So now I'm an agitating community activist!

lisa_spyder · 03-23-2010, 03:38 AM

So much for my sleepy little life in the country

.

Tomorrow we rally on the steps of local council to fight a ridiculous proposal for a leisure centre redevelopment that the Shire can't afford, doesn't want and doesn't need. $24.3 million dollars which will be one big toilet flush. The council closed our outdoor pool here (without community consultation) because it needed $2 million to bring it up to spec and was losing $50,000 per year. The leisure centre is already losing $287,000 per year and if they go ahead with this redevelopment is projected to lose over $500,000 in the first year. We're talking about a large municipality geograpghically, but with a population of 35,000. If the council don't get the grants they want for this project, our rates are going up by $140 per year for the next 50 years (on top of a 6.9% rate rise for four years). They aren't going to get these grants - we've spoken to the politicians concerned and we know for a FACT it won't happen...WE WANT OUR OUTDOOR POOL BACK...for the lousy $2 million we could have it back by next summer and the kids would have somewhere to go instead of roaming the streets...there's grants available on a 1:1 funding basis to do this!

So this sleepy conservative little community is taking to the streets tomorrow to FIGHT like they have never fought before. Council meeting is tomorrow afternoon and the leisure centre decision is on the agenda...

I have spent today handing out flyers, doing interviews with local media, sending out press releases, making banners, researching for my submission to council, plus 100 things I don't remember... I am worn out...and 7.00am tomorrow it all starts again! We'll have TV coverage (had a great story on tonight's news already), I'm doing a live cross to the regional ABC radio station from the rally in the morning, I have to speak with the rest of the media throughout the day to bring them all up to speed and do ongoing interviews, finish my subsmission, rally again in the afternoon and then go to the council meeting...somewhere in all this I have to be a Mum and make sure I don't forget to pick up my kids from school and get them to their various activities...no time for work though!

It's been 20 odd years since I have been this heavily involved in politics etc...man am I feeling the fact the I am 20 years older

...

We've worked on this for months knowing this day is coming...now that it's here I wish I had another week to get things done!

Wish us luck...by this time tomorrow might I will be totally incoherent and wiped out....but I'm sure it will be worth it!

jwhcars · 03-23-2010, 04:02 AM

Good Luck

A930Rocket · 03-23-2010, 04:26 AM

Good luck! Sounds like you're doing good.

Joeaksa · 03-23-2010, 04:28 AM

Good Job and hope it works!

Laneco · 03-23-2010, 04:57 AM

Good luck Lisa! It's people who stand up and fight for what is right that keep the rest of the group from being treated like doormats by "those in power."

Besides, rebellious women are so VERY much fun, aren't they?

angela

Rot 911 · 03-23-2010, 05:32 AM

Good luck and I hope you win!

chicago_82sc · chicago_82sc's Garage

Power to the people!!! Good luck.

12own911 · 03-23-2010, 07:35 AM

Good on you... fight the good fight!

The Gaijin · 03-23-2010, 08:23 AM

Fight, fight, fight!!!

Rikao4 · 03-23-2010, 08:52 AM

sic 'm killer..
you may want to check whose cousin..
or relative from the current board would benefit..
ie ..in the biz // land one of the contract's ..
somebody would // will..

Rika

scottmandue · 03-23-2010, 09:34 AM

Stick it to the man!

We have the same problem were I live... The port of Los Angeles has been promising our community a "water front development" we have to fight them tooth and nail for every improvement and then we only get a fraction of what they promised.

pwd72s · 03-23-2010, 10:26 AM

Lisa...a well known quote for you:

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money to spend." -Margaret Thatcher

Good luck, and may the people there be listened to.

lisa_spyder · 07:49 PM

Hey guys,

It's just after 5.00am and I'm up (not raring to go...need more caffeine yet)...

THANKS!!! Nothing like a bit of support from the gang at the Bird to help me along

.

There are two women who have worked tirelessly on this for 2 years now - they are a generation or two up on me and their energy is incredible. As much as anything, I hope for them we see a good result today.

They weren't much into 'sticking it to the man' until another woman (Helen) and I really them fired up...just not in their nature to turn a little feral...but if it wasn't for them and their efforts we just wouldn't have a campaign now at all.

Rika - there's a whole lot of stuff going on here...this is just the tip of the iceberg; but it's the one issue that is emotional enough to get the community off their bums...we have so much info on this bunch and how inept they are that it's frightening...council have vowed to be transparent and agree that their role is to be financially frugle and responsible - no evidence thus far of either!

There's two facebook groups (one with a couple of thousand angry locals on board)....the people are coming out of the woodwork at last!

This is one matter that may just unite the business group, the ratepayers association and the save the pool group altogether...that's formidable in anyone's town

.

BTW....my name is mud with some of the councillors...and senior council staff...after today it's going to be even muddier...I gave them due warning a while ago that the fight was just beginning...

Hey Angela!
You're right

...I am a political animal from way back...wish Mum and Dad were both around to see me in action again...they'd both be saying "look, our girl's BACK"... hehehehehe....Mike's pretty chuffed - loves it when his wife fires up

.

