Before I return with more on the Rothesay Harbour saga, there have been rumours for a while that a councillor had council tax arrears but continued to vote on the council budget, something that is illegal. The National covered the story very well today and you can read it here:
http://www.thenational.scot/news/15107732.Exposed__Cover_up_by_Argyll_and_Bute_after____illegal____vote_on_council_tax_rates/?c=eo7sv
Because I sent out to all councillors what was already information in the public domain, they attacked me and seemed to be public apologists for the guilty party. Cllrs Walsh, McCuish, Devon and A Morton were all involved. The National’s article alleges that this was covered up for 2 years or so and maybe that’s why these gormless councillors attacked me.
Anyway, given their attack and given the fact the guilty party, Cllr Robert G MacIntyre has not even had the decency to hold his hand up, I have today asked the following questions:
For both 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 years:
- How many standard reminders were sent to this councillor about his council tax arrears and on what dates please?
- How many times and on what dates did you or some other officer(s) alert this councillor to the issue please?
- When did this councillor pay off the arrears please and was any external debt collection agency involved?
- Apart from you, how many other council officers were made aware of this issue and who were they please?
- Did any officer alert the respective council leaders, formally or informally, prior to the 2013 and 2014 budgets, ie Cllr McCuish and Cllr Walsh?
- Was any consideration given by officers to alerting the police/CPS/Crown Office once this councillor had voted on the budget? If not, why not please?
- Was this matter considered at any meeting of council officers or at any meetings between council officers and senior councillors and if so, can I see the minutes please?
If it is a criminal offence for a Councillor to have voted while in council tax arrears, are you going to report Councillor MacIntyre to Police Scotland?
I understand this has already been done by the press.
I thought law was there so that the poorest and the richest paid there tax on the same day. I thought law was there so we all drive at the same speed. I thought the law made the rich respect the poor the powerless question the powerful .The law is the law, it is not there to pass as one sees fit or pass suggestions on its definitions. Any attempts to undermine the law is detrimental to the fundamental tapestry that holds social order and Councils together. It is eye wateringly interesting to see what tortured definition the cabal at Kilmory have on this Law. Any attempts by any Councillors to undermine the law are detrimental to social order. So rather than enforce the law they wish to ignore the law -that is lawlessness. The law is not made by one person.The law is not made by one Council – they may benefit by not enforcing the law today but they should be careful of what they do today,as tomorrow is coming, and tomorrow will be different.
Isn’t there something about knowingly condoning criminality being a bit naughty? Malfeasance?
I notice that Cllr; Walsh is quoted as saying ” unnecessary, callous and totally unacceptable action “. I well remember when councillors were first supplied with mobile ‘phones a councillor accused Walsh of miss-use of his ‘phone. Before trying to justifying himself Walsh firstly demanded to know where his accuser obtained his information. No doubt to give a wee office girl their dismissal notice.
So sad isn’t it? to see a Kilmory double tier justice system with a consciousness of guilt intent on concealment and destruction of the powerless below them- the office staff – the inhabitants of Argyll-the old age pensioners- the vulnerable and disabled-the school classroom teachers- the librarians- fellow councillors – I could go on and on.
But then that’s as far as Walsh`s intellectual curiosity goes he has no regret over Castle Toward ,no regret over Rothesay Harbour, no regret over incompetent budgets, no regret over the 5 a side cage pitch, no regret over the failed Breslin complaint, no regrets over botched bin collections, no regrets about closure of librarians, no regrets, no regrets no regrets- as the French song goes Non, je ne regrette rien”( I have no regrets).
One day soon he will realise he was fabulously wrong and stunningly incompetent.