Here is a clip from last nights council meeting, featuring Councillor Dean Cohen, responding to Councillor Alan Schneidermans proposals for a fairer parking regime for the Boroughs High Street. Councillor Dean Cohen is not the worlds finest orator. Here's a litte game to play. The clip is 4 minutes and 48 seconds long. See if you can count how many times Councillor Cohen says "Erm" and "Er".
The Barnet Eye counted 79. That amounts to one every 3.6 seconds. There are machine guns that fire bullets slower than that. He should take a few lessons in oratory from Councillor John Hart
23 comments:
Not your nicest posting. Given the reason for them, how would you feel if Councillor Cohen were so unfeeling as to comment publicly on your spelling errors?
I agree with Mr Hickey. Criticise a councillor over his policies, by all means; but to criticise a possible speech impediment is really not cricket.
Morris As a dyslexic, I've had a whole life of public comment on my spelling errors (including your comment). It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. If you put yourself in the firing line you get shot. Doesn't mean I would refrain from hitting back though.
Dean Cohen has been in charge of parking for six months and is dragging his feet. His display last night was inept. If the Tories in Barnet want to put someone who is useless in the cabinet, who cannot string two sentences together and does exactly what the officers tell him that is there problem.
I happen to believe he only got given a safe Tory Council seat because his dad was a well liked councillor (unless he has a well hidden talent I'm unaware of).
It seems to me, Rog T, that your innate hatred of Conservatives takes supremacy over your sense of reason.
The standard of public speaking at council meetings is generally really poor, not helped by the fact that whatever is said makes no difference as all concerned have already been told how to vote.
Morris,
I don't have an innate hatred of anyone, my Father was a lifelong member of the Conservative Party and I admire no one more than him.
As far as I'm aware saying "er, erm", er every 3.6 seconds is not a speech impediment, it is an appalling lack of preparation and homework. It means he is blagging it and making it up as he goes along.
Some of the greatest parliamentary speakers are Conservatives, no problem acknowledging it and in Barnet, the Labour Leader Alison Moore is an awful public speaker. I've stated this many times. Sadly some people only see things through their own blinkered prism.
Not quite sure who is the target of the final sentence, but if it is a self-confession then at least it's honest.
Morris,
You and me both my friend, you and me both.
It's not a speech impediment, he's just unprepared and doesn't know what to say -- maybe if he'd practised in front of a mirror first...
If the best criticism you can make of a councillor is that he says “er” and “erm” a lot, then frankly you have lost the argument.
David,
I did rather hope that anyone who read this blog would also watch the clip. Mr Cohen, between the er's and the erm's, gave the most abject defence of the councils position imaginable. I tend to rely on the intelligence and wit of the people who read the blog to pick up the self evident things in such clips.
If you feel that Mr Cohen gave a fine defence of the councils position, then that is fine. If you don't that is also fine. I'm quite happy for people to make their own minds up.
As it seems that some people need to be lead by the hand, here is my own personal critique of what he was saying.
1. The special parking account is over £1 million under budget since NSL took over enforcement. Mr Cohen does not address this huge black hole at all.
2. Mr Cohen claims the changes proposed by Labour would cost money. The hike in parking charges has resulted in a massive defecit in the budget. If Mr Cohen was a serious politician, he would have addressed all of the relevant issues in a costed scheme and have the figures to hand.
3. The figures Mr Cohen attributes to the cost of the Labour amendment are highly dubious. I did some calculations and I think it is unlikely that the officers have got the figures right. Mr Cohen should have challenged these figures and ensured that his answers were robust and credible. Do the maths yourself.
4. Dean Cohen is delivering the new credit card operated meters in January, after the busiest time of the year for retailers. Presumably their could have been a mini bonanza in parking fees if he'd got the meters in now. They have been planning this for six months.
5. Dean Cohen has sought to repair some of the damage caused by Brian Coleman. Allowing 15 minutes parking in loading bays after 10am is a sensible move, but doesn't address the primary issue that parking charges have been used as a stealth tax. The raise is still well above inflation.
