Guest Blog - Do I deserve a holiday? by Wobbly Dave

I read the Barnet Eye blog about Rog T taking his cousin to Lourdes. I am pleased that Theresa got a holiday and good for Rog for taking her.

I would like a holiday as well, but I don't want to go to Lourdes. I don't believe in it and it really isn't my thing. Sadly, I can't afford it. I can't afford anything. It is a struggle just to make ends meet and a holiday is a luxury I'll be forgoe this year and probably next year and the year after. I'm depressed and I can't see anything getting any better. I'd like a week in Cornwall or Devon, just sitting on the sea front staring at the sea. I can't really do much else. I last did this two years ago when a friend paid to 'cheer me up' and took me.

All I do is sit in my flat and worry. I've read comments from people who say 'why should the taxpayer pay for people to lounge about on holiday?' Well if you'd sat in your flat for two years, with the odd hour out when it isn't raining to be pushed around the park, you'd know. If the highlight of your summer was a picnic and a beer in Sunny Hill Park (oh I forget, they've banned public drinking in Barnet) you'd realise why. I'm lucky, I have a few mates who are good to me. Some people don't even have that. I don't want their charity and I felt bad about going to Devon because it cost my mate money he couldn't afford either. Maybe my mates could save everyone a bit of bother and by me a ticket to Switzerland for one last holiday. At times I feel that this would save everyone a load of hassle. No, I'm not suicidal, but I get the feeling that some of our politicians think that should be the number one option on care packages for people like me.

And don't email me and say 'I'll pay for you to have a holiday' because I don't want charity. I just want something a bit like a life. I think that in a rich country that is something everyone should get occasionally.
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Wobbly Dave is a disabled Barnet resident who lives independently. He wishes me to state that this is not an appeal for donations. It is just him letting you know how he feels. Guest blogs are always welcome

The lesson from the Olympics

I'm proud of the way Great Britain has staged the Olympics. I am proud of our athletics. It is great seeing how my children have got into it. On Saturday I was out for a meal at Camino's in Kings Cross, the city was buzzing and as each Gold rolled in a huge cheer went up.

The Olympic park is magnificent, but the people draped in flags and the carnival atmosphere was brilliant. We've spent £9 billion on the event, but it has put Great Britain in the spotlight and we've shown we can deliver. People from all over the world will return having had a great time. Tens of thousands of young people have given up their time to steward, that is an inspiration.

Stratford has been completely regenerated and I believe that in ten years time we will see it as we now see Docklands, a thriving and integral part of our great city. A friend in the construction industry said that the Olympics kept the industry alive during the harshest years of the recession. Much of that £9 billion would have been spent on paying builders to sit around on the Dole if the Olympics hadn't taken place. As we build towards the climax, we should learn the lesson. That is that together we can achieve great things. All we need is for the government and the people to commit to it.

There are many challenges which we face. I'd like to see the Government commit to improve the lives of the disabled and the disadvantaged in the same way that they have committed to build an Olympic park. Is that really too much to ask.

Guest Blog - The Death of Paul - Part II

By John Sullivan,

I wrote on the Barnet Eye blog just a few short weeks ago about the plight of Paul dad of 3 who had been unable to work since 2000 due to considerable heart  problems.  A man I don't know and have never met, and the fact the bully boys at ATOS acting on behalf of our caring coalition government had forced him back to work in the face of medical evidence that said he was unfit for work.

Sadly within a short period Paul dad of 3 died from his massive heart complications, and I asked how many others have died in similar circumstances, how many Pauls are their out there I asked, and today I  receive my answer. I was reading my daily paper and on page 24 not the front page , the headline reads in large letters " WORKED TO DEATH ", 32 disability claimants die after being forced into jobs. It went on to say, a recent review by specialist Prof Malcolm Harrington CBE had suggested changes to make the ATOS " fit for work " testing process more " fair and humane. But his recommendations, which would mean more people staying on benefits were not taken up, and he was asked to step down as a government adviser.

