Israel, no longer the promissed land.

Since the creation, by force, of the "State of Israel" aparently located there by an interpretation from an interpretation of some scripture, the Palestinians have been vocal and in world news for their opposition of that State.

Originally through the "Palestinian Liberation Organisation" (PLO) they gained nothing but world condemnation for the "terrorist tactics used to get attention to their plight and with the main western powers in control were told that the decision was made, and that they had to get over it.

The PLO is gone for all intents and purposes, but not the memories of just how brutal it was for those within the new declared State who opposed its construction and there were rumours of defiant people being dragged from their homes and imprisoned where city's were to be built and those homes were to be bulldozed and it is also alledged that people remained resolute in some homes and were bulldozed within them as all Palestinian things were removed and destroyed and leveled.

The memory, real or concocted of those events drives the older Palestinians on and the aggression of retaliation against any outspoken opposition or even stone throwing at soldiers effectively occupying areas of Palestine keeps the fighting going; many times Israel military have talked about the total obliteration of Palestine as the only solution to ongoing conflict.

Israel controls the media for the region and constantly destroys any new Television station built in Palestine because they really don't want local Palestinians seeing how their bretheren are faring under the war machine of Israel. The media reports show Palestinians living in the state of Israel as Happy, and living a good life, but in my travels there years ago it seemed to me that Israel has created a "slave caste" where Palestinians can live there, they cannot run for office, the cannot own companies or be directors, they cannot go to Palestine unless they stay there permenently, they cannot hold a passport, and they cannot own property (although they can hold title to their home as long as they remain in it, if they leave it; it then becomes property of the state). You can see that these people do not live in equality with the Jewish Israelies but at least they are safe from Israelie gunships , tanks, and indescriminent sharpshooter attacks. Israel is careful not to let this information out to the media and uses Jewish control of world money and media to cover any negative reports.

The majority of reports from media makes claims that whomever died at the hands of Israelie military strikes were Hamas militants, I suppose the dead can't defent themselves and it is easier to believe that the story is true or you'd have to believe that the Israelies are trying to do to the Palestinians exactly what Hitler did to them, tried to wipe them out.

Make no mistake, the UN have proclaimed Israel outside its jurisdiction by remaining in Gaza and other occupied territories, which Israel simply took over by military force, claiming it was growing too fast and that it needed to expand and that there was nothing of value there for the inhabitants anyway, even though the once again dozed everything to allow settlements to be built, when they eventually did pull out (only really the settlers) they left nothing preferring to bulldoze rather than leave accomidation for any returning displaced Palestinains.

To be honest I don't rate that a Jewish state ever existed within the arabic lands, there may have been large enclaves of Jews there but in biblical times the people were still tribal to a certain extent, rather than being unified countrywide, I also don't rate the idea that the Jewish area would have been all the best land, the most arrible and the bets water and that the rest of the local people were happy to live in the remainder ; desert.

I reckon the aggression could be stopped by Israel, it is they who came there and they could make the peace, they are a rich nation who are directly supported by the US and could use money to solve the divide between the two countries, it would cost the same to build roads, housing and dig wells for neighbouring Palestine as to war with them, wouldn't it.

But that would not keep the myth of oppression of the jews alive, world sympathy would wane and they may just have to exist on their own, and lets face it they are all about money, they are very rich and they war against a country where the people have absolutely nothing to fight with and nothing to loose.

No Poo Water for Politicians

Thanks to a Friend who gave this to me, I missed this and i reckon it wasn't too hard to do, apparently it was a tiny piece on page 75 of the weekend paper.

It was titled "Perks for pollies"

Amid all the talk of tightening and tough times ahead, state politicians granted themselves a package of extra perks.

Meal budgets and clothing allowances were raised, ministers' partners were given membership of the Quantas Club's Chairmans Lounge and ministers were allocated $30 a month in bottled water for their chauffeur-driven limousines.

Some of the states mayors didn't miss out either - the maximum remuneration levels were raised by 5 per cent just nine months after most were awarded huge increases with the creation of new super councils.

