UNACCOUNTABLE QUANGOS

While Maxine Smith, Chairman of the Invergordon Business Association (IBA) bewails the lack of information made available to her under the F.O.I. from various sources, she herself plays the IBA cards close to her bosom, refusing to disclose any info on the IBA particularly to your editor.

If, Off the Head, as suggested in the last issue of the ‘Highlander’ got up and running, then Invergordon would probably have more unaccountable Quangos than the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Office put together.

Its high time these unaccountable Quangos were ridiculed by the populace of the town and if any Quango is in receipt of funding from RACE or HIE or any other public money source, it should be blocked forthwith.

Why should the people of the town of Invergordon have to listen to views and be subjected to the aspirations of such as Sonny and Marion Rhind from the village of Saltburn? Saltburn has its own joint community council and that is where the pair of them should be directing their energies.

So too has Evanton, Does Mr Jimmy Campbell take an active part in the decision making of the community council in that part of the county? The in-fighting that is taking place in the town leaves no one in any doubt that there is a political motive behind the whole scenario, directed against the democratically elected representatives of the town.

Sonny Rhind goes on in the North Star lauding the past efforts that Local Councillors made for the well-being of Invergordon. Agreed his late mother, Cllr Isobel Rhind had the welfare of Invergordon at heart, but the other two named councillors, Sandy Mackenzie and Lou Wilkerson could be blamed for the negativity that is now prevalent all over the town, not only on High Street but elsewhere. Sandy Mackenzie was largely responsible for the introduction of Wheelie Bins, at the time I was opposed to the idea but I must say they have proved very satisfactory.

Lou Wilkerson had a hand in the deplorable High Street design and squandered her £48,000 council windfall on a tin shit house, now defunct. Perhaps Sonny has a short memory, or is this what he really wants Invergordon to remain? (Do you get my point readers?)

Its past time for the Invergordon residents to take up their cudgels and make their presence felt. Invergordon belongs to the people of Invergordon not self appointed ‘do gooders’. Folk at the helm of finance such as RACE Chief Executive Maitland Hyslop and others too numerous to mention, take note.

Shortly after the irate manager of the Averon Leisure Centre vacated the Seacrest policies your editor forwarded the following signed e-mail to various people including Maitland Hyslop, Marion Rhind, Cllr J. R. Connell, North Star: