Pilton Sucks dotCom

As our sister site Edinburgh Sucks continues to expose corruption and deceit by the powers that be,we to at Pilton Sucks will do our best to inform the people of what is going on under their very noses.

We have done our best to expose the sham that is the Waterfront development, we have brought to you the dreadful experiences of the Muirhouse Two,we continue to highlight the shortcomings of our establishment councillors.

The do nothing approach of the laughably titled Communities Minister Chisholm,and the carpet bagging Mark Lazarowitz who at least tries but his middle class lifestyle lets him down as he fails to understand the realities of todays living in rundown council schemes.

He is to busy caught up in grabbing headlines wherever he can.True his campaign on the enviroment is very noble and worthwhile,and has to be highlighted, but sir if for one moment we can ask you to come back down to earth,and take a walk,not just at election time round Greater Pilton,we would be happy to show you the sights, and you could see for your self the plight of some of your constituents,whose votes you need to prop up the ever decreasing majority.

Has it never occured to you that you may be speaking to the wrong people,party hacks and wannabes who think that silly useless resolutions passed at meaningless party meetings whether branch or constituency are the answer to everthing.

One of our members recently had a long conversation with a community activist on various community activities. She reported to us that it was a breath of fresh air,he seemed to have his finger on the pulse,and was not on the face of it tied to any party ideology.

She came back invigorated and batteries recharged.So there is life outside the closed doors of the party machine. We at Pilton sucks.com do not pay homage to any political party indeed the current thinking is that there is not much to choose between them may well be the truth. Labour have lost there way both locally and nationally. The Torries have never had a way just greed and mendacity. The Liberals,well they will sleep with anybody. And the SNP they just prattle on about independance and bore the pants off everybody.

So what to do the choice is yours, hobsons really is it not. They all have their good points but are far out weighed by the bad ones. But come election time they will all be out there asking for your vote promising you the earth and avoiding answering any difficult questions.

There is at least one small consulation.Labour have enough buses to ferry people to the polls.Hows that you ask. Well just apply to the Pilton Eldely Project they have enough to go round. But that would be against election law would it not. No not if you are going to vote Labour,isnt that right Elizabeth.Watch this space. VROOM VROOM.

Our campaign against workplace bullying which continues to gather pace judgeing by the support we are receiving has now reached and not before time the hallowed halls of the city chambers.

As the fear of justifiable compensation and personal injury claims hit the city for six,it seems some of the councillors still wish to bury their heads in the sand and point the finger elsewhere. It may be to late. As we reported previously, leadership contender Macginnis, Provest Hinds and Baillie Fitzpatrick,new of the plight of the Muirhouse Two but chose to stay silent on the matter,how much longer can they do that.

A number of others may also bring forward claims against the city,to further damage the picture of contentment painted of this city. Workplace bullying is now firmly on the agenda,but for the moment it seems from what we read and are told that it is the victims who continue to feel the pain while the perpetrators of these crimes run free seemingly untouched and unmoved in the main because of the lackluster approach of management who find it easier to attack the victims than punish the criminals.

We are not. As a voice of reason we will continue to haunt the bullies and get action taken against them,we do this in the best interests of the victims and the taxpayers of this city,we also demand an end to bullying in the workplace.

The courts, at long last are now taking this crime seriously and will take a dim view of organisations who do not stamp out this disease.

The bad publicty which can come out of these cases does nobody any good least of all the city,it ruins if it has not already done so the career of the victim, it paints a dark picture of those who try to cover up such crimes, and leaves suspicion all around.

We say sack the bullies, bite the bullet do the right thing,stop punishing the victims because it is easier, and rid the workplace of these contemptable worms and thugs who do this city such a great dis-service.

But will they?who knows time will tell,will the bully escape yet again, will the victim be punished more,will more heads be buried in the sand, and will the bullys deception through charm,a classic escape route be once again the hole in which he hides. We shall see. We shall see. Wont we.

