Rotherham Politics – frequently asked questions?

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This is a pretty random list of frequently asked questions (FAQ in geek speak).

Is Rotherham Politics a ‘public’ site? It most emphatically is! Anyone who wants to, can read this site. All readers can comment freely, both on the posts themselves and in reply to someone else’s comment. It is simple and quick to do. Our age range of readership is wide including students still at school, therefore this site does not publish profanity. A private, contributors forum is in development and will go live soon. Editorial arrangements are changing and evolving to accommodate the increasing number of blog members and their desire to have a say.

What is a contributor? Someone who has demonstrated they will make a positive contribution to the debate and that they undertake not to abuse their privileged access! Nothing special is required, if you can send an email, you will be able to do it, too!

Website traffic stats, why do you publish them? Aren’t you just boasting? In answer to your second point, we are pleased by their recent rises of course, but not boastful, they are not that good! But encouraging to contributors, nonetheless! We in fact publish them as part of our commitment to genuine and meaningful transparency. At the moment this blog costs nothing to run but when it requires expenditure, we will be open about that as well! We can hardly call for openness and transparency in others, without practising it ourselves!

What’s your political stance? in short we haven’t got one. We are non-aligned politically, valuing all legal political opinion. Individuals are entitled to their own opinions, Rotherham Politics is not partisan. Any politician or public official that fails in their duties can expect to be held to account by our readers! Provided that it can be subject to review and comment by readers. No one has a monopoly of good ideas, we certainly don’t! Personally, I dislike the term, but ‘citizen journalism’ is what we are about! We fit in where the Advertiser cannot, were a bit like a rolling news and letters pages all rolled into one! Complementary to, not in competition with, existing news media.

Ask your question – click here.

15 thoughts on “Rotherham Politics – frequently asked questions?”

    • Yes, of course it can and will be as soon as you get back to me. If any reader should come across sites that really should have a link to it on this blog? just let us know.

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  2. Hello

    I just wanted some clarity…

    In Dec 2010 you said;

    “This of course, goes some way in explaining why I now operate this blog as well as being a proud, staunch and committed member, of the Rotherham Independents.”

    However, above you state you are not aligned to any political party. Cllr Slade/Thirlwall were Ind Cllrs on RMBC so I assume by supporting them you oppose Labour…which means your view isn’t balanced…which means it’s not transparent/open….or at the very least has had doubt cast over its integrity…which means……is all this anti-Labour and lack of anti-Tory spiel another way of you telling us all you are a Tory?

    I have met and dealt with a lot of Ind’s in my short life and find that they are nearly always Tories.

    Hmmmm….? I do not know how I am going to sleep now, such excitement as I await you reply.

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    • Patrick, would have thought the fact that you found this quotation in the first place, shows just how wrong you are! The point however that was being made, was about this blog I quote from about Rotherham Politics “The purpose of this web site is to contribute to the effective scrutiny of elected representatives that represent us at all levels of the democratic process. This site is distinctly non-aligned politically. We believe that all legal political opinion is valid and has a right to be heard! All opinion should be subject to critical review and debate.” Individuals involved are perfectly entitled to their own party affiliations as so are you. Hope that clears that one up!

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  3. George Valentine “nationwidecarers.co.uk”

    Rotherham Council under Roger Stone and his 54 Labour cllrs is a dictatorship not a democracy, when appointing a mayor that we cannot afford, they can still hold banquets no meals on wheels for us let the tax payer pay. In Stone’s kingdom you MUST BE A LABOUR CLLR TO BE MAYOR. If God was a Tory or Independent cllr and the devil was a labour cllr you know who the hell would be mayor. This is dictatorship that we fought two world wars to stop.

    How did Roger Stone get a OBE they must give them away like Blue Peter Badges. What he has achieved for the disabled, the council tax payers and council employees you could print on a postage stamp with still enough room to lick it. What he has taken away you couldn’t write on a sheet of A4. They still can manage to afford the banquets, first class travel, the junkets and to pay themselves top expenses.

    Joke of the year how the labour councillors have a cheek to call cllr R. Russell and Pat Russell champions for the disabled beggars belief. Their record, shut their laundry and bathing services shut their day centres and respite homes and allowed carers of doubly incontinent children and adults to only have the stench of diarrhoea faeces urine blood and vomit stored on their property for 14 days turning their property into a dump it site for sewage. Even when they have been heavily criticised for this in Westminster by MPs and the Care Minister Paul Burstow they still do nothing. No wonder all carers should consider full time care.

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    • A point of information for clarity perhaps? Pat and Richard Russell have a disabled son.
      Pat Russell is herself disabled and has a blue badge in addition to the one they presumably have for their son. Disability Champions may be the only accolade they may deserve.