On page 10 on my Guardian on the same day the headline reads " Minister Accused of Trying to Censor Disabled Advice."

A video that was produced by the ministry of justice to aid disabled people in claiming their right to benefits that is factually accurate and true in all its claims, has been challenged by that warm hearted Tory minister Chris Grayling. Emails between him and the MOJ have been described as appearing to show that the government was " ignoring the needs of the disabled". Neil Bateman from the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers, who filed the freedom of information request for the exchanges between good old Chris and the MOJ, said  "the parts of the video which Chris Grayling objected to, were all parts which the disabled would find helpful ". " There is a strong impression that this was  a deliberate attempt to censor the video ".

32 human beings, dads, mums, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, uncles, aunts and others have been sent to their deaths in the name of austerity cuts, disabled people having their benefits cut to the bone along with their support services  and having their quality of life destroyed and the only help available to them censored. Whilst at the same time the government have given thousands to millionaires  in tax cuts. Our Barnet Tory councillors  follow the lead of their masters in Westminster and like them show no mercy for the weak and the vulnerable, as I have repeatedly stated they have aided and abetted the changing of the public perception of disabled people in the past couple of years led from Westminster. That now portrays all disabled people as scrounging bastards, and no longer the poor dears they truly are. A heartless central government followed with a reverence and a glee and a relish by Barnet Tory councillors in the name of austerity, when it has nothing to do with austerity because it is ideology and dogma born of an inbuilt  contempt for the weak and the vulnerable .In the attack on the quality of life of disabled sick and vulnerable people of  Barnet by slashing benefits and cutting services, in order to justify their immoral justification of making a profit from the misery of the disabled the sick  the elderly and the vulnerable.  I ask again how can Barnet Tory Councillors suggest that making a profit from these groups is morally justifiable, how can it possibly be a moral objective to strip away the support services for these groups in order to make a profit. Surely all savings from improvements to efficiency of services should be ploughed back into the support services to improve the services even more and not be used for other reasons.

I still fail to understand how Barnet councillors can still try to justify the inhuman cuts to the services of the most vulnerable in our society which is in all but name is a part of the "One Barnet Commissioning Programme",  whilst refusing full and open access to the One Barnet business plan. In order to pay highly priced consultants in excess of 23 million pounds to privatise public services , when those millions could be invested in improving both the quality and the efficiency of the current in house public services. I see  on a daily basis the press condemning the likes of Gaddafi  & Assad for killing their own people and destroying their quality of life, but  my question is what is the difference between killing somebody with a bullet or a bomb , or sending them to their death in a more subtle way such as via ATOS, or perhaps by extending NHS waiting lists so they become death lists as they became  for so many under the last Tory administration, waiting lists that are now growing at a pace. Or destroying the quality of the lives of the disabled not with bombs and bullets but by unjustifiable cuts to services in order to make a profit.

When Barnet residents go to vote do they seriously think about what the people they are voting for are up to, or do they think  I vote conservative, because they kill off the layabouts " Great ", they make the disabled live  a hand to mouth existence " Great ", they will create unemployment then force those layabouts to work for nothing who have all deliberately   become unemployed. Do they really support the mantra that every sick and disabled person claiming any sort of benefit is a layabout and a scrounging bastard, and deserves to live in misery or deserves to die. Do they all seriously believe that young people and older people would not sooner work for a living, than live on a pittance on the dole, a way of life that destroys them as human beings and consumes for ever their self esteem?

Or do the Tory supporting Barnet residents just vote out of habit and not care about their fellow man ?

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John Sullivan is a Barnet resident and carer for his daughter Susan. Guest Blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye

Guest Blog - Lead up the garden path by a dishonest council - By Helen Michael

By Helen Michael,
I wandered along the High Road in North Finchley to remind the traders to send their parking review questionnaires back to the council.  Lo and behold yet another coffee shop has closed down.  The second in two months.  Now you might think I would be pleased bearing in mind I own (well the bank does) Cafe Buzz along the same High Road, but let me assure I was alarmed and deeply upset by this.  An indication of how hard it is to make any money in an area which is fast becoming a ghost town as a direct result of the ridiculously expensive parking charges and stupidly complicated method of payment imposed by Barnet Council towards the latter part of this year.

