Duhhh..ty
We certainly have a great deal of intellectual firepower leading this fair city, yes indeed. Let's take Dotty's latest outpourings, for example:
As your Deputy Mayor and on behalf of the city, this week I received an interesting brickbat and bouquet for Wanganui.Perhaps a kind Watcher might like to pop round and hand Dotty a lovely floral brickbat for her comprehension skills.
The bouquet was how we seem to have pulled our city out of its (slightly) sleepy hollow image.
The brickbat, however, was that for a regional city of 45,000 people, we are 'punching above our weight'.
Perhaps she could take a drive north to New Plymouth, where the Mayor seems to understand the phrase:
We have an incredibly positive and progressive community. With our 'can do' attitude, it's no wonder we've been labelled New Zealand's most optimistic town, continually punching above our weight.
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51 comments:
lol, i think that dot may be 'punching above her weight' when it comes to thinking about what she's writing before publishing it.
Or is that punching below her weight... or in between.
Ahh metaphors, dont you love them....
So much easier to confuse people and yourself than say what you really mean.
Mrs. Malaprop rides again
It's not fair to poke fun at short people, but what the heck. Perhaps it's the height of the punches we should be concerned with.
Not a good look. Still, whoever said you had to be smart to be Deputy Dotty?
I find this amusing... an excerpt about the witch hunt in salem, with a bit of Lawswatch creativity added..
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
Zealously obedient to this admonishment from the apostle Peter, the Lawswatchers of Wanganui scoured their souls—and those of their council (well not so much themselves) — for even the faintest stains. These stern, godly folk were ready to stare down that roaring lion till Judgment Day saw him vanquished.
But while the good people of Wanganui had their eyes on eternity, the lion walked softly among them during the 2004s and 2005s. Wanganui was divided into a prosperous town, and a arts community. The two bickered again and again. The artists, in turn, were split into factions that fiercely debated whether to seek ecclesiastical and political independence from the town.
In 2005 the disgruntled artists won the right to establish their own society and chose the Reverend Carol Webb, a former press release writer (spin doctor?), as their leader. Her rigid ways and seemingly boundless demands for compensation—including personal title to the village allery — increased the friction.
The lion roared in February 2005. Matt Dutton began having “fitts” that defied all explanation. So did Dr Jay Kuten and the doctors friend William Pearce. Doctors and ministers watched in horror as the councillors contorted themselves, cowered under chairs, and shouted nonsense. The councillors’ agonies “could not possibly be Dissembled,” declared the Reverend Lawswatch, one of the brightest stars in the Wanganui firmament.
Lacking a natural explanation, the Lawswatchers turned to the supernatural — the councillors were bewitched. Prodded by Webb and others, they named their tormentors: a disheveled MP turned Mayor named Michael Laws, the elderly Bob Walker, and Joan Street. Each councillor was something of a misfit. Laws claimed innocence. Walker did likewise but fingered Laws. Street, recollection refreshed by Webb’s lash, confessed—and then some.
“The devil came to me and bid me serve him,” she reported in March 2005. Villagers sat spellbound as Street spoke of black dogs, red cats, yellow birds, and a white-haired man who bade her sign the devil’s book. There were several undiscovered witches, she said, and they yearned to destroy the Lawswatchers. Finding witches became a crusade—not only for Wanganui but all New Zealand. Before long the crusade turned into a convulsion, and the witch-hunters ultimately proved far more deadly than their prey.
All light hearted, or is it a revelation for the future...
Thank you, anonymous. Now you'll have to excuse us, we have a spot of self-flaggelation booked for the remainder of this afternoon :-D
Than you lawswatch. Im just glad that in amongst all the anger that derives here that there are still people who have a little bit of humour left in them.
As Bill T James taught us, if we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at.
Perhaps Dotty should leave the punching to Richard.
Well don, the Chron
Not a word about the Harbour meeting yesterday and the River City Ports presentation. Perhaps that's because there was no handout.
And they weren't even on strike. They did have an intrepid reporter on the press bench.
Oh well, with SuperScoop Mary Bryan at today's Community talkfest I'm sure we'll see miracles waiting in our driveways in the morning.
