Time to start thinking about the Council elections in May 2012!!

I cannot believe how fast the last 4+ years have flown by since I was (somewhat to my own surprise) elected to be ward councillor in the Anderston/City ward on Glasgow City Council. We are now nearing the end of the term of office of this council, and will be actively campaigning again.

I would be delighted to hear from anyone who wants to help or wants to contact me about any issues in the ward or the city generally.

The Last Day

Sorry, no picture today of me out and about, too busy to remember to get someone to take any.

0900 putting up green party placards in Milngavie and inserting our newsletters in Metros

1000 had to miss the BBC photo opportunity with the big inflatable 2, with Steen and Stan to go to:

1030 work meeting

1300 back to Milngavie to join Steen at the farmers market in blazing sun. Gave out loads of windmills and pledge cards then footslogging up and down hills delivering our excellent instruction cards to houses at the high parts of Milngavie and down the hill to Hillfoot

1530 home on the train, feeling totally boiled. quick refresher of our home made elderflower cordial that I had forgotten we even had but was perfect for the exhaustion and heat. Pick up the apple tree I bought from the Childrens Orchard trust to take as my present to:

1615 Anderston Primary school's Nurture Group's 10th birthday party. The school has a nice wee orchard already and also a garden that I am hoping to help them develop further. Good to meet parents and kids who have benefited from the nurture group's special system for bringing out the self confidence in shy kids.

1730 into town to collect Election day passes from city chambers

1830 home knackered to eat the lovely fish I got from the farmers market.

early night for the big day tomorrow.

VOTE 2nd vote green if you can and if , inexplicably, you cant bring yourself to do that, vote for the party you really like.

My crocheted gentleman friend

This is Amos. He is one of dozens of full size people created by Rita McGurn and I met him in Gandolfis today. From tomorrow he and his many friends (mostly scantily dressed ladies) will be in The Gallery in Virginia Street Glasgow.

And here I am with another one. Do you think she might vote for me?

You could buy one to keep you company or for when an emergency hug is essential.

May day in Glasgow

Here we are getting ready for the annual May Day march around the town. I think the parade itself might have been bigger than last year but sadly we were largely unobserved. The city centre was very empty. I think everyone must have been enjoying the sunshine at the beach.

I am wearing my Wisconsin tshirt in solidarity with the amazing folks there who are standing up to their terrible state governor, who is aiming to kill unions forever in the state by a new law doing away with their joint bargaining rights. Disgraceful. See more at http://blog.aflcio.org/.

The tshirt is labelled as made by union workers. I wish we had union made clothes here.

Red Windsor Apple Tree Planted in George square

These delightful kids planted a Red Windsor apple tree beside the war memorial in George Square, Glasgow, yesterday 29th April 2011. May it live long and prosper, like the other Windsors.
George Square is in my council ward, so when John Hancox of the Childrens Orchard charity came to me to ask if I could arrange for this to happen, I was delighted to do what I could to get the council to agree. Lovely sunny day, the apple juice squezer machine (bottom right of the pic) and lots of happy children made it a lovely way to spend the day.

I know that most other folks were either glued to their TVs or, later on, fighting off the cops in Kelvingrove park, but I had a nice peaceful day doing this and a wee bit of campaigning in Paisley - handing out the green windmills to loads of families there.

First day of the election campaign

Scotsman yougov poll great for the Greens http://www.scotsman.com/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=83072 We are above the LDs for the first time. Yippee!

Nina Goes Greener at East Ren's GoGreener Sunday

I dropped in on the excellent Go Greener event in Rouken Glen last weekend. Masses of people, loads of great stalls and this very very green man. He is, inside, Salvio who organised this with a horde of very keen volunteers. I hosted a small discussion session on getting green projects going and there were some enthusiastic young women from the local school who are keen to get their school recycling properly. I hope they can round up colleagues from the other secondary schools an really put the pressure on the council to do more. That was my idea on the idea tree behind me. If Greens are elected to Holyrood we will be really pushing for true Zero Waste and opposing the fake version as represented by the Loganswell incinerator plant proposed for just down the road from this lovely park.

Peace Ads Buses

I attended the launch of these muslim peace ads on 60 buses in and around the Glasgow region. At the Ahmadiyya mosque in my ward. The sun came out blindingly after all that rain in the morning.