I knew both cafe owners.  Honest hard working people who invested money in their businesses, both remortgaging their homes to set up, now facing possible financial ruin.

I have spent an incredible amount of time petitioning the council on this matter over the past 9 months, it will be over a year since they introduced this system before they actually do something, if at all.  How many more businesses will close down before something is done?

This review is of course a complete waste of time and a really bad PR exercise.  They know at the council what the issues are.  Simply too expensive and unusable.  I, and many many residents and traders throughout the borough have been telling them this since day one.  The solution.  Make it cheaper make it easier to use.  What exactly is the point of the review?   

Problem and solution.   How difficult can it be?

A waste of time and resources. 

I wonder Whether Barnet Council has a hidden agenda.

The extension of Brent Cross is in conflict with national policy of promoting the high street. There is usually a sweetener for granting planning permission...

We cant get away from people wanting to go to Brent Cross and of course it can be useful, so our town centres need to be attractive  and on an equal playing field. Brent Cross enjoys easy access and free parking.

Our town centres are becoming increasingly run down. Most of the businesses along the high road are small and independent.  We invest lots of time and our own money on our shops.  We employ local people and contribute to the local economy.  Our rent,rates and expenses have increased, and our ability to make a living has been taken away by the short sighted and ignorant out of touch Barnet Council.

When a local business fails and closes down there is a real human cost. 

Mary Portas and Jack Straw have made it absolutely clear that town centres should be encouraged. Ms Portas has actually said that he government should stop paying lip service and action should be taken NOW otherwise there is no point to her work.

The mood amongst shoppers and traders are at an all time low. 

Make the High Road easily accessible and cheap to visit. Create a community again, locally.  Watch people come back.

Give the traders a fighting chance.
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Helen Michael is a local business owner and spokesperson for Barnet Traders fair parking campaign.

Guest blogs are always welcome

A lesson in life

So what did you spend the last week doing? Watching the Olympics? Enjoying the summer holidays? Maybe you went abroad for a week and were on holiday. Maybe you still are. We ALL need a break from the routine of our life, a change of scenery and the chance to unwind, recharge our batteries and have a break from our normal routine. There is nothing I like more than getting away with family and friends, sinking a few beers and catching up on my sleep. Most of all I like a few days of not blogging, it does get a little bit draining.

So you may wonder, what was I up to last week? Well yes, I was away. I asked for a few guest blogs and I've been inundated. So much so that I've a load for next week as well. I wanted to enjoy the Olympics, so I did ask for some, so I'll be restricting my blogging over the next week (unless something really needs addressing). But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to tell you about my holiday. I went away with someone very special who I love very dearly. She's a beautiful woman and she's not my wife ! You will (hopefully) be pleased to know that Mrs T gave the arrangement her full approval and I took two of my children and adopted another one for the week. Who was the woman? My cousin Theresa. Theresa is a few months younger than me. She lives in Barnet, in the care of Barnet Council and is a very special person. This picture is us enjoying a drink in the Riviera Sol Cafe.

My cousin has Downes syndrome and this is her holiday for the year. We went with HCPT (a charity) and stayed at Hosanna House in Bartres, which is three kilometres outside Lourdes. Our group consisted of 40 people, nine of whom needed some form of help and assistance. I give what talents I possess to the group. My role includes a fair bit of driving (not after I've drunk any alcohol, I hasten to add, as there is a zero tolerance for drink & driving - the picture was on my 'day off') of minibuses. I also use my small talents as a musician to try and entertain the group.

