Caebrwyn's blog, three years old today

Today happens to be the third birthday of this blog. It would have been great to be able to say that things had improved and the council had developed into a public body which understood democratic debate and embraced criticism and opposition with tact, understanding and due process, then again, pigs might sprout wings.

Today's Carmarthen Journal reports on the council's reaction to the unsuccessful appeal made by the campaigners trying to save Pantycelyn School, Llandovery. Putting the specific issue of the school closure to one side, the council follows the same old pattern with which we have become so familiar, divide and conquer; giving the impression that opponents/campaigners are a small, troublesome minority, acting against the wishes of the residents; costing the taxpayer money; disingenuous; misguided etc etc - not that they could possibly have a damn good point and, as taxpayers, already fund exorbitant senior salaries, excessive Executive Board allowances and numerous council vanity projects. I despair. The article, which can be seen in full here, has a quote from the Chief Executive who mentions the 'costs';
"The judge has thrown it all out......It's cost us money so far but we will be pursuing costs. I'm fairly hopeful that we are going to get the costs. If it goes further it could potentially get very expensive and we would be pursuing our costs."
and the soon to be ex-Executive Board Member Cllr Scourfield who neither represents the area nor has any responsibility for education decided to attack the mentality of an entire swathe of Carmarthenshire;
"People have the right to appeal, but I would have thought that the people in the north east of the county would have some common sense".

I beg your pardon Mr Scourfield? Do you mean that everyone who opposes council plans lacks common sense? Or is it just those in north east Carmarthenshire who have a screw loose? Fortunately he is taking the very sensible step of not seeking re-election in May.

Someone who is seeking re-election I believe, is the Leader, Meryl Gravell who has managed to dig up a long since shelved plan for a multi-million pound leisure complex for Llanelli, and present it as 'news'. Hopefully this is just a bit of innocent electioneering and not a serious attempt to add to the council's ever-burgeoning (and taxpayer burdening) herd of white elephants. No wonder the commenters are sceptical.

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Readers of the Carmarthen Journal letters page may have been a bit puzzled today, they may have been expecting a few responses to last week's letter from the Council Chief Executive, Cneifiwr explores the possible reasons for the curious silence here.