Friends and readers. We have been told that the Waterfront project is in real danger of going belly up.Accusations of bullying of staff, local businesses being co-erced into selling up so the land can be used for development,no contact with the local community,and only lip service where absolutely neccessary. Caroline Park House on the hit list for development into so called luxury flats. The NEN only to be used to put out spinned information. 

All this under the nose of the very ambitious Elizabeth Macginnis,and Bailie Fitzpatrick. What a disgrace,what a sell out these two clowns completely out of their depth,and been led by the nose,without so much as a wimper.

Why have these two not demanded in the interests at the very least of their consituents that the original master plan be adhered to,and if and when changes are made the local community are given the courtesy of being informed.

This is a damnable disgrace and fellow leadership contender privately educated Trevor Davies thinks so as well.These rabbit hutches are the slums of the future and are allowed to go on regardless of local opinion or anybody elses for that matter.

It is no good blaming anyone else,the responsibilty lies squarely with Macginnis and Fitzpatrick,the wrong people at the wrong time. We the community have been lied to conned and cheated every step of the way,from the myth of local employment,which both MSP Chisholm and MP Lazarowitz bought into simply to buy votes.

The community is no better informed than when this project first started,a conspiracy of silence,a tissue of deceit and lies.a slight of hand,what ever you want to call it,it is bad and is getting worse.

The local punters have been sold a white elephant,no jobs,no real affordable housing,no community involvement and certainly no progress reports.Councillor Macginnis is supposed to represent the peoples interests,thats a laugh,she is to busy representing herself and her own greedy interests,and as for the hapless Fitzpatrick,happy to swan around with the badge of office,bought rather cheap dont you think.

Our stand on this issue is simple and clear,tell the people what is going on,not smoke screens,the real truth,surely you have nothing to hide,do you?. Show some leadership on this project, for sure how can Councillor Macginnis hope to lead the city if she cannot get to grips with this development,god help the city if she wins,it does not bear thinking about.

The goodwill of the locals has run dry and been replaced with suspicion,any wonder,all that is except the camp followers who do not have a mind of their own and they to are easily bought.

We the members and associates of Pilton Sucks.com make a plea for someone anyone,and we know that there are experienced activists out there in the community,one or two with opinions and minds of their own to come forward and make a case for a community iniative,to take the case to the community and show up this sham for what it is.

This will take courage as you will be up against vested interests determined to hold on to their little bit of power.So wherever you are speak up,you undoubtably have suport,even in the corridors of power.

Friends and readers our roving reporter was out and about in Edinburgh this week,casting an eye on the delights of the festival. Our rover also took in the exibition in the Muirhouse Arts Centre, which gets five stars for its content and delivery.

Giants was the name of the exibition in Muirhouse and was highlighting disability down the years.Our reporter found it very eye opening and informative,in highlighting the requirments of the disabled,and how we all need to be more aware of those living with a disability.

As for the rest of the citys delights, if you can access them,there is certainly a common theme, the expensive ticket prices, which is a factor in putting the average person off going. The great and the good are in town well certainly the z list celebraties,and our local rulers can be seen swaning around enjoying the freebies on offer.

One thing is for sure the fringe has lost its ethos,it was originally set up to show case new acts and make them accessable to all. not so any more,and as our reporter found out as she tried to get into the assembly rooms in george street,only to be told she had to join what can only be called a private club,does our local council know and approve of this.

There are of course a number of venues,avoid the pleasance,she found it to be aloof and detatched from what the fringe should be. We sent her out in what seems a vain attempt to find some community art,but alas unless we pointed her in the wrong direction there was little or none to be found,could some of our readers enlighting us if they have found some.

So our festival trundles on and indeed puts the city centre on the map,but does little for the city suburbs. This is a waste as the potential is there to make it an inclusive festival. On that thought,possibly the Pilton Partnership,a very sucessful SIP project could have an input into how best to make it inclusive.One drawback of this idea however,is that it might allow councillor Macginnis to hijack another job to expand her employment portfolio. 

Friends and Readers. The 4th National Ban Bullying Day is set for November 7th 2006.This is a stand alone campaign,being spear headed by the Andrea Adams Trust,the worlds first,not-for-profit charity dedicated to tackling workplace bullying. 

