Wikipedia is a wonderful thing. It is so broad in its references and, because the contributors aren't always academics, those references can be quite amusing and culled from widely different sources. Why do I mention this? Well I've just heard the latest chapter of the 'Tin Dunny' saga and it rang vague bells so I went to Wikipedia and looked up the subject of 'Tammany Hall' and 'Tammany Hall politics'.
If you are reading this then you can easily look up 'Tammany Hall' yourself but, in a nutshell, the term 'Tammany Hall' is a shorthand for corruption, cronyism and insider dealing, at the expense of the taxpayer or voter and usually at the expense of both. And today, here in little old Somerton, it looks like we have our very own 'Tammany Hall' located way, way out on the edge of town in the wonderfully picturesque setting that is the Bancombe Industrial Estate.
Evidently, in keeping with the Town Council's rich tradition of ignoring the community at every turn, work is already in hand converting the Tin Dunny into one very narrow vision of what a 'Community Hall' should be. The result will very much be the handiwork of none other than our very own Cllr Canvin and it will be interesting to see what his vision of a 'Community Hall' delivers. On the same theme, and again in keeping with Somerton Town Council tradition, that works are underway are underway without tendering, because the Council have agreed (or are instructed) not to seek tenders for works under £5,000. So, all you have to do is divide the budget (probably the £130k balance of the asset swap that delivered the 'Tin Dunny') by 5 and break the work into that number of bits. Then someone, possibly Cllr Canvin, can place the 26 chunks of work where they want and do so without interference from the people who are paying ie the community of Somerton.
And I thought that the spirit of free enterprise was dead!
Till next time.
Niall
PS The cartoon below is from the Wikipedia entry and I found it quite amusing. I'll leave you to cut and paste the image of of your favourite councillor into it.
If you are reading this then you can easily look up 'Tammany Hall' yourself but, in a nutshell, the term 'Tammany Hall' is a shorthand for corruption, cronyism and insider dealing, at the expense of the taxpayer or voter and usually at the expense of both. And today, here in little old Somerton, it looks like we have our very own 'Tammany Hall' located way, way out on the edge of town in the wonderfully picturesque setting that is the Bancombe Industrial Estate.
Evidently, in keeping with the Town Council's rich tradition of ignoring the community at every turn, work is already in hand converting the Tin Dunny into one very narrow vision of what a 'Community Hall' should be. The result will very much be the handiwork of none other than our very own Cllr Canvin and it will be interesting to see what his vision of a 'Community Hall' delivers. On the same theme, and again in keeping with Somerton Town Council tradition, that works are underway are underway without tendering, because the Council have agreed (or are instructed) not to seek tenders for works under £5,000. So, all you have to do is divide the budget (probably the £130k balance of the asset swap that delivered the 'Tin Dunny') by 5 and break the work into that number of bits. Then someone, possibly Cllr Canvin, can place the 26 chunks of work where they want and do so without interference from the people who are paying ie the community of Somerton.
And I thought that the spirit of free enterprise was dead!
Till next time.
Niall
PS The cartoon below is from the Wikipedia entry and I found it quite amusing. I'll leave you to cut and paste the image of of your favourite councillor into it.
