The princess & the plonker: a Grim tale
Gather round, Watchers, for a story by the Brothers Grimly.
Once upon a time there was a far-away place by the river with lots of lovely old buildings. On the top of the hill in the middle of the town lived a beautiful princess who had so many books she kept running out of room for them.
Next door to her were some people who lived in a very beautiful old building. They loved paintings and because they were such nice people they were given lots of lovely paintings and they tried very had to look after them but they didn’t have enough room, either.
Down at the bottom of the hill were two more big buildings. One had lots and lots of very old stuff in it and the people who lived there also tried to take good care of their old stuff, but they too had run out of room. Nearby was yet another building where the townspeople liked to gather to make merry fun. Like the other three buildings, this one looked very sad and dirty where once it had gleamed a brilliant white.
“Oh dear,” said the beautiful princess. “What is to be done? I simply must get some more space for all my lovely books but I have no money and those people next door with all those paintings are going to get lots of money so they can make their building bigger and more beautiful while I get none.”
She sighed as she slowly stirred her coffee. A tear trickled down her cheek and dropped into the cup. “If only a handsome prince would come and build me a new palace for my books, I’d be so happy,” she thought.
A sudden gust of cold air rushed into the room and people at the other tables screamed and rushed for the door. A strange little man appeared before her. “One day soon I will be the mayor,” he said, “and because you are such a beautiful princess I will make you the Queen of the Park.”
The princess couldn’t believe her eyes. The scrawny little man was ugly and unshaven, with bright black paint around his eyes. “But how can you be the mayor?” she asked. “You look just like the troll that lives in the bushes on the hill.”
“Just shut up and listen to me, lady, or you’ll be sorry,” snapped the strange little man. “I’ll make your dreams come true. You’ll be Queen of the Park and everyone will have to bow when you pass. But most importantly, I will give you all the gold and silver you need to build a glittering palace for all your books.”
“Oh thank you, mayor,” said the grateful princess. “Just tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it.” She grabbed a pen and a paper napkin and drew a picture of a glittering palace. She showed it to the mayor, who said, “Sure honey, you can have one just like that but first you’ll have to do lots of things for me that will make the peasants hate you.”
The princess grasped the mayor’s knarled and twisted hand. “Oh sire, I’ll do whatever you say.” But then her dream turned into a nightmare. She toiled from morning to night doing whatever the mayor told her and every day she felt the wrath of the people. But she was steadfast and never wavered in her devotion, even when the people laughed and jeered at her and made fun of her plans for the glittering palace.
But worse was to come. The mayor grew tired of her and their glittering palace plans. “Forget it, Princess,” he said with a cruel twist of his ugly mouth. “You and your books are so yesterday. Lady Philippa’s hot, baby, and you’re not. The peasants don’t care about books or art or old stuff. I’ve wasted $250,000 on you and you’re not getting another penny. I’m going to bury your silly palace plans and weave my magic spin for Lady P’s velodrome.” With that he hitched up his green lycra shorts and rushed towards the door.
Suddenly, the princess woke. She had fallen asleep amid her books and she realised the whole thing had been a nightmare.
New Projects Referendum – 2008:
The most far-reaching decision is that the 'Heart of Wanganui' project – and its constituent parts – will go to district-wide referendum in February/March next year. But the projects will compete against other intended capital works to determine their public and funding priority. Those other projects include the Events Centre/Velodrome and the redevelopment of
52 comments:
I feel slightly sorry for poor old Sally ... how silly she must feel now.
I find it very hard to have the slightest bit of sympathy for the librarian.
Still, at least we know she's for sale.
I thought all you arties were OPPOSED to the Heart project? Never satisfied are you?
Mickey’s lies exposed in today’s Sunday Star Times, page A8 where they give the true extent of rates increases around the country, and they haven’t fallen for Mickey’s lies and bullshit so the actual figure of 9.74% shows there are at least 61 other councils with lower rates rises. Whey don’t we see this sort of stuff in the Chronic?
ie here’s lying Mickey:
Media Releases
2007/08 rates and Council plan finalised today - 11/06/07
For the third year in a row, Wanganui is on target to effect the lowest annual rates increase in the country.
"Compared with average annual rate increases throughout New Zealand of 7%-9% then Wanganui is again leading the country in containing rates. In the three years of this council, the average rate rises have been nil, 3% and now 1.7%.”
Yes, Lawswatch but didn't the Chronicle tell us just a wee while ago how wonderful the librarian was, how she had done SOOOO much for the community, how wonderfully collegial and cooperative and community minded she was?
