Memorial tree decision - Town Hall 13/12/17

[kaytie]

Lived in the area for years - never heard anyone mention these trees until this point.

 

Accept that people may not want them removed - don’t really accept the argument that it’s due to a memorial - think that’s something people have used to support the argument to keep them.

 

I was a pupil at Western Road Infant and Junior Schools and we were taught about the trees. We called them the Soldier Trees and were inclined to salute them!

[Mandem]

Lived in the area for years - never heard anyone mention these trees until this point.

 

Accept that people may not want them removed - don’t really accept the argument that it’s due to a memorial - think that’s something people have used to support the argument to keep them.

 

I too have lived here for over 40 years, and my children went to Westways, and I have never heard them mentioned before, never had a memorial service on Armistice day, and Western Road pavements are a nightmare to walk on.

[paula4sheff]

I will never ever vote for a Labour council again.

 

A shameful bunch.

[EmmaJones76]

I will never ever vote for a Labour council again.

 

A shameful bunch.

 

Yes because all the decisions on which trees to cull are made by councillors

 

No matter who you vote for, the Council always get in. Makes no difference.

[onewheeldave]

Because there's been very little interest (on here, rather than other places) to indicate you care.

 

So, a natural conclusion is, you don't.

 

It's not about memorials, just trees to some, and some other people notice a bandwagon being jumped on.

 

Now you prove I'm wrong...

 

It is about memorials. Those trees are memorials, and were planted to commemorate soldiers who gave up their lives.

 

Just because protesting against the desecration of war memorials also suits the aims of those opposing the councils current quest to take down trees, takes nothing away from the fact that these trees are war memorials.

[EmmaJones76]

It is about memorials. Those trees are memorials, and were planted to commemorate soldiers who gave up their lives.

 

Just because protesting against the desecration of war memorials also suits the aims of those opposing the councils current quest to take down trees, takes nothing away from the fact that these trees are war memorials.

 

So they should just be allowed to stay and wreck the pavements because of that?

[paula4sheff]

Yes because all the decisions on which trees to cull are made by councillors

 

No matter who you vote for, the Council always get in. Makes no difference.

 

What a ridiculous thing to say, Of course 'the Council' always gets in. Otherwise there would be no Council. That's as absurd as saying "no matter who you vote for an MP always gets in".

 

It makes a massive difference who people vote for- that decides who RUNS the Council.

 

Voting is the way things get changed.

[EmmaJones76]

What a ridiculous thing to say, Of course 'the Council' always gets in. Otherwise there would be no Council. That's as absurd as saying "no matter who you vote for an MP always gets in".

 

It makes a massive difference who people vote for- that decides who RUNS the Council.

 

Voting is the way things get changed.

 

These trees are being cut down to save money.

 

A Lib Dem or Tory council will...shock horror, still have to save money.

 

I don't know why people think it would be any different. Add to that unelected civil servants (totally unrelated to local elections) are making the day to day decisions on which trees to cull.

[onewheeldave]

What a ridiculous thing to say, Of course 'the Council' always gets in. Otherwise there would be no Council. That's as absurd as saying "no matter who you vote for an MP always gets in".

 

It makes a massive difference who people vote for- that decides who RUNS the Council.

 

Voting is the way things get changed.

 

It's far from a ridiculous thing to say, as Staunton put it so well-

The simple explanation for this phenomenon is neoliberalism.

 

How can a multinational tax avoiding corporation make money out of verge trees? Easy - form a lucrative 'partnership' with a local authority, then send a team of low-paid workers to cut them down and charge the public an inflated price for the work.

 

Neoliberals love tax - they don't trouble themselves to pay tax, but they happily help themselves to the taxes that ordinary people pay - VAT, Council Tax, Income Tax, they are not fussy.

 

And Sheffield City Council are not Labour or Conservative. They are neoliberal. They have become simple agents for their contractors, and adept at the instrumental use of beurocracy to frustrate any opposition. And it works. The myth is that neoliberals hate government, but this sordid episode proves the opposite - they need government to channel contracts in their direction and debilitate any opposition.

 

And as for legal threats towards protestors, they would happily impoverish anyone who opposes their operations because that means money for their friends, the bailifs and the contractors in the enforcement sector.

 

I'm not saying don't vote, because there is potential to slightly tweak things by engaging in the game. But too many people think that voting is the only way of bringing about change, and invest all their time/energy into getting their favoured political agent/s in place. The reality is that political agents (whatever party) can't get into power without following the neoliberal agenda.

[sheffandy]

Yes because all the decisions on which trees to cull are made by councillors

 

No matter who you vote for, the Council always get in. Makes no difference.

 

Its was the Amey contract which was signed off and agreed by this mob of councillors.

Not one has has condemned the disgraceful way Amey have gone about executing this contract.

You call 'roll eyes' all you want, but all this has happened under the control of the worst council this city has had in years and years, and I sincerely hope that when they come looking for votes in the local elections I hope they get more than a 'bloody nose'