My cousin loves visiting Lourdes with the group. The group is inclusive, with everyone doing all activities together. It is impossible to describe what the experience we had was like. Although a pilgrimage to Lourdes has a strong religious theme, with our group this is based on practical help of every member of the team and reflection on ways we can be better people within our own system of belief, whatever that is. My 'adopted' son for the week is Jewish. He came because he wanted to help with the group (strapping lads who can lift and push wheelchairs are at a premium). He confessed to me that before travelling he had minor worries that people in the group would not necessarily accept him because of his faith. By the end of the first day, his worries were dispelled. It wouldn't surprise me if one day, he would make a very able rabbi (although I don't think that's on his plan right now).  He was rather relieved to find that we didn't say the rosary once during the week (although in the past we've had one or two who have felt their wasn't a big enough 'Catholic' element within our particular group). The overwhelming view in our group is that our expression of faith is more based on the practical and the sense of brother and sisterhood we develop during the week.

The reason that most of the helpers come is because they get a huge amount out of helping people, who otherwise wouldn't get a holiday to get out and about. Hosanna House is specially equipped for dealing with handicapped people. This means that there are hoists to lift people, nurses and doctors within the group and everywhere is wheelchair accessable.

One of our group, Helen, who has spent her life in a wheelchair spent an hour with the CEO of the HCPT trust explaining why the rooms are not fit for purpose. It amazes me that resources such as Helen are never usually consulted. The practical things such as ample room for helpers to get someone on  a toilet, push button door openers, rooms laid out to allow hoist access. I asked Helen why she likes this group as she's not particularly religious and she explained that most activities for the handicapped involve activities like basket weaving and being patronised. That doesn't happen with our group.

I have been going with the group most years since 2001. I used to take my disabled mum. When she passed away in 2008, I started taking Theresa. One thing which has become clear is that for many of the people within the group, the cuts imposed by the coalition are starting to bite. It also appears that less people generally are going away due to precious money being needed for day to day living. As I said, we all need a break. For people with disabilities, living in hostels or care homes, this is especially necessary. It is easier for disabled members of society who belong to faith groups to go on holiday. The Catholic church, for all it's faults, does look after people and most churches have appeals to send people to Lourdes, which are well sponsored. It disturbs me greatly that people of different or no faith, who don't have such a support network, are in effect financially excluded, because they don't have a machine to raise money for their holiday. HCPT do not discriminate against people who are not Catholic in who goes and who gets financial assistance. Having said that there are many people who our trip would not be their cup of tea, so many will completely miss out.

I go to Lourdes with our group for many reasons. The sheer joy which I saw on Theresa's face for much of the week was reason enough. We are the same age and were born six months apart in the same bit of Barnet. Probably 99.999% of our gene's (being cousins) are the same. Sadly the .0001% which gave her Downes syndrome, has meant we have had very different lives. We as we walked down the road or sat in bars that .0001% defined how we are treated and regarded.

Perhaps the saddest irony of our week in Lourdes is that in 1944, Lourdes was under Nazi occupation. This shrine where millions of sick and disabled people have visited was controlled by a monstrous regime who's policy towards people such as my cousin was one of instant death. They would have considered Theresa to be a worthless life, one with no purpose and they would have executed her. All of the joy she brings to the world would be lost.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone who discriminates against my cousin, because of that .0001% genetic difference is as much a Nazi as those evil bastards who sponsored a state execution of her ilk. Once you  start walking down the road to saying "These people" and reducing their status as human beings you are on the rocky road back to gas chambers. The disabled were the first victims of the Nazi repression.

I look at the arrogant, smug policies of the rotund politicians, some of whom in Barnet live in flats provided by charities and I despair. I  often wonder just how you can get through to people who really don't give a shit about their fellow man.  What especially disturbs me is how David Cameron, who had a disabled son, can preside over cuts which so disadvantage my friends who I travelled with? I genuinely thought that his experiences would make him a different kind of Tory. The stories I've heard of the effects of cuts in the last week have convinced me that Cameron is perhaps even more callous and heartless than those who have not had such a lesson in life. It had never really occurred to me before, but it is rather clear that some of us can attend a lesson in life and totally ignore it.

