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As this election approaches it will be now up to you to decide who your representatives will be, your choice as to whom you wish to act as your Government. This is a very serious matter, as it will have a direct effect on your lives, by the legislation that is enacted and by the decisions taken on your behalf. By voting you will be trusting a person to act on your behalf, somebody who has to take the responsibility for representing you, somebody that you must trust. I believe that I am the person that you can put your trust in, l will serve you with honesty and diligence to the best of my ability. I will give you 100% because if I am voted in, this will be my one and only employment and there are no other distractions to draw me away from this responsible position. By being honest with you from the outset, whether it is the answer to a question, a solution to a problem or some form of assistance, I hope that this will breed the necessary trust that you will appreciate. Those of you who have known me for some years will be aware of my commitment to society and my persistence in trying to achieve the targets set for me by you. When you make up your mind as to who to vote for please seriously consider what I have to say. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW ME YET LET ME BRIEFLY INTRODUCE MYSELF. The IOM Postal Authority has employed me for 19 years where I started as a postman. I then progressed to Postman Higher Grade before becoming a Coordinator and then took promotion to Delivery Manager. I have also been an active member of Douglas Lifeboat crew for 19 years, where I have learnt the true meaning of teamwork. I have had the honour of being Councilor for Derby Ward for four-and-a-half years and have served on the following committees: Policy & Resources (Vice Chairman), Leisure Services (Chairman and Vice Chairman), Public Health and Housing, Public Works, Selection Committee, Boundaries Extension Committee, Tramways Subcommittee, and Golf Club Subcommittee. I have always spoken up and made my point when I have had to do so, both at Council and in committee. At the age of 45 I believe that I have a lot to offer for East Douglas, now and in the future. I take great pleasure in serving the Community where I was born, educated and brought up and will, if you will let me, continue to do so. HOUSING "The desperate need for first-time-buyer houses was grossly underestimated by a Government that lacks foresight!" We have seen house prices grow beyond our wildest expectations, it will take years for wages to catch up with the present high prices. Many of our younger persons and couples have no chance of getting a house of their own in this present situation. In fact some young couples have even moved off the Island to places where they can afford to buy property. The most recent applications for first-time-buyers houses were 650% oversubscribed and the criteria for allocating them was so narrow that many people have been disappointed. We also have the situation where people are unable to move from one property to another due to the swift rise in prices, this could be assisted by the introduction of a Government Mortgage Scheme aimed specifically at kick starting the housing market. Builders should also play their part by constructing housing that matches the required demand, not everybody needs a one- or two bed roomed apartment in a luxurious location. The necessity of Local Authority Housing should not be forgotten either with over 340 applications for housing on the waiting list for Douglas alone and only one scheme under construction, Pulrose, these people will have a long wait. Approximately 200 new houses would have a dramatic effect on the waiting list, creating vacancies in the rented houses and apartments that these people would come from. Vacancies in this area would assist in bringing down the overcharged rents that unscrupulous landlords have been charging for too long now. Their profiteering should also be looked at by the Treasury and be taxed accordingly. Further sheltered accommodation sites should be identified, apart from those at the Bus Station and Pulrose, which are planned, an increase in the demand for this type of accommodation is inevitable. We should therefore be looking ahead so that the elder generation can be catered for thus also freeing up two and three-bedroom houses, which are desperately needed by younger families. The recent influx of residents to the Island has revealed many things, one of which is the high standards of education that they can get here for their children. Those of us who have been here longer are aware that standards are high, but they have been better The teachers themselves, have in some cases, got a thankless task. With unruly and undisciplined children spoiling classes and the teachers unable to use an effective deterrent we now have the unfortunate situation where drugs have been discovered at a schoolTeachers have already started to feel the effects of being understaffed and are experiencing problems engaging suitable personnel. This must be reacted to immediately before we end up in the same position as in the adjacent isle where there are severe shortages of staff. The financing of the education system is an investment in the future of our children and as such standards must be maintained. Better teacher/pupil ratios are important and must be achieved, disruptive pupils must be controlled, separately if necessary. MINIMUM WAGE Although this has been introduced at £4.10, at least it is a start, now it has to be maintained by the rate of inflation plus a percentage each year. In this day and age there is no reason at all why a decent wage for a days work cannot be paid. LAW & ORDER We must confiscate all assets, cash and property of those concerned, hit them where they will really feel it and impose long sentences. DRUGS AND ALCOHOL are an ever-increasing menace in our society, I am under no illusions that there will always be those who will engage in the use of illicit substances. Whilst it is correct to prosecute users, targeting suppliers has to who are making money out of addicts, who in turn become criminals to supply their habit. This is where we are all affected by their criminal activities so that the suppliers’ can get rich. Alcohol is becoming much more to blame for aggressive incidents and binge drinking has resulted in deaths, serious consideration now has to be given to educating the younger generations as to the adverse effects that they can encounter. Manpower Resources have always been a problem on a Friday and a Saturday night, to cure this the management structure of the Police should be looking at their own management of staffing levels. If you have a need for a certain amount of staff at a certain time then provision must be made for this. It may be unpopular to work over a weekend, at nights, but if the resources are required then