No 57, November 2003
Landowner’s blunt message to countryside
lovers:
Get out of Worthing!
WORTHING people who don’t want to
see their environment ruined by property developers can get out of town, says
Titnore landowner Fitzroy Somerset. The Porkbolter has a copy of
a videoed interview with the Holt Farm patriarch conducted by anti-hunt
activists trying to stop fox cubs being killed on his land on Thursday
September 18. Mr Somerset was quizzed persistently but politely as to why, as
a self-professed countryside lover, he was all set to sell off a precious
chunk of it for yet another sprawling suburban housing estate.
When it was put to him that "if you keep on developing, you end up with no
land, don’t you?" his reply was a logic-defying "No, you don’t!"
And asked whether he didn’t feel he owed it to the people of Worthing to
protect the local environment, Mr Somerset replied: "I don’t owe the
people of Worthing anything. Why should I?" The interviewer suggested that it
might be because it was the people of Worthing’s environment that would
be ruined by the bulldozers and tarmac-layers.
Replied Mr Somerset: "They don’t have to live there."
And when the interviewer asked if he was suggesting people should move out,
the landowner added: "If they’re not happy with where they live,
certainly they can move out."
What a jolly thoughtful and sensitive suggestion!
Whose meeting, Bob?
TWO Worthing borough councillors
distinctly failed to impress the public at the Durrington meeting staged by
Protect Our Woodland! on Saturday September 13. Lib Dem pair
Bob Smytherman and Hazel Thorpe seemed unable or unwilling to
give a straight and satisfactory answer to anything put to them. The whole
process began with farce when Cllr Smytherman, executive member for planning
and economic development, was asked why the council had not itself organised a
public meeting on the issue. His answer was that the council had organised
"this one" - in fact it had been called by POW! as a protest at the lack of a
council-organised meeting!
Later in a letter to the Worthing Advertiser (September 17)
Cllr Smytherman was on similarly devastating form. For instance, he came up
with the reassuring fact that a massive four public meetings had been held in
Durrington - over the last 20 years! And he managed to claim that the aim of
the development brief was "not to destroy an area but to preserve it".
Funny - we thought that was what the protesters were trying to do! He also
took the Advertiser to task for including "quotes from one particular and
one-sided newsletter". Sadly, the reticent councillor could not bring
himself to actually mention the name of that dreaded and mysterious
publication, which seems to have the same effect on politicians as a shaft of
healthy sunlight on Count Dracula!
Scared of democracy?
WORTHING Borough
Council’s website has been keenly promoting "Local Democracy
Week" in October. They ask - or perhaps shriek: "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
HAPPEN IN LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK???" Errr, what about the council actually
listening to Worthing people for a change? Or is that too much to ask? Maybe
the council could take up a helpfully democratic suggestion from Protect
Our Woodland! The pressure group has called for a referendum to
be held on the future of Titnore Woods and the nearby green fields and
hedgerows earmarked for the massive West Durrington development. What a novel
idea! Let the people decide! Then the council will have a clear mandate -
either to allow the scheme or to refuse it permission all the way down the
line, in the knowledge they have the backing of the public which they are
apparently supposed to represent.
* Hopes of a democratic response from the Town Hall politicos have hardly
been encouraged by the response to the recent death of Goring Tory councillor
David Marchant. There is no sign of a by-election being staged
and we understand the Tories and Lib Dems have agreed between them not to hold
one, despite the neck and neck party balance in the council chamber. How come?
Are both these useless parties too scared of facing the public?
We’re staying put!
The [DELETED by CLLR
SMYTHERMAN]is a totally independent local newsletter, dedicated to
encouraging Worthing people to hold their ground and stand up to the rich and
powerful bullies who try to make their lives a misery. We have no plans to
move to Milton Keynes. To get the next six issues through the post send a
donation of at least £3 payable to [DELETED by CLLR SMYTHERMAN]
at PO Box 4144, Worthing BN14 7NZ. You can go on the email list for free via
porkbolter@eco-action.org.
(yes, we know but we’re bored of that joke now).
1,000 empty properties
"ALMOST 1,000 properties are standing
empty in Worthing" reported The Argus on September 3. So why the
need to build those 900 new homes on the countryside at Titnore Lane? We think
it’s something to do with easy profits.
Raving lunacy exposed!
"IF you see people who you think
may be preparing for a rave - call the police and report it immediately before
it gets out of hand." That was the public spirited call from the
ever-vigilant Worthing Advertiser on September 24. Responding
instantly, our reporter rushed outdoors at 8.31am and spotted groups of young
persons gathering together ominously on the streets of Worthing, all dressed
in similar clothing and moving in a strange robotic manner towards some
unknown destination. Needless to say, he called the police. But alas, in vain.
At 3.34pm he spotted numerous straggles of youngsters, dazed and pale from
hours of intense yet pointless activity, wandering shambolically back towards
their homes, all life drained from them by what they had endured. The
Advertiser was right! The shame of Worthing’s cursed youth was there for
all to see!
Secret plot to steal our freedom
PEOPLE think we’re
making it up when we say the Government is paving the way for a totalitarian
police state where every movement of every person is constantly monitored by
the authorities. So here’s a just few nuggets we spotted in the last few
weeks to show you what we mean.
* "EVERY child in England will be given a unique identifying number
attached to an electronic file of personal information about their lives,
under plans announced yesterday" (The Guardian, September
9). And will they destroy the file when the kids reach 18? The pork they
will!
* POLICE launched a ‘truancy round-up’ along the West Sussex
coast in September, with six children stopped in Worthing - all of whom
were accompanied by their parents at the time! (Worthing
Advertiser, September 24). Meanwhile, the Government is proposing
on-the-spot fines of £100 for parents whose children are caught
out of school without the permission of the all-controlling authorities
(BBC website, October 3).
* HOME Secretary David Blunkett is still pushing for
compulsory ID cards for all, with "biometric" information such as eyescans
or electronic finger prints. These elements will be introduced on to
passports and driving licenses within the next 10-15 years anyway, says
The Guardian (September 12). And the cabinet has secretly
given the go-ahead for Britain’s first national computer database,
featuring extensive computer files on each and every one of us
(Guardian, September 30).
* RELEASED sex offenders are to be "tagged" with global satellite
positioning technology, reported The Observer (September 21). "This will allow
probation services and police to pinpoint the wearer anywhere in the UK to
within three metres. The device is capable of providing a detailed diary
at the end of every day of where the user has been. The electronic diary can
be studied remotely by experts. The device has a wireless connection to a
special mobile phone carried by the offender at all times." Meanwhile,
mobile phone companies are citing "emergency powers" to put up
new powerful masts without planning permission from local councils (West
Sussex County Times, September 26). Hmmm...
* POLICE have "called for every person in Britain to have their DNA
recorded on a database". (Daily Mirror, September 9).
Thugs control city
WORTHING people who travelled to London in
September to protest against DSEi, Europe’s biggest arms fair, returned
with reports of brutal police repression. Not only did the state’s hired
thugs deploy the draconian Terrorism Act 2000 against peaceful protesters
(which is what we warned it would be used for all along, so there!) but
they also threw their weight around in an even nastier manner than usual. One
Worthing teenager was dragged out of the crowd and wrongfully accused of
spitting at the police - he thinks someone nearby with a water pistol might
have scored a direct hit! He was then pushed to the ground and kicked
repeatedly by a group of police, while other cops watched and did nothing to
intervene. He has contacted solicitors and the pressure group
Liberty with a view to taking the police to court over his
treatment. And meanwhile, the police wonder why so many people these days seem
to hate their guts...
* On the positive side, we couldn’t help cheering the following
football result from the Ryman league: "Worthing 4, Met Police 1"!
Figure this out...
‘A BIG Thank You for voting
CONSERVATIVE’ declares the main heading of an In Touch
leaflet distributed by the local Tories in Gaisford ward. You what?
After all, as we mentioned in our May issue, 71.39% of Worthing’s
electorate didn’t vote at all in the last council elections. And a
majority (55%) even of those who did vote in the Gaisford ward, didn’t
vote for the winning Tory candidate. So they were only endorsed by 45% of the
28.6% who voted at all, meaning 12.9% or about one in eight residents, with
the other seven out of eight wondering what the pork those Tory prats are on
about!
Tunnel vision for Asda
COULD the workers behind wartime
tunnels in Durrington have unwittingly "dug for victory" over
supermarket giant Asda/WalMart 60 years later? That’s the
startling question posed by an underground Porkbolter mole, who points out
there are huge tunnels, big enough to drive two tanks down, under the surface
in the Field Place area. The old Inland Revenue buildings in Barrington Road
were a hospital built for war casualties and the whole area is believed to be
criss-crossed with unrecorded tunnels. Any attempt to build on the playing
fields at Worthing College could disrupt the fragile stability of the tunnel
network, our expert reckons. And the knock-on implications could create a
domino effect of subsidence across the area. We have heard that Asda/WalMart
might now know about these tunnels and may just be wobbling about the massive
liabilities that could be unleashed! Watch this space!
