Local Elections 2012
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Posts
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Congratulations to Rob and the team for pulling this together an excellent exercise in measuring candidates responses which at 29% was pretty disappointing.
Hopefully other media outlets will follow your lead, the Flintshire Chronicle to be fair do set candidates for Assembly and Westminster elections a set of questions every week and the responses make interesting reading.
It was also significant the number of candidates that mentioned Solar PV as the best thing the Council has done and not listening to the people in the decision for city status as the worst.
Well done to all the candidates who replied. Those who couldn’t be bothered should hang their heads in shame. At a time like this when people are becoming disillusioned with politics I don’t think it was asking too much for them to make an effort to answer a few questions.
I’m sure I saw another candidate on the forums who never actually responded to the survey. After all the hard work the Wrexham.com guys put in to contacting everyone, I think the candidate should have responded.
Mr. Mike Davies, Council Candidate for Rhosnesni (Plaid), is the candidate I saw on the introductions section.
@Conde 741 wrote:
I’m sure I saw another candidate on the forums who never actually responded to the survey. After all the hard work the Wrexham.com guys put in to contacting everyone, I think the candidate should have responded.
@Conde 742 wrote:
Mr. Mike Davies, Council Candidate for Rhosnesni (Plaid), is the candidate I saw on the introductions section.
Damian.
I am disappointed that you chose to mention me by name. That does seem like a personal dig and appears to suggest that I couldn’t be bothered, I guess that gives me a right of reply now.
I admit I have been remiss in posting a reply to the set of questions which Rob has put online. I had intended to put forward my thoughts but things have been rather hectic over the last few weeks. Firstly, remember my job (I am an operational firefighter) does not allow me the opportunity to post online whilst on duty. I guess its easier if you are a student.
Most of my free time lately, I have been out treading the pavements and meeting people face to face in the Rhosnesni ward. In fact even today in the pouring rain (when you were here online posting your message) I was walking round the Goulbourne estate delivering information leaflets and chatting to people.
To show you how busy I have been. Every single household has had at least 2 and sometimes 3 communications, (which have all been hand delivered, giving me the opportunity to interact in person). I even managed to write to a postal voter who lives in New Zealand!. I have spoken to hundreds of residents and discussed issues which concern them, also explaining my own philosophies and thoughts on what I intend to do should I be successful in next weeks election. I have also received phone calls and emails from residents, some offering support, other just asking me my thoughts on a number of issues.
I am aware that you are a big supporter and user of the Internet and Social Media, I agree that there is certainly a place for such methods of communications. However if you go out and meet people face to face in the area, you will quickly realise that some people do not possess a computer, also many who have one do not normally access sites such as this. They rely in old fashioned methods of communication – talking and listening.
I suppose it’s easier for me as I live in Rhosnesni whereas and live some distance away, but you chose to stand for this ward. Remember, if you succeed in getting elected, people will expect you to pop round to talk to them, rather than use the internet. It is a big area, there are almost 1300 houses and a few thousand individual residents.
I hope this does not come over as condescending, but you chose to have a little personal dig at me. You will learn in time that sometimes it isn’t always a good idea to use that tactic as you can leave yourself open to a reply.
To conclude, I actually wish you well with your endeavours. I am pleased to see somebody of your age getting interested in local issues/politics. Good luck for the future.
Regards
Mike Davies
Hello Mike, nice to meet you firstly.
Secondly, this was not a dig, it just seemed strange to me that you were on the site, but had not completed the survey. One thing you must realise is that it’d be quite nice to be able to interact with you just out of curiosity. I’ve actually heard very good things about you.I respect the fact you are an operation firefighter, more than what you probably could appreciate at this point in time.
Whilst you seem to think I’ve not been around Rhosnesni, I’m regularly around Rhosnesni, talking to the people that I want to represent. To culminate all of these efforts, I’ll be out there for the majority of this week aswell as in the future. Hopefully the people of Rhosnesni will choose a good candidate, of which, I’d like to believe there are a many.The residents are all very concious people, and interested in their surroundings, which is why I’d like to think we have all been busy trying to portray what we can do for the people, as their representives.
It’s interesting in hearing your thoughts on the election campaign though I must admit.
And yes, whilst I do live away from the ward, I’d like to think it shows the commitment and drive that I am putting myself on the firing block.
I don’t wish for you to take it as a dig, mearly trying to establish transparency and accountability, as candidates in a day and age of very murky politics, I think it’s very important we both, along with every other candidate in this election and future elections, try our best to be as accountable to the people as possible.
It was very nice to communicate to you in truth. I also wish you the best of luck, as a man of your position, there is not enough testiment to our public services men and women who we all depend on so much.
All the best, and hopefully see you at the count.
Damian W. Conde
Well it certainly did seem like a dig to a number of people who read it on this site and contacted me. Unfortunately there is a lot of sniping and mud slinging going on the the various wards in Wrexham, but I will take your word for it if you say it wasn’t a deliberate dig.
A suggestion: Maybe a more considered and less smug approach to posting would be more advisable in future. If people get the wrong idea about you it will take a long time to regain their trust.
Anyway, thats me for the night, working in the morning.
Good luck and take care
Mike
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