I thought all you arties were OPPOSED to the Heart project?
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How can you tell what you think through all the spin and bile? I bet you haven't had an honest thought in years.
You're right Anon, the arties never seem to be satisfied. I wonder what it would actually take to please them.
Anonymous said...
I thought all you arties were OPPOSED to the Heart project?
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How can you tell what you think through all the spin and bile? I bet you haven't had an honest thought in years.
8:24 PM, July 15, 2007
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I just wonder what a small dog say a pekinese might think and that seems to be on the same IQ level as most arties here. Couldn't get the Sarjeant extension so been burning all their bridges ever since and handing the mayoralty to Michael Laws on a platter. He should pay you - you've been so good for his re-election chances.
Exhibit A.
Exhibit B.
If the Chronicle wants to maintain the pretence that it is independent from Guyton St., perhaps they should stop printing Michael Laws' opinion pieces in place of news.
Or is plagiarism company policy these days?
Every morning the Chronicle cheerleader team gets together and chants the company song:
"One two three four,
Mickey Mickey more more more"
Yes I'm confused too because I understood that the Whanganui arts community was opposed to the rejuvenation of Queen's Park?
Mickey’s lies exposed in today’s Sunday Star Times, page A8 where they give the true extent of rates increases around the country, and they haven’t fallen for Mickey’s lies and bullshit so the actual figure of 9.74% shows there are at least 61 other councils with lower rates rises. Whey don’t we see this sort of stuff in the Chronic?
ie here’s lying Mickey:
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I read that article too but then I read it properly and saw that it was not RATE RISES but rises in RATES INCOME. If an area has grown with new houses then you will get more total income but your average rates need not rise.
That was made obvious in the SST article.
Don't you just love it when the Diva goes on about what central government should or should not do. Well Michael I'll let you into a well known secret, they aren't and will never listen to the Wanganui loony mayor. Your history in Wellington.
mary bryan`s write-up(late!)of last week`s meeting should surely ring alarm bells for anyone interested in the oct election-so full of michael`s flash-in-the-pan decisions which have cost but come to nothing. the problem is that people DON`T read about it
i need, also, to ask why it is assumed that `arites` are the only ones to criticise the mayor
i believe any informed,concerned citizen should!
I understood that the Whanganui arts community was opposed to the rejuvenation of Queen's Park
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Really? It sounds though you're more concerned with setting up a straw man to knock down to me.
"arties"
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Is it comforting to you to label people? I hope you know it further diminishes your already limited understanding of them.
Still, it's good to have a security blanket.
I wonder what it would actually take to please them.
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No you don't. You don't give a toss about them, and I suspect you lack empathy for most people. Try some neuroleptics.
been burning all their bridges
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Bullshit. There never were any bridges between that worthless clown Mickey and the Wanganui arts community. Does lying come as easily to you as it does to the mayor?
handing the mayoralty to Michael Laws on a platter.
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Wait a second. Last time we heard your deceitful crap on this subject neither Lawswatch nor the Chron. have any influence over Laws' votes because no-one who votes for Laws reads either of them (or perhaps it was that they can't read - I forget). Now you're saying Lawswatch is the kingmaker.
Could you please at least be consistent with your deceitful crap?
Anonymous said...
I thought all you arties were OPPOSED to the Heart project? Never satisfied are you?
4:28 PM, July 15, 2007
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It wasn't the arties that hated ML's plans, it was the whole of Wanganui, nothing to do with creative people that could see the whole plan was just Sally's library.
I read that article too but then I read it properly and saw that it was not RATE RISES but rises in RATES INCOME. If an area has grown with new houses then you will get more total income but your average rates need not rise.
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For Christ,s sake you'll believe anything Laws tells you. Wanganui was 59th highest in rates income increases out of 70 councils - obviously other Councils treat water levy increases and Storm levy increases just as Cr Don McGregor argued they should - as an increase in rates. I suppose you will believe that when you get your rates bill this month you will be saving $220 to $290 from paying the soft water levy - yet it is still the same water coming out of your tap.
This rates rise thing is a Vision con.
Anonymous said...
I thought all you arties were OPPOSED to the Heart project? Never satisfied are you?
4:28 PM, July 15, 2007
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Sorry "little man" but there are a hell-of- a- lot more people out there you have upset, remember DWTS was a perfect opportunity for the 'whole' of Wanganui to get behind you ... AND they didn't. End of story. Just look again at your own polls, honey.