One final thing I must say. When I get back, a few people usually say to me 'Oh, you are so marvellous taking your cousin away'. Not a bit of it. I had a complete blast all week. It was great.

Have a great Sunday. I'm now off to open a beer and watch the Olympics !

Richard Cornelius comes out as a One Barnet convert

Richard Cornelius has given an extraordinary interview to the Hendon Times.

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/9855805.Leader_of_council__budget_cuts__One_Barnet_and_parking/

He makes some extraordinary statements. He has the gall to blame shopkeepers for driving away customers. He says "Their PR campaign has been really very successful but unfortunately they have actually persuaded people that it’s difficult and expensive to park so they’re shooting themselves in the foot". Does Mr Cornelius take responsibility for anything?

As to One Barnet? He says "I’ve been converted. It seems to be going to deliver big savings" If this really is the case, why haven't they published the full business case? Why, if he is so sure, will he not attend the APSE briefings with Nick Walkley, the CEO? Most sane and rational people, when making important decisions, listen to all sides of the argument. Sadly, like many zealous religious converts, it seems Richard Cornelius isn't interested in hearing the other side of the story.

As to the level of services - "remarkably few people have noticed any diminishment in the services" - Sadly the "remarkable few" are mostly people in the most dire need. They often have no voice and Mr Cornelius clearly isn't that bothered.

Sadly the Times haven't asked any searching questions. They merely suggest that readers leave their comments. Please do. I have.

The Saturday List #9 - The magnificent seven of Barnet

We are not worthy. No really, we are not. I write a blog, have been doing it for four years now. I'd like to think that I've done some good in Barnet, but there are some people who I am in awe of. Here is that list and why.

1. John Burgess, UNISON branch secretary. Not only ios John a decent bloke, a nice guy to have a beer with and good company, he is also the hardest working person I've ever met. I honestly don't know how he keeps it up. He has worked tirelessly for his members and has supported everyone who has asked for his help over the years. For John it isn't a job, it's his life. He is a reasonable bloke as well. I just think it's sad that the Council haven't realised they what they copuld have achieved working with John for the good of Barnet rather than being at loggerheads with him.

2. Linda Edwards. Linda deserves an OBE for her work at the Larches Trust, a charity for people with learning difficulties in Barnet. If that was all she did I'd be in awe of her, but she also has a grown up daughter who she fights like a tiger for and works her guts off to help other people in her shoes. I am honoured she is a guest blogger on this site.

3. John Sullivan. John also has a grown up daughter with learning difficulties. Despite not being in the best of health, John is a key player in CADDSS, a group fghting for the rights of disabled people. John is a guest blogger here and is totally honest. If I write a blog he disagrees with, he doesn't mince his words and he lets me know. Barnet needs fighters and John is a fighter in every sense of the word. I am glad I don't have his challenges and wonder how I would have coped if I had 1/10th of the things he has to deal with.

4. Helen Michael. Helen runs Cafe Buzz and is the spokesperson for the Finchley Traders. Helen works her socks off all day, yet finds time to organise protests against Barnet Council's parking policies and has campaigned tirelessly. On top of that she has also let her cafe become the spiritual home for the local campaign against the insane policies of Barnet Council. For her troubles she was interviewed by SO15, the anti terrorist branch of the Metropolitan Police, for producing a poster without her name and address on, during the GLA election.

5. Tirza Waisel of the Barnet Alliance for Public Services. Tirza works in social care and has taken on a leading role in the organisation of the campaign against the One Barnet program and the other threats to services in Barnet. Tirza is a truly honest and decent person,w ho cares passionately about her fellow citizens. There are many people in BAPS who deserve praise, too many to list here and so this is also dedicated to them.

