Monday, November 13, 2006

Leaving so soon, Mickey?

It might be our Calvinist leanings, or it might just be years of mistrusting everything Mickey says, but the corks aren't popping just yet here at the LawsWatch Cave following the announcement that Mickey is to be a one term wonder*.

When we first heard talk around town that Dotty had cleaved a sod with a spade we feared worst, but she'd only been digging the dirt at the Splash Centre (which is more than the Chronicle has ever done). No, Mickey was safe, but had decided to throw in the towel because (as every politician who's had to step aside due to anything from unpopularity to mass murder has said) he wanted to spend more time with the family.

But no corks are popping here. For one thing, if a week is a long time in politics then months are, well... even longer. A lot can happen between now and then, including (as one commenter to the previous post has already prophecyed) distraught citizens begging Mickey to return and he - reluctantly, you understand - acquiescing.

Not that we think it likely. Having used Wanganui to rebuild his previously non-existent profile, Mickey has bigger fish to fry.


"Used"? you ask, incredulously. But of course. A predictably redneck talkback host on a station no one listens to making outrageous, insulting, racist and just plain dumb comments to desperately try to win a few more listeners isn't news. A Mayor making those same comments, is. And for all the disingenuous "I wasn't Mayor when I said those things" nonsense, Mickey knows precisely what he's doing.

But more importantly, the bubbly is remaining in the fridge because there's still a long way to go even if Mickey actually keeps one promise and doesn't foist himself on the town again. There are important expenditure decisions to be made, for one thing.

Without the full-on both-barrels spin emanating from Guyton Street in the lead-up to the next election (unless Mickey carries his support for Phillipa Baker-Hogan as his successor over into becoming her campaign manager) the opportunity will be there to have a proper "opening of the books" to get a true picture of Wanganui's burgeoning debt. It might even be a chance to demand that those who'd seek to have your trust vested in them again give a true and accurate accounting of the cost of the various monuments to Mickey that are planned or under way.

Then, and only then, can ratepayers be expected to make rational decisions as to whether they, and their offspring and migrants for generations to come, ought to be committing themselves to even greater debt.
Update (14 November): "Where has the poll gone?" asks a commenter. The blog is programmed to have only the six most recent posts appear on the main page so as to minimise download time. Older posts can be accessed using the menu to the right - dating back to our very first offering, in fact. The poll can still be found here and we'll analyse the results shortly.

* As in, we wonder what the hell you were thinking when you voted, Wanganui.

Comments on this post are now closed.

64 comments:

Anonymous said...

I talked to dozens of people in town yesterday, everyone couldn't of been happier. But also couldn't understand at such a poorly planned exit, did anyone notice the Diva didn't even give the story to his best pal Mas?

Anonymous said...

Oh come on Mickey, don't be such a coward. Why don't you stand on the platform you've always wanted to:

1. Immediate cancellation of all future elections
2. All power to be vested in the "mayor"
3. Title of mayor to change to "Glorious Leader"
4. "Patriot" task force to weed out and re-educate dissenters and degenerates in "Camp Schools"
5. References to transvestites, dwarves and Antoinette Beck to be punished severely
6. Stronger ties with North Korea.

Bearhunter said...

What concerns me is Laws' comment that he will still be available to work in a "community role", which suggests that he might decide to come back as a councillor instead. That would allow him to control things from backstage and never have to face the blame as mayor.

Anonymous said...

Where's that poll go?

Anonymous said...

Yes, Yes, let's have a look at the books.

It was fun in sort of a grisly way to see Julian Harkness tap dancing around the issue of exactly when the waste water dept would be paid off at Sunday's St. John's Hill 'Heart' meeting. The short answer appears to be never, but it won't be called waste water project debt.

In the interests of efficiency all our debt has just been slushed into one big, murky pool that will get bigger and bigger and bigger.

The long answer was interesting too though, because it looked like he was trying so hard to not actually say anything.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone asked Ms Diva if she will stand again?

Anonymous said...

Bearhunter said:

What concerns me is Laws' comment...

___________________________________

That's been spelled out by Ubergruppenfuhrer Bob walker: Mickey will be on the diVision exec. In other words he'll be there (with voting rights) at diVision caucuses. They're supposed to support the party line so Mickey probably thinks he'll be able to continue to poison the water from there.

Who cares, anyway, the way to castrate Mickey (no, Bearhunter, not with a rusty razor blade at 2am having disabled the security system and maced the little wanker first) is to ensure diVision are a minority on Council.

The Mickey party is the target. He will be welcome collateral, for sure.

Anonymous said...

So Dotty jumped in.... when she has a new brain transplant she might have a chance, until then, no way.