Speaking of Marcus Lush, wonder who he had in mind when he said (in the Sunday magazine):
"I don't know why people feel that because a magazine wants their baby photos or their wedding photos that that would be a fun thing to do ... why you'd start plundering your friends and family to sell you TV show, I've no idea."
It wasn't the arties that hated ML's plans, it was the whole of Wanganui.
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I hated ML's plans for Queen's Park. They were so clearly set up to fail, to waste lots of money from the Queen's Park budget whilst acheiving less than nothing. In the meantime the true level of support Vision have for the Arts can be measured in the bullying and budget cuts at the Museum and the treatment of Gallery staff.
It's so dumb. The only explanation that makes any sense to me is that Laws is mad.
the rate at which some anons in here descend to spitting and scratching is a bit sad.
where the hell were you when Chas was ruling with a mediocre fist ?
but some of the posts are useful like Anon 7:21pm who said
"Mickey’s lies exposed in today’s Sunday Star Times, page A8 where they give the true extent of rates increases around the country, and they haven’t fallen for Mickey’s lies and bullshit so the actual figure of 9.74% shows there are at least 61 other councils with lower rates rises. Whey don’t we see this sort of stuff in the Chronic?
ie here’s lying Mickey:
Media Releases
2007/08 rates and Council plan finalised today - 11/06/07
For the third year in a row, Wanganui is on target to effect the lowest annual rates increase in the country.
"Compared with average annual rate increases throughout New Zealand of 7%-9% then Wanganui is again leading the country in containing rates. In the three years of this council, the average rate rises have been nil, 3% and now 1.7%.”
I would say Mr laws has found his level in his chosen career, local government the right place for him. Stay where you can feel safe Mr laws and let the big boys run the country.
If the arts community of Wanganui do get their way then there will be now new library, no Sargeant Gallery extension, no refurbished Museum and therefore no arts infrastructural spending beyond the status quo.
Is that what the arts community really want or just its lunatic, poke-myself-in-the-eye fringe?
Dear Harold Land
I have read the Sunday Times story and the comments in here and the earlier anon was correct in stating the comparison between apples and oranges.
The Times article dealt with the increase in total revenue derived from rates, and the Council is talking about the annual rates increase for the AVERAGE Wanganui household.
This is one of those instances where the stories complement and do not contradict each other. They are both right, because they are mentioning different things.
If the arts community of Wanganui do get their way then there will be now new library, no Sargeant Gallery extension, no refurbished Museum and therefore no arts infrastructural spending beyond the status quo.
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Strange you seem obsessed about the arts community, they are only one of many parts to this community that Mr Laws has fucked off. But if it keeps you happy ............
The difference between the Sunday Times rates story and the version(s) that Mickey sprays around via his suck-up mates at the Chron, NBR, Council website etc is simple:
One is SPIN, the other is REAL!
Rates spending comes from only one source, ie the RATEPAYERS. Who gives a fiddler’s fart what happens to Mr Average Ratepayer’s general rate. All Mr A Ratepayer cares about is how much more he’s handing to the council than last year and he/she doesn’t really care whether Mickey calls it levies or whatever. That’s the person who is the target of Mickey’s SPIN and he’s just hoping he/she is so blinded by the crap that he/she doesn’t get out an old rates bill and compare it with the new one.
No wonder he didn’t have the guts to put out a Heart referendum right now. No one would believe a word he says.
Anonymous said...
Dear Harold Land
...
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Whether any other anon has compared apples with oranges is utterly irrelevant. The fact is that the Laws levies are nothing but rates increases. Michael seems to think that his words create new realities, and indeed it may be so within the confines of his mind, but the rest of us live on planet earth.
Last week it was John Banks desperate to con the voters into another term "reinventing" himself as a kinder gentler mayoral wannabe.
This week Mad Mickey is busy oozing empathy and beating the drum for the predominantly brown, poor, uninsured population of the Far North. Who does he think is going to fall for that? And isn't he capable of an original idea?
Laws Slams Media
Mayor Laws today slammed what he called "dumb journalists" for preparing a story on the Local Government rates inquiry that makes no mention of him.
"My Council has spent a fortune in Wanganui ratepayers money promoting me, and for these stupid hacks to ignore me is unacceptable. They have insulted Wanganui."
Mayor Laws then started screaming uncontrollably at a member of the public who had overheard him and started laughing.
Joe Bloggs, of Aramoho, said afterwards "He really is a funny little clown, eh?"
To the commenter at 9am approx - your links aren't working. Please have another shot.
Judge Slams Dumb NZ 1st MP
For attempting to base legislation on the sorts of lies Mickey tells. It's nice to see contempt for dumb populist bullshit being expressed so well.