I would have to say that if they want us to drink fluoridated, recycled sewage they should at least put out a pretence of doing it as well, right ?

Merry Christmas.

With the looming ogre of unemployment already affecting people at Christmas, and set to see the rate double if the recession cannot be halted, it seems the grinch is alive and well and quite visible to all, in the guise of the local council Mayor.

While they claim an independent tribunal determines salary and conditions, the councillors in Logan seem to have asked, not individually, but as a collective for a pay rise because they work so hard, well it's quite possible that some councillors were unaware of even the request for more money going to that independent tribunal, but the request was rejected.

It is always great though when a so called independent body makes a decision, which forces the battler out there to either have to accept reduced services or pay more, but it would seem that is exactly what has occurred, since our Mayor 9and quite a few others) will be getting a substantial increase.

At least she will have a very merry christmas.

QUEENSLAND'S mayors have won themselves yet another remuneration increase after complaining they are both overworked and underpaid.

However, despite the extra cash, they have been told to spend less time dealing with ratepayers and more time focusing on "strategic plans".

From January 1, 29 mayors will have their maximum remuneration level increased by 5 per cent - only months after they were awarded pay increases of up to 20 per cent to reflect the extra work involved with amalgamation. CPI currently is running at 3 per cent.

In awarding the latest increases, the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal acknowledged complaints from ratepayers that councillors were already "grossly overpaid", with too many taking on the role because of the high salaries on offer.

The pay rise comes as the state's private sector struggles to keep staff in jobs ahead of the looming recession and thousands of public servants face the axe as the Rudd Government cuts spending.

Logan City councillors, who are among the highest paid, asked to be in a higher category rating with an 11.5 per cent pay rise. The application was rejected.

It will be hard to get the christmas dinner down if you're one of those facing downsizing in the new year or even worried about the downturn affecting your job, but rest easily , our hard working Mayor is now getting more.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

,

Palm Island Tragedy - the next chapter.

Up to this point we have seen all the twists and turns of an action movie with the plot well and truly revealed early but the twists are now beginning to take effect.

From early articles in Queensland newspapers it would seem fair comment that there was a level of dissatisfaction in the palm island community with some of the police stationed there which resulted in community outrage when one of those officers was at the centre of one of the most widely publicised Aboriginal Deaths in Custody to date.

The tragic and senseless death of a drunk and allegedly aggressive Mulrunji Doomadgee in custody at the Palm Island watch house at the hands of/ in the care of a senior-sergeant on duty who has made admissions about events of that night and it seems, changed the story more than once is the climatic event which appears to have got the ball rolling and started this saga.

Relatives weren't told, and it's alleged that Doomadgee was either not checked or that he was checked but had not moved at all from the position he was left in by the senior-sergeant and was found to be deceased when eventually someone actually went into the cell to find out why he hadn't moved.

Mulrunji Doomadgee died from injuries which included Four broken ribs, ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein, which the senior-sergeant alleges occurred accidentally when he fell onto Mr. Doomadgee during a scuffle while putting him into the cell.

Mulrunji Doomadgee was dragged by the senior-sergeant and dumped either unconscious or already deceased, but nevertheless unmoving and in fact never again moved from where he was put by that senior-sergeant.

All hell broke loose when family and friends found out that Mr. Doomadgee was deceased and the well reported riots were the result of community grieving, discontent and anger over the circumstances surrounding the death, many believing the police person involved was culpable.

The coroner confirmed what the media and the community of Plam Island thought to be true, that the death of an Aboriginal in custody had occurred and that it had been a result of a blow or blows inflicted by the officer handling him on the night he died.

After political intervention, the senior-sergeant was tried in court and acquitted, found not guilty of causing the death after it seems retracting his earlier story of how the events took place.

It was no surprise that the police retaliated against the rioters from Palm Island, and they swept in in numbers and arrested several of the most vocal people, one of which has already been tried and sentenced to six years imprisonment. This is the thin end of the wedge, expect more to be charged and taken to court and summarily to jail. We have already seen the officers from Palm Island awarded medals for heroism and for valor in performing their duty during the riots as the rioters are carted off in prison vans.

But wait there's more.

