City of Melbourne took a vote on calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, motion lost. I am not sure it is within the remit of the City of Melbourne to take a stand on such a complex matter. As I have indicated, I have sympathy for Israel and the Hamas attack and abductions were terrible but I have a very firm view on the matter of the mass killing of innocent citizens. There were some protestors at the Town Hall, some nastiness and the public gallery at Town Hall was full. Lord Mayor Capp was on leave when the vote was taken.
Lord Mayor Capp and Acting Lord Mayor Reece.
The vote was down to the line, with the Acting Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece casting a deciding vote for the negative.
This seems to be catching. I think Wednesday night my local council, City of Port Phillip, voted to turn over a lot of inhouse services for the old and those who need help to the private sector. Something like 45 staff who do cleaning, showering, transporting etc, will be made redundant. Guess who was on leave for the vote? Yep, Mayor Heather Cunsolo.
I believe acting and former Mayor Louise Crawford cast her vote for the council to rid itself of care for the elderly and needy. She argued the case well on the radio. It seems new standards and a widening of care dictated by the Federal Government cannot be met by ratepayers without receiving a significant increase in Federal funding.
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Cowardly?
ReplyDeleteCowardly or convenient JayCee or just making sure when up for re-election they can't be accused of voting one way or the other.
DeleteI don't follow your politics, so forgive me here, but it seems odd that they are voting on what another country should do.
ReplyDelete(I am American and our politics are...adventurous...these days, so I probably shouldn't say anything about yours!)
You have some good looking local politicians so I am surprised that you didn't seek office! I bet Netanyahu was waiting with bated breath for the result of Melbourne's vote.
ReplyDeleteThe photos from the council website are rather flattering YP. It is quite human to get the best photo of yourself for public display. I have enough friction in my life, thank you very much. I wonder if all local councils around the world voting to stop the massacre would have some effect? Probably not.
DeleteThey live in a different planet, truly out of touch. They should not deserve 400k AUD annual salary doing absolutely jack shXt!
ReplyDeleteRoentare, many people think like that, and at times for good reasons.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. They are all young, and their contact with any elderly is probably almost zero. It would be necessary that they visit the elderly assistance for themselves.
ReplyDeleteCC, I think the Lord Mayor is over 50 and the other two women between 40 and 50. I'd guess the man is in his thirties. No matter. I expect you are correct. They are former business people.
DeleteI yet haven't heard any local news about the Israel and Palenstine.
ReplyDeleteI hope it stays that way for you Dora.
DeleteThere have been some pro-Palestine protestors in my hometown of Cleveland trying to get the Mayor to take a stand on the Middle East conflict. If he did, I kind of doubt if it would make that much of a difference.
ReplyDeleteKirk, yes, no difference at all. It's a matter best left to the Federal Government. Biden has been stronger with his words against Israel than I expected.
DeleteSo the Palestinians and all of us older people are to be left to fend for ourselves as much as possible?
ReplyDeleteAs far as City of Melbourne, and Port Phillip, I guess so River. We are assured that a wide range of services by 'not for profit' organisations will take over and there will be a team to help users of the system to transition.
DeleteOnce past working age people become invisible, having served their purpose. Social care is badly organised and poorly funded.
ReplyDeleteJB, from my observations it rather depends on which council you have to provide services. Some do well, some don't. R's sister was a warden at a care home in Newcastle and the care was very good and the accommodation of a high standard, although certainly short of luxury. Kath explained how other services in the city worked and it sounded impressive. However, I do respect your opinion. It was just how I saw things during a few weeks a number of years ago.
DeleteThe slaughter continues, both in Ukraine and Palestine. Probably lots of other places too. Humans sure like to kill one another.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, this morning I heard figures of just how many soldiers alone who have been killed with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I was so astounded by the figures I just couldn't take them in.
DeleteYou know, it is a waste of time (and taxpayer money) to debate such a thing in city government. Furthermore, our opinions do not matter. Israel will do what Israel will do. But here's what I think: we should not support Israel. My country's ships should not be there. Our money should not go to prolonging this. It is much better spent in Ukraine, IMHO. Voting on whether Israel should call a ceasefire is as useful as the city of Melbourne weighing in on what color curtains I should have in the livingroom. It doesn't mean anything.
ReplyDeleteThe videos of Israeli dancers blocking the path of UN trucks trying to deliver aid to the people of Palestine tells me everything I need to know about Israel's humanity. Netanyahu has no more humanity in him than Vladimir Putin has.
I pretty well agree with you Debby. Australia also supplies weapons to Israel. Expelling Russia from the Ukraine will show dictators around the world that it is simply wrong to invade other countries.
DeleteThe City of Melbourne would love to debate your curtain colour. It will divisive of course and some will be accused of having a woke agenda, some will find racism in your choice of colour. Pink? Are you a supporter of gay rights or think why can't you have that colour without having an agenda? This could well be one of those debates in chambers that goes on until 2.00am.
I don't really get the point of local governments taking a stand on Israel/Palestine, but it's happening all over. As for the other votes -- sounds like someone's been reading about Margaret Thatcher!
ReplyDeleteSteve, no individually not. Thatcherism is alive and well in Australia although perhaps not to the absurd lengths that it has in England.
DeleteYou cynical? It is time to stop the slaughter on both sides. It is time for the USA to end our stupid gun politics.
ReplyDeleteYes and yes, TP, with nothing more needing to be added.
DeleteI just unfriended some who are literally outraged that there is sympathy for Palestinians as they "enslave" their women in burqas. It's heart breaking how some can't hold two thoughts in their heads. We can be outraged at both countries/states but seriously, as I continuously say: "You're fine with the wee babies in tiny white body bags then?" 10,000 and climbing as of last night.
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Please don't unfriend me, but I can see where some of that thinking comes from. But while we may not approve of some cultural and religious practices, does that mean we want to see a mass slaughter of people who we might not agree with about certain things? Of course not and no decent human should think otherwise.
DeleteCivilians don't wish for war, let alone death, nor do any but the most zealot soldiers. It makes me sad. Someone did hypothesize the other day that ever improving language translation software might end this cycle. We can dream, right?
ReplyDeleteDarla, indeed they don't but when people are oppressed enough, they will rebel with support for war.
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