6. Mr Cohen states that if the money is not collected from parking charges, then roads may not be resurfaced. I was under the impression that parking was not the sole source of revenue for Barnet Council. If they were to cut waste (which you know there is plety of) then they could resurface roads and give the High Street a boost. By auditing the Metpro contract properly, the council saved £450,000 on work costing £1.4 million. That is one contract. Barnet only intend auditing 173 out of 9,300 contracts. RM Countrysides were told they could charge what they liked for removing meters. How many other dodgy deals are there out there. Mr Cohen gets paid £24,000 as cabinet member to stop the Council officers taking the piss out of the taxpayer. I think he has not done this.
None of this is "Labour Party Dogma". I am not a Labour Party member, I'm banned from membership. Most of what I'm advocating is 100% in line with the Federation of Small Business manifesto for business, hardly a socialist organisation.
Yeah, sure I had a dig at Dean Cohen, was it nice? Probably not, but I want people to watch the clip and realise what they are getting for their £24,000.
If you are happy with the job he's doing then fine, it's a free country, I think he's useless, he's out of his depth and he hasn't done his homework, despite getting paid more than the living weekly wage for a part time job.
Does that clarify what my best criticism is?
Dean Cohen is young, rather naive, and yes, hesitant, hence his erm, erm habit: he lacks confidence, which is a shame because he is a decent enough bloke, and has more common sense than the tedious ranting Tories who patronise him, like Coleman. Hesitancy is not necessarily a bad thing - it shows the individual is aware that his opinion is not necessarily the only view on any subject, again unlike many of his more senior colleages. He is harmless enough: is he up to the post he has now? Time will tell.
Rog
What complete and utter balls. You have posted a blog which falls well below your normal standard and instead of simply ‘fessing up, you have retrospectively tried to change your line of argument to cover your tracks.
You did not invite your readers to pass comment on Dean Cohen’s policy. You specifically asked them to play a silly little game of counting his hesitations.
Bad form, as your friend John Hart would put it. Bad form.
David,
I take it from your comments you think Dean Cohen is doing a marvellous job. I don't. He may be a nice chap, he may be very clever, but he isn't up to the job.
I cannot for the life of me see how you can possibly excuse such an inept performance given his salary.
I didn't ridicule his speech impediment as implied, I ridiculed the fact he said "er" 79 times. The "er's" were said because he didn't know what he was about to say next, not because he couldn't get the words out. To try and claim otherwise is ridiculous.
As to the content of what he said, that was obvious. I've stated my opposition to it as you asked, but clearly that isn't good enough
Mrs Angry, he's been in the job for six months. It is clear what the problems are with parking in the Borough and yet he's done virtually nothing to address them save a sticking plaster to shut up the Finchley traders, because they are the best organised. I am pleased for Helen and she deserves it, but I live in Mill Hill and people here are still being ripped off. Our traders are not getting anything. How much time does he need? He sits back as NSL rip us off, their wardens get up to all manner of shenanigans. He may be a nicer chap than Coleman, but neither seem to be prepared to do their job properly
The person who is himself so perfect that he can judge with total accuracy all the imperfections in others is indeed rare. Sniping from the sidelines is the easiest position in the world. I suggest, Rog T, that you demonstrate to residents of Barnet your own abilities by standing for, and securing, election to the council in 2014.
Morris,
I guess that you will be standing against Roger Evans then?
No. The London Assembly is an expensive irrelevance and I am now too old. And you should not necessarily believe all that Roger Evans might tell you.
BTW Rog - when you have had the personal hostility that I have had from both Roger Evans as my GLA member and from Robot Trams in his capacity of office manager, and the utter laziness of Evans,then I think a little anger may be inevitable. I am still prepared to meet with Evans to discuss the position but he fails to respond.
Morris,
Strange as it may seem, I've never actually spoken to Roger Evans. You are a strident critic of him, therefore you should stand against him, if you use the standards you judge me by for yourself.
I have no desire at all to be a councillor, I just seek that those who I pay to do the job, do so competently.
You and I have never spoken to each other either Rog. But the spoken word is not the sole means of communication between two or more people.
Morris,
Do you really think I spend my time discussing you with Roger Evans?
No.
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