Supporting Vigil Against Violence Against Women

I joined a hardy bunch of women (and some men- feminists come in all shapes!) at the Vigil in George Square on Friday evening, in driving sleet. Well done to all who turned out in vile weather for this with banners and home made placards. There were some very strong speeches and personal testimonies.

I was there to support the Glasgow Feminist Network at their vigil in support of their campaign to change attitudes to violence against women and rape in particular. http://www.myspace.com/glasgowfeministnetwork

A Tory MSP (Bill Aitken) recently disgraced himself and his party with unacceptable comments about a dreadful attack on a woman in the city centre. http://womensgrid.freecharity.org.uk/?p=6837. I spoke out against his outburst and the Herald published my letter calling for better lighting, gating of lanes and so on as ways to contribute to a safer environment for all in the city. http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/comment/herald-letters/city-streets-must-be-made-safe-1.1086661

In my role as elected councillor for the city centre (and Anderston) I have been very proactive in campaigning for anything that will end violence against women, including changing attitudes that lead to violence (I support the End Prostitution Now campaign), changing the places that lead to violence (I work with council and police officers on changing how our city is planned, to design out the dangerous places, like dark corners) and supporting projects, such as TARA and others that support trafficked women and get them into safer places.

I always vote against cuts to womens projects.

Today Wisconsin, tomorrow Scotland

Have no illusions, what is happening today in Wisconsin this week can happen here whenever someone in power has a whim. If you are lucky enough to be in work now, go join the union for your occupation. If you are already in a union, get more active.
http://vimeo.com/20277863

To quote part of Niemoller's famous warning:
.... They came for the trades unionists but I didnt speak out because I wasnt a trades unionist....
.... then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.......


--------------------------------------
Update 13 march 2011
Sadly, the unions have lost. Governor Walker forced the vote through and they now have no bargaining rights in the state. Terrible terrible news for public sector workers there. Did you know that many public sector workers in the USA, such as school teachers, do not even get their medical insurance cover paid by their employers?

Renfrewshire Council to drop teaching time cut

Looks like people power wins in Renfrewshire as in Egypt!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12527747

Greens Support Parents and Teachers against SNP cut to teaching hours in Renfrewshire

Steen Parish and I went to this march and rally yesterday.

See our banner at top left in this pic of the rally of parents, teachers and kids at Paisley on Sat 19 feb. 500 capacity hall and another 300 outside in the rain. This was an amazing rally of fast acting local empowerment.

Renfrewshire council have approved a harebrained scheme to use EU money intended for getting long term unemployed off the dole to put such folk into primary schools in place of teachers. These people will get a few days training and will then replace teachers for 10% of the school day (on minimum wage) and the SNP have the nerve to call this "enrichment".

Unbelievable.

The teachers have voted by 95% to oppose this madness with industrial action and the parents have pledged their support. The council says it doesnt care as it will use the mountain of unemployed teachers to scab in the event of a strike.

Unbelievable.

Fair Trade for Scottish Farmers

I am sure you are familiar with the Fair Trade logo. It guarantees that producers are paid a fair price for their products and is mostly for food and other items from 'developing' countries. Perhaps you choose Fair Trade bananas, tea, coffee or cooca, as my family does.

However, I think it is time we looked a bit closer to home. Did you know that the milk you buy in your local supermarket is produced AT A LOSS TO THE SCOTTISH DAIRY FARMER? The supermarkets have forced the price they pay the farmer so low, that farmers LOSE MONEY on every pint. This is a disgrace. Worse, it will drive our own farmers out of business.

Do you prefer fresh milk, dried milk or longlife (UHT) milk on your cereal or in your tea? Fresh milk? I thought so. Well, if our local farmers can no longer make a living producing fresh milk then the alternative is for imported dried or UHT milk. This has pretty much already happened in the USA, where fresh milk is all but unobtainable except at elite farm shops.

The time has come for Fair Trade to apply at home as well as abroad. If you elect me to the Scottish Parliament, this will be one of my campaigns:

A FAIR PRICE FOR SCOTTISH MILK.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/6983/Wiseman-job-losses-feared-as.6624894.jp

http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/250111/scotland___fears_as_price_war_makes_milk_cheaper_than_water_.aspx