EU IS A Beaurocratic Dictatorship

EU IS A Beaurocratic Dictatorship
That is my opinion but just read on to see how to waste money.

Release: immediate
Released by: Richard Ashworth MEP, Conservative budgets spokesman

MEPs ignore the will of one million people and purchase the Strasbourg parliament

We should be parting the Parliament, not procuring it

Brussels, 27th September -- MEPs have today signed off a £100 million appropriation of the European Parliament buildings in Strasbourg, less than a week after oneseat.eu - the online petition calling for the European Parliament to be based in just on place - received its millionth signature. Richard Ashworth MEP, Conservative budgets spokesman in the European Parliament, said the vote in the Parliament's 'bureau' sends out the wrong signal about its eagerness to vacate the premises and sit exclusively in one location.

Every month, the European Parliament decamps from Brussels to Strasbourg for the four-day session. Transporting MEPs, staff and paperwork costs the European taxpayer at least £130 million per year and causes untold damage to the environment through extra emissions.

Many MEPs lament the wasteful "travelling circus" but they are powerless to stop it as the EU's treaties stipulate the Parliament must sit in Strasbourg twelve times per year. Only national governments can decide to change the treaties.

Mr Ashworth said:

"It will take around nine years before the Parliament gets any return on its investment. In that time, the EU would have spent over a billion pounds of taxpayers' money shuffling people and papers around. Some MEPs are acting as if they have saved the taxpayer money - but they could save a great deal more if we finally end the monthly jaunt.

"The agreement requires us to return the land to the City of Strasbourg if we sell the buildings so we effectively only have the leasehold anyway.

"Although we are powerless to stop ourselves coming to Strasbourg, we can send out a clear and consistent message to national governments that we want this item discussed. Hopefully the signatures of one million EU citizens will be enough for national governments to debate Strasbourg at the next EU summit but I fear they will interpret our £100 million spending spree as a statement of intent to keep travelling between two Parliaments.

"Strasbourg has lost its relevancy. It was a fitting symbol of Franco-German reconciliation after the war but - sixty years on - it has become an expensive wedge that causes division, rather than unity."

ENDS

Notes to editors: The reports are available here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/budg/budg_20060926_1600.htm

For more information, please contact Richard Ashworth on 0044 (0)7900 266 785 or James Holtum on 0032 (0)473 211174.

PC WORLD

I thought I would take advantage of some offers on a New Computer so I travelled down from Sittingbourne to Canterbury PC World, I look round the store for a salesman eventually one turned up. After 15 minutes of asking questions about the product I decided to buy the PC, 10 minutse later I am told the store was out of stock. I then asked a reasonable question why should such a large store run out of stock aspecially as there was a major Newspaper advertising campaign in progress. At this point I asked to speak to the manager but instead of coming to me he sent messages back via the salesman eventually I found the manager telling him I had come a long way his retort was I should have telephoned first and no he would not sell me the display model at a reduced price I could have the display model at the marked price. Could not some one have put a sign saying out of stock any good manager would keep a check on stock. Needless to say I suggest you do not use PC World and I hope PC World read this.

Banks and my money

I recently went into my local bank to with draw £2500 in cash as I had to pay some biulders for work being done in one of my flats. The cashier as per usual was very polite, I gave her my cheque and then came the bomb shell I was asked for 2 forms of ID before they woould cash my cheque. This irratated me I told her that I had been with the bank and this branch for 40 years and was well known she said it was bank policy and she could not do anything about it, I then demanded to see the manager. He dutifully arrived and again was very polite but tried to explain these measures were introduced to prevent fraud, prevent money laundering and prevent terroism my answer was BULLSHIT, I said I was well known not a complete stranger. I did get my money without having to show my passport only because I threatend to bclose my account. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO CARRY AROUND ID in a free country. The whole incident reminded me of the that 60's Programme "the Prisoner" and the catch phrase "I am not a number"

More on the Poles

Further to to my comments on the Poles and Tesco you may want to go to my letters page on www.sittingbourne.org. Local Conservative Gordon Henderson has produced some interesting Press realeases

Poles & Tesco Sheerness

Is there any truth in the rumor that Tesco Sheerness will only employ Poles for night time shelf stacking? have they (Tesco) come to arrangement with an outside contractor to supply them with Labour? Which will be cheap Labour putting more Englishman out ot of work!

A bit of Fun

WHY??
Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours?
If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
What is the speed of darkness?
Are there specially reserved parking spaces for "normal" people at the Special Olympics?
If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
If it's true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?
Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?
Do you cry under water?
How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?
Did you ever stop and wonder......Who was the first person to look at a cow and say," I think I'll squeeze these pink dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?
"Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there...?
I'm going to eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum."
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours?
They're both dogs!If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
(This one kills me!!!!)If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?
Stop singing and read on..Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?e?

My Personal thougts

My first attempt . Have a look at www.sittingbourne.org

My Personal Thoughts

I am new to Blogging (if that is the right term) so you will have to bear with me. I have called the site my “Personal Thoughts” which could be anything but I expect most will be Politics and Martial Arts.

I have always been interested in Politics but over the last few years my trust in any other the three main parties at National level has got to an all time low. In the past I have been Deputy Chairman local Conservative party, Borough councillor and tried for Kent County Council, I am fervently anti EU. In the UK we starting to go the way of France where we have a political elite who think they have the God given right to rule us, the only hindrance is getting elected, once elected they can do as they please. This has become more so under Tony Blair and his cronies who have a total disregard for the Democratic system and the wishes of the people. A for David Cameron his New Conservative Party has no resemblance to the Party I joined.

So what do I do, well I shall vote Conservative again for the following reasons 1) they are the best of a very bad bunch and anything must be better then this corrupt, inefficient, war mongering Labour Government 2) I am lucky enough to know Gordon Henderson who should be our Conservative Candidate for Sittingbourne & Sheppey at the next election. He is one of those strange candidates who is local, served as a local councillor for a couple of decades, know local people, know s the area. A strange phenomenon in the days where Political Parties at Central Office decide who us plebs should have. 3) I also have met Daniel Hannan MEP who is continually fighting GB’s corner in that den of Evil the European Union.

Well I have started hope you enjoy or at least get annoyed

Martin Clarke

For more letters visit: http://www.sittingbourne.org/letters_page_2006.htm