Portobello Park Action Group

by **Bob Jefferson** » 11 Dec 2008, 22:26

Residents of Park Avenue, their extended families, misled golfers, other misled, misinformed or misguided people. People who mistakenly think they are supporting a group whose core aim is to save green space or who have a vague feeling that by buying this calendar they might be doing something to save the planet. Erm, calendar collectors?

by **SoupDragon** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:06

Ever thought of doing a calendar for your side, Bob?

Not necessarily along the lines of the Farmers Calendar, though it might help boost sales

by **Maria** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:13

by **Bob Jefferson** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:26

by **SoupDragon** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:33

What month will you be, Bob?

I do hope Porty and PoP will be posing with light sabres :lol:

by **Bob Jefferson** » 11 Dec 2008, 23:53

Fortunately, for all concerned, that won't be necessary. We don't need gimmicks or scams for we are armed with the light sabre of Truth.

by **Franck** » 12 Dec 2008, 12:19

by **Bob Jefferson** » 12 Dec 2008, 12:49

by **Franck** » 12 Dec 2008, 13:16

by **Epykat** » 12 Dec 2008, 20:37

by **Bob Jefferson** » 12 Dec 2008, 22:10

by **Porty** » 12 Dec 2008, 22:37

by **Bob Jefferson** » 12 Dec 2008, 23:34

by **Porty** » 13 Dec 2008, 00:08

by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Dec 2008, 00:16

Are you saying caveat emptor?

by **Porty** » 13 Dec 2008, 00:57

Well maybe.

I have only seen the PPAG 2007 Calendar and even then it was brief, very brief.; no longer than it took me to pick it up from being delivered free , realising what it was, then dumping it in the bin. Therefore I am unclear as to what money is being raised for? Other than the "global" saving the park. I mean if you are asking people for money you should say what it is for, does the 2008 calendar make it clear?

You and I have been PFANS supporters for 3 years and I've never been asked for a penny, never been tasked with raising a penny, you don't need money to follow your cause. So why do they need it? At very least they should tell people the specific purpose.

It very much reminds me of the PCATS situation. PCATS raised money, a lot of money, for a specific cause: to defeat the superstore planning application back in 2004/5. Now 3 or 4 years later, the battle won, they still hold thousands of pounds of the community's money. Is it legal - I doubt it. Is it moral- no way. The organisation died with its purpose.

What is a now elected councillor doing being chairperson of a group that illigetimatelly holds money belonging to the community?

And now its happening again, with many of the same people at the helm. They claim to have collected thousand of pounds from "sold out" calendars. Yet they have never said what they intend doing with the money?
At least PCATS had a specific purpose and a form of accounts published on their website. Albeit the accounts wouldn't pass muster for a trainee bookeeper. Take a look at the Portygreenkeeprs site- can you see any accounts?

Where are PPAG's accounts? They claim to have sold 800 2007 calendars at £6 each, thats £4,800 plus this years take-plus the bucket collections in the days that they could get people to their meetings. It is a substancial amount of now invisible money. No accountability whatsoever.

How can the general public be sure PPAG and the people at its core are not just petty criminals? I'm not saying they are but there is no accountability and huge questionmarks over their general integrity.

They consistentlty claim to have a financial warchest, yet they have not publically committed to ANY action that costs money.Who holds the money? Who police' s who holds the money? Is it being raised under false pretences? There are no specifics.

I can safely say that if PFANS raised money from the general public and were less than totally transparent about how much they had and what it was going to used for? I would immediately disassociate myself.

Getting back to the issue in question. If I were appraoched as a high street trader and asked to sell the PPAG calender. I would need to be really clear on what the funds were gong to be used for and seek some assurance that is in fact what would happen. No way the PPAG peddlers are giving out that sort of detail.

by **SoupDragon** » 13 Dec 2008, 01:25

Buyer Beware
yup
Freedom of speech
has to pass without question

Luckily we are a free society

If someone wants to stock the calendars they can if we belive in free speech, they also have to expect customers to say what they think

same if they choose not to stock it

Its called democracy

but if someone does have the power
and a pointy bargepole could they please get my younger daughter to tidy her room

by **Porty** » 13 Dec 2008, 02:05

Agreed. I'm all for democarcy and free speech. Fortunately- nay deservedly its being going PHS way the last 6 weeks or so. I know you, are indebted to St John's, even more so than I, (based purely on numbers of children/clangers). Im genuinely sorry that they have to wait but I'm equally glad they will be in a better place when it comes around. Out of the hands of evil.

by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Dec 2008, 10:51

by **Porty** » 13 Dec 2008, 13:46

by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Dec 2008, 13:56

by **Epykat** » 13 Dec 2008, 20:40

by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Dec 2008, 20:47

by **Epykat** » 13 Dec 2008, 21:40

by **Bob Jefferson** » 13 Dec 2008, 22:01

by **Porty** » 14 Dec 2008, 14:25

by **Franck** » 15 Dec 2008, 11:26

by **Bob Jefferson** » 16 Dec 2008, 19:44

As we know, PPAG supporters are becoming increasingly desperate in the face of certain defeat and some are prepared to be, let's say, economical with the truth in an attempt to bolster their support.

Today I heard that a prominent PPAGer has been trying to convince people that if the school goes ahead on Portobello Park, a road will be built through the golf course. Please disregard such stories. They have no foundation in truth whatsoever and are merely indicative of a discredited campaign in its final death throes.

by **seanie** » 16 Dec 2008, 20:27

Any reason as to why a road would be built through the golfcourse?

by **Bob Jefferson** » 16 Dec 2008, 20:44

None whatsoever as far as I can reasonably imagine, but I assume that the perpetrator of this story is alleging that it would be for vehicular access to the new school.

by **seanie** » 16 Dec 2008, 21:02

This might go back to the plan in the feasibility report of 2006. Remember I said it came up at the Local Plan inquiry?

They were complaining that the drawing showed the school encroaching on the eigth tee and it was pointed out that it was only an indicative drawing not an actual design. Well the bit that's shown encroaching is an access road. At the time the Council official actually pointed out that a road would be very unlikely to be put in as shown.

They might be trying, once again, to spin a two year old feasibility drawing as the 'latest plan'.

by **Porty** » 16 Dec 2008, 21:48

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