Last year Joanne McCarthy put together a bit of spin doctoring for friends of Gosford Council, which was published! Misleading readers into thinking 86 year old Mr Phillip James was protesting the loss of  rear access to his property, incorrect.

It appears she is up to her usual tricks.

Lets start with the fact that past Mayor Councillor C Holstein was the first to acknowledge he had a question yet to be answered for me about the illegal use of public property by a family business and the related  lack of required  additional insurance in the amount of ten Million dollars to indemnify  Ratepayers / Council.

Also consider that Liberal Councilor  Debra Wales who has threatened legal action for fifteen months now and informed me that my private correspondence to her in her position as a Gosford Councilor would be given to others outside Gosford Council would breach the Local Government Act 93 and possibly the code of conduct for Gosford council.

I believe this was ill-advised action attempting to silence Political dissent and the questions of conflict and pecuniary interest directed to Councilors and Council Management that arise because Rangers appear to have been instructed to feather bed the illegal use of public property throughout the Gosford Local Government  Area in a select fashion.

Debra Wales is the Gosford Council Main street coordinator she frequents food outlets that breach Sections 626 -627 of   the Local Government Act for years.

Though responsible investigative journalism would allow your paper to inform ratepayers that the important concern is that section 382, I think of the Local Government Act 93 That says A Council must make arrangements for its adequate insurance.

 Would have seen your paper ask some proper questions.

The fact that no one business it seems has taken advantage of the Gosford Council Footway Leasing and Outdoor Eating Policy since April 1998 and yet  the harassment of families who park vehicles on obscure out of the way footpaths have felt the wrath of Council Rangers. Business currently continues as usual showing nothing but contempt for ratepayers who, the Local Government Act 93 says Council is in place to serve.

By the way in Umina where I have lived for some time there is an insistence in wasting ratepayers funds installing tactile aides for the visually impaired that are pointing blind people into obstacles how long must this overpaid incompetence continue?

I and others have raised this with Gosford Council and the RTA only to be ignored. There are several visually impaired people who use the footpath here and I am sure they to would like to know that these  and insurance matters are properly addressed on behalf of ratepayers and voters throughout the Gosford Council Local Government Area.

As I am the person who raised the question of councilors taking a fiduciary  advantage of their position of trust and responsibility  with Gosford Council the Pecuniary Interest Tribunal and the Department of Local Government  I would think that I would have been consulted with regard this attempt by your journalist to put spin on a Gosford Council attempt at cover-up.

Your Paper needs to make up its Editoral Mind. Inform the readers or lead them astray with spin. Only one option requires honesty.

Edward James

POB 3024

Umina 2257   0418486260

 eja25346@bigpond.net.au