Last Ten Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Just read in the IOM Courier that Councillors Chatel, Mr and Mrs Pitts and Mayor Betty Quirk have enjoyed a four day trip to Ballymoney in Northern Ireland following the recent twining of the two towns. The purpose of the Jolly was top see if they could arrange some rugby and football matches ad have a look at their leisure facilities. What an absolute piss take of us ratepayers, surely one person could have done this or even easier discussed it over the phone or on the email system! Bring on local Government reform and let's get rid of these freeloaders that call themselves Councillors, which costs us ratepayers an absolute fortune to fund. Can we access the accounts of Douglas Corporation to see how much the jolly cost us? Last 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Yeh ! the Government would send a team of 20 instead (saves the rate-payers' money !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Much as Ballymoney seems a nice little town, I don't see anything in it's make up that makes it anything like a twin of Douglas. It's completely different? What is the twinning criteria for this sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Much as Ballymoney seems a nice little town, I don't see anything in it's make up that makes it anything like a twin of Douglas. It's completely different? What is the twinning criteria for this sort of thing? From the Ballymoney website: "Ballymoney Borough Twinning Association was set up by the Council in May 2000 just prior to the signing of the twinning agreement between Ballymoney and Vanves, France www.ville-vanves.fr. Since that time a sister cities agreement has been signed with Benbrook, Texas, USA www.ci.benbrook.tx.us and a friendship agreement with Douglas IOM www.douglas.gov.im. So according to Ballymoney were not 'twinned' we're just good mates, but the Corpy say we are twinned. It all sounds like a jolly old con to me! Watch out for the Corpy's next few trips - I smell a trip to the USA or Australia coming up. Like said earlier, someone better tell the corpy we can do all this stuff by email and the web these days. _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Ten Posted March 17, 2007 Author Share Posted March 17, 2007 Much as Ballymoney seems a nice little town, I don't see anything in it's make up that makes it anything like a twin of Douglas. It's completely different? What is the twinning criteria for this sort of thing? From the Ballymoney website: "Ballymoney Borough Twinning Association was set up by the Council in May 2000 just prior to the signing of the twinning agreement between Ballymoney and Vanves, France www.ville-vanves.fr. Since that time a sister cities agreement has been signed with Benbrook, Texas, USA www.ci.benbrook.tx.us and a friendship agreement with Douglas IOM www.douglas.gov.im. So were not 'twinned' we're just good mates. Watch out for the Corpy's next few trips. It all sounds like a jolly old con to me! Hey Albert All joking aside Wouldn't it be nice to know just how much this has cost us rate paying suckers and what will come of the piss up. Last 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeky boy Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Several years ago the corpy sent two elderly lady councillors to Blackpool on a fact finding mission, to check out a skatepark. Need I say more ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
local skeet Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Several years ago the corpy sent two elderly lady councillors to Blackpool on a fact finding mission, to check out a skatepark. Need I say more ? Hey cheeky boy I wonder if the time and motion services went into Douglas Corporation for a couple of weeks, what would they find in efficiency for the ratepayers of Douglas? It is quite ironic to a degree, if a Government Department is seen to be under performing then the Public Accounts Committee investigate, if Douglas Corporation under perform then who oversees this????? I think the answer is nobody, Douglas Corporation are unchecked and unaccountable, and the ratepayers of Douglas are being totally taken to the cleaners. I agree with local government reform, because every authority will be equal and the under performers would be totally kept in check by a governing body. local skeet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lectro Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Why not twin with a poor town or village in Africa or Asia instead? That way we could actively help our new found friends directly. Perhaps establish a direct trade and support network rather then the self congratulatory back slapping that seems to accompany all these other twinning ceremonies and announcements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Why not twin with a poor town or village in Africa or Asia instead? That way we could actively help our new found friends directly. Perhaps establish a direct trade and support network rather then the self congratulatory back slapping that seems to accompany all these other twinning ceremonies and announcements. I thought they'd twinned Foxdale with some town in Kenya. I believe the Kenyans were really pissed off about being linked to such a dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Well, Kirk Michael's certainly gone down the exotic route - it's twinned with Ghamrang in Nepal. I have not the slightest idea why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Last Bulgam Miner Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Yeh ! the Government would send a team of 20 instead (saves the rate-payers' money !) Yeah, and probably would have taken them a week. According to a fellow miner in Ireland, this trip actualy cost Douglas ratepayers nothing cause the tab was picked up by Ballamoney. If you want to see Douglas ratepayers money go to waste, to see unaccountable corporation staff 'doing their bit', check out Harrys Cafe in the Market every morning and afternoon. !! And why do litter bins have to be emptied on a sunday when it is 'double time' ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pragmatopian Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 What I said a month ago still applies: http://www.manxforums.com/forums/index.php...mp;#entry219797 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Ten Posted March 18, 2007 Author Share Posted March 18, 2007 According to a fellow miner in Ireland, this trip actualy cost Douglas ratepayers nothing cause the tab was picked up by Ballamoney. Source? Or is this a down the pub comment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Well, Kirk Michael's certainly gone down the exotic route - it's twinned with Ghamrang in Nepal. I have not the slightest idea why. Mr Politician maybe a bit of homework and you could find out the facts, aah but you are a Politician. This twinning was set up by the then Headmaster of Kirk Michael School Mr Howard Green and involved the whole community raising money for a school to be built in Ghamrang a third world village. A lot of pupils over many years were involved in projects in regard to this area and I am aware that some are still in contact with children they made friends with through letters some twenty years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Thanks for the info, Billy One Mate. Must say it seemed a rather unusual choice, but an eminently sensible (and laudable) one, given the explanation you've provided. So do you happen to know why Ballymoney was chosen for Douglas? Wouldn't the capital of a small country have been more logical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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