30/10/10….Councillor responds to ‘unsubstantiated and defamatory accusations’
Dear Editor, What a shame that Mr Raymond Powell felt it necessary to lower the whole tone of the debate to the lowest common denominator by casting wild, unsubstantiated and defamatory accusations at those who happen to disagree with his viewpoint.
He has claimed that the split vote in Council this week contradicts the earlier position of the Council in favouring site F, instead of recognising that the consultation process had mellowed the views of some Councillors in the meantime. He has impugned the professional neutrality of the Town Clerk. He accuses the Mayor of ?hammering the last nail in the credibility of the Town Council? and of acting out of self interest, and he calls the Town Council a ?cosy cartel? employing ?pseudo officials?. I seem to remember an old saying that ?name calling is the last refuge of someone who has run out of arguments? !
Of course there are a wide range of different opinions on such an emotive subject, and Mr Powell is entitled to his, so why does he seek to undermine all those who happen to disagree with him and indulge in taking cheap shots at those who work hard, day in day out, for the community in which they live. To question the personal integrity of Councillors and the Mayor, most of whom I am sure he has never met and knows little about, is beyond contempt, and to suggest that the Council is somehow biased, incompetent or derelict in its duty by not supporting his views simply demonstrates that he has run out of intelligent points to contribute to the debate.
Despite the fact that he clearly has no respect for local democracy Thame Town Council will continue to represent the interests of Mr Powell, and indeed everyone else in Thame, in robustly challenging SODC on their methodology, the numbers, the short consultation period, and the one site allocation. If, and only if, we lose all of those arguments and it comes down to a case of site D ?vs- F, the Council has indicated its marginal preference (7-6 vote) for site F, which ultimately will be decided by SODC anyway.
I guess I am stating the obvious in pointing out that Mr Powell himself lives at the edge of site F and, in fact, in one of the houses built during the most recent new development in Thame, so it is no great feat to understand where his interest lies.
I would challenge Mr Powell to put in his own nomination to stand for the Town Council elections next May, and play an active part in determining the future of Thame, but I doubt that he would relish the time and commitment required, nor engage with matters that don?t affect him directly. I doubt that I will win his vote, but neither do I want it.
Mike Dyer (Town Councillor)
