Post Office Closure? Big Deal Or Who Gives A Fig?

Whilst it is always great to see political rivals put aside their party bias for the common good, I can’t help but feel like they only agree on the soft issues that everyone can easily agree on. Such is the case with the possible closure of the Post Office on the High Street in Aberystwyth.

In total 42 Post Offices have been identified as branches bleeding money and becoming dead weight for the company. Seeing as the Post Office was privatized not so long ago, it cannot afford to operate at a loss.

The premises in Aberystwyth has been in use as a Post Office since 1901. There is no denying the historical and social significance of the building, but what viable options are there to keep it as is, without propping up a private company with public finances?

The local authority could offer a huge rate relief which would make it finically viable for the business interests of the Post Office. But that rate relief would set a bad precedence, whereby any business with superficial historic significance could hold the public to ransom in the same way.

If it is such an important issue to local people, then they could take out home phone and broadband contracts with the Post Office, spend more money in there so it becomes less of a drain on their corporate interests.

I personally find it frustrating that people are rallying behind this banner of saving the post office, when nobody did a thing when it was privatized in the first place. If it was still owned by the state, then it could justifiably run at a loss because it’s a public service. But it’s not and we cannot change that without further cost to the tax-payer.

No one drew battle lines when the sorting office was closed. The location has been turned into Cross Fit and everyone seems happy with the situation. The Post Office, isn’t even talking about removing services, just franchising out, which makes perfect economic sense.

It works well in CK’s at the top of Penglais Hill, and on a national level. If it is franchised out to WHSmiths or the new Tesco, would people really care? Post Office services are becoming obsolete with each passing day. More and more of their services are accessible online, with private delivery firms operating far more efficiently and at a lower operating cost. At what point is it just blind sentiment preventing progress?

I wonder what the townsfolk of today would do if they were informed that a church was closing and being turned into a pub. They would probably be dead set against it, and we would not have the Academy.

Sometimes change is for the better, even though it can be hard letting go of the past, I feel it’s better to embrace the future. The building will always have historical significance, that doesn’t mean it has to remain a Post Office. It could end up being a nice new café, or a boutique clothing store. The possibilities are endless.

Although in this town, it will most likely end up being another Polly’s, a charity shop or a mobile phone shop.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/42-post-offices-could-closed-7205858

https://www.facebook.com/mark4ceredigion/photos/pcb.590103364479859/590103274479868/?type=3&theater

#liz4ceredigion

I would like to start this blog post off with a short poem that sums up what has been my growing distain for party politics.

I can’t help but feel bamboozled

By these bureaucratic twits

And the more I stop to think about it

The more it makes me sick

These fools who run our country

Really haven’t got a clue

About what life is really like

For voters

Like me

And you.

And

If you,

Like I

Would like some answers true

Then we have no choice

But to join this endless queue

All the time remembering

that politicians

Are known

 to tell some porkies

And more than just a few

Because these classless toff’s

Are truly out of touch

With

Voters

Like me

And

You.

Those of you who know me, know I’m not one to mince my words. I take my time to speak, and hope that I am heard. I have genuinely felt I have been at a political crossroads recently. The last general election was the first time in my adult life that I did not formally discount my ballot on polling day. That is because Mark Williams MP personally earnt my respect and admiration. I only joined the party, because of him. I can count on one solitary finger the politicians I respect, the rest I would give the finger too.

The general election was the first time I got up off the political fence, only to have to leap to my new party’s political defence. The election was akin to social bear baiting. It didn’t matter what party you chose, you were criticized and vilified for it regardless. Because of all the political bitch-fighting many of the key issues were overlooked and the Conservatives crept in with a 36.9% majority.

It has been almost a year since the election and I have seen this country take a disturbing turn down a dark road. With the recent terror attack in Paris, the whole world has ebbed ever closer to a xenophobic wet-dream. In a time of global fear and social panic we are now presented with this In/Out EU referendum. Which in my personal opinion is a colossal waste of tax payer money which could fund vital social resources. All of the main parties are launching expensive campaigns to remain in the EU apart from UKIP and a few Eurosceptic splinters from within each individual party.  I would hope that most of us see that leaving the EU would be a disastrous idea and would only serve to alienate us from international affairs. I hope that the projected polls for an almost even split divide in the EU referendum are just as accurate as the polls projecting an even split divide between Labour and Conservatives prior to the general election.

