The march

Well our esteemed leader <cough> did actually take part in the march this morning...How she got away from it in one piece is probably only down to the high police presence...She declined to talk at the rally at the end of the march and left that to her deputy to do...Well to be frank she was booed as soon as she went up onto the platform so she stepped back down...The deputy leader was booed to bits as well LOL...It was bitterly cold and started out sunny which soon changed to hail then back to sun, then rain and then it decided it was going to snow and keep snowing...The main city centre street is the one the march went down and it was completely closed to traffic...That is something i have only ever seen on hogmanay...Even then it's not always the whole of the street that gets closed off...All along the whole length the pavements were lined with people clapping and cheering and some joined in with the actual march...Even the shopworkers were stood outside the shop doors...Thousands took part in the march itself from the very young in pushchairs, physically disabled in wheelchairs right through to the elderly...There was a rally at the end of the march at the finishing point...Quite a few people actually didn't stay for the rally or wandered off part way through but it was bitterly cold and snow falling all the time...Each group that took part got a chance for a spokesperson to speak out, councillors themselves spoke, Nicol Stephens MSP Abdn south and leader of the lib dems in Scotland, Anne Begg MP abdn south...There were other local MPs and MSPs there too...Anne Begg is utterly disgusted with the cuts that are being regarding the disabled...She is in a wheelchair herself so she can understand i guess...The majority of these cuts are being directed towards schools and disabled groups...Closing down day care centres, cutting back on outreach workers, cutting back on respite care provision (it's shit as it is) ...As i've said before surely if the budget for social care is being exceeded within around 3 months then that points to a NEED and that more money needs to be allowed in that sector!!!!...Is that too much like commonsense????? So they close several day care centres with no alternative provision for the people who are kicked out...So then they are left to become almost prisoners in their own homes...Not just elderly disabled but many young disabled too...People will have to give up their jobs to lookafter them...Which is not so much a worry about having to live on benefits but the fact that for many of them their job, full or part time, is the ONLY break they get...And they will lose that and then their health will suffer as a result...Why oh why can't these IDIOTS see that...Why does John Swinnery come out with biggest load of tripe when being asked about what is happening in aberdeen...Westminster set aside several million quid last year to go on the disabled/social care sector...Around £30 million i think was given to Scotland as our share of that pot...So what do Holyrood do they hand out a share to all the councils WITHOUT RING FENCING IT...So it just goes into a general pot in the coffers of the council and they use it for whatever they want...BLUDDY STUPID...Oh our ever so well respected <splutter>, marvellous <choke>, fulfills his duties ever so well <cough> Deputy Lord Provost was there too...Whether he was on the march itself or not i haven't got a clue as he most certainly did NOT look like a councillor...Naaaa he looked like a kid who was protesting at his primary school being closed down...He was pointed out to me and had tatty trainers on, scruffy jeans, a beanie hat and a hoodie FFS...Now hey my lads wear stuff like that BUT they are NOT city councillors let alone the deputy lord provost FFS...Honestly he looked like a damn good candidate for an asbo...He stood there gawking at the platform chewing his gum and trying to chat to the group K was with...And they were trying to slide away from him...He then moved on to stand beside 2 grown men who knew him but you could tell from their expression they didn't want him anywhere near him...I know plenty young people who are responsbile, have plenty life experience, who work hard on committees at school, groups outwith school and in local politics and for local issues...Am afraid this gormless eejit is giving them all a bad name...From what i have been told on very good authority and from what i saw today he's like a young teen playing at something instead of it being a very serious, responsible job...They can't trust him to go anywhere outwith the city to represent the city if the Lord Provost is unable to go...The organisers of today had the foresight and decency to have someone on the platform signing what was being said by everyone for those who were there that are deaf :o)

Do i think today will make a difference to the cuts??? Sadly probably not but every single one of those councillors who are the ruling parties up here are going to quaking in their boots that they are going to be out of a job at the next election...Shame there's not one soon...Am proud i went along and took part and marched with thousands of others for something i believe is WRONG...I don't give a toss that they have no idea where they can get money from so as to not make these cuts...They can decide NOT to move into Marschial college at a cost of around £80 million as it stands just now (it cost £40 million when first was spoken about and set in motion) and stay in their crappy old 1970's high rise eyesore...There you go that's a big saving on money that they can use to spend PROPERLY <g> Link below is to the local STV website with video clip and spiel about the march...Oh yes the tv cameras were all the way along union st today and the local papers had goodness knows how many photographers out in force following everyone :o)

stv news - Eight thousand protest against Aberdeen council cuts

PS: I've redone this entry for Stuart as the font i usually use is now too small for him to read...I tried readjusting the original but instead of increasing the size AOL in their wisdom decided to decrease it to a point where i was struggling to read it...Hope this is size 12 unlike me LOL