Note to Chron(ic) management. The headline "Gas omissions: lay off the dairy farmers" on page 11 today should read:
"Gas omissions: lay off editor, sub-editors and other sad excuses for journalists"
Speaking of Gas (no not your latest comments Mickey..)
What happened to the drama between Wanganui Gas/David Mack/The Chronic?
I know the Chronic released half the story several Saturdays ago but all they published was that DM was a bankrupt. Nothing about the threat of WG Ltd advertising dollars being withdrawn. Nothing about Trevor Goodwin backing up the threat and subsequently getting a smacked backside at WDC.
Silence due to ongoing legal issues or silence because that is what they are best at?
Lying Laws Lies And Lies And Lies
Mickey Mayor, unable to resist the insane urge to mess himself, told more lies today. The ludicrous claim that Wanganui's rates take has increased as a result of increased activity is shown up as the ravings of a loony by the fact that our population is trending back down again under Vision incompetence.
The Chronicle once again sucks this shit straight from the source then regurgitates it undigested. You'd think the taste would be getting to them by now, but their appetite for humiliation is apparently boundless.
It's good to Mas's name back on the page, doing Mickey's dirty work for him. Where would he be without you, eh Mas?
It's sad to hear the Spin Fairy has been dumped on yet again. Oh, does anyone know how many people got the sack last week from council?
Maslin has definitely shifted into serious campaign-for-Vision mode. A couple of days ago he had Nicki Higgie heroically “girding her loins for another battle to save at least one of seven trees tagged for removal blah, blah, blah.” Actually John, as you should know very well, it was Nicki’s decision to needlessly remove plane trees from Victoria Ave (one because “it wasn’t a good specimen”) that sparked the last tree saga and she seems quite happy for a whole street full of trees in Aramaho, that don’t meet her personal criteria, to get the chop.
the sack from council=please explain
know how many people got the sack last week from council?
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This week ... ONE
Well, isn't Sally Patrick a disgusting piece of human filth? Must be a lovely way to get the job you want: stab the incumbent in the back. Bet when she wrote her poison pen letter she never imagined being on the front page.
There's a word for what Sally is: scab.
Go Rosey.
Memo from: Wanganui ratepayer
to: Sally Patrick, Julian Reweti, Stephanie Rose and Jill Jones
You have brought Council into disrepute, hard to do with that lowlife Mickey defecating everywhere, but you've managed it.
I'm sure a presentation of ceremonial daggers can be arranged. Just watch your backs, the four of you. Your little knife fight may not be over. I wonder whether you'll turn on one another before it's done.
It's sad to hear the Spin Fairy has been dumped on yet again. Oh, does anyone know how many people got the sack last week from council?
4:42 PM, July 20, 2007
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Who got the sack? None that I know about. Spin Fairy? She is long gone. Are you losing it, Anon?
Anonymickey spins again:
Who got the sack? None that I know about.
******
Oh well, we'll just have to patiently wait till the ERA comes back to town. We now know that Dr Warburton and Mickey cannot keep their skeletons in the closet forever. And they're really rattling about right now!
Word round town today is that the council settled ... oh well it's only ratepayers' money and probably paltry compared to the legal bills Warburton has run up trying vainly to cover his sorry ass.
PS: Good to see the Dompost telling it like it is today (and Keith Hindson having the guts to stand up and say it) -- not on Stuff though and you won't read a word about it in the Chron (psst ... it's about political interference) so buy yourselves a DomPost.
Who got the sack? At least one, with another under a VERY big cloud.
Council rumour mill has ground to a halt, because the key staff have all been sworn to secrecy.But why has the new IT manager got sidetracked into 'security issues'? How many IT investigators are needed to expose DW's latest problem?
Watch for more Employment Court appearances.
So what's the fatality list since the new council took over:
Colin Whitlock, Ian McGowan, Dean Taylor, Dave Foster, Rosemary Hovey, Bill Milbank, Philip Shackleton, Keith Hindson, Keith Smith (although he has gone back and is working for the Dark Side).
And all to save $500,000 a year. Those people built Whanganui!
What was Rosemary Hovey after? Reinstatement or damages or both although she told people that she wanted a published and public apology in the Chronicle.
Did she get any of those things??
to: Sally Patrick, Julian Reweti, Stephanie Rose and Jill Jones
You have brought Council into disrepute
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Jill Jones is a backstabber, Stephanie Rose is a spoilt deb, Sally is over the top and Julian spends his time f**king around - literally
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