No Irish Festival in 2011

[*Bob*]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> It simply shouldn't be paid for by people who

> don't want to go.

You might be onto something here, Hugenot.

I wonder, if we all think really, really hard - maybe we can identify other areas of public spending where money goes on stuff that not everyone wants to go to / do.

Like.. well.. virtually everything.

[Sue]

Yes, hence my edit above and my earlier suggestion

[oilworker]

Sue - do you ever engage your brain before attacking the keyboard?? On your analysis all events which are "comunity events" are worth supporting with tax-payers money right???

[huncamunca]

The Irish Government are in Rude Health - lets tap them up for a few Euros towards it - the Diasapora will appreciate it

[Huguenot]

I'm not suggesting banning the Irish festival or any other forms of public enjoyment. Have as many community events as you like. Fill your boots. Party party party.

I'm just saying that the taxpayer shouldn't be funding it.

Same for you *Bob*, I have no idea why you're trying to pretend a valid point about taxpayer sponsored junkets is about something else?

I'm sure there are many divisive areas of public spending, but we're talking about a piss-up on a picnic here.

I take it that you're both lurching into ridiculous misrepresentation of my point because you have nothing sensible to say?

[*Bob*]

I mean - check out Southwarks events page!

'The Big Dance'. You what?

'Celebrating Women'. Do I look like a woman?!

It's enough to make your blood boil.

'The Carnival Del Pueblo'. Do me a favour, Pedro..

[Huguenot]

They all sound great, I hope they take place and everyone has fun.

I also hope that they're all subject to a cost-benefit analysis if it comes to taxpayer funding, and that the outcome is as sensible as the one that withdrew funding from the Irish Festival.

I don't think that everything on the Southwark Events page is taxpayer funded.

[Sue]

oilworker Wrote:

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> Sue - do you ever engage your brain before

> attacking the keyboard?? On your analysis all

> events which are "comunity events" are worth

> supporting with tax-payers money right???

xxxxxx

Did you read what I wrote above?

I suggested the event got sponsors.

I also agreed that there were more important things to do with a limited amount of council money.

Whose brain is not engaged here?

[*Bob*]

That's a somewhat more reasonable assessment than your earlier typically pugnacious opener - that it/they "simply shouldn't be paid for by people who don't want to go".

[pk]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> That's a somewhat more reasonable assessment than

> your earlier typically pugnacious opener - that

> it/they "simply shouldn't be paid for by people

> who don't want to go".

i think that he's realised that he got it wrong, but he doesn't like to say so

[Michael Palaeologus]

This is one of those that are nice but not necessary. Some public contribution is fine when the coffers are brimming but not when cuts are being made to core services.

Scale back the event and encourage more market stall holders to generate income, get some sponsorship and focus on what can be done with what could be available.

[Huguenot]

Don't be an idiot pk and others.

You're persistently, ridiculously and deliberately misinterpreting my point about the Irish Festival funding by arbitrarily applying to it to other hypothetical events to which it was not intended to apply.

You're doing this because you don't have a sensible point to make.

I stand precisely behind my original point that there is no justifcation for the Irish Festival to be paid for by people who don't want to go. It's a piss-up in the park without any ameliorating factors.

If you look at other events there may be reasons for taxpayer funding. I would have thought that any half-wit could see that?

[Sue]

Huguenot Wrote:

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>

> If you look at other events there may be reasons

> for taxpayer funding. I would have thought that

> any half-wit could see that?

xxxxxx

What would those other events be, then, that everybody would want to go to?

ETA: The bloody royal wedding?

[Sue]

I have no interest whatsoever in the olympics, but I seem to be funding that, strange eh.

[pk]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> Don't be an idiot pk and others.

>

you really hate it when people don't agree with you don't you?

[Huguenot]

Sue, I made no mention of other events that everyone else would want to go to, I said there may be events where "there may be reasons for taxpayer funding"

This decision will be made through a rigorous cost-benefit assessment followed by project prioritisation.

Typically Boroiugh responsibilities include transport, strategic planning, regional development, police, fire housing, waste collection, council tax collection, education, libraries, social services, local planning, consumer protection, licensing, cemeteries and crematoria.

If an event can be perceived to contribute significantly to one of these objectives, and if it can be proven to contribute more effectively than other projects competing for similar budgets, then it's likely to attract taxpayer funding.

An event of the size, regional and international attraction of Carnival del Pueblo will likely contribute heavily to Southwark regional development. It attracts tourism, boosts local economies and puts Southwark 'on the map'.

Conversely a weasley piss up for five hundred locals on Peckham Rye doesn't.

You'll also notice that one of the Borough objectives isn't "give everybody a good laff where they can see their mates"

[DJKillaQueen]

Huguenot...our taxes fund lots of things many people don't get use of. Should people who don't drive be demanding their taxes don't pay for roads maintenance. Should childless people demand their taxes don't pay for schools? And Sue is absolutely right, with regards to the Olympics, Royal Wedding and even the funding of our national sports teams could be argued to be a luxury we shouldn't pay for.

The point about tax is we entrust the governement to spend it in a way that benefits as many of us as it can. Cultural/ community events are part of many councils remit for community cohesion. Such events often require the additional help of volunteers and donation to happen anyway. It's very rare that a council funds an event in it's entirety. So we are in the midst of cuts and some things considered not as necesary as others may need to go but that doesn't mean that in principle the funding of such events when money is available is a bad idea.

Edited to add that how can you know what the Irish Festival is H?...you live as far away as a person can get from East Dulwich!

[Sue]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> Sue, I made no mention of other events that

> everyone else would want to go to

xxxxx

You said "I stand precisely behind my original point that there is no justifcation for the Irish Festival to be paid for by people who don't want to go."

ETA: I'm off now to help organise another community event which deffo WILL be happening :))

[Tarot]

I,m sure we will survive,there are plenty of Irish living,in Lewisham ,New cross, Greenwich,almost all of the South

east actually.

[MrBen]

I'm with Hugenot on this one. A jolly on the rye hardly compares with my tax contributions to schools and road. As a childness non driver I have no objections to these - they are essential to any progressive, developed society. Two tins of stella and a dancing contest are not!

[Huguenot]

DJKQ, now you're doing it. You're transferring an argument I made about the Irish Festival to other situations I made no claim that it applied to. Stop it please.

As you know, I lived in ED for many years, and did have the misfortune to encounter the pointless and rather grubby 'Irish Festival' on the Rye. However, I have no view on it other than that it should not be supported by taxpayer investment.

Sue, you're continuing to be wilfully stupid. My argument was about the Irish Festival. You tried to claim I applied it to other events, and you tried to suggest that I wanted all public entertainment shut down. I made no such claims, and since I don't think you're retarded then in continuing to claim it you're simply being obnoxious.

I hope your community event is successful. I like community events. I don't like the application of taxpayer money to some picnic piss-up. I trust that if your community event has attracted taxpayer funding it has done so for a better reason than that you like seeing your mates.

[rifleman harris]

There used to be an annual 'Southwark Show' at Burgess Park. What happened to that? I remember they used to have a funfair there until a large group of 'yoots' attacked and attempted to dismantle the Octopus ride.

[Sue]

I'm making no further comments on this thread for fear of being called wilfully stupid and obnoxious again :))

Neither of which I think I was, and I certainly didn't intend to be, but hey ho .....

[Chick]

O wid some poo'er the giftie gie us tae see oorsels as ithers see us

[Sue]

Indeed, Chick. Referring to yourself?

:))