OK - got to get my head right for the day (and try to look decent for the TV crew - huh)...

Thanks again!

lisa_spyder · 03-23-2010, 10:43 AM

Hey Paul...

how about this one....from one of our very own councillors...

"Good governance in local government is not only doing the right thing, but we need to be seen doing the right thing"....

She's going to squirm today when I close my submission with that very quote and look her straight in the eye whilst citing it...

Am I an antagonist??? HELL YEAH!!!

lisa_spyder · 03-24-2010, 06:26 AM

Well, council has done us over...again...or so they think....we've got some nasty little aces up our sleeves yet.

Great day! Long day...fantastic media coverage for us and more tomorrow.

Council moved a motion to start with $13,000,000 of their $24.3 million plan (no outdoor pool - some BS indoor water play crappo thing)...no funds to pay for it; hoping on grants which we know they won't get - how come we know this and they don't? Oh that's right...doesn't matter; they'll just put up our rates to pay for their white elephant anyway...

Council's own engineering department issued a detailed report a few months back stating that the costing for a totally renewed pool site with everything was $2,000,000. Our mayor was on council then...listen to what he says in response to my interview with ABC radio here...sorry for the Aussie accent fellas! Listen hard, you'll understand me I'm sure (and I'm not usually this agro - really I'm not

)...

Oh! We got a new quote for renewing the pool too! Was submitted to council at the meeting tonight by our pool gurus who know this stuff - $995,000 to bring the 50 metre pool up to olympic standard plus renew toddler pool and have it all operational - council just chucked that aside...they are confirming what we know - they have plans for this piece of real estate as it's pretty valuable...but they deny any plans at all. They are full of it (yes I am angry - that's a good thing for this campaign).

Council in deep water - ABC Gippsland Vic - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Dueller · 03-24-2010, 06:51 AM

Follow the money!!!! The tone of council smacks of some backroom deal not entirely in the public's interest.

But you knew that. Problem is provong it and exposing it.

Go get 'em, Lisa.

berettafan · 03-24-2010, 06:53 AM

Lisa the most uncomfortable i've ever managed to make a mayor was when i asked, point blank, what was the plan to pay for the project in question if assumption A didn't pan out.

Remember that you don't need to convince the council, you need to convince the community and those in attendance. Lay the entire thing out in a concise but easily understood manner at a public meeting with all present and you'll start the tide moving in the other direction.

And remember newspapers are looking for quotes, not concepts.

pwd72s · 03-24-2010, 11:51 AM

All good advice above, Lisa...

What amazes me is that spending 1 million will make the pool work well, yet they insist on spending more than 20 times that?

Yes, there has to be back room deals cooking...

Seems to me this council needs replacing. Does your group have any good candidates in mind?

Dueller · 03-24-2010, 12:03 PM

Although it is Fall down under, what about a little civil disobedience? Perhaps a sit in...or rather a "sun bathe in" on the abandoned pool grounds? Get a couple hundred supports lying on towels around the pool grounds in bathing suits sunning?

' course its a little chilly now (in the mid 70's F?)...bet that would garner some press coverage.

How 'bout protest signs like "We're getting hosed by council but we don't have anywhere to bathe"

lisa_spyder · 07:51 PM

Thanks guys...nice to come over here and read this...we have them on the run. The idiots are lying to the media, we're hearing it and as we're now being chased for comment we are all over them.

Got news rooms clammering to be included on our updates lists - very nice position to be in. We all seem to know so much more about what is fact vs what is fiction than council and their staff it's ridiculous...and they are all coming up looking just plain stupid.

Update is that we are getting plenty of coverage and this matter is not going away. Have good allies in the media as they know there is so much more rotten in our council (we know it too) - we'll be feeding all these guys in news broadcasting for weeks and weeks yet...so much to give them it's insane.

Everything you guys have suggested ....BTDT....except the sit-in...but that one is coming as no doubt council will be trying to get the bulldozers in there so once it's gone; it's gone...except they are broke and can't afford it...but they did find over $200,000 to pay out our ex CEO who presumably resigned only 14 months into his 5 year contract last year. Actually had a line item in the financial reports stating termination and or long service leave entitlements for CEO/Councillors....no one else was paid anything....so CEO could NOT have resigned; was pushed out and then paid out (more money than that but it's going to take a lot to find it as it's buried)....we're chasing this one too....of course we have to battle the confidentiality agreement....but we'll deal with that legally.

So this morning after a 20 hour day yesterday my phone starts ringing whilst I am trying to sleep in a little at 7.30am with first round of media wanting comment...been like that all day...adrenalin still pumping so it's OK...

Problem is if get them all sacked an administrator will be appointed. This has been done here before years ago and that administrator made a BIG hash of things here...so we're a little worried about that. Also, it is both a State and Federal election year and we KNOW that the State Government will not risk sacking another council (they did this a few months ago elsewhere) as it's not a good look for them....next council elections at November 2012....we'll be broke by then. We'll find a way round all this I'm sure - just have to keep doing the legal digging. Need to get rid of most of senior management at council as well as the majority of councillors so I guess we'll start picking them off...strategy is key now...plus my big loud voice all over the media helps!!!