I think we should all take these stats and polls with a pitch of salt. They are aferall devices created to perpetuate the sale of newspapers and to create click-bait articles to line the pockets of the already wealthy elite. I wish instead of giving us a pointless referendum at our own expense, we should have a referendum on the renewal of Trident. Then perhaps we would see some lasting positive global change, which would ensure we and future generations sleep much sounder. We spend an unjustifiable amount of money building and maintaining these nuclear weapons of mass destruction which we all pray are never used. Meanwhile we are cutting vital services all in the name of stringent austerity measures.

Most recently I had found myself at odds with my own party, as I disagree with a policy being backed by my party. The policy would see the removal of the right of a parent to remove their child from sex education classes. My eldest child is almost seven, and to tell the truth I had never considered her sex education prior to this. Speaking as a parent, I feel that if I thought my child wasn’t emotionally developed enough to deal with the classes, that I should be able to safe guard my child in whatever way I saw fit. There is also the grounds for removal for religious reasons. I myself am not religious, but I empathize with parents who are. Should it be the states prerogative to encroach on the individual religious freedoms of its citizens? I don’t think so. Personally I think more consultations and participation between schools, parents and pupils would be the most effective means of resolving these sensitive issues, where every side could feel understood and appreciated.

This evening, I attended the campaign launch for Elizabeth Evans. To begin with I felt like a total outsider. Half the people there were over sixty-five, and I swear the other half were barely old enough to drive. It was certainly a shame that my generation were under represented at the event. Many of my peers feel disconnected with the political system, to readily believing the bull shit perpetuated by the media and the state. The lines between media and state blur so often, it is hard for average Joes like myself to distinguish the two at the best of times.

Mark Williams MP gave a rousing speech, which resonated with me. Not just because I respect the man, but because I believe what he was saying. When he spoke about the “unfinished business” of the Liberal Democrats.  Kirsty Williams the leader of Welsh Liberal Democrats was also present and gave another impressive speech. I’m not a political fan-boy, I didn’t recognize who she was until after she had spoken. She was stood behind me in the buffet line, and I had no idea who she was. After she spoke I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to speak with her for a few brief moments. She was very approachable, and down to earth. Here was me, a-nobody that was sleeping on building sites only a few short years ago, now talking with and exchanging ideas with the leader of a national political party.

I was tremendously surprised by how much I liked what our candidate for AM Elizabeth Evans was saying. She spoke plainly and touched on some of the important local issues, such as maintaining our NHS and protecting social resources like schools located in rural areas. I got a great sense of solidarity from the party, highlighting that each of us can make a big impact in small unique ways. It was just a shame the speeches weren’t recorded for podcast. It was a shame that more local people my age didn’t get to hear what was being said. Most of my friends, and myself included are sick of shabby politicians, saying shit they think we want to hear. It’s quite clear to me, that Mark, Kirsty and Elizabeth are anything but origami politicians that fold under pressure and for what it’s worth both Kirsty and Elizabeth have earnt my respect, and Elizabeth has most certainly won my vote.

I am not a mindless automaton, I even disagree with my own party on some key issues and favour the opposition on others. I wouldn’t just vote for or endorse someone out of a misguided sense of party loyalty. I think bias or blind party politics is part of the reason the world is falling apart before our eyes. I am voting for Elizabeth Evans for AM because I believe she can make a difference and would present herself as a universal conduit for the collective will of her constituents. I have seen Elin Jones AM over the years, and she used to be really great. PLAID promised a lot and delivered very little. They promised to support people in Wales with autism, but instead cut funding and access to public services. It was only because of Mark Williams MP and the Liberal Democrats that I was able to get the right support in place. Almost a year on and I am progressing through university, where I just received a triple 2.1 in my first semester. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for that vital assistance I got when I was desperately in need.

