Media Release
Larry Whipper’s People Power Team, has raised serious concerns about some of the irresponsible claims being made by the newly formed Our Leisure Centre Group.
“This is a group of people who appear to be making some very big promises without the means or the authority to do so”, Clr Larry Whipper said. “Rather than assist the cause of the Leisure Centre, I believe that this well meaning group could actually distort the results of the poll and as such destroy the credibility of the process!”
The People Power Team will give an undertaking to revisit the Bowral Pool site as a real option for a covered, all season swimming facility. We will also look at providing realistic and cost effective ancillary activities, such as family friendly facilities for children. A gym will not be viable in any way and would be in direct competition with private business.
It is blatantly clear that the campaign by this new group is nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to make promises about a leisure centre that we cannot afford and which is not located for maximum use by the whole community.
I am seriously concerned about these promises being made by the group. I am, particularly worried about some of the un-costed and deceptive stage two promises made people who will have no accountability at all.
When will these people get the message that we all want a covered swimming facility, but we cannot afford it. The Larry Whipper Team offers a very real alternative. One, which can maintain the Bowral Pool, site and provide an all year swimming facility.
I am tired of the Prophets of Doom saying that we can’t build a covered swimming centre on the Bowral Pool site, while they are intent on selling of other public assts to meet their own needs - at the expense of all ratepayers!
If you are serious about an all weather swimming facility, give up the idea of a leisure Centre in Eridge Park. This will put ever increasing pressure on ratepayer’s resources. Support the realistic concept that the People Power team will pursue. Come on enough talk, let’s get on with it.
Authorised and written by Larry Whipper, PO Box 141, Robertson, 2577.
Larry Whipper’s People Power Team, has raised serious concerns about some of the irresponsible claims being made by the newly formed Our Leisure Centre Group.
“This is a group of people who appear to be making some very big promises without the means or the authority to do so”, Clr Larry Whipper said. “Rather than assist the cause of the Leisure Centre, I believe that this well meaning group could actually distort the results of the poll and as such destroy the credibility of the process!”
The People Power Team will give an undertaking to revisit the Bowral Pool site as a real option for a covered, all season swimming facility. We will also look at providing realistic and cost effective ancillary activities, such as family friendly facilities for children. A gym will not be viable in any way and would be in direct competition with private business.
It is blatantly clear that the campaign by this new group is nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to make promises about a leisure centre that we cannot afford and which is not located for maximum use by the whole community.
I am seriously concerned about these promises being made by the group. I am, particularly worried about some of the un-costed and deceptive stage two promises made people who will have no accountability at all.
When will these people get the message that we all want a covered swimming facility, but we cannot afford it. The Larry Whipper Team offers a very real alternative. One, which can maintain the Bowral Pool, site and provide an all year swimming facility.
I am tired of the Prophets of Doom saying that we can’t build a covered swimming centre on the Bowral Pool site, while they are intent on selling of other public assts to meet their own needs - at the expense of all ratepayers!
If you are serious about an all weather swimming facility, give up the idea of a leisure Centre in Eridge Park. This will put ever increasing pressure on ratepayer’s resources. Support the realistic concept that the People Power team will pursue. Come on enough talk, let’s get on with it.
Authorised and written by Larry Whipper, PO Box 141, Robertson, 2577.
7 comments:
Hi Larry
Terry Oakes-Ash was at the Robbo Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday, singing the praises of a "new community group" supporting the leisure centre. In fact it is a new community group of business people desperately pushing this project.
How can they propose this project, when the Council's accounting is so unsustainable, as per the recent report?
Stop the madness, I say, and live within our means (for once).
Cheers
Denis
Hi Larry,
It's great to see your team has committed to spending the $9 million dollars Council has estimated it will cost to create an all year round swimming facility at Bowral Pool. Such a facility is sorely needed and has been for a long time.
But with respect, I think you're a little harsh on the Friends of the Leisure Centre group. You use the word "promises" four times in this blog, each time in reference to "promises" this group makes. I've had a look at their website and I can't find any "promises" they make at all!
What I found however, was plenty of factual information about both the Leisure Centre proposal and the sale of land. It appears to me to be an attempt to participate in the debate using facts rather than selective rhetoric. I agree that references to stage two of the Centre may be premature, but is it really such a crime to envision the potential community possibilities in a facility like this?
Your dismissal of their efforts as "politically motivated" is particularly disappointing. To apply such a motivation to pragmatic and community-minded people such as David Chandler and Jim Allman, who are members of this group, borders on offensive in my opinion.
There is no denying that Council's original decision to include parks on the list of land for sale was ill-advised, and the vocal efforts of the community at large certianly let them know, resulting in the decision to protect them from sale! But is that any excuse to let the ensuing debate on the Centre slide into some sort of Orwellian nightmare where the presentation of facts is dismissed as "irresponsible claims" and "politically motivated" for fear it may sway public opinion? I'm not sure Patti Smith would be terribly comfortable with that approach Larry.
