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Community researchers are luxury we cannot afford in Pendle
IT was not until Mr Pendle read the letter from D. Walker of Barrowford the other week that he realised Pendle Council employs 21 community research officers who talk to people about local issues.
Not being one to read Pendle News, which goes straight into his green recycling box along with the Citizen and all other free newspapers he receives, the news of these new posts being created had escaped him.
He read Mr Walker's letter, which mentioned the plethora of town and parish councillors, borough councillors, county councillors and an MP, not to mention forums and community groups for this, that and the other which already exist to deal with everything to do with Pendle.
He found himself agreeing with every word Mr Walker had to say about the researchers - as he has done in previous correspondence from him on a wide variety of topics.
One of the gems these research officers unearthed, apparently, was concern over empty houses in Brierfield.
Now not living in that part of the borough, Mr Pendle has no idea whether anyone has mentioned this self-same problem to their town, borough or county councillors - but he cannot imagine for a moment that not one Brierfielder has done so.
He also cannot imagine a town councillor of the calibre of Michael Sutcliff, the town's three borough councillors or the redoubtable County Coun. Mohammed Iqbal, Brierfield's man at County Hall, have not picked up any grumbles about empty houses in the town and had words in the appropriate ears at Nelson Town Hall.
So he can only assume Pendle Council's officers were already aware of the housing problems in Brierfield before the community researchers came a-knocking on their doors to report them - adding further fuel to the flames fanned by Mr Walker when he said the researchers were an ill-afforded luxury in the current economic climate.
WE are again being told that within a few years, we will not be using cash and buy everything with a card.
Mr Pendle will believe that when it happens.
For anyone who thinks Mr Pendle will use a card to buy his morning newspaper or a packet of fruit gums costing less than 1 is obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
As he has said before, there is nothing more infuriating than standing in a supermarket queue and seeing a shopper fiddling in a purse or wallet for a card and taking an eternity to use a machine to pay their bill - Mr Pendle simply hands over sufficient money to pay for his goods, collects his change and is on his way in a few seconds.
It couldn't be easier, could it?
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Weather for Pendle
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