it has to be done, cost should not be a factor. Police Special Constables play an important part in the community and are a valuable aid to the Police Force but as they are virtually unpaid apart from special duties, i.e. T.T. week (or paid for by another department). It lacks incentive for others to commit themselves to this, Special Constables are called on to deal with all manner of incidents, sometimes in association with regular officers sometimes on their own. Proper recognition of this could go a long way to providing additional Specials, which would relieve full time officers, to deal with more serious matters. HEALTH The nursing staff and doctors do a fantastic job, which all of us appreciate, but are they truly recognized for their efforts? With the employment of so many agency nurses, who have better conditions and pay, it is a wonder that we have any staff left. Recruitment, pay and conditions of service must be made a priority, or there will not be enough staff to keep Nobles Hospital going. Could you imagine if the new hospital was to be so short staffed then it would be years before it ever became fully operational. GP’s patients lists have become so overcrowded that it must be a cause for concern, where as a GP should have 1 ,500—1 ,700 persons many of them are now in excess of 2,200. The most immediate effect of this is the time it takes to actually see a doctor, to prevent any further deteriation to their demanding standards the Health Services needs to allow several more practices to open. An immediate recruitment of GP’s is essential to the welfare of all concerned. Private health care does have its place in society and is not to be roundly condemned, but why should a person who can hardly afford such care have to resort to this just to gain an immediate solution to their problem. Prioritisation of the needs of all is essential, with waiting times for debilitating conditions to be cut as soon as possible. RESIDENCY ACT It is regrettable that the outgoing administration has failed to implement this legislation and has as such put it on the shelf". Such dithering will get us nowhere, With the Residency Act in place we would be in a position of control, we may well have over 800 job vacancies but we should be looking at quality not quantity. We must ensure the best possible standards of living for all that live here, many have moved here for this reason alone, and we should be in a position where we can sift out undesirables before any crime is committed. We would also be able to monitor to what extent the population would increase given over a set number of years and therefore predict the needs of the Island more successfully than of past. A strong and secure Island is what we all desire. TOURISM Gone are the days of mass tourism, by providing specialist holidays in several different formats we will maintain an industry, camping, caravanning, walking, motor sports, athletics and special events all could be made much more attractive to visitors. The introduction of high quality specialist long weekend breaks could be yet another enhancement to the tourist industry. The need for more facilities for leisure on the Island should be considered, for without facilities for local people to use there will no facilities for tourists. Leisure is important to all of us, we all work more intensely so we need to relax, and everybody has his or her own ideas of how to do this. Be it through whatever it is that appeals to the individual, sports, nights out, the theatre, action, then we should be taking a positive step to provide better, safe and attractive facilities. AGRICULTURE By utilizing our unique disease free status there will be an excellent potential for commercial activity. The agricultural industry has had its fair share of problems over the past few years and I would gladly support any initiatives that would be of benefit. However after avoiding the infestation of Foot and Mouth, agriculture is now in with an excellent chance to place itself in a strong and competitive position. The recent introduction of local meat products to supermarkets should have taken place a lot earlier and I am sure that these stores on the Island could display many more local items. If supermarkets wish to trade over here then it is only right that we should demand that they sell local products as an alternative for those that want them. Fishing was a once proud industry that we are in danger of totally losing, as a lifeboat crew member I appreciate the dangers and hardships that fishermen have endured, only to see their own trade be decimated by rules, regulations and imposed quotas. We will never see a full fishing fleet again but we must strive to assist those that still exist. ENERGY AND FUEL We are now paying more for our gas than at any other time known to us. This is the result of letting Manx Gas out of control from the Island. As the Manx Electricity Authority is now about to import gas is it not about time that we had such a body as a MANX ENERGY AUTHORITY which would give us back control of essential supplies, thus preventing us from being dictated to from alternative sources. Petrol and diesel prices have always been a cause for concern and have regularly been criticised. If fuel companies will not regulate themselves then the Government should do it for them. PLANNING I feel that it would be more beneficial to all concerned if first stage planning was returned to Local Authority level, with what can only be seen as a total lack of continuity as it is in its present form it is most certainly time for a change. Whilst I have been canvassing in East Douglas many local issues have been brought to my attention, the most talked-about subject was speeding and traffic-calming measures. This is a matter that has been a cause of concern for the majority of you and if elected, I would wish to tackle this immediately. Parking was the next most discussed item in all areas, with exceptional criticism for the Transport Department coming from Grosvenor Road and Grafton Street. All areas of Douglas appear to have parking problems and not enough is being done to alleviate the problem. Regeneration is the issue for those in the centre of Douglas, a complete lack of communication has appalled all who live in the affected area. Schools in all areas are thought to be under used, community centre and youth club facilities are still in great demand. I could write about the many other concerns that you have brought to my attention but there is not enough space. I have therefore listed many of them below:
If I have the good fortune to be elected by you as your representative I can assure you of this: "Constituency matters, do matter". I will not forget the concerns which you have raised with me. Published by Colin Cain Printed via the IOM Elections Website. www.iomelections.com REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT 1995
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