The latest is that the senior-sergeant has taken action to have the original coroners version of the cause of death overturned and have a new ruling of "accidental" replace it.

I almost believe that it will happen, without ceremony, I see nothing salvageable that is good from the police or the courts and they appear to me to be trying to reduce all responsibility for any and all actions from the time this saga began.
I doubt there will be opportunity for community to respond and if the previous press comments are any guide there will be a lack of police on the streets for a while because they will all be writing in letters of support for one of their own in a callous display of arrogance and disregard for the life of someone in their care.

Assuming the death was a result of an accident, which will in all probability soon be the truth, then how do these heroes explain;
1) Dragging and propping up an unmoving body.
2) Not checking that person despite the allegation that he was belligerent and aggressive before the "accident" and still hasn't moved since.
3) the changing stories from all involved.

I'm not taking sides here, nor am I making accusations, but I am stating facts and asking questions, read this from the Courier Mail:

A JUDGE has ordered a new inquest into the death in custody of Palm Islander Mulrunji Doomadgee after an appeal by the policeman at the centre of the case.

Lawyers for Senior-Sergeant Chris Hurley, who was last year found not guilty of manslaughter after a high-profile trial, had gone to the District Court to appealed the adverse findings of an acting coroner on the 2004 death.

In a bid to clear his name, Senior-Sergeant Hurley launched the unprecedented attack on a coronial ruling that found he had killed Mulrunji by punching him three times.

Judge Bob Pack, in a ruling handed down today, said the possibility of “accidental death’’ could not be excluded.

“I order the State Coroner to direct another Coroner to re-open the inquest to reexamine the finding,’’ Judge Pack wrote in his findings.

“I conclude the Coroner’s findings are against the weight of the evidence.

“The Coroner found Hurley did not have physical contact with Mulrunji in a relevant way and thereby concluded the death must have been caused by punching from Hurley.

“I indicate that after taking into account the medical evidence, because there is evidence supporting the proposition Hurley fell on Mulrunji, and there are reasons why he said he did not fall on him, that despite what Hurley said, the hypothesis of an accidental death cannot reasonably be excluded.’’

The appeal comes after an aborted coronial inquest and a subsequent two-year inquest, a finding by the Director of Public Prosecutions of insufficient evidence, an independent review by Sir Laurence Street suggesting the manslaughter trial go ahead, and a manslaughter trial in the Supreme Court where a jury found Hurley not guilty.


The Gold Coast-based policeman admitted during his manslaughter trial to killing Mulrunji in a ``complicated fall'' but denied a deliberate knee drop.


In September 2006, deputy coroner Clements found that Snr-Sgt Hurley struck Mulrunji and caused his fatal injuries on November 19, 2004, at the police station on Palm Island, off Townsville.


Riots erupted on the island seven days later after an autopsy found Mulrunji suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein in a watchhouse scuffle.

Queensland Government endorces fire sales of repossessed homes, in a backhanded way.

Sometimes we hear stories of where people have had a series of bad events occur and have got behind with their repayments, and usually instead of going to their lender and trying to sort out something, they put in in the too hard basket and pay it when they can which doesn't impress the lender very much.

Don't forget that to supply you with the money you borrowed for your property, that lender probably also borrowed that money and like you they also need to pay it back.

However, we also hear stories about properties that have been repossessed going to auction and barely getting the amount owed, leaving the borrower with out the equity they were due, and in some cases we also hear that someone associated with the lender may have been the buyer, true or not.

This Government has just legitimised the practice of fire sales of repo properties because if caught it will attract a $20,000 fine, which to the skeptic means that at auction the buyer will pay what is owed plus the amount of the fine, I can't see any lender hanging around waiting for 6 to 12 months to get the real value of a repo, can you ?

The Bligh Government will fast-track new legislation this week to protect struggling Queensland home-owners from mortgagee fire sales.

Under the new laws, financial institutions that intentionally sell repossessed properties at below the market value - leaving home owners with little or no equity - could face fines of up to $20,000.

Premier Anna Bligh said mortgage stress was becoming an increasing reality for Queensland families and she was committed to delivering this protection before Christmas.