That's funny - we have to retain a sense of perspective, after all, it's only politics petal.
Anonymous said...
That's funny - we have to retain a sense of perspective, after all, it's only politics petal.
6:22 PM, October 13, 2005
Is this the best you can do, Michael?
Erm, not Michael
:)
I thought the Spin Fairy was supposed to be checking all this sort of stuff.
Perhaps she's otherwise engaged.
Poor Dot
To have to reduce yourself to writing that sort of drivel. Is being on the council really worth it. Seems she has been to the Helen Lawrence school of crap press releases.
You know the thing that really concerns me is how much the other non-V councillors now follow this mayor's lead. Don McGregor having a free swipe at council staff and even people like Sue Westwood.
Question for Laws watch? Is my impression mistaken or is the disease speading? I only ask because a council employee (I think) said something interesting to me in the pub tonite.
We're speculating here, but... if we were one of the few "old" Councillors re-elected we'd be rather keen to see blame for any failures (real or invented by Mickey and widely accepted thanks to spin) sheeted home to staff rather than ourselves.
If we were non-Vision councillors who didn't fully grasp just what the hell it was we're meant to be doing, and were hanging on to Mickey's rollercoaster, we'd get a feeling of warm reassurance from thinking it's not councillors who make these mistakes (even mistakes of omission) but staff.
And regardless of where our political allegiances lay, we'd just be very keen indeed to have Mickey's laser pointer of abuse pointing in any direction but ourselves.
And he apparently had another vicious crack at an officer (probably Richard Munneke who he was attacking in this blog a couple of days ago) at today's meeting.
Setting the tone, indeed.
More of Mickey's revenge on the town he hates, that so humiliated him as a youth.
You people are dickheads.
I went to school with Laws (WBC) and even then he was regarded as a smart operator. My brother was in his class and I think he was a year younger than most of them but humiliation was not his bag. He was a rebel and got suspended tons of times for hair I think. he had an afro.
For reasons even I cant remember I voted for Ray Stevens as mayor but I believe Laws when he says he loves this place because I went away too and came back.
my brother said that he led a strike at the school one day but I dont remember that.
I can confirm anonymous at 9.15pm
that he was determined to get rid of both Foster and Munneke when he arrived. Its amazing what you overhear sitting next to certain people at restaurants. Then i read that both were gone - hate to be in his sights.
What on earth are you trying to tell us, anon at 9:29 PM?
That he was a vile little shit at school and still is? That's not in doubt.
I've heard some interesting stories about past and present from Gore, of all places. None of them makes me believe for a moment that he is a fit and proper person to by mayor of a town that I happen to love.
anon - "hate to be in his sights". You probably are, anon. I think the whole of Wanganui is in his sights if it happens to suit him on the day.
Why? Go back to the psychopath test that I saw here a week or two ago.
I've heard some interesting stories about past and present from Gore, of all places. None of them makes me believe for a moment that he is a fit and proper person to by mayor of a town that I happen to love.
9:45 PM, October 13, 2005
================================
I hope they're "accurate" as the "broken window" story in the
Mayor's office! Which would make them - like you - 100% shite.
Buzz of the town today:
Ron Janes and Rob Vinsen screaming at eachother at the Destination Wanganui AGM last night. Anyone update us?
Leading a haircut boycott in the 1970s hardly makes Laws a devil. Get over yourselves!
A devil? hahahahahahaha
It makes him a wanker.
"Leading a haircut boycott"
Oh right, I bet thousands of students were just foaming at the mouth to join in, too.
"An angry mob of long-hairs descended on Guyton St. today, led by rebel leader Michael Laws, a little wanker. Confronted with total disinterest by everybody, he yelled: "you wait, I'm going to get a mullet and then you'll be sorry."
And he did. And we are.
Anyway, what's this about the Robbie and Ronnie show?
Rob Vinsen, were you and Ron Janes "screaming at each other" and if so what about?
I don't know about Foster, but I heard from a very good source, a local business owner who had had to jump through all the RMA hoops, that Munneke was the best of the bunch. No offence to current staff, that's just what he said. That level of expertise was exactly what we needed to fix the resource logjam. What does Mickey do? Force him out and put the fees up. Doh!