Anonymous said...

If he wants a community role he might like to get out and join the rubbish patrols, ie the guys he was so keen to use for a photo opp.

Bearhunter said...

Perhaps he's planning something more along these lines...

http://www.zod2008.com/

Anonymous said...

There is more to this story than meets the eye, wait and see how it all plays out. Wanganui just too small for secrets.

Anonymous said...

Well done Wanganui, I hear you got rid of your Mad Mayor! Might come a visit again!

Anonymous said...

Wonder how Dot will cope with the Heart Project now it all seems to be going up in smoke? The Diva has give her some large problems, she must realise by now, how unpopular he and Vision has become.

Anonymous said...

Question: If the Audit Office has signed off the Ten Year Plan (LTCCP) and the Annual Report as accurate and open - unlike that of the previous council - then where is all this hysteria about fiddled accounts coming from? Should not posters post some proof?

Also what is the story about Rob Vinsen getting the bum's rush today by the Representation Commission? All around council this arvo.

Anonymous said...

NOW THIS IS A LAUGH

From MickeyMayor’s WDC website notes for yesterday’s song and dance before the Local Government Commision:
“There was an even range of opinions around the council table, but both supporters of the 'status quo' and of representative reform worked together in constructing the public information campaign, and in framing the questions for inclusion in 'Referendum '06'.

”We were unanimous in our view that the material was both excellent and impartial. It was signed off by us all.”

Given that it very quickly became apparent that the “excellent and impartial” material in the referendumb notes was shown to be a load of crap, and the voting option failed to take account of the requirements of the numbers game requiring 8 or 14,15,16 councillors if the rural ward is retained, it is patently obvious the material was produced by either a bunch of incompetent fools or a pack of liars, ditto for “all” the councillors who signed off this piece of shite.

What a pathetic joke you and your referendumb lackeys are, Mickey. Fall on your sword now, before the commission’s report emerges and calls you for the charlatan you are.

Laws Watch said...

anon @ 9.14 asks: where is all this hysteria about fiddled accounts coming from?

Not from us, certainly. We've never suggested accounts have been fiddled. Mickey is much too smart for that (well, we're assuming he learned something from the Antoinette Beck affair).

Go back to the previous post and re-read point 9. That's what we're talking about - not stuff that's on the books and fiddled, stuff that isn't there at all.

By "opening the books" we actually mean "full disclosure of the extent of all liabilities".

(No Dotty, that doesn't include you. Just the financial ones).

Anonymous said...

17,000 people who voted in the referendum versus less than 100 whingers. The Rep Commission will choose the former - another win in prospect for the Laws council.

Anonymous said...

LawsWatch, you dolt. If there were undeclared :liabilities" in the council's accounts then the Audit Office would have picked them up. Like it did with the former council's reports and refused to sign off until they'd been changed.
Also Laws is obviously going to be standing for council - didn't anybody read his last paragraph?

Anonymous said...

Outsider said "I hear you got rid of your mad mayor".

No. He has announced he won't stand again. And still has 11 months of his term left. All I've heard since, even from people who normally don't comment, is "Wanganui will go backwards now". Time will tell.

Anonymous said...

ML is doing a great job as mayor. It is a great pity he is not standing again. Dot won't make the grade as mayor and I can't think of anyone in Vision that will. Vision without ML is nothing as far as I can see. A great pity, Wanganui.

Anonymous said...

Nice one, Mickey, trying to get the achievements survey done in-house and suggesting there are staff members who wouldn’t mind the chance for a bit of double-dipping.

Presumably you were referring to that staff member who lives beneath the mayoral desk just waiting for the chance to do a bit of polling for her boss. Her name? Why Antoinette Beck of course, pollster extraordinaire.

Can’t understand why Warbutton didn’t jump at the chance to user her talents, really.

Bearhunter said...

Nice to see the DomPost is so on the ball. Only took three days for the news to filter down to Wellington....

Anonymous said...

It was a bad day for Laws' lies. Exposed not once but twice on page three of the Chron. First at the representation review, when it became cler that Laws' demamgogery had so corrupted the referendumb panel that they had issued false information to Wanganui residents.

At the Strategy committee, Laws' future-lies took a set back, when he was prevented from taking $30,000 to review Council's performance himself.

The lame duck "mayor" issued a brief statement, saying defensively "I tell lies. it's what I do."

Anonymous said...

Interesting to see ML shafting Sally on the barmy underground carpark policy idea. After doubtless encouraging her to put it on the agenda it was outski after the flak she copped at the meeting on Sunday. Stand my your man, Sally, because he sure as heck won’t be standing by you when the whole Heart thing turns to custard.

Anonymous said...

Not a good morning in the media today for Mickey, was it? His referendum lies exposed in the Chron by Rick Rudd and Mary Bryan, no less, and the big backdown over Sally’s carpark And the DomPost turns down the chance to run Bob Walker’s drivel and instead goes for a very erudite response from someone who really knows the pulse of Wanganui. Well done!

Anonymous said...

Low life logic from Laws demands bigger population but less representation.

A self aggrandising loon today asserted that his nonsensical ravings had "refuted" a Chronicle report about his lies. Far from refuting them he has of course merely trotted out the same tired old populist crap. In this writer's opinion it's high time this miserable hack shut up his cheap shop full of Nazi paraphernalia and populism and went to live somewhere he'd be happy.

Anonymous said...

Woof! Woof! Mickey ... after your latest barking mad piece of shite on the council website, I'd say the micro-chip team will be on their way.

Anonymous said...

One gone, six dwarves to go ...

Anonymous said...

Marion said...
Outsider said "I hear you got rid of your mad mayor".

No. He has announced he won't stand again. And still has 11 months of his term left. All I've heard since, even from people who normally don't comment, is "Wanganui will go backwards now". Time will tell.

Sorry Marion, but something has gone seriously wrong in Vision. The Mad Mayor is to smart to declare his hand this early out, and Dot jumped in without even a 'mandate' from her team, oh no, this one smells extremely fishy ... besides when did Mad Mickey ever release 'big' news on a Monday that he was pleased about?!

Anonymous said...

It was good to see the mayor getting a serve in both the NZ Herald and DominonPost today and quite indicative of the contempt with which he is held outside the cosy little fan club at the Wanganui Chronicle.

Anonymous said...

"...something has gone seriously wrong in Vision..."

___________________________________

What, you mean worse than the fact that the leader's a teenaged loony and the chair's central motivator is hate?

Anonymous said...

What are Anonymickey and MarionMickey getting up to (@ 5:25am, 5:27am, 6:47am, 6:50am? There must have been a bit of an oops in the early morning potty training routine somewhere not too far from the mayoral residence. Hope you get a better sleep tonight, guy ... you must be needing it.

Anonymous said...

Aw shucks, ain’t that Harkness boy of Mickey’s darned good at doin’ tricky numbers and stuff.

Check out the latest council minutes on the WDC website re the annual report:

He comes up with a “particularly pleasing” budget surplus of $0.6 million … and says it’s just so clever ‘cos of the totally unexpected “restructuring” costs (read redundancies) of $0.3 million (now fancy that, he actually thought they could dump a whole $500,000 worth of senior long-serving staff salaries and it wouldn’t cost them a bean in severance payments).

But then he gets down to the nitty gritty and fesses up that operating expenditure was $1.1m higher than budgeted (read mayoral extravagance) and the only thing that saved his sorry arse from a deficit was that capital spending fell $3.2m below budget due to “constraint on contracting resources”.

So, folks, ignore all of Jules and Mickey’s bullshit about clean audit reports, budget surpluses and mutual stroking, and work it out for yourselves.

Then there's Ron Janes and his boy Quiggles coming back and moaning that they haven't got enough pocket money for Mickey specials like the "mayoral mile" so the solution is to just throw more dollars at them.

This council is in the hands of a bunch of incompetent spendthrifts and no amount of spin can change that.

Anonymous said...

So that's (today's mayoral abuse on the council website) what Sue Westwood meant when she said (to lots of sniggers and head shaking) at Sunday's meeting that people could make submissions to the council and be treated with respect.

That woman needs a reality transplant, and quick. She seems to have caught a bad case of Stockholm syndrome.

Anonymous said...

This is the problem with this blog - posters inventing facts. I read this posting ...

"It was good to see the mayor getting a serve in both the NZ Herald and DominonPost today and quite indicative of the contempt with which he is held outside the cosy little fan club at the Wanganui Chronicle.

8:53 PM, November 15, 2006"

Then I checked out both stories. They were the same NZPA story and included only Emma Camden's comments who was acknowledged as a "Laws critic". It included some of the controversy (Tonga/Code of Conduct) but did not do other than note them.

Stick to the facts!

Anonymous said...

Yes, let's attack Sue Westwood now because she happens to agree with the mayor on occasion. You losers need to get a life.

Anonymous said...

Sorry ML, you just looked bitchy in the paper today ... under a wee bit of pressure are we?

Anonymous said...

I hope Laws has a change of heart, the man is a shining light in NZ politics.

Will the blog author allow the comments of people who like Laws?

Anonymous said...