"More and more Queenslanders are doing it really tough," Ms Bligh said.

"The current financial climate is squeezing household budgets to the limit, many to a point where they cannot pay their mortgage.

"The latest data from Fitch Ratings shows an increase in mortgage stress across Australia, with Helensvale on the Gold Coast the most mortgage stressed suburb in the country.

"Applications made to Queensland courts for repossession of real estate has increased dramatically in recent months, jumping from 374 from March-June to 606 in the last four months - and while it's not possible to say what the circumstances were in each of these cases, the figures are sobering.

"The only thing worse than the prospect of losing your home is the concern that your financial institution could sell your property quickly and at below market value just to cover outstanding debts - leaving you with nothing.

"Swift action is needed and my Government will deliver the protection these vulnerable Queenslanders need by Christmas," she said.

Attorney-General Kerry Shine said the Property Law Act 1974 would be amended to extend the obligation to sell at market value to situations where properties are sold under a power of attorney or by receivers.

"Mortgagees in Queensland who exercise a power to sell property are currently required to comply with section 85 of the Act that requires they 'take reasonable care to ensure that the property is sold at market value," Mr Shine said.

"These new laws will extend this protection and introduce tough, new requirements under this section, including:

1. a requirement to adequately advertise the sale; and

2. obtaining reliable evidence of the property's value; and

3. maintaining the property, including making any reasonable repairs; and

4. selling the property by auction, unless it is appropriate to sell it in another way.

"Any mortgagee or receiver that fails to follow these requirements will face fines of up to $20,000.

"These steps are designed to ensure mortgagees don't seek a quick and easy solution when a repossession occurs and rush through with a sale under market value.

.

Rent bidding, now outlawed.

We all know that before he was a councillor, Sean Black was a small potatoe in the realty game and it seems he was involved in the practice of lining up potential tennants to see who was prepared to pay the most to get a roof over their kids heads, otherwise known as rent bidding.

The practice puts people in a position of feeling powerless and hopeless and almost forces them to participate or walk away and continue looking and in some cases, due to circumstances or whatever they will bid well past what they can afford to secure accomidation, it is the most un-Australian and some would say unconscionable way to serve the rental community.

It seems also that it is a tactic used by realtors who have no idea of the real market and no clue as to what a property should be rented out for , fairly.

Of course these pariahs usually say things like , my owners are so happy that I'm getting the most money for them, or I've never had a complaint, nut rest assured people with houses where tennants are retained in this fashion have more vacancy days than owners where their property is rented at a fair price.

THE practice of rent bidding will be banned in Queensland from next year after new legislation was passed by State Parliament.

The new laws were to respond to the changing private rental market, Housing Minister Robert Schwarten said.

"There's been skyrocketing rents, the growth in off-campus student accommodation and rental accommodation for seniors, and the emergence of rent bidding or auctions, which I consider to be a most un-Australian and unfair practice," Mr Schwarten said.

"Queensland's tenancy laws needed to keep abreast of these changes."

Rent bidding occurs when the price of a rental property is negotiated, rather than fixed.

Mr Schwarten said the new laws included a number of measures designed to enhance protection of tenants but also balanced the interests of landlords.

Under the new laws rent increases can only be imposed six-monthly, rent bidding is outlawed and the notice period to terminate a tenancy at the end of a fixed term without grounds has increased from two weeks to two months.

The rights of lessors have been enhanced with the inclusion of new grounds of entry to rental properties to check on repairs and whether significant breaches have been remedied.

University on-campus accommodation providers will be required to lodge bonds with the Residential Tenancies Authority.

Could our Government ever get to this.

Some Logan councillors would like this to be the case here, but as yet they have to put up with criticism and resort to posting under an anonymous nick to browbeat and attempt to belittle anyone who doesn't agree with them and support them implicitly.

20 years' jail for Burmese blogger


A POPULAR Burmese blogger arrested after anti-junta protests last year has been jailed for 20 years at Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison.

