Colin Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 The wind is free and unlike oil,gas,fish ect is unlikly to run out so it makes sense to me that this energy source should be captured and converted into something that we can use to power & heat our homes / offices thus, preserving oil and gas for the generations that come after us. Nothing against windfarms per se neither for/against them but, it is unlikely that any of the output will be used to power OUR homes and, it's pretty naive to think that preservation of oil and gas for future generations is an issue for the developers. Profit is the only issue they seek (and that appliest to the SIC/SCT as well). I also find it hard to imagine how any revenue generated(sic) from the venture will be used to benefit the local population directly.Sure, we will have incredibly useful(?) things like liesure centres/arts/music venues etc. but, what of the "ordinary joe" who couldn't give a damn about them.I would wonder(not) if there might be a way to re-instate the persioners christmas bonus or, finance public toilets/bus waiting rooms etc.. I mean, we have been promised "bucketloads" of income.. Is it all going to be wasted on "airy-fairy, arty/farty" rubbish that has to import "skilled" personel in order to operate? George. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 The Burradale windfarm appears to me to be alright,so why would the VE ,not also be a success. That's a bit like saying that because Wills can (allegedly) turn a profit carting touries ta da back o' Bressa ta glower it maws, the nort boat should also be profitable. Suffererof1crankymofo and George. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 The "Nort Boat" is profitable by means of government subsidy and, wind farms for the same reason... What gets me is that for windfarms to be profitable(?) the hydro companies have to pay them over the odds for their output and, ultimately, so do we all via increased hydro bills..The wind might be free but, everything else about their operation costs a fortune and, nauturally in this culture of greed, it invites a lot of "easy buck" type speculators. When (not if) the government withdraws these subsidies, there will be all hell let loose and, Shetland will be flat broke because of it... Don't "Put All Our Begs Into One Askit" brian.smith and Suffererof1crankymofo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/160424_JW_Media.docx.pdf?907e11 Not often that I agree with JW but, this time I think he is on to something.. whalsa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted May 12, 2016 Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 So, the incestously appointed bunch of mutual back scratchers suceed in consolidating and strengthening their grip on the money. http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/12707-sct-moves-to-reduce-council-trustees Personally I think everybody should start boycotting the business interests of all trustees, starting with the Spiggie Hotel. If they think they can ignore the public and do what they please with public property, relying on pedantically interpreting charity law, while ignoring their moral and ethical obligations, maybe they'll think again when the public ignores them. concerned shetlander and whalsa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Colin Posted May 12, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 12, 2016 Just read the article and, to be honest, I don't quite know what is "controversial" about their decision to reduce the number of SIC members as, not a single member of the trust (SIC otherwise) has been DIRECTLY ELECTED to the trust by the people they are meant to serve. I also took time to view the list of trustees and I honestly believe that not to many of them would withstand a public vote. Personally, I have no problem whatsoever with serving councillors being trustees PROVIDING they have been placed there by way of a separate election. What I do have a huge problem with is a self appointed group of wannabees who are able to select their own (suitable?) bedfellows/replacements without any proper reference to public opinion. Treating the electorate with contempt is going to cause them huge problems long term... concerned shetlander, whalsa and crofter 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George. Posted May 13, 2016 Report Share Posted May 13, 2016 The only thing that the "Charitable" trust (about as charitable as Hitler!!!) is independent of is the people that pay their council tax, and therefore their wages. They are parasites, looking out for nobody bar themselves. The sooner that they are shot down in flames, the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admin Posted May 13, 2016 Report Share Posted May 13, 2016 And the winner of the Shetlink Godwin's Law Award for Nazi Comparison goes to: The only thing that the "Charitable" trust (about as charitable as Hitler!!!) is independent of is the people that pay their council tax, and therefore their wages. They are parasites, looking out for nobody bar themselves. The sooner that they are shot down in flames, the better. Extra points were earned for: disproportionateness; superfluousness; no attempt to explain the analogy; factual inaccuracies; nonspecific accusations of abuse of position jz and Seller25 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Davie P Posted May 19, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 (edited) http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/05/19/campaigner-hamilton-says-people-feel-alienated-by-charitable-trust "28 respondents who were questioned at the Market Cross in Lerwick, plus four who had been randomly selected and questioned over the phone" by an individual with a well known axe to grind / agenda, and the Shetland Times have made it the lead story on their website? "He (Peter Hamilton) adds in a summary to the results of the questionnaire: “It seems self-evident that Shetland Charitable Trust in its current form, or in the new form it seeks, is no longer fit for purpose.”" and claims "the questionnaire had proven there was wide spread public mistrust of the organisation which has been blamed for a host of other shortcomings." Nonsense! For someone with "a masters qualification in social science research" he must know that such a small sample can't be used to extrapolate anything of real meaning let alone "prove" anything. Edited May 19, 2016 by Davie P Berserker, Urabug and jz 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Colin Posted May 19, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I would agree that the very few people questioned is a pitifully small sample and that Mr Hamilton's conclusion from such a small sample is flawed but, you cannot ignore the fact that there is, at least, some discontent surrounding the SCT. and it's governance. The SCT (who look after the money) is never going to ask the people (who own(?) the money) how it should run itself and, pressure (of any kind) must be applied until they give in and get a public mandate. George., Da Burra Shop and concerned shetlander 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 (edited) See if asking everybody comes up with different numbers then: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/05/19/campaigner-hamilton-says-people-feel-alienated-by-charitable-trust BTW - Poll is half way down the linked page. No doubt those with an interest to push a very specific outcome will attempt to vote multiple times to attempt to destroy the validity of the poll as has previously happened with ST polls, but the numbers who vote for the options we know they definitely don't want will tell their own story. Edited May 19, 2016 by Ghostrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie P Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 ...the numbers who vote for the options we know they definitely don't want will tell their own story. I'm not sure I understand your point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Burra Shop Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/05/19/campaigner-hamilton-says-people-feel-alienated-by-charitable-trust "28 respondents who were questioned at the Market Cross in Lerwick, plus four who had been randomly selected and questioned over the phone" by an individual with a well known axe to grind / agenda, and the Shetland Times have made it the lead story on their website? "He (Peter Hamilton) adds in a summary to the results of the questionnaire: “It seems self-evident that Shetland Charitable Trust in its current form, or in the new form it seeks, is no longer fit for purpose.”" and claims "the questionnaire had proven there was wide spread public mistrust of the organisation which has been blamed for a host of other shortcomings." Nonsense! For someone with "a masters qualification in social science research" he must know that such a small sample can't be used to extrapolate anything of real meaning let alone "prove" anything.It is roughly equivalent to a survey of 100,000 nationally, so how many folk should be surveyed to get a representative sample from 23,000 Shetlanders? George. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie P Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 (edited) Certainly more than 0.145% of the population, particularly if you're going to make claims like "the questionnaire had proven there was wide spread public mistrust". At best you could say there was some evidence of a trend, but the research methodologies being employed by Mr Hamilton (and the Shetland Times) are so full holes you could drive a bus through them. I'd be interested to read Mr Hamilton's "Action Research... statement of research validity" (anybody know where it's available?) as it "does not intend to measure the status quo, but aims instead to change it." It is perhaps no surprise that his findings show a trend toward changing the status quo, as that is exactly what he set out to do. It seems to me that an individual, with a well known agenda, approaching individuals on the street to ask their opinion is troublesome in terms of validity, and the fact that the Shetland Times have chosen to frame their online poll in an article that validates his 'findings' and is dedicated to his point of view (apart from 2 sentences from Keith Massey) is also dubious. If the Shetland Times were to put forward the pros and cons of each of their poll options then that would go some way to making the poll fair and equitable. However, the fact that they have provided no context apart from Mr Hamilton's opinion would seem to represent a bias on the part of the Shetland Times. Furthermore, the wording of the Shetland Time's poll options is very poor. Some options begin with verbs such as "keep" and "have" and some don't, one option uses "composed entirely" and another uses "comprising entirely". It doesn't add up to anything approaching robust research. I'm all for research on the subject but it gets my goat when individuals, action groups and the media use 'research' that doesn't tick the most basic of boxes and extrapolate the flawed findings to bolster pre-formed opinions. Edited May 21, 2016 by Davie P jz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie P Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 (edited) I found the Mr Hamilton's 'statement of research validity' and it doesn't address any of the concerns I've mentioned above http://media.wix.com/ugd/8fa3d4_bbcab0592e454e2da32343c91c223010.pdf It does read like it was written by someone with an agenda (which it was!) Edited May 21, 2016 by Davie P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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