That woman needs a reality transplant, and quick. She seems to have caught a bad case of Stockholm syndrome.


88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

I think Sue was just being diplomatic as only she can.
It's the other women in Mickey's life that have Stockholm syndrome.

Anonymous said...

Lawsy has always told anti-democratic losers like the remnants of the SOS that they ARE losers. total consistency.

Anonymous said...

Looks like from the mayor's e-column that he'll be back to haunt the arties and this time with no constraints.

There's an old Chinese saying about being careful what you wish for. Laws unleashed from the mayoralty will be more dangerous still. Imagine being John Martin and trying to cope with ML as one of his councillors - the next mayor won't be in for an easy ride, that's for sure.

Laws Watch said...

We agree with you anon @ 5.48pm only we suspect that his influence is likely to be much less public than a seat at the Council table.

Look at past history - make a mess in Hawkes Bay, leave in disgrace, then manipulate things from the shadows through simple minded lackeys like Neil Kirton.

Make a worse mess in Parliament, leave in disgrace, then manipulate things from the shadows through insecure lazy peacocks like Winston Peters.

That way nothing that happens can ever be sheeted home to him.

You can't have been here often, anon @ 1.48pm if you have to ask that question. We do.

And as for you, anon @ 3.05 pm, people who happen to hold political views opposed to those in power are anti-democratic? In other words, Mickey (or whoever happens to be Mayor) should rule unquestioned and unopposed.

Thanks for your opinion Kim Jong Il, but don't you have some nuclear weapons to tend to?

Anonymous said...

Yes, let's attack Sue Westwood now because she happens to agree with the mayor on occasion. You losers need to get a life.

8:04 AM, November 16, 2006

*****
As someone who was present at the meeting on Sunday it was apparent Cr Westwood was not amused at the way the mayor left her in the lurch and she no doubt gave him a good telling off ... but he probably played the Lucy card again to explain his cowardice/rudeness so who's counting.

Anonymous said...

Laws Watch speaks the truth. This man Laws was dangerous as a Mayor but he had barriers set up by the office itself and by council processes.

As a councilor he will have no binds at all. He will easily get elected and I also agree with anon @ 5.48pm. You would be mad to stand with this shark loose. There wouldn't be anyone who has confronted him these past 2 years who doesn't appeciate that Laws Unleashed will be their greatest nightmare.

Now we see his announcement for what it was and we should have seen it coming.

Anonymous said...

Kofi Anan on climate change deniers like Mickey:

"The few skeptics who continue to try to sow doubt should be seen for what they are: out of step, out of arguments and just about out of time."

Which, when you think about it, applies to Mickey's political career as much as to his brainlessness on climate change.

Anonymous said...

Laws Unleashed @ 7.51pm...
You would be mad to stand with this shark loose. There wouldn't be anyone who has confronted him these past 2 years who doesn't appeciate that Laws Unleashed will be their greatest nightmare.

********

Ohhhh how scary is this, guys? Laws Unleashed the Sequel, starring Mental Mickey and premiered here on LawsWatch by the Barking Blogger himself!!! Already rated R3 by the censor and playing to deserted voting booths from Castlecliff to Aramoho and all points in between.

Anonymous said...

To anon at 8.35pm
Then you stand for office, you tosser. Scared? Laws has beaten everybody he's confronted these past 2 years.

Anonymous said...

if Laws was not scary, this blog would not be anonymous.

Anonymous said...

On the basis of todays story in the Chron i'd say ML would enjoy himself immensely. a barracuda swimming amongst the shoals.

Anonymous said...

Lawsy for Council? Wonder if he'll get more votes than Randhir & Don.

Bet he doesn't.

Still, it's nice to see that positions in local govt. are still attracting the crazies.

"local government in a nutshell. It is irredeemably petty"

That's why it fits you like a rubber glove, Mickey.

Anonymous said...

Sherriff. That's it, I'll run for sherriff. Yes. No. Too much like I've been doing. Pope. That's better. More me. Then I'll know who's been naughty and who's been nice. No. That's not right. That's Santa Clause. OK, I'll run for Santa Clause. No that doesn't sound so good. I'll run for both! That'll do it. Then I'll........

Laws Watch said...

if Laws was not scary, this blog would not be anonymous.

If this blog were not anonymous, Mickey would divert every debate on every topic into a personal attack on those who oppose him, thus obscuring the real issues.

Who we are is no more important that who you are, anonymous.

Anonymous said...

So you admit you're scared of him, LawsWatch?

Laws Watch said...

The following comments have been edited.
------------------------------

Anonymous said...
Mickey Mickey Mickey. When your crone (you don't mind if I call her a crone do you?) let on that your Monday to Friday working week comprised 26 hours, she obviously forgot to mention the 34 hours you mayor for each weekend.

