"nemo" wrote in message
k...

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 18:55:38 +0000, nemo wrote:

There was also a huge amount of mistrust generated by the way they handled
the "Options Appraisal" part of the process, with a survey that would have
conned us into voting for major works without realising we'd be moved out
for them! The consultant was CAPITA in those days, which explains a lot.

The combi should be delivering approx 10 litres/minute. Get them back to
fix it. Capita are a cowboy rip-off organisation preying on local councils.
They do the council tax collections for many councils and also own the
bailiff companies that step in too. They are quick to bring in bailiffs for
quite trivial amounts owed, as they make millions all the way at other
people's misery.

This garbage about paying by the mile for cars means that people are faced
with bills, once again people will not be able to pay and the likes of
Capita and its bailiffs will make millions at our expense - they make a LOT
of money. All needless. Petrol should have a higher tax at the pump. The
more you travel the more tax you pay. Simple really. The tax taken at
source, no collection admin, no bailiffs. Council tax is also needless.

In the end we formed a working group and took the survey over. We weren't
supposed to know we could do that - and when our fully informative survey
came back - surprise, surprise - a huge majority had voted for Option One,
which was as much of the package as could be done without us having to be
moved out. We'd have ended up spread all over the country with the housing
shortage in London!

And then, just before the works were due to start, the Council's new
Project
Manager started acting with extreme hostility to the Working Group and
more-or-less bullied it into non-existence - or rather it's down to one
person now. Me!

Don't let the ******* grind you down. Keep a diary, and demand reports.

It is as it's always been - the usual "You thick tenant - me big
professional" routine - except we've got all sorts of professionals on
this
estate - even the one and only lady Goldsmith of the City of London! - and
every other art, craft, trade and profession going as well. (Except the
oldest. We did have one of those but she got evicted! ;o)

Makers and the Council still choose not to accept this and instead like to
go by the right-wing press stereotypes of council tenants, i.e., single
mums
who had their babies deliberately to get a flat and are on benefits and
drugs and families consisting of hooligans and criminals! - and when they
realise this ain't so, they behave as though it's our fault!

Add to that the fact that the Council Officers involved live out in the
sticks with large mortgages around their necks, have to commute to their
work in smelly, overcrowded trains and hate our guts because we live in
low(ish) rent, central London properties, and you can see what we're up
against.

I really resent this attitude. I didn't get this flat because of any
privilege or scam. I inherited the tenancy after my mother died, and
believe
me, I'd much rather be out in the sticks paying off a large mortgage like
them with her still around!

Sorry for the tome, but these things do have to be said, especially for
anyone thinking of employing Makers and for any other Council tenants
about
to find themselves in the same predicament! Our leaseholders were
interested
in using Makers at first. They ain't now!

Oh, yes. And one of our leaseholders is Lloyd Newson. You might have seen
his modern dance film a few weeks ago on Channel 4. He started here as a
"thick tenant" too!

Nemo