THE PEOPLES CHOICE Between now & 2017, you will be hearing more & more, in and around Bangor, about a group of Bangorians working together as The Peoples Choice. We are made up of citizens; men & women from the various communities which together make up Bangor. We are not a political party, but we are united under this banner by a common love of our City, a pride in its past & present, & a vision for its future. Bangor has its own unique identity, its own unique needs & its own unique potential. Yet all too often, when decisions are taken, we take second & third place to regional plans & county strategies. Over the next few months, well be looking at individual examples of this & asking for your feedback. For now, well just say that it doesnt have to be this way: there is an alternative. Who can speak for Bangor? Who can express the hopes & concerns of our communities? Who can make us heard where & when it matters? There is no need to re-invent the wheel. We already have a tool to do the job: our City Council, with its long & proud history. But we need to ensure that it works in the most effective way possible. We need to ensure that it delivers maximum results for our city. We need to ensure that it speaks with one voice to get the best for Bangor. Yes, we face challenges on issues ranging from jobs to services; from housing to crime. But we believe very strongly that we, the people of Bangor, can face & meet those challenges. Look at the tremendous wealth of talent, ideas & sheer community spirit which we have in this City. As an example, you dont need to search any further than our Carnival – which local people raised up from nothing. No big grants. No Strategy Plans. No Regional Initiavies. Just you, the people of Bangor, your pride in the City, & your determination to turn a vision into reality. And, of course, plain hard work to make it happen. As the Scots say – Whos Like Us?. We believe that our City Council has a major role to play in nurturing, helping & encouraging this enthusiasm & good will. Being a small community council can be about a lot more than the basic necessities of maintaining bus shelters! This is a strength which our City Council has over a big county council; its small enough to keep in touch with local peoples priorities & to keep focussed on whats important to residents. Is it being used to its full potential? One way of looking at democracy is that you get asked for a vote every few years. OK. The voters have done their bit. The candidates have done theirs. Then its just a matter of the winning candidates taking part in council meetings & representing residents on individual issues as requested (& lets face it, its your Gwynedd councillor not your City councillor, wholl pick up most of this). Our view is a bit different. Democracy isnt something that takes place every five years. It should go on day-to-day. Every day. It means going back, again & again, to the people who live in our City & asking Are we getting this right? Are your priorities still the same? Is there anything weve forgotten?. Make no mistake. This isnt an easy option for residents or their representatives. It means that people – residents - need to take part; to give feedback if things arent working. It might mean turning up for a meeting on a wet Wednesday evening. For their representatives, it means serious commitment & the ability to respond quickly. We respect the effort & dedication shown by city councillors. At the same time, we see tremendous unused potential in our City Council. We want to make use of this potential. Here is a tool which can be picked up, dusted off, & put to work for Bangor. To make this happen, party-political differences need to be put aside. There has to be new enthusiasm, new vision & new hope brought into the council chamber. There has to be unity. And this unity must be shown also by our representatives at Gwynedd level. Do you feel that Bangor gets a fair deal as things are ?we don’t. And this has to change. We want effective representation for our City in the Council Chamber in Caernarfon. Not as a part of a Gwynedd-wide party group, having to compromise; Not serving any hidden agendas. But instead, standing up & putting Bangor’s interests first and foremost where it counts. Together, we can speak for Bangor, And we will speak with ONE VOICE. The next elections will be in less than three years: plenty of time to build our organisation & support. Then we will take our case to the doorsteps, the streets & the polling stations & fight to put Bangor first. WILL YOU JOIN US ? If you would consider standing as a candidate, or could help in any way at all, please add your name to the list of proud Bangorians below by phoning Nigel Pickavance 07944694801 THE PEOPLES CHOICE Please give us your feedback & ideas Let’s start the change now. BANGOR YMLAEN !
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 08:14:25 +0000
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