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d e m o c r a c y @ p l a n e t - t h a n e t. f s n e t. c o. u k

Has anyone ever asked YOU?

To take a broad view you have TWO options:

Option 1 is to carry on the same way, which includes voting for:

• Same as last time
• The ‘other’ lot
• Least of the ‘evils’
• ‘None of the above’

The summary of option 1 is that once you have voted that is it …… until the next election.
It does not matter whether you agree, or disagree, with a particular issue did anyone ask you?

Option 2 is to vote for the right to include YOU in the debate, to promote and vote on any issue.

Facts
1. Item 1.03 - 2 in the Council Constitution says - Support the active involvement of citizens in the process of local authority decision-making.
2. The dictionary definition of Democracy is government by the people, and Oligarchy is government by a minority.

Q1. What difference will one councillor make?
A. Not a lot, until you think of the effect on all the other residents of Thanet who do not have a vote on issues.

Q2. What do I have to do?
A. Vote for Bernard Clayson
Read the notices which will be periodically posted and vote according to (a) Yes, (b) No, or (c) Abstain.

Q3. What are you going to do?
A. Three things
1. Present the issues to you as fairly as possible showing the advantages and the potential problems.
2. Give my opinion based on the information available to me as a councillor.
3. Vote on issues WITH you and publish the result of OUR vote.

Q4. Does this mean we will have to vote on everything?
A. No, it is the councils job to manage, it should be the publics duty to accept or reject what they do before it is too late.

Q5. What party or political group do you support?
A. None, I can find agreement on individual issues with any of the parties or groups, overall agreement with none of them.

Q6. Is that it?
A. No, far from it, this is Stage 1, but everything has to start somewhere. We can build, and improve in the light of the experience gained from a simple beginning.

Q7. I do not understand enough about politics to make a decision on an issue.
A. Good. Politics is arguing politics instead of concentrating on the issue. Discussing issues, finding solutions and implementing them is what we need to do together.
Think housekeeping, you have X money coming in and Y going out, if there is more going out than what is coming in you have to increase the money coming in or reduce the money going out. It is the same with the council, which means increasing taxes or cutting expenses. The average person pays over 50% of their income in taxes, direct tax, VAT on purchases, plus hidden taxes, which includes the tax paid by the companies that you purchase from, and their suppliers etc. That 50% is creeping up to nearer 60% without anyone having any say in the matter.

Q8. I do not have the time to get involved.
A. Which would you prefer, spending time influencing what happens, or spending time working longer to pay more taxes?

Q9. How do you know it will work?
A. There will be a steep learning curve for everyone, mistakes will be made, lessons learned from them but I am sure we can succeed if we progress slowly.

Q10. What will I lose if I vote for someone else?
A. If I lose, you lose the chance of having any say in what happens.

Q11. What will this cost?
A. A small cost per vote for stationary (voting papers and notices)

Q12. Has this ever been done before?
A. No, but the individual elements that are 'tools' that governments have used, I propose using them in a different way to give you some control over your future.

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