Nay Phone Latt, 28, a former member of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, was sentenced yesterday, along with five other activists and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

"Nay Phone Latt was once an NLD youth member, but he left the party when he was arrested. He was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment,'' NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

Nyan Win said the poet Saw Wai was sentenced to two years in prison for defaming the state in a poem that referred to junta head Than Shwe.

He did not have any information on the four others sentenced yesterday.

Nay Phone Latt's blog was written in the Burmese language and in the style of a novel.

He used it as a forum to discuss the difficulties of daily life, such as the regular power outages and the rising cost of living.

The blog was banned by Burma's military regime, and Nay Phone Latt was arrested in January this year during a round-up of activists linked to the huge anti-junta protests in September 2007.

About 200 NLD members and activists were arrested during and after the September protests, when up to 100,000 people spilled onto Rangoon's streets.

The United Nations has said that at least 31 people were killed and 74 remain missing after the military finally cracked down on the movement.

The military was outraged by bloggers during the September protests, when they provided running accounts of state violence.

The junta cut off the nation's internet links at the height of the protests, choking off the flow of information about the crackdown.

Free Green Light Bulb Replacement.

I would urge as many of you as possible to take advantage of this offer, i don't think this is fair dinkum because it is just a ploy and a media beat up to try to slavage some popularity by pretending to be green whilst running a policy that is going to see thousands of acres of trees cleared in the next ten years which will negate any green value from burning slightly less coal.
Nevertheless, we should all benefit from this and perhaps save a little on our power bills even if it means waiting for a few minutes for the lights to be bright enough to read by.

This Pr Statement gives you the details;




BIG LIGHT SWITCH GIVEAWAY COMING TO A POST OFFICE NEAR YOU


The Bligh Government's Big Light Switch giveaway entered its second phase with free energy-saving light bulbs available at Australia Post.

Premier Anna Bligh said Queenslanders could collect four free energy-saving light bulbs from their local Australia Post* outlet.

"Thanks to Australia Post, we are ramping up our million bulb giveaway to ensure as many Queenslanders as possible have access to this money-saving initiative," Ms Bligh said.

"From as far north as Weipa, to Coolangatta in the south and out west to Mt Isa, Queenslanders will be able to visit a local Australia Post outlet this week, present their Queensland ID and collect a four-pack of energy-saving bulbs - valued at $40.

"And the savings don't stop there. Once installed, the four bulbs will save almost $500 off your electricity bill over the life of the bulbs and reduce your greenhouse emissions by a massive three tonnes.

"A small change to make big savings - for your wallet and the planet."

Ms Bligh said the giveaway, the largest of its kind in Australia, was part of the Government's ongoing fight against climate change.

"My Government's Q2 target for 2020 is to cut Queensland's carbon footprint by a third and to achieve this ambitious target - we need the community's help," she said.

"The Big Light Switch is a great way for households to get involved. The savings may seem small, but the collective effort really adds up to make big difference.

"Switching one million conventional bulbs to energy-saving ones will mean cash savings of around $115 million over the life of the bulbs, and a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 750,000 tonnes - the equivalent to powering all the homes in a town the size of Warwick for a year!

"I urge Queenslanders to visit their local Australia Post this week and make the Big Light Switch - it'll save you money, energy and the planet."

The Australia Post giveaway will run until Saturday, 15 November - while stocks last.

* For a list of participating outlets, free call 1800 088 529 or visit www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au

Guilty! not according to her though.

It always amazes me when children do this, I mean they pick one word out of the sentence to claim righteousness, well I think that's what Palin is doing here.

SARAH Palin has denied wrongdoing after a probe found she had abused voters' trust as Alaska governor, in a new blow to John McCain's White House campaign.

Republican Mr McCain was also embroiled in turmoil of his own, after he was booed late yesterday by supporters and appeared to undercut his own campaign strategy by calling time on personal attacks on Barack Obama.

Alaska Governor Palin rejected the findings of a bipartisan legislative probe which found she violated ethics rules by letting husband Todd pressure top officials for the firing of her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper.

Asked by a reporter in Pennsylvania if the charges were true, Mrs Palin replied: "No, and if you read the report you will see that there was nothing unlawful or unethical about it. You have to read the report."