In the meantime, we would love to hear any more info about the Durrington
tunnels from our knowledgeable readers!
B*ll***s to Bush!
GET OUT on the streets of London and show
George W Bush what you think of him! That’s the message from a vast
array of groups planning to make the American President’s state visit to
Britain on November 19 to 21 as uncomfortable as possible. Book time off work
now! Anyone who wants to join a Worthing contingent can contact
worthing@eco-action.org for details.
Porkies launch Plan Bee
"A LORRY carrying 300kg of bacon
careered into trees beside the A27 in Worthing after the driver was stung by a
bee" (Argus, September 5)*. A bee? Or a clever miniature
bee-format guided missile unleashed by our top secret Piggy Resistance to
intercept and destroy all enemies of the Porcine Race? Ham sandwich
distributors watch out - you are next!
*Nobody was hurt
PORK-SCRATCHINGS
FIRST we had the survey that showed Worthing
was the most profitable town in the UK (for the bosses, not us lot -
obviously!). Then we had the survey voting Worthing "Britain’s worst
place to grow up in" (Argus, September 29). Any connection,
possibly?
* * *
"THE number of allegations proven against Sussex Police in the
past year was well above the national average, according to new figures,"
reported The Argus on September 16. It seems that almost 22% of
the allegations against the cops by the public were supported - and by a
complaints system that notoriously fails to take criticism seriously! The
national average is just 15%.
* * *
MORE and more people in this country are seeing through our corrupt political
system and the sham "democracy" that they try to fob us off with. That was the
finding of a poll by thinktank Reform. The Daily Mirror reported
on October 6 that almost half of voters - 47% - have no allegiance to any
political party and 74% said "no party had new or attractive policies". Said a
Reform spokesman: "The fastest growing party is the No party."
* * *
NICE to see Worthing police doing their bit for the British economy. The
Worthing Herald revealed (August 21) that they have splashed out on 17
new mountain bikes - imported from the USA. They were made by Smith and
Wesson, so can we expect weapons of mass destruction to be cunningly concealed
in the handlebars?
* * *
VICTORY now seems possible in the battle to stop GM crops coming to
Britain, with a series of important set-backs for the corporate conspirators
and their friends in the US and UK governments. First there were the results
of the ‘GM Nation’ consultation which showed
(Independent, September 25) overwhelming public opposition, with
93% of respondents believing GM technology is driven by profit rather than
public interest. Then there was the scientists’ report confirming the
dangers to the environment from GM. And, meanwhile, protesters continue to
trash the unwanted crops and target the firms involved - the latest campaign
is against Bayer CropScience: www.stopbayergm.org
* * *
FROM Bolivia to Chiapas, the indigenous peoples of Central and South America
are in the front line of the global resistance to capitalism. But why? That's
the issue at worthing eco-action’s meeting upstairs at The
Downview, opp West Worthing station, on Tuesday November 4, 7.45pm.
* * *
WORTHING Green Social has a new email address, namely
worthinggreensocial@hotmail.com
* * *
THE G8 summit is being staged in the UK in 2005 and protests are
already being planned! Go to http://www.geocities.com/bolshybo/g8/index.htm
* * *
JOE Strummer Remembrance Sunday is on November 9 at Concorde 2,
Brighton, 2pm-midnight. Tickets £10/£8 in advance. Info:www.attilathestockbroker.com
* * *
WORTHING Against Racism is holding a music event at the 3T0
nightclub in Chapel Road on December 12. Contact worthingagainstracism@yahoo.co.uk
* * *
SHARP and topical analysis of corporate media bias can be had on the excellent
medialens site.
* * *
A HALLOWE'EN anti-war protest is being held in Brighton on Friday October 31.
Meet 5.30pm at the Old Steine.
* * *
A WALK along the currently rejected A27 route at Arundel, calling for National
Park protection, is to be staged on Sunday November 2. Meet 1pm outside the
Norfolk Hotel, Arundel.
Microchip your babies!
RESPONSIBLE parents should microchip
their babies at birth! That was the caring advice from the Minister for
Total and Ruthless Control last week. He said: "It’s quite
simple. If you don’t want your children to be eaten and raped into a
mush by drug-peddling cannibal Iraqi football-thug rave terrorists, get them
chipped by a vet. Better still, have them lobotomised as well to ensure they
lead a full and happy life as an obedient and flexible labour unit in our
marvellous wealth-creating democracy."
Printed and published by The Pork-Bolter, PO Box 4144, Worthing BN14 7NZ.
No copyright. No tunnels under our PO Box!
and finally ...
Reclaim Your Town, Reclaim Your Life!
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