This website and campaign is the combined effort of a number of organisations who are working to raise awareness of the issue in the U.K.

BE AWARE. More than 2 million people are bullied at work today.

BE RESPONSIBLE. Workplace bullying is now a major cause of stress related illness. How is your behaviour affecting others.

ACTION NOT IGNORANCE.

Bullying in the workplace is not as obvious as you may think. The key objective for Ban Bullying at Work Day and its run up campaign is to raise awareness of the issue across the UK.

The campaign is independant and needs organisations to get involved and particpate in the day by taking ownership of the ethos and raising awareness of the issue within their workplaces.

It is easy to think of workplace bullying as a small problem,as something that only happens very rarely to very few people.Perhaps that is because we do not hear about it that often so we assume it is not going on.

Bullying at work has been a silent disease up until now,but with public attention growing around this insidious behaviour in our workplaces,silence will not be accepted as a responce any longer.

ANDREA ADAMS TRUST

BAN BULLYING AT WORK.COM 

Work-related mental ill health or stress in the common shorthand,is the major health and safety issue for most employers in the western world. In the UK alone more than 6.5 million working days are lost each year at a cost to companies of almost £400 million.

The cost to society in human as well as financial terms is greater still and the latter has been estimated at some £3.75 billion annually.Forward- looking organisations have been seeking not  just to control these costs but to establish working systems that positively enhance mental health.

The drivers for commercial organisations have not,in the main been philanthropic but rather the recognition that mental health well being is a critical factor in peak performance-imorivements in organisational health show up on the bottom line.

Stress is a common complaint and often arises as a result of bullying or harassment. In recent years it has become widely recognised as a serious health and safety issue in workplaces

The Health and Safety Executive defines stress as The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them.

The HSE noted that some academics have attempted to undermine the seriousness of the problem but insists that there is a clear link between poor work organisation and subsequent ill health.

It is extremely important that the seriousness of stress is recognised and that any stress-related health incident,such as an anxiety attack,hyperventilating,etc. Should be recorded in the workplace accident book before leaving,whether or not bullying or harassment have been involved.

This may allow lagal action to be taken under Health and Safety legislation,should the causes of the stress remain unaddressed as the law requires that organisations take action.

D. Miller M.Lipsedge and P.litchfield.

It is common for victims of bullying to look for reasons that might explain why they have been singled out.

There is no definitive answer. Certainly some bullies may choose their victims because of their gender,religion, ethnicity or sexuality.Jealousy may be a factor as may petty grudges.

But it is important to recognise that it is quite possible that there is no definable reason for the bullying or harassment and to devote ones energies to trying to find one may add further frustration. It may also serve to divert the focus of the person targeted intrespectively rather than towards the guilty party.

What ever has been the stimulas for the behaviour,victims should remember that the question, Why Me? is always the wrong one to ask. As an aberrant behaviour,it is always the bully-not the target of bullying or harassment-of whom questions require to be asked.

A bully is always in the wrong and therefore seeking explainations outwith the mind of the bully will always be a flawed and ultimately futile practice. Others may choose to speculate on why the bully should be unable to behave in a normal,reasonable and healthy manner.

However,just as it is normal to be of any origin or persuasion,to be more or less able than colleagues or to experience occasional personality conflicts,it is therefore clearly abnormal to react to these differences or circumstances in an intimidatory or offensive manner.

It is,though,very common for people who are suffering through bullying or harassment to feel isolated and therfore,to mistakenly conclude that the fact that others appear to be treated differently points to there being a reason for victimisation. The fact is that promoting the sense of isolation may be yet another psychological weapon of the bully.

It is also quite possible that others are or have experienced similar bullying or harassment as in the case of the MUIRHOUSE TWO where the evidence clearly points to a pattern of behaviour which indicates instituionilised bullying which was consistantly ignored.

This is one good reason for making a point of confiding in a trusted colleague or union representative at an early stage.

It is though,very important to remember,the case will be treated with special gravity,and may constitute a criminal offence. 

