A last though in respect to US comment about Community Councils, Councillors and the like, if you worked in said departments for public bodies and been to such meetings, why did you not know that PACT and Matac meetings went on, I naturally thought that you had not known anything about such meetings in response to you exclamations.
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, WHICH BIT OF PATRONISING DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?
Do I have to list every single bleeding job I've had to satisfy your lust to justify my opinion? It does NOT matter that I've had jobs over the decades ranging from, amongst others, Word Processing Supervisor for Foster Wheeler to Complaints Investigation Officer for a Local Authority, etc. Dare I mention I was also very active within a local tenants and residents association? Hell, can't mention life experience now, can we? Oh, we can, that's allowed, is it? Best not mention I worked for Solicitors dealing with complaints against the Police/Prison Service yet on the other hand within British Transport Police's CJU - wouldn't want a balanced opinion formed now would we?
Community Councils have no REAL power. How many people on here know the names of their Community Councillors without going and looking them up on the SIC website? Many (and I'm not just referring to Shetland) are full of wanna be LA Councillors or "I'm more important than you and you are nothing" types, seemingly thinking that because they are on a CC they have the right to speak on behalf of the community without even having the decency to ASK the local community want they want. You are lucky if they can be bothered to send out more than one piece of literature a year. DON'T say "Well if you went along ..." - how the {'f' it was funny in Father Ted 'eck'} can you if you don't know when they are gonna meet?
The exception to the above was, of course, Kathy Greaves. Did the other Community Councillors listen to her? Did they vote with her on every item? Hell, she wasn't even on my CC but at least I knew who she was.
So SP, for once in your life, why on earth can't you accept that people gain experience and knowledge in different ways?
Edit: Stop making assumptions that I don't know about PACT, etc. - they too are a complete and utter waste of time - have you not realised yet that us mere peeps no longer have people power in the true sense of the word - many of us are sick to death of politicians who, quite frankly, have their own agenda and couldn't give a toss as to what we want and that the Police, etc., have already had their orders from 'up high' - do you really believe the Police take notice at local meetings? The ones in Newham were useless - same old arguments - "We only have 4 Police cars each night to cover X sq miles and blah blah blah". Police involvement in the local community, nicey nicey likkle meetings - called different things up and down the UK. Partners And Communities Together - don't make me laugh.
And in case anyone is wondering, this is probably more suitably placed in the Loud Exhausts thread where SP 'banged on' about PACT and obviously doesn't appreciate the fact I haven't responded to him within 2 hours so now he has to put it in here!
Edit again: Oh, I did respond to you SP - obviously you weren't happy with my response. Is this a case of you banging on and dictating to me until I'm in agreement with you?