The report said Mrs Palin had "the authority and power to require Mr Palin to cease contacting subordinates, but she failed to act."

But in a phrase seized upon by the McCain camp, the report also said she acted within her "constitutional and statutory authority" in the case.

The probe was the latest blow to Mrs Palin, who electrified the Republican Party when she was first picked, but has seen her impact, especially among undecided voters and women diminish amid questions about her qualifications.

The damaging report could make it tougher for the McCain camp to portray Mrs Palin as a crusading reformer set to flush out corruption in Washington.

You can make up your own mind, but i would say she not only knew about this and didn't stop it, but she was involved right from the start to take retribution on her ex brother in law.

Be Afraid, . . . . It's hunting season !

I've been keeping an eye on the US election debates and listening with amazement at the media's assessment of the outcomes of the Presidential and vice presidential debates and even interviews, on early morning TV and SBS and there are several things that astound me.

1) There never seems to be a clear winner, the media always has a way to credit both protagonists with points and usually declares a close contest, which in my opinion hasn't been the case.

2) George Bush JR. hasn't come out in support of McCain and in Fact McCain is saying, even though he voted with Bush Policy throughout his terms (over 90% of the time) that he disagrees with a lot of policy and will change it, his running mate also says she wants to change a lot of things, shake things up, take it to the goo old boys, do some moving and shaking, initiate change, make a new start and yet neither of the two of them have said (up till now) exactly what they will change.

3) Both McCain and Obama have vowed to KILL Osama BinLadin, Not capture and bring to trial, not try to corner and make pay for crimes if they can be proven to be attributed to him, not get irrefutable proof that BinLadin is responsible for the tragic events of 9/11, but KILL him.

Today I am scared, I have been hearing that Palin has bullied her way through politics, pushing people around, and dealing harshly with detractors, and those rumours have been persistent but expected after all it is a presidential campaign, and it didn't surprise me that she was the one to come out and exploit the obvious similarity with Osama and Obama by making claims that Barack Obama Palled (was very friendly) with Terrorists, but this article (below) is making me wonder, because we in our area are used to seeing the Glamorous politician who is not used to hearing the word NO from her supporters and doesn't take kindly to hearing it from anyone else and has been reputed to seek vengeance when her will is not complied with.

JUNEAU, Alaska - Todd Palin sought the dismissal of a Alaska state trooper at the centre of a probe into his wife's conduct as governor but denied attempting to influence her directly, court documents showed today.

In a 25-page sworn affidavit to an investigator examining abuse of power allegations against his wife and Republican vice-presidential nominee, Palin said he had repeatedly contacted senior Alaska officials to raise concerns over the conduct of his ex-brother-in-law Mike Wooten.

However, he denied that the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, was connected to his grievances with Wooten, who had been involved in an acrimonious divorce with Sarah Palin's sister.

Sarah Palin is the subject of an official investigation in Alaska which began before she was unveiled as John McCain's presidential running mate.

The inquiry was launched to probe allegations that Palin abused her position by replacing Monegan because he refused to dismiss Wooten. Monegan has said he was forced out after coming under pressure over the trooper.

In his affidavit, Todd Palin, nicknamed the First Dude by Alaskan media, revealed he had contacted several senior figures in his wife's administration over Wooten, but said his wife had later told him to "drop" the matter.

"Anyone who knows Sarah knows she is the governor and she calls the shots," Palin said in his affidavit.

"I make no apologies for wanting to protect my family and wanting to publicise the injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge."

Palin also defended his role in his wife's career as Alaska governor.

"I have heard criticism that I am too involved in my wife's administration," he wrote.

"My wife and I are very close. We are each other's best friend. I have helped her in her career the best I can, and she has helped me."

The first results of the "Troopergate" probe could be released in Alaska on Friday when the committee that initiated the investigation convenes to receive the investigator's report.

However the investigation could be stopped in its tracks if Alaska's Supreme Court rules in favour of five Republican lawmakers who have launched a legal bid to have the inquiry halted, arguing the probe is politically motivated. The court is expected to issue a ruling later today.

