Postcards from the Edge...of Rochdale

Pisspoor Paul Rowen is at it again. Looking for opportunities for some cheap, meaningless headline that allows his name to be associated with the big boys.




The Charlie's angels Brains Trust that is Rochdale Lib Dem HQ have come up with a corking way to put some vim into Rochdale's economy.

Paul Rowen has sent Prime Minister Gordon Brown a "wish you were here" postcard.

Holidays? "Shop local" Paul Rowen? Where does he wish he was?

Paul likes a holiday. He often goes away with local "philanthropist" second-hand car dealer Terry Mason and wife.

In December as Gaza burned, Paul was on a sunlounger in Thailand.

Paul likes Thailand. He was there with "the Masons" in 2004 when the tsunami struck. Then again the year after.

Paul also likes to travel to Africa to have Ugandan discussions about charidee. Modest? He certainly doesn't like to talk about his links with Rochdale "businessmen" and his charity involvements.

Dressed in his white suit - like the Man from DelMonte - Paul Rowen likes to say yes - if the cash is going to a good cause.

But no, Paul's present press release is a postcard from Rochdale aimed at having a dig at Gordon Brown

Rochdale's current MP gushes:

"Tourism could provide one of the routes out of the recession...while I can do my bit to support tourism in Rochdale, it takes increased government support to do it for the whole country.”

Shallow, opportunist bollocks and nonsense. So nothing new there then?

Paul Rowen promoting Rochdale?

Is this the same MP...

that invited GMTV to do a hatchet job on his own town by visiting the Falinge flats that Cyril helped build?



that allowed the Rochdale Devilment Agency to commission photos of Manchester to promote our town centre?

That has allowed the wheels to fall off our town with almost a billion pounds of shattered dreams and failed regeneration jobs-for-the-boys?

What tourist activities would Paul Rowen promote for a spankingly good time in Cyrilville?

• Mudwrestling at the nearly empty failure, the Kingway Business Park?

• Greased piglet sumo wrestling at Emma Street?

• Cruising Rochdale canal by the new £2 million RDA offices at Lock 50- while the local cider louts lob bricks at the tourists?

• A spot of shopping in our town centre, after the parking attendants have mugged our visitors?

The sad fact is that more people are leaving Rochdale than anywhere else in Greater Manchester.

Here at RAW we love our town.

Rochdale needs help - not stupid press releases from an MP that is failing his constituents by allowing some of his "business" mates and executive officers to grasp our town by the balls.

Rochdale Town Centre, and Lib Dems - No Principles

There is a joke doing the rounds in Rochdale at the moment. Gallows humour following the closure of yet another high street retailer.

"What has our town centre and Rochdale Lib Dems got in common?"

"Neither have Principles"




Who says Rochdale doesn't have a sense of humour? Or irony? "Rochdale is booming" say the faded signs next the rubbled bombsites on Drake Street. Our once proud main street is strewn with cans, kebab wrappers and tumbleweed.

Even the Rochdale Obscurer is closing its office and moving to Manchester.
Will the last one to leave Rochdale please turn the light out.

Some say the rot set in when Cyril Smith was keen to demolish our proud Lancashire town's centre to make for the Brave New World of the 1970's. Quite a few civil engineering companies did very well out of building concrete flats, offices and a souless shopping centre. Even Cyril happened to get at least one cash payout - for being unfortunate enough to have the foresight (or tip off?) buy a shop in a clearance area.




As empty shops and empty offices in our town centre are reaching record level, those geniuses at Rochdale Council and the Rochdale Development Agency have a plan. A £250 million "Town Centre Regeneration" of... more shops. Also included in the scheme (written on the back of a brown envelope?) is a £70 million PFI office block, partially paid for by demolishing old council offices and other fire sales of civic silver.

Private Eye has reported that the bus station will be moved 12 metres to create a £12 million "Transport Interchange" for a metrolink that isn't coming to Rochdale Town Centre.

The public 'consultation' for this quarter of a billion pound scheme was so good, it now has to be run again.

There have been a flurry of defensive press releases from RMBC, RDA and "Impact Partnership" about all the "good news" happening in Rochdale.

However, locals are having none of it. There's a saying in Rochdale: if it looks like shite, smells like shite then chances are -its shite.

But will the people of Rochdale ever find out the full truth about what is going on?

Apparently there is a secret report that confirms that the wheels are falling off Rochdale's regerenation projects. There is talk of cash injections needed to keep these failing projects going. There is also talk of large amounts of cash already paid out for the purchase of town centre properties within the regeneration area. The area that hasn't been properly consulted on.

Shades of Cyril's past shenanighans? Secret deals with businessmen with ransom strips? Profitable property speculation? Secret party political donations greasing the wheels of Rochdale development before they spectacularly fall off?

Word on the street is that Chief Executive Roger Ellis had "gone ballistic" about criticism of the town centre redevelopment. The secret report papers are to be kept secret- by hook or by crook. Anyone leaking infomation will be 'dealt with' most severely. The Chief Executive is most insistent. But morale is rock bottom with RMBC and Impact Partnership staff that have just had their wages decimated by a pay and grade review.

So there we have it. Rochdale- a town that has been 'Rogered'.

Secret council reports. Secret property deals for a town centre development...with no Prinicples.

Sick council leader makes comeback for St Patrick's Day

An unfortunate but thought-provoking headline from Rochdale Online.

