The full text of the Letter to the Editor of the Armadale Examiner, sent on 14 August 2007, is below.
............................................. I note with interest, that, within a couple of weeks of my Letter having been published, which referred to members of the Armadale City Council, uniting to support the political campaign for the Deputy Mayor to get elected in the Lake Ward, in which he will not have been a resident for many years, at the time of the election, for the upcoming local government elections, which have not yet been announced, that the city council is magically starting to fulfil one of its obligations in the area, after years of neglect. Today, Tuesday 14 August, some of the verge trees in the area, that the council has been growing under the power lines, to grow through the power lines, have magically started to be pruned away from the power lines (although the people cutting up the trees have left them where they dropped, including on letter boxes and all the way from the street to the letter boxes, to obstruct mail delivery). Hopefully, with the council showing its active support for the Deputy Mayor to get elected in the Lake Ward, so as to get both councillors for the ward, not living in the ward at the time that they are elected, after the results of the election are announced, and keep the council having only members that actively support the actions and policies of the current council members, the council will start to fulfil other obligations to local residents and ratepayers, that the council has neglected for so long, imposing danger through neglect. Perhaps, the council might, for example, start providing footpaths to all streets, so that, on streets like Rigden Street and Pelham Street, as just two examples, mothers pushing prams, and small children who are still learning to stay upright on tricycles and bicycles, do not have to compete with road traffic, especially louts in the area. Perhaps, the council might also instal a roundabout at the corner of Pelham Street and Mornington Street, to slow the car racers and other louts, to try to protect the primary school children, as the council tree hides the school speed limit sign. Perhaps, the council might also remove the street tree close to that intersection, that has been breaking up the road for several years, and, blocking the road storm water drainage, and, in keeping with council policy, obstructing solar water heating and dropping large branches so as to endanger road users and residents, all of this with the knowledge of the mayor and deputy mayor, for several years. After all, if the council starts to actually provide some of the facilities and services, and, fulfil its obligations, for which residents and ratepayers have been paying thousands of dollars over the years, for nothing, perhaps it will ensure the election of the Deputy Mayor, in a ward in which he does not live, and probably has little understanding of local issues. Even if the council does these things, only for the two (?) remaining months up until the close of voting, it will be better than the complete neglect shown to local residents and ratepayers, for so many years.
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