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  4. George Valentine “nationwidecarers”

    Thank you Rothpol I am aware that they have a disabled son. I have a disabled daughter 39 years of age weighing over 13 stone with a mental age of 3 months and a physical disability of over 99% who can only rock shout and breath unaided is doubly incontinent wheelchair bound as she cannot weight bare she is paralised down her left hand side has cystic kidneys and takes 28 hours a week to toilet her. An hour spent 4 times a day to hand feed and give her drinks as she has a delayed swallow she is like many others looked after at home who would cost between £2000 and £3500 a week in care. They may be champions like we all are looking after our disabled sons and daughters but I have put the record of this labour council towards carers who care for their disabled adults at home. There is now no incentive for those carers who have lost all those vital services to care at home.

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  5. George Valentine “nationwidecarers.co.uk”

    Disabled adults and their carers did have a Rotherham councillor who was a champion for the disabled Peter Thirlwall. He has for many years supported them and myself as one after another this council stripped them of their services. It was he who advised me to start my website “nationwidecarers.co.uk” that has had over 50,000 hits advising carers throughout the country of their rights on Community Care Law and Consultation issues. The website is linked to most of the top organisations Mencap, Carers UK,The Coalition on Charges, Carers UK (Scotland ) and many more.It is supported by a top London professor of Community Care Law.

    Peter sadly has retired as a councillor but is still actively supporting the disabled and their carers in anyway he can. I would like to thank him on their behalf.

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  6. George Valentine “nationwidecarers.co.uk”

    FACTS ABOUT DISABILITIES

    Over 6 million carers save this country 119 billion pounds a year
    Nearly 2 million people have been claiming incapacity benefit that may be fit for work

    Idiotically some disabled people who would cost £400 a week in care are on the same maximum benefits as profoundly disabled people cared for at home with complex needs that would cost £2000 to £3500 a week in full time care. Those are the disabled children in the special needs units of Kelford, Hilltop and Newman schools and the adults in the special needs unit in Oaks, Addison and those dispersed that used to attended the now closed Eastwood Day Centres. All are on income support.

    Those are the disabled people Rotherham Council have shut their day centres and respite care centres laundry and nursing services and RMBC have introduced without consultation 14 day collection of the stench of up to 80 soiled nappies of their doubly incontinent adults. Everyone of those are caring millionaires they have saved the country over a million pounds each They care for nothing for 168 hours a week, there is no compulsion to care for anyone.

    http://nationwidecarers.co.uk/ recommend all those carers to retire at 60 many have cared tirelessly for 40 years. Those disabled adults require care from the cradle to the grave Refuse to take reductions in your essential services that have been slashed. If they refuse to provide those services leave RMBC to provide their full time care. Just 10 could cost this council over a million pounds a year the choice is theirs. Good for the carer bad for the councils.

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  7. George Valentine

    Rotherham Council under Roger Stone have given an unsecure loan to Rotherham United of 5 million pounds. No sooner was the loan in place, they shot themselves in the foot. After 40 years they have allowed Rotherham Boys football teams to fold. They have been the life blood for Rotherham United. For twenty years John Brecken signed and brought through those schoolboys

    Where Junior team managers like Bill Webb gave many years bringing through players who played for Rotherham Boys. Bill was also a great grade 1 referee he helped turned his young son Howard who took to refereeing like a duck to water. Howard was a good footballer but a great referee putting Rotherham on the map as the best referee in the world. This is a sad day for Rotherham no thanks to our council for allowing this to happen. When poor clubs like Rotherham can’t afford to sign expensive players they rely on signing schoolboys.

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  9. Millie and I are back from our holidays and I am freshly signed up to this blog! Time to start asking some awkward questions of the elected politicians who are supposed to ‘serve’ us, not themselves! Gerald Smith’s antics for example? Or Denis MacShane? Or Even Roger Stone and Martin Kimber, busy shifting deck chairs, while the ship sinks, perhaps? Mmmmm………

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  10. George Valentine http://nationwidecarers.co.uk/

    Dear Rothpol,
    A good heading for Rotherham politics would be questions leader Roger Stone never answers. Lets start with:
    Why does the mayor of Rotherham have to be a Labour councillor?
    Why does Roger Stone never reply to criticism in the Rotherham Advertiser or on Rotherham Politics?
    Why doesn’t he tell us since being leader what he has done fot the disabled?
    Why doesn’t he tell us why he shut day centres and respite home?
    Why doesn’t he tell us why he shut disabled nurses bathing and laundry service?
    Why he allows doubly incontinent people to turn their property into a dump it site for sewage with 14 day collection of diarrhoea faeces urine blood and vomit?
    Why doesn’t he tell us why he ignores Tory and independent councillors questions in the Town Hall?
    Last but not least tell us why he believes he was entitled to an OBE. We would all love to know?
    Has any other person got questions unanswered?

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