During the last election, I got dragged into the political fray over a picture tweeted and retweeted by the PLIAD candidate Mike Parker. It was at a time when I was already in a very emotionally fragile state. Which most of you can relate to I’m sure. I had politely tweeted to Elin Jones AM and Mr. Parker to which he retorted with some literary quote of his own egotistical design. I’ll never forget it “glib incendiary”, what a pretentious sounding prick. The fracas on social media boiled down to me calling Elin Jones AM a condescending cow on twitter and she got pretty offended. It was slightly ironic, she, and her party publicly said that they would support autistic people in Wales, then got offended with how I (someone with a communication disorder) communicated with her.

I’d love to see Elizabeth dethrone the political queen bee of Ceredigion.

One can hope, and one can dream, of a Welsh government without queen Elin.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/liz4ceredigion

Ceredigion Election

#autism + politics

As someone recently diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum scale, I find it difficult to not only communicate or articulate my thoughts to the outside world, but to understand other peoples words or actions as well.

The bitter events which have transpired over the past few days have left a very sour taste in my mouth.

This local election in Ceredigion has seen some underhanded tactics to secure potential votes. I was singled out on twitter having my tweets screen shot and reposted labelling me with having a a “shameful attitude” towards child abuse.

I was disgusted at this remark. Having personal experience of the matter. I will no longer be ashamed of my past. My “shameful attitude” was due to me not knowing who a political paedophile was even though they were active both politically and otherwise before I was born.

I admitted my ignorance on the matter. I tried to explain my point of view, where by the constant dragging up of historic cases can pose significant danger to vulnerable people.

In the post Saville age, where historic cases dominate the media, it's hard for many people to cope.

It has been positive for a lot of individuals, myself included. But I worry for the people who don't have the strength to open up about their experiences. The people who have repressed the traumatic events for so long, being constantly reminded of their emotional turmoil as it's bombarded at them on a daily basis through TV, newspapers, and social networks.

To have this stuff dragged up for political agenda is not okay. I opened up publicly, after hearing my response, the person who did this apologised. Then blocked me before giving me opportunity to accept their apology. For me with my autism, blocking on twitter is a bit of a “trigger” issue for me. Each tweet is designed to communicate with an open world. Unless your tweets are set to private. To single someone out and block them is pointless, as you can simply view on any alternate account. Twitter is designed to be a public forum. I was just going to accept their apology and ask them to remove the tweet labelling me as having shameful attitude towards child abuse. But they blocked me. So I snapped, went way over the top. Had their twitter account flooded with the same tweet. All from separate accounts, demonstrating how redundant blocking on twitter really is. I couldn't understand why someone would apologize and than block me.

Mike Parker the Plaid candidate follows this account on twitter. He has 2406 followers and follows 1206 people. I sent him a facebook msg last night which was read then marked as unread. 

If Mike Parker is to win the election and become my local representative, then I would be one of his constituents. I have trouble trying to express myself, twitter can compound the issue with the short character limitation.

After the election, if Mike Parker wins, will he continue to ignore his constituents, like myself because he doesn’t like or understand them. 1 out of every 100 people have a form of autism and have difficulties in social situations. Causing varying degrees of anxiety. When people hear of the 1% they think of bankers, people with money, the rich and privileged. But when you consider that figure of autism, 1 in every 100. That is the 1% that gets forgotten about.

Is the following still Plaid's position on autism as this was published 3 years ago and I know from personal experience that accessing support services in the local area is almost impossible. It took about 2 years if not more to get my formal diagnosis though, and that was only done with the epic support of Mark Williams and his staff.

On Autism Awareness Day (2nd of April 2012), Plaid Cymru has reiterated its commitment to supporting people with autism. Around one in every hundred people has autism in Wales, and this often misunderstood condition can hinder access to support.

Plaid Cymru’s Health spokesperson Elin Jones said:

“Autism affects hundreds of people in Wales. Often it is misunderstood, undiagnosed, and can leave those with the condition and their loved ones struggling to cope. When Plaid Cymru was in government, we implemented a number of initiatives to support those who have the condition such as establishing a support website, raising awareness and training for advocacy personnel, and support targeted at adults who have autism.