6. Councillor Jack Cohen. Over the past four years that I've taken an interest in Barnet politics, my repsect for Jack Cohen has grown. He is the Leader of the Barnet Lib Dem group. Even with the coalition and the links between the Tories and the Lib Dems nationally, Jack is well respected on the left of Barnet politics as
in the centre (although sadly not on the looney right). The reason is because when Jack speaks he talks sense. The emporers new clothes disappear every time Jack raises the subject of One Barnet in the council chamber. Sadly the only people who don't listen are those who should be and who make the decisions.

7. Councillor Kate Salinger. Kate is a Conservative, but because she is an honest and decent person, she has been treated awfully by her colleagues in the Barnet Tories. She was the only Tory to defy the whip and not vote themselves a payrise. She paid dearly for her sins, being humiliatingly stripped of all of her roles in a full council meeting. She recently stated in a full council meeting that Councillor Robert Rams had lied to her and that she may as well sit at home and do her knitting as attend council meetings, for all the good it does. We need more people in local politics like Kate Salinger.

There are many people I've missed out in this roundup. That is one of the unfortunate contraints of only allowing seven names. I would invite anyone out there to nominate any people they think should have made the list, although if you don't like any of my choices, well too bad, we have to call as we say. The omission of Labour councillors is not a snub, it's just that I think Jack has provided the best rebuttal of One Barnet thus far and Kate has shown extraordinary courage and resilience and is an example to us all.

The Friday Joke - 3rd August 2012

Two women friends had gone out for a Girls Night Out, and had been decidedly over-enthusiastic on the cocktails. Incredibly drunk and walking home they suddenly realized they both needed to pee. They were very near a graveyard and one of them suggested they do their business behind a headstone or something. The first woman had nothing to wipe with so she took off her panties, used them and threw them away. Her friend however was wearing an expensive underwear set and didn't want to ruin hers, but was lucky enough to salvage a large ribbon from a wreath that was on a grave and proceeded to wipe herself with it. After finishing, they made their way home.

The next day the first woman's husband phones the other husband and said, "These damn girls nights out have got to stop. My wife came home last night without her panties." "That's nothing," said the other. "Mine came back with a sympathy card stuck between the cheeks of her bum that said, 'From all of us at the Fire Station, Well never forget you!'

Have a nice weekend

Guest blog - There's One Barnet for them and One Barnet for the rest of us, Part II by John Sullivan

By John Sullivan,

My name is John Sullivan I am a Barnet resident and along with my wife  Ida a carer for our nearly 49 year old disabled daughter Susan, I am not a member of any political party or trade union. However I am so grateful that trade unionists exist and have a great deal to be grateful to them for, they have cared for Susan and her peers  for more than 40 years. They are special people, they are caring people, they are the rock on which we and so many other Barnet families  have relied  for so many years. They are not the ogres the right wing press or local Tory councillors choose to blacken their names with, they are just like you and me, many are  Barnet residents and hard working human beings, with rights, opinions, feelings and genuine concerns.

I am a founder member of a group called CADDSS , Campaign Against Destruction of Disability Support Services run under the umbrella of Baps. Which caters for all folk with a disability or an injury or age related illness that rely on public services for support, and have seen those support services decimated in the name of austerity cuts, and profit margins. Which is an integral part of the One Barnet Programme, that is aimed at maximising profits whilst minimising support services and staff employment rights. 

I am also chair of a small group called TSG , a group that acts on behalf of Adults with a learning disability. Both these groups have sadly had to take a back seat in recent weeks due to so many things to do, so we need your help.In the past 2 years elderly people and those with a disability and or an injury or age related illness  coupled with many that have been medically retired from work due to ill health, have been transformed by the Coalition and our local Tory councillors from being poor dears to scrounging bastards. This group have been put in the same pigeon hole as the minority of layabouts scrounging on the system , the fact that so many of them are incapable of working or fending for themselves through no fault of their own, is ignored in the most callous fashion.

