport County issue don't you think that your view is framed around what you believe the Council IS NOT to Stockport as opposed to what Stockport County IS or Should be to Stockport.

Surely a football club with all its implications is not just another business. Would you not agree that SCFC is unique to Stockport whether you are a football fan or no.

Also on this issue you didn't answer the question about  - why you think that the Council agreed to lend the money to SCFC in the first place? Do you not think that with the community services the club provides to our town it should be viewed in that context, almost say like Social Services?

Should we also remember that although as you quite rightly point out there are hidden costs associated with the arrangement it was indeed a LOAN.

Finally, as we all know SCFC is in a very precarious position in terms of both a business and a football club - do we know how many people they employ both directly and indirectly?

Here's my view on this, any football club is just another business, it is not a council service, the council is also not a bank.

Let me give you some quotes from http://menmedia.co.uk

"A struggling football club is to get a loan in the region of £180,000 from a cash-strapped council."
"The move is the latest in a long line of attempts to prop up the club."
"In 2010, the council paid £80,000 to have its logo branded on shirts, matchday advertising and programmes in a bid to keep the club going."
"Since going into administration three years ago after defaulting on a £300,000 bill, it has suffered a string of relegations and failed takeovers."

Based on that, I ask, are we actually ever going to get this money back? The council itself needs to save £12m next year,
I'm sorry I just can't support the loan. Here's a question (I don't have the answer, but it still something to ponder),
did the board of Stockport FC get paid last year? If so, Why? use that money, must be around £180,000, if not more.

Let me just clarify again, I am not against county, I don't want to see them fail, but I don't think the council should be its saviour.

[Duke Fame]

Just a little question for Simon, can I ask if you are completely unconnected to any candidates or are you perhaps someone who is helping / offering help to a certain Clifford Stanway's campaign?

It may be easier for the neutrals to know where your line of questioning is going.

[Duke Fame]

This is becoming very difficult to Explain Duk. It is probably beyond my explanatory powers. So what I think I'll do is let CARL come back to ME, if he chooses, with HIS answer to MY question.

In addition, I think that we should let Carl ( I will anyway) put HIS own restrictions on what HE feels HE can and can't influence. What do you think eh ? Lets give it a go! 

Hey, this being the intertwaddle, it tends to include lots of people and views. I feel I'm helping everyone understand the issues.

[simonesaffron]

This is becoming very difficult to Explain Duk. It is probably beyond my explanatory powers. So what I think I'll do is let CARL come back to ME, if he chooses, with HIS answer to MY question.

In addition, I think that we should let Carl ( I will anyway) put HIS own restrictions on what HE feels HE can and can't influence. What do you think eh ? Lets give it a go! 

[Duke Fame]

Thank you Hollins and Duke for your comments but I'm not really talking about what the business can do, we know all that, it can open when it likes.

 I was really interested in Carl's view and as to what HE thought the implications were or indeed if he thought there are any. His answer is relevant to MY vote for HIM at the election, YOU'RE NOT STANDING.

The fact that you fail to see anything other than a business operating for commercial reasons doesn't mean anything to me but his view does.

I know, pie plod,  as a voter myself, I like the fact Carl has opened this channel of communication but the questions have to be something within Carl's control as a prospective councillor. The coop's sales strategy to maximise their members wealth is their own members' look out and as if they meet their customers' demands, they are on the right track.

[simonesaffron]

Thank you Hollins and Duke for your comments but I'm not really talking about what the business can do, we know all that, it can open when it likes.

 I was really interested in Carl's view and as to what HE thought the implications were or indeed if he thought there are any. His answer is relevant to MY vote for HIM at the election, YOU'RE NOT STANDING.

The fact that you fail to see anything other than a business operating for commercial reasons doesn't mean anything to me but his view does.

[Duke Fame]

THe Coop can open when it likes, it's not really for the local council to interfere with, it's a commercial decision.

RE. Stockport County, I'm a huge fan of football but can't agree with your point.  Should Glasgow & Portsmouth council not get their local clubs out of the clarts?  I take on your point that football clubs do community work but that is really just marketing, getting kids interested in Stockport County before they follow the lemmings to support the likes of Manchester United or Chelsea.

You are also right to point out it's just a loan but that's no good tot he taxpayer until it gets repaid. I object to the sponsorship they had in place a while back, opposition supporters are going to look at Stockport County's shirt and say to themselves, wow, Stockport has a council? I'll go out and pay some council tax, this also crowds out local businesses wh may just get more positive reseults from an albeit reduced sponsorship.

I take your point that the football club employs people and takes on  the products and services of local businesses but the council would help out every local business on that basis. Surely, the best way to help local businesses is to reduce the burden of council tax to it's absolute minimum giving local people more disposable income to spend on local good & services (including football matches)?

[hollins]

Commensurate May 1st 2012, The Marple Co-op is planning to extend its opening hours to/from 6am til 11pm, Monday to Saturday. What are your views on that and the implications if any to the Marple Community? 

First time I had heard of it and slightly surprising given the number of customers the co-op has at the end of the day and the fact that the Somerfield part of the co-op monopoly is already open for longer hours.

If correct I fail to see how this can have any implications on the local community or any relevance to local elections. If a business believes it can afford to open those hours then what is the problem?

[simonesaffron]

Hello Again Carl,


On a very local issue, it is my understanding that commensurate May 1st 2012, The Marple Co-op (good news for you Duk) is planning to extend its opening hours to/from 6am til 11pm, Monday to Saturday. What are your views on that and the implications if any to the Marple Community? 

[simonesaffron]

Hello Carl,

Specifically on the Stockport County issue don't you think that your view is framed around what you believe the Council IS NOT to Stockport as opposed to what Stockport County IS or Should be to Stockport.

Surely a football club with all its implications is not just another business. Would you not agree that SCFC is unique to Stockport whether you are a football fan or no.

Also on this issue you didn't answer the question about  - why you think that the Council agreed to lend the money to SCFC in the first place? Do you not think that with the community services the club provides to our town it should be viewed in that context, almost say like Social Services?

Should we also remember that although as you quite rightly point out there are hidden costs associated with the arrangement it was indeed a LOAN.

Finally, as we all know SCFC is in a very precarious position in terms of both a business and a football club - do we know how many people they employ both directly and indirectly?