“Plaid Cymru believes that while early diagnosis and early intervention are hugely important, much can be done to support children and adults who have autism such as supporting them into employment and tackling discrimination. We will continue to call on governments at all level to help those with autism harness their talents and skills and be full members of society.

I am utterly shocked and dismayed at the cavalier attitudes of __________ and company. For example this back and forth relating to someone with PTSD. Someone using the name Dilys Davies using dangerous terminology and raising doubts as to whether the person suffers from PTSD. As she has treated many people for PTSD in her carer. I would be interested to know what her job title actually is. To be such an expert that she could diagnose/assess people via twitter. PTSD is a complex condition that affects people in varying ways. Just like all mental health conditions. Using the term TROLL can be dangerous. For prime example: A woman who "trolled" Madeleine McCann's family on Twitter killed herself days after she was challenged by reporters, an inquest concluded.

Brenda Leyland, 63, from Leicestershire, was found dead after she was confronted by Martin Brunt from Sky News over the abuse.

Perceptions on social media have contributed to a number of suicides, self harm. Because people aren't mindful of what they are saying, but most importantly whom they are saying it too. There is such a rancid stigma when it comes to mental health issues,

The BBC Panorama Special Suicide in the family was a huge wake up call. 24% of deaths for men aged 18-24 is suicide. That is almost 1 in 4 children who will grow up to end their own lives. In men over 40 suicide is a bigger killer then cancer. I have read the Plaid manifesto with only 2 little burbs on Mental Health on page 19. this is a far bigger issue and needs much more attention. Mental Health does not discriminate between, class, race, religion or political affiliation, and can effect anyone at any time for any number of reasons. ___________ and co complain about people not being genuine and open on twitter, yet hide their own names and faces. That makes them hypocrites and cowards, and I will expose this hypocrisy at every turn

My Reply From Mike Parker whom is perfectly reasonable. Hopes that we can both resolve it. Start by being much more mindful of mental health issues.

• Mike Parker
  

  
  

  
  

  Hi Jamie, thanks for your message. I'm really sorry for all that's happened, it sounds like you are a really strong person to be getting through all that has happened. As for the twitter blocking, I agree that it sounds as though a misunderstanding has gone on, I hope you both can resolve it. And yes, post election, whoever wins, let's hope that they get on with the job and get to making this country a fairer place to live. Thanks again, and all the best.
• 

  4/14, 9:07pm
  

  Jamie Matthew Dearden
  

  
  

  
  

  No worries, cheers for getting back to me. Yes it was a misunderstanding that blew out of portion. People who think they can say what ever they like behind a veil of anonymity on social networks. People who are to scared to put their own name and face behind their opinions. This person spouted political rhetoric assuming they were beyond reproach. It's incidents like this and the scandal you experienced yourself last week which puts people off getting involved in politics. Only 65.1% of people turned out to vote in the last election, that still leaves over 1/3 of population who don't care or are uninterested. I wanted to go an volunteer in the election this week, as after my Nan died, I was suddenly out of a job with no qualifications or references. I wanted to get some fresh work experience and push myself out of my comfort zone to socialize with people. Build my confidence back up, so I can re-enter the working world. But because of all this, the child abuse thing, my autistic public rant/meltdown, I felt I would just upset or disrupt things so have just shied away. I am very worried about mental health services in the local area, not only for myself but for all vulnerable people. If their are 75,900 people in Ceredigion, and 1 out of every 100 has autism then their are roughly 759 people in Ceredigion who are on the autistic spectrum scale. These are people that need adequate support services put in place. Also with suicides being such a problem, stats for young man soar so high you would be forgiven for mistaking it for a pandemic. 24% of deaths in men aged 18-24 is suicide, that’s almost 1 in every 4 young boys who will grow up to end their lives tragically young, unless something can be done to change it. Worryingly according to an Oncologist the biggest killer of men his age is suicide not cancer. If suicide is claiming and effecting this many lives, shouldn't more be done to combat it. I would love to know what plans Plaid have to improve services in the area. I know from expierence that Ceredigion is a problem zone for accessing any kind of mental health support services.
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