Cameron & Clegg have broken the promise they made in the run up to the general election , to protect the NHS & front line services for the weak the vulnerable and the disabled. They  have supported huge sums being taken  away from these vulnerable folk in benefit cuts, coupled with recently introduced  "excessive "support service charges by Cllr Cornelius and his crew,  whilst supporting  millionaires  getting a tax cut. Cllr Cornelius chooses to mislead the people of Barnet about the benefits of the One Barnet Billion Pound Gamble, he dishonestly claims there is no alternative, and laughably if it were not so serious "no loss of democratic control ". This smiling assassin who smiles to your face whilst sticking a knife in your back has the gall to use the word democracy, when he leads the most undemocratic council in the history of Barnet. A council that denies Barnet residents the right of lawful assembly in a public park that their taxes help to upkeep and maintain, even the smiling bullies can be unseated, we did it with Coleman and we will do it with Cornelius and the rest of his motley crew and return true democracy to Barnet politics. We all know, had we applied for permission for our rally 5 months ago never mind five days ago, the answer would have been the same.

                                                                                                                                        

 When adult services go the way of  commissioning  of public services  which I am convinced is the long term plan if the One Barnet programme is voted through, the freedom of information act does not apply, so we will have no idea what is happening to our loved ones and no democratic means of finding out the real truth for at least ten years. Unlike right now ,when these services are up to a point and in the most dodgy and questionable of circumstances still kept in house and still to a degree the responsibility of our local councillors, and not some big corporation . The full commissioning of public services affords us little or no transparency, and denies us the democratic right of challenge for change and improvements that still in a very small way we enjoy now, and is just one reason  why we have to stop this One Barnet madness.

My final  word on Barnet councillors is "Contempt". Barnet councillors have shown a complete and utter contempt for Democracy, for the dignity, self respect and opinions of the weak and the vulnerable , along with  their parents , carers and all  in house staff. With their ongoing farcical charades and box ticking exercises they dishonestly refer to as consultations, when the truth is there has been " no meaningful or democratic  consultation " on any outsourcing issue to date.

Finally a poem sent anonymously to the Sunday Mirror newspaper recently, that speaks for so many of the folk that are being with such evil relish,trampled underfoot by  both local and national government we at CADDSS & TSG under the umbrella of Baps try to represent and protect from this evil.

The net is slowly closing in, for us there's no escape, 

they take our care and dignity and wrap it in red tape.

We've kept our heads above the tides and struggled to meet the costs.

But no one seems to understand the freedoms we have lost.

Eyes long since dry and lost for tears, but still our hearts feel pain.

When dignity and care decay, life's just a waiting game.

SAY NO TO THE " ONE BARNET BILLION POUND GAMBLE ".

DOES SOMETHING STINK IN THE ONE BARNET PROCESS ??, WATCH THIS SPACE.

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John Sullivan is a Barnet resident. Guest blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye

Guest blog - Barbarians at the gates of Friern by Joanna Fryer

By Joanna Fryer,

Before the Olympic torch bearer reached Friern Barnet Library Green we arrived to set up the Friern Barnet People's Library and found twelve council workers waiting for us in anticipation of the "trouble" the Council told them to expect from us. We told them that only a barbarian from the Council would think that we in Friern Barnet would disrupt the Olympic torch. We have always been scrupulously polite in our dealings with the Council -- far more polite than the Cabinet has ever been with us --mocking us, Brain Coleman calling us names, Robert Rams making flippant answers to our questions and telling untruths, and Richard Cornelius pretending that he was trying to help us when he was doing the very opposite. We did not disrupt the torch race. We passed out books to amuse the children waiting for the torch to come by and mingled among the crowd chatting, and, Oh yes, telling them all about what the barbarians in the Council did to us but in a completely civilised way.
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Joanna Fryer is the secretary of the Save Friern Barnet Library Group and a Banet resident. Guest blogs are alway welcome at the Barnet Eye. Please note that this blog is the private view of Joanna Fryer and is not a statement issued byu the Save FBL group.