The headline is ambiguous: "Sick council leader"


Alan Taylor has been poorly, and we genuinely do wish him well.
Whilst the Council Leader has been recuperating the naked ambition of some Rochdale Lib Dems has been harsh. The knives have been out with sly comments about all his council expenses and allowances still being paid while his deputy does most of the work.

Sick council leader.

This might be a reference to Rochdale Council being sick?
The wheels are falling off most big regeneration projects in our troubled town: Kingsway, Metrolink and the Town Centre redevelopment to name the biggest howlers.
Rochdale is getting a reputation as a "Ghost Town" and "Sick Capital of Britain ".

The millions that get spent on the top salaries for the Borough's senior executives are certainly not performance related.

In stark contrast the council minions get shafted with their pay and grade reviews.



There is huge discontent within RMBC and "Impact Partnership". There is a whispering campaign calling for the sacking Chief Exec Roger Ellis and to scrap the Rochdale Development Agency, Link4Life and other cash cows. But as long as the turkeys hold power in Rochdale they will not vote for Christmas.

PROMISING action ... Andy Zuntz, executive director of Rochdale Council, Jo Purcell, executive director of strategy and partnerships for NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale, Chief Superintendent John O’Hare, , Mohammad Naeem, the chairman of the local public service board, Roger Ellis, chief executive of Rochdale Council and Craig McAteer, managing director of Link4Life.

Local's writing on the Rochdale Observer online are revolting.

Or was Rochdale Online having a cryptic dig at Alan Taylor's past. "Sick"- according to some. Many years before he was Council Leader, hirsuite Alan was Cyril Smith MP's agent as well as a cheeky Rapmate of the Year 1975.



Alan has the key to the closet where many of Cyril's skeletons are hidden. For him to remain silent may be very loyal but some say it is "sick". But as long as he is silent then Big Cyril should protect him. Full council allowances and expenses are a small price to pay for keeping a lid on what happened all those years ago. Allegations regarding Cyril Smith and sexual abuse, civic sleeze and planning corruption.

Surely nothing like that is still happening in Rochdale?

That would make Rochdale Council very sick indeed.

If there are corrupt shenanghans going on in Rochdale then Cyril Smith and his apologists can Póg mo Thoin rather than spank it. Time to call the Garda and clean up Rochdale.

Tiocfaidh ár lá.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!




.

Time to get tough on crime- and the causes of crime?

A photograph has just been released of 2 suspicious looking characters lurking around on Oldham Rd.





Appearing somewhat unkempt and dishevelled, they were taking photographs of a crime scene. When spotted they ran off in the direction of Drake Steet.

Was this morbid curiosity or something more?

It is suspected that the 2 characters are none other that Rochdale Lib Dem paid "agents" Johnny (the machine) Swarbrick and Adam:Power (in clever woolly hat disguise). They have both salaries paid for via, what appears to be, some rather creative accountancy with Paul Rowen's
Parliamentary expenses.


"Agent" Adam:Power (with another silly t-shirt but no woolly hat) pictured with the older man who insisted does not pay directly for Adam's services.

FOI requests are still being processed to get to the bottom of how Paul Rowen MP's expenses pay for staff and rent at Lib Dem HQ at Drake Street. There is also a need to get to the bottom of mystery cash from local benefactors to the local Lib Dem cause. Very murky.

And all very odd from Paul Rowen - the supposed champion of Parliamentary transparency.

It looks like people are starting to see through him.

Back to the recent crime scene:
In 'tagging' circles it is often the vogue to photograph ones own grafitti. In 'dogging' circles some like to take photographs of other people's activities. Some photographers just have too much time on their hands.

Obviously if this is a criminal matter currently being investigated, it would be inappropriate to engage in conjecture as to why 2 paid staff members from Paul Rowen's office were acting suspiciously on Oldham Rd with a camera. Then running off when they were spotted.

Are there any similarities with past shenanignans that have attracted the attention of Paul Rowen's paid staff?

During the last Labour Party Conference, diddy Dave Hennigan openly bragged about his achievement in getting a scoop in the Daily Express.
Some naughty unknown person had accessed the open webpage of the Rochdale DLP and changed the picture of Gordon to that of Miliband (Anyone with access to member information could have done it). Within hours of the cyber-vandalism, Lib Dem Voice and diddy Dave were posting furiously. Dave got busy with a non-denial denial, cyber-trolling and a press release suggesting "disloyalty" within Rochdale DLP.

What a great use of Rochdale taxpayers' money?

Gaza burns, world credit markets crumble, Rochdale goes to the dogs through inept political local leadership yet a highly paid Dave Hennigan (together with 2 taxpayer funded helpers) engage in childish tactics?

If Rochdale Lib Dems have drafted a press release on a recent act of criminal vandalism then a disturbing pattern is emerging.

At this stage everyone is innocent until proven guilty. All paid staff for any MP will know that aiding, abetting, conspiracy, procurement, and promotion of criminal activity can certainly be unparliamentary as well as illegal.

As for vandalism: Is it time in Rochdale to get tough on crime- and tough on the causes of crime?


UPDATE:
Have those cheeky lib dem soap dodgers pictured above scored a coup by getting Dave Ottewell to put their photo on his blog? Was it their handywork? The photo was taken from a lower angle than that Chris Paul has published. Rochdale Lib Dems have form on very low angles. Was the Ottewell blog snap taken by the chunky Milk Tray boy Adam Power? Or was the shot taken by the scruffy man by the grassy knowl?