Anyhow, as I said earlier, should the "No, No" vote prevail, I look forward to you fulfilling your promise of creating a multi-million dollar all year swimming facility at Bowral Pool as soon as possible in the term of the next Council.
Hi "Steve"
Nearly anonymous profiles with a single name, and no blog, and no contact details to back up your identity do not give your comments any credibility at all.
Are you a real person, "Steve"?
If so, do the decent thing and post your name. Come on out in public, like the rest of us - with names - real names, and email contacts visible to the public.
Otherwise your comments are worthless. In fact - potentially fraudulent. It's time to stand up and be counted - "Steve" - if you want us to take any notice of your opinions. And I am sure you do. Kindly expand your "profile" to demonstrate your bona fides.
Denis Wilson
G'day Steve,
Thanks for your comment. All opinions are welcome and diversity of those opinions are a part of our democracy.
I agree with Denis Wilson however, anonimity does not strengthen a correspondents commitment to those opinions.
I have nothing personally against those individuals that YOU (not I) have named in your response to the People Power media statement.
I do believe however,that such a move, be it intentional or not will "cloud the waters" so to speak and will set up, as I said unreal and uncosted expectation in the minds of the community.
The Council propaganda, led by the pro land sales and Lesisure Centre zelots is already biased towards the construction of a center at eridge Park, at the expense of the public inheritance. I do not feel that teh Eridge Park model will be accessible to all people in the shire and that it will put increasing maintanence strain on the public purse.
The Covering of the Bowral Pool IS a realistic otion which I believe will satisfy the needs and expectations of the wider community while maintaining public land in public (including Bowral Pool site) ownership for future generations.
It is a shame Steve that you have cloaked your identity,thereby preventing me from responding to you directly.
Thank you for your comment and be well.
Larry
"The thought police would get him just the same. He had committed—would have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper—the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you."
George Orwell
1984 p.19
Geez "Denis", settle down!"Potentially fraudulent"? "demonstrate your bonafides"? Should I been concerned about a visit from the Thought Police in the near future?
Seriously though, my apologies. I am a first time blogger and therefore, I am not that familiar with the various protocols that apply to the blogging world. I didn't know that I had to provide my full name, but I will certainly remember that in the future, (lucky I didn't sign it Bozo the Clown or Joan Crawford or something like that - then I really would have been in trouble!)
My full name is Stephen Patrick Anderson and "Denis", you can take comfort in the fact that I am a real person. In fact Larry knows me, and he knows where to find me shoudl he wish to send the Thought Police around to drag me off to Room 101 and release the rats on my face!
With respect "Denis", I am not really that fussed as whether you take any notice of my opinion. Whether you do or not totally up to you. I do however like the idea of public debate being conducted on the basis of fact rather than rumour, scuttlebutt, half-truths and mis-information. That is why I responded to Larry's posting regarding the Friends of the Leisure Centre. To paint these community-minded people as "politically motivated" or as you put a "group of business people desperately pushing this project" is just plain wrong. Just as wrong as it to imply that I am some imaginary puppet, spreading my fraudulent wings across the world wide web.
The fact that Larry put his hand up for public office all those years ago is to be admired. Even more admirable is the fact that he continues to do so. Most of us don't, preferring to sit back and whinge and bitch about those who do. "Denis" I've even voted for Larry! Larry knows as well as I do that I don't agree with everything he says, and also that I don't disagree with everything he says. I'm a pragmatist "Denis" and with pragmatism comes a responsibilty to acquaint yourself with the facts. That is why, on this particular issue within our community, my concern is that much of the strident debate has only limited or no basis in fact, and would appear to be causing some tremendous division as a result, hence my comments to Larry's post.
Nice to chat "Denis". I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to "demonstrate my bonafides" as a real human being, even if it is to someone I don't know, and done via the internet. Can I leave you with a thought-provoking verse entitled "The Clown's Prayer"? It always helps me keep things in perspective in vexing times. It goes something like this:
"As I stumble through this life,
Help me to create more laughter than tears,
Dispense more happiness than gloom,
And spread more cheer than despair.
Never let me become so indifferent
That I will fail to see the wonder
in the eyes of a child,
Or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged."
Thanks for your response Larry.
If you've read my response to "Denis" you'll understand that due to my "virgin blogger" status, my anonymity was not intentional. Feel free to respond in person at any time. I'm pretty sure you know where to find me. Propaganda, zealotry .... who would have thought it for a WSC election!
Regards,
Steve
Hi Steve (without "..." marks).
Nice to meet you. I did go in a bit hard, but some people do hide behind false names on the Internet - especially for political purposes.
I decided to try to "flush you out" (a hunting phrase - not a sewerage phrase!).
You responded well. Fine. Thank you.
You do not have to impress me. But at least I can now assess your comments as genuine, from a local fellow citizen, not covering a hidden potential conflict of interest. There is a lot of that going about in this Shire!
Thanks for the response. and for not being put off by my challenge to you.
By the way, I am Denis, not "Denis" - my full details and links to 4 years worth of my publicly expressed views, and my email contact are all available via my Profile page.
Cheers
Denis
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