Having said that, I doubt it's the fees people care about as much as the time it takes. As of 6 months ago that had gone from very slow under Munneke to completely intolerable under Mickey's micro-management. Any improvement since then?
Apparently the Diva's dramatics yesterday weren't confined to just officers - there were several outbreaks of head shaking, eye rolling and loud sighs over chairperson Higgie's attempts to do all that meeting-chairing stuff.
And she copped her share of savaging, with Ian McGowan and Sally Patrick, over the library submission, when she tried to calm the mayor down by reassuring him it wasn't as bad as it looked, and the submission had been clearly tagged as being subject to council endorsement.
It's tough at the top, Nicki,especially when you're expected to punch above your weight and your boss is sitting beside you giving a shadow-boxing exhibition.
Anon 7.48am
Vigorous debate, that's all I would call it.
Enterprise Wanganui and Destination Wanganui are merging to become Wanganui Inc - a move I totally support.There was a remit put to wind up Destination Wanganui, an incorporated society.I put it to the members that it would be unwise to wind up the incorporated society just yet, as if some issues of concern arise at a later date, the industry may need a body to represent their view. I informed the members that when Destination Taranaki relinquished its tourism marketing role to Venture Taranaki issues of concern did arise for tourism operators and at least they still had their body to put forward their views. Ron and I ( who are good friends) simply disagreed, but the meeting did'nt and an incorporated society representing tourism industry participants will stay in existence, at least for another year.
Ron and I ( who are good friends) simply disagreed ...
... over everything including the letter H.
Thanks Rob.
Sounds like more mayoral grandstanding and micro-management at yesterdays meeting. What is the peak oil debate doing in the "community" slot? Anyone? And Laws rolls his eyes at Nicky's honest attempts.
So Carol - you're Laws Watch AND anonymous - no wonder the polls here are rigged.
I was there yesterday. Standing room only including a smattering of likely by-election candidates and plenty of "watchers" who talk to and about this blog. What makes you so obsessed about Carol, Michael?
As an observor: There were no "watchers" at the committee mtg y'day xcept Carol, Carol - and the only "by-election candidate" was Margaret Campion.
Isn't there a council retreat today?
Note to Helen Lawrence
Rob Vinsen was big enough to come onto this blog and explain himself when asked a question. This site is gaining momentum as a forum for open robust debate. The Vision party shy away from this blog because it's media they can't control and Helen, that is not a good look.
Come on out from behind your press releases and staged columns in the RCP and engage with the people, thats what you lot were elected to do
Which anon do you think is Carol, anon? Or is it the other anon? Carol was not the only watcher at the meeting - I was there.
Glen, a minor point, but Helen wasn't elected, she's unelectable.
why would any elected official or staff member think tghey were accountable to the derelict dickheads in here? Oh that's right - they don't.
And Carol - how many anons can you be on any given day?
The council retreat is currently on. Who is there & what are they plotting for good old Wangas? Any inside goss?
observor: There were no "watchers" at the committee mtg y'day xcept Carol, Carol - and the only "by-election candidate" was Margaret Campion.
Sorry - there were watchers (plural), likely by-election candidates (plural) and at least one liar (this anon).
Simple test. Name them!
Bedwetter said:
Simple test, wank wank
To everyone who visits this blog - it's clear that only you and Carol do so. The two of you should stop, because it's really making bedwetter here nervous.
Anon said
Simple test. Name them!
You are either ignorant, stupid or a Tosser. Maby even all three.
Take your pick
Simple test. Is anon:
a: ignorant
b: stupid
c: a tosser
d: all three
If you google Laws Watch, this blog comes up first.
Who said no one was comming here
I just googled Laws Watch and David Farrar's blog came up first. Are you sure you're not punching above your weight?
;)
It all depends on whether you google "Laws Watch" or Laws Watch (without the quotes) or LawsWatch (without the space) and anyway, it's not really a measure of popularity at all. So the above anonymii can cease flicking spitballs at one another over that, and get back to flicking them over something else :-D
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