When I visited Guernsey at the beginning of October, I rang round on Thursday night to find a cab to take us to the airport. Each time I said where I was, where I needed to be (the airport), and the time to be there (around 8.00 am).
The first taxi business said they were fully booked. Fair enough.
The second was Domino Cabs, and the chap in charge told me that he didn't know if there were any cabs available, but if I'd ring back in the morning, he'd let me know. This is when I needed a taxi to get to the airport for 8.00 am! I reminded him that the time was very early, and he said ring around 7.15 and "he'd let me know". That kind of stress and uncertainty I can do without!
The third was much more helpful, found my address from my telephone number, and was there bang on time.
The question I find myself pondering is whether I want a member of the States who does not seem to have that much idea about running his own business, let alone the Island's. How well could he deal with members of the general public? My only experience of that was dismal. The only current member of the States who seems, to me, to be so dithery is Terry Le Main, and he is quite elderly. It does not give me confidence, and I will not therefore be voting for Richard De La Haye in St Brelade Number 2, nice as he may well be.
I see that Mick Pashley, alone among the candidates for Senator, has decided not to stand. Probably a wise decision! Still a lot standing outside of their own Parish. Even St Brelade number 2 has a candidate who lives in St Helier. Not easily to hand when it comes to night time rowdy behaviour by groups of young people, or any other matter at night, for that matter. Most of the other "out of the Parish" lot are in St Helier, which is the usual story. Why don't they stand in their own parish?
Gerard Baudins is standing again, I am pleased to say. While I don't always agree with him, he is refreshingly independent, and not afraid to raise troublesome questions - like those about Harcourt. Thinking of that made be ponder what we could do with 1/2 million a year, which would be what the States would not have to pay in maintenance if they didn't sink the road by the underpass. And yet they'll happily vote every year they can to try and stop school milk!
The first taxi business said they were fully booked. Fair enough.
The second was Domino Cabs, and the chap in charge told me that he didn't know if there were any cabs available, but if I'd ring back in the morning, he'd let me know. This is when I needed a taxi to get to the airport for 8.00 am! I reminded him that the time was very early, and he said ring around 7.15 and "he'd let me know". That kind of stress and uncertainty I can do without!
The third was much more helpful, found my address from my telephone number, and was there bang on time.
The question I find myself pondering is whether I want a member of the States who does not seem to have that much idea about running his own business, let alone the Island's. How well could he deal with members of the general public? My only experience of that was dismal. The only current member of the States who seems, to me, to be so dithery is Terry Le Main, and he is quite elderly. It does not give me confidence, and I will not therefore be voting for Richard De La Haye in St Brelade Number 2, nice as he may well be.
I see that Mick Pashley, alone among the candidates for Senator, has decided not to stand. Probably a wise decision! Still a lot standing outside of their own Parish. Even St Brelade number 2 has a candidate who lives in St Helier. Not easily to hand when it comes to night time rowdy behaviour by groups of young people, or any other matter at night, for that matter. Most of the other "out of the Parish" lot are in St Helier, which is the usual story. Why don't they stand in their own parish?
Gerard Baudins is standing again, I am pleased to say. While I don't always agree with him, he is refreshingly independent, and not afraid to raise troublesome questions - like those about Harcourt. Thinking of that made be ponder what we could do with 1/2 million a year, which would be what the States would not have to pay in maintenance if they didn't sink the road by the underpass. And yet they'll happily vote every year they can to try and stop school milk!
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I see that Mick Pashley, alone among the candidates for Senator, has decided not to stand.
Time to visit the optician, Tony. ;-)
While I don't have too much of a problem with people standing outside of their own parish, it does tend to smack all too often of 'gi us a job, I can do that, gi us a job, mate' (apologies to Mr Y. Hughes).
I can see an argument where one has specialist knowledge on a critical local issue. For example a long time anti-incinerator campaigner standing in St Helier on that one issue platform - that I get.
Now we have the rather strange spectacle of at least 2 St Ouen residents contesting seats in other parishes, and no election in St Ouen itself.
Oops! It is difficult remembering all the 21 candidates, especially at my age. The little grey cells are diminishing in an asymptotic curve.
I agree with specialist interests - for instance, Andrew Green is I believe involved at the hospital and with Headway charity in Town, so there is obviously a strong link there. I think at least one of the St Ouen's ones should have stood there. If you were standing (I know you had made a real promise - not a politician's promise! - not to stand), would you have stood in St Ouen?
Hi Tony,
Had I been minded to stand as a deputy I would certainly have done so in St Ouen and nowhere else. I wonder if we could learn something about effective democratic representation from Malaisey?
In fairness to Richard De La Haye, my experience may be singular; I was speaking to my mother, and she will always go by Domino, says their service is excellent, but she won't vote for him because he'd put a manager in, and it probably would not be as good!
So poor Richard can't win either way!
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