This website was created in the interests of democracy in Torfaen.
From The dictionary
Democracy n., pl. -cies.
1.Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2.A political or social unit that has such a government.
3.The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4.Majority rule.
5.The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.
but a better and more complete definition, is perhaps best made using the words of Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address
... government of the people, by the people, for the people........
Comments on this Blog and the website http://www.torfaen4us.co.uk/ (Torfaen Democratic Forum) are invited here.
I copy below a seies of comments from another thread, which are better followed up here....
not a plaid supporter anymore said...
It is my opinion that the change of time is to restrict opposition attendence. The Labour/Plaid coalition have come close to losing a vote sometimes, when one of theirs is otherwise engaged (pulling pints at Glastonbury is a recent example of Plaid Councillor Fiona Cross)Plaid continue to vote with Labour in every vote. Plaid are laughed at by the Labour group & come the next election, will be disposed of. They will have cooked their goose with the general public because of their turncoat behaviour.I voted for Plaid Cllr Rees BECAUSE he knocked my door & told me we needed to get the Labour group out of power. He then manouvers Plaid into receiving paid jobs for supporting Labour. DISGRACEFUL.....it has & will not be forgotten. EVER
19 September 2009 22:13
Torfaen Voter said...
It shows the rubbish standards this whole joke of a website has when they hold up an anonymous comment as a cause for an elected councillor should respond to. This comment could have been made by anybody, it could have been made by the people behind this website, we have no way of knowing. If a constituent has a grievance, the councillor can be contacted leaving their name and contact details. It is not democratic to assume that this website should demand a response from Councillors based on unverified comments on a blog. This website speaks for the authors behind it only, not the people of Torfaen.
21 September 2009 13:07
Frazer said...
Dear Torfaen VoterOne absolute guarantee I can give you is that the comment you refer to was not written by the people behind this website nor do we know where it came from! However, if you critisise this comment for being anonymous, and yet do not give your own name, how can we take you seriously? The comment was made by someone and in the interests of free speech I will not remove it. Similar comments have been made before, on this website and in the Argus. I have invited a reply from the Plaid Leader, not demanded it. I believe it would be unfair not to invite or allow him to comment.Over to you, are you prepared to reveal who you are?
21 September 2009 20:14
Torfaen Voter said...
The point is that I am not calling for a response from a Councillor. You are taking upon yourself to be some white knight, when in fact you are merely talking for yourself.Your advice to that person should be to do what every citizen can demand, a response from their democratic representatives. If they have a grievance, they can make it known properly.They do not need the help of a hysterial website such as this.
21 September 2009 22:04
Frazer said...
Dear Torfaen VoterYou offer no opinions on the subject of this thread, or indeed any other subject mentioned on the website, you just seem to want to deny people, including myself, the right to make our opinions public. Feel free to praise the democratic processes in Torfaen and defend the actions of the leading labour/Plaid/Independent Coalition; they have in the most part chosen not to defend themselves, either here or in the Press. Do you really think all the concerns of the voters of Torfaen can be resolved by writing to their councillors? Do you think it wrong for anyone to publically challenge the actions of a councillor or a council? Are you happy with the way TCBC is run?Can I also ask "not a plaid supporter anymore" if he has contacted his councillor on this matter, and what sort of reply did he get?
21 September 2009 23:47
Torfaen Voter said...
“Can I also ask "not a plaid supporter anymore" if he has contacted his councillor on this matter, and what sort of reply did he get?” Which you should have done from the very start. I don’t defend anyone, I don’t know anyone involved, but many people in Torfaen are fed up of this whining and bleating by an obsessive pretending to talk for anyone other than themselves.If you have such a big problem with the current crop, stand yourself, put up or shut up.
Hopefully future comments on this matter will be posted below.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Torfaen Democratic Forum
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6 comments:
Dear Torfaen Voter,
You and all those "people in Torfaen (who) are fed up of this whining and bleating" are perfectly entitled not to visit this website! An easy solution don't you think?
If indeed you are a Torfaen Voter then you know (of) at least one person involved in this vote, your councillor(s). However I suspect you are actually a supporter or maybe even a member of the labour/plaid/independent coalition.
As far as your "put up or shut up" remark you are now effectively saying that only elected members should express opinions. Ridiculous.
Frazer,
I knew it would be long until the crazy conspiracy theories would be thrown by you.
What this has proved is my initial point, that you have no way of knowing whether ‘not a plaid a voter’ is actually who they say they are. The very fact you have now wrongly accused me of being a councillor has only highlighted what I argued in the first place.
You have no way of verifying anonymous comments on the internet, that would indicate that it would be best if Councillor responded to verified communications.
I will await your response to your accusations, an apology will be a good start, or at least you admitting that you are now throwing accusations without any proof.
Dear Torfaen Voter
Here are some direct questions, please give direct answers.
Are you a supporter of the labour/plaid/independent coalition (ie do you approve of the coalition and the way they are making decisions)?
Did you vote for one of the 23 councillors who support the ruling coalition?
Can I assume you were a voter at the May 08 elections and live in Torfaen?
I will appologise for suspecting you of being "a supporter or maybe even a member of the labour/plaid/independent coalition" once you reply to the above questions and, yes, I admit my suspicions (not accusations) are by definition without proof.
In return I trust that you will somehow verify your previous anonymous comments.
An accusation is "an allegation that a person is guilty of some wrongdoing ". If you felt that my suspicion was an accusation than are you implying that someone supporting or being a member of the current ruling coalition is guilty of some wrongdoing?
Have I told Cllr Rees how I feel? Of course. I would not post things on a forum that I have not said to his face. I can also assure you that there is a large number of Fairwater Ward voters who voted for him because of his promise. He stabbed me in the back by stealing my vote. Stealing it was too.........lied to me to obtain my vote, then backed out on the promise.
He continues to vote with Labour on every vote. Not once have they shown their political independence and have failed to prove to me that they were bought.
Will Plaid ever get my vote again? Definitely not. I do not trust a party that allows candidates that lie straight to my face.
I support this website as it is. If the anonymous poster wishes differently, perhaps he should set an example!
This picture sums up this site.
http://www.newmexiconuts.net/catalog/tumbleweed.jpg
Excellent rendering of the topic matter great language
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