----------------------------------

Anonymous said...
Laws will get elected easily and he'll make life Hell for any mayor he doesn't support. If I was John Martin, I'd give up NOW

Laws Watch said...

So you admit you're scared of him, LawsWatch?

Oh anon, anon, anon... really. There's a difference between something one avoids because contact might cause actual harm, and something one avoids becuase the experince is so unpleasant that you want to spend hours in the shower afterwards trying to get rid of the smell.

Anonymous said...

"So, you admit you're scared of him Lawswatch?"

All together now:

Who's afraid of Michael Laws?
Mickey mayor, Mickey mayor?
Who's afraid of Michael Laws?
Please let there be someone.

He's got a fearsome potty mouth,
Potty mouth, a potty mouth,
Who's afraid of Michael Laws
And his potty mouth?

Who's afraid of his haggard face
Haggard face, his haggard face?
Who's afraid of Michael Laws?
Inject his face with botox.

Who's afraid of his own demons?
Michael Laws, Mickey mayor.
Who's afraid of Michael Laws?
Well Michael is of course.

Anonymous said...

Reading last week about ML saying he only wanted one term to sort out the "chaos" at the council, and claiming to have done that, is probably his biggest lie so far, and there are plenty of contenders for the title.

If you want to know about chaos just ask anyone who has tried to get a building consent, talk to a planner, work out where they stand in the community contracts scheme, what the hell Wanganui Inc is about, why a certain councillor lives in Wellington, why there are about 17 senior staff vacancies and no one wants to come near a Laws-Warburton council, why all the money that gets spent on lawyers gets spent on lawyers chasing things like unworkable bylaws, unworkable nil rates rises etc, try to remake an agenda at the last minutes after another mayoral tantrum ...

Anonymous said...

How interesting to see in the Sunday paper our despotic mayor (whose intolerance for and suppression of dissent in Wanganui is legendary) apparently championing the tragic burning and looting in Tonga as a means of protest.

“Burn baby burn” is a curious kind of cheer coming from the straw man who spontaneously combusts whenever someone objects or disagrees to his petty despotic diktats and had smoke coming out of his ears on national TV when a bunch of people sat in silent protest at the council.

Anonymous said...

Poor old Mickey was too chicken to turn up to the Bad Horse night so Dotty had to cop the flak. In case she's too chicken to mention it, the message was loud and clear Mickey. You're an embarrassment and you should go now....

Anonymous said...

The media furore that the government has stirred up by handing down the waterfront stadium without consultation, and espcially about the meeting yesterday, is quite a contrast with Mickey's pet rag the Chronic. The meeting last Sunday at the bridge club was the Wanganui equivalent but Mas didn't even bother to go.

Let's hope as soon as the new editor gets her feet under Mas's ex desk today she starts kicking bums.

Anonymous said...

It's good to see Cr Pepperell making a flying visit to Wangas yesterday (see front page photo in today's Chronicle). But isn't there a striking resemblance to her fellow Wellingtonian Lilith?

Anonymous said...

For the benefit of those of us unable to attend the 'Heart of Wanganui' meetings could this site please publish some of the questions and answers, even perhaps a brief summary of what was said (on both sides)? I was expecting the newspaper to publish reports about the meetings, but I suppose I should have known better. I'm hoping that someone who looks at this site was there, even if the Chronicle couldn't spare a reporter.

Anonymous said...

In response to 5:39pm on the 19th, I think "Burn baby, burn" is, perhaps, a more straightforward way of inciting riot and trouble than his ugliness usually employs, but perhaps that was what all the "Tongan King was a despot blah blah blah" was urging people to do. Maybe he was trying to impress the Australian radio talk show guy who nurtured the racial riots last year, and go him one better by accomplishing the same thing from outside the country.

If you can make yourself read those columns for a while you start to notice he quite frequently uses them to pit one group of people against another. It gives him an alternative to the 'just insult everyone you can think of' format.

It is hard to figure what goes on in that creepy little fellow's head. Maybe the simple answer is that Jane Clifton got it absolutely right when she equated Laws with pure, gratuitous and recreational trouble in 'Political Animals". It certainly isn't innocent fun though.

Anonymous said...

...he quite frequently uses them to pit one group of people against another...

__________________________________

Common despotic tactics from a common little despot. Eventually, of course, the two sides make common cause against the despot. No, Mickey, don't take my word for it, ask Benito, no wait Nicholae, oh hang on your mate Slobbo, oh damn, Saddam's got a few more weeks in him; ask him.