If the results of the investigation stand, the report is likely to be made public on Friday, Alaska's legislative council has said.

The inquiry was launched following a unanimous bipartisan vote on July 28, and Palin had initially said she and all state employees would co-operate.

However, since her unveiling as McCain's running mate, Palin and several members of her staff have refused to co-operate, with her campaign branding the probe as "partisan and tainted."

So is this the equivalent of the John Howard "children Overboard" scandal? and Is Palin behind the persecution of her sister's ex-husband, by her own words she doesn't miss a trick so you'd have to say it is, wouldn't you?

.

BIG BROTHER ; alive and well in Logan.

A bit of power can corrupt absolutely, true.

Logan Council has aquired some areas without the agreement of the majority of the residents there and it occurred by force from a convolution of changes to the local government act which effectively took the requirement of going to the people on the issue away.

Nevertheless, the new Mayor and councillors have told people several things to try and placate their animosity to the takeover and new local government authority, firstly the Mayor said they won't be forgotton, what ever that means, and secondly the council said in words of kind, that those areas would be far better off.

Today brings a new chapter, where the most un-Australian thing I've ever heard of is occurring, and guess where, right here in Logan.

A COUNCIL has ordered an ex-soldier to take down the Australian flag which flies outside his house because it has been deemed "offensive" by a neighbour.

Aaron Wilson erected the 5m high flagpole eight weeks ago, in honour of his friends who served in Iraq.

But on Tuesday, Logan City Council called to tell him a neighbour had made a complaint, labelling it "offensive".

He was told to remove the pole or risk legal action. Mr Wilson, whose father fought in Vietnam, said he was disgusted.

"I find it astonishing that anyone could find the Australian flag offensive," he said.

"My family and friends have served for the country and the very least I can do is have a flag to show my appreciation for Australia.

"I thought the council had better things to do with their time than persecute people for putting a flag up."

A council spokeswoman said there was a concern the flagpole could fall down in high winds. She said Mr Wilson needed a building permit, because the pole was only 4.5m from the kerb and, under the Queensland Development Code, it should be at least 6m from the front.

But Mr Wilson, 30, a salesman from Eagleby, near Beenleigh, said other residents in the area had similar flagpoles that were closer to the boundary than his.

He said he would not be moving the flag. "You can't have rules for some people and not for others," he said. "I can't see how moving the flag back a bit is going to stop it being offensive."

Ex-serviceman Cr Ray Hackwood, who represents Mr Wilson's ward, said he would be monitoring the situation.

"As area councillor, I certainly won't allow anyone to pull down an Australian flag," he said.

Mr Wilson's neighbours last night were baffled as to who had complained.

So it seems those who would use the power, for the power's sake in Logan are as usual using it against the community not for it, I mean what kind of imbeciel would deny an Australian citizen the right to erect and display proudly, An Australian Flag.




Well it seems that all the commotion and adverse NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE has had an effect , with Logan doing a backflip by way of intervention by the Mayor , the end result, the flag can stay.

Better late than never I suppose



.

Barack Obama, - - - bewawre !!!

I have yet to see the value of Councillors , I mean the people representing residents on issues such as roads, rates and rubbish, right, making overseas trips at the expense of the ratepayers for various purposes including the sister city program.

Recently there has been a stouch in the local papers which looks to me to have been instigated by Cr Black against Cr Pidgeon making all kinds of allegations, but it seems in reality to cover the fact that Cr Ban has also partaken of an OS excursion at the rate payers expense with an extended holiday tacked on.

Cr Black goes to on about how the costs are too high and levels accusations in the media that Cr Pidgeon didn't get his air fares reduced (even though he did).

What most residents must be wondering is what Cr.Black sees that makes it ok for Cr.Ban to do it but not ok for for Cr.Pidgeon, because they both are going on Council and Mayor sanctioned trips.

Speaking of Cr. Black he's also off overseas, and in the press makes claims he is going to help Obama win the presidential election in the USA.

Poor Barack Obama, I guess Cr. Black can use his experience to show him how to get just over 20% of the vote, somehow though I don't think that will be enough.