BULLYING in Scotlands workplaces has rocketed in the past three years,according to a new report which found that woman and public-sector workers were most likely to suffer as managers ignore the problem.

The findings by the Chartered Management Institute[CMI] found that 60% of managers believed bullying at work is widespread in Scotland

Researchers found most bullying took the form of psychological intimidation. The problem was found at all levels of the workplace,with Scots most likely to report -misuse of power- as the commonest form of bullying.

The report also highlighted an alarming lack of awareness amoung managers in tackling the problem. About 40% of those who had been bullied reported that no action was taken by their employers.

Mary Chapman, the CMI chief executive,said - This suggests that poor management is at the root of the problem,since senior staff lack the skills to prevent incidents of bullying from occurring.

Fiona Macgregor

Once again friends and readers the Edinburgh festival has decended upon us along with the hangers on and loveies,showing us how wonderful they are. Certainly it is a feast of theatre of one sort or another but at a cost,and not a cheap one either.

We in Greater Pilton have a purpose built arts centre,you know the building behind the library in Muirhouse Cresent,and beside that den of sleaze the Social Work Office. Now that you know were it is we wonder how many fringe performances will be held there to titilate and entertain our local citizens,probably count them on the fingers of one hand.

Ah well it is good to know that the arty farty punters who run the building have got their priorities right,keep the locals out and only offer them what the management committee says and water that down as well. What happened in Craigmillar all those years ago is being repeated in a smaller way in sunny Muirhouse. Keep the locals at arms lenght and patronise them,this will keep them happy,and most of them dont understand drama anyway.

Well if you care to take a walk round Muirhouse some time you will see real drama taking place, human misery and a fight to survive as usual. We originally thought the arts centre was a good idea and supose still do, but let us get some real teeth on that management committee. We know of at least two people in this community who have years of experience in the arts yet were never asked to contribute,a chance lost.

And why well the only explaination we can come up with is fear. Fear that some locals would know more than the so called professionals,and that would not do would it.

No balls springs to mind,the locals have to take control of these organisations and demand a constructive input into prodution deciding,otherwise what is the point of having a management committee,just to twiddle their thumbs and nod their heads in agreement with all that is put forward.

our experience tells us that these arty type facilities need a rocket up their ass from time to time,just to show them that there is a great deal of knowledge in the community and they will not be treated like fools.

We believe the Muirhouse Arts Centre needs such a rocket and we have the very people in mind,but that is for the AGM whenever that is. So in the meantime if you can get in take a walk round the facility and appreciate what the potential is. you might just be interested to know what is going on,thats if you can find out or get past that ridiculas front door.

Friends and readers. It seems the lady who wears many hats leadership contender Maginnis has been sucking up to some of Edinburghs business community in a bid to curry favour.

We wonder if any of her punters who were naive enough to vote for her were invited as well.Our bet is no,could not have that could we,might get the place dirty.

So the venue for this sermon on the mount was the Cargo Bar in Fountainbridge not even in her own constituency never mind the ward she is supposed to represent.

This smacks of the I am all right jack mentality,and i will soon be queen of all I survey. Bored with bring a mere councillor and itching for revenge after being dumped as education chair she smells blood,but someone elses.

We have asked before where does she get the time.the Pilton Eldely Project which she hijacked the managership of must be a patient lot,does she ever have the time to help her ward punters,that is of course between foreign holidays.

When will the local punters get to hear her words of wisdom,do they really want to,or can she be bothered to lower her high standards to speak to us mere voting foder.

Well if she is looking for some advice and of course if her ego allows, how about sorting out the mess of the community charge or like everything else we ask is that not possible.

Why dont we get a list of what is possible and what is not,not just career politicians looking out for themselves and then asking the voters to support it.

In fact why does Madame Macginnis not think of retireing and let someone else have a chance,then she can devote more of her time to her beloved Eldely Project and all her other various interests.

Remember Councillor you still represent an area of high unemployment,poorhealth,low self esteem,crap housing[with no extensions] pot holed roads, high crime rates,and all the clap trap you say in the NEN does not in any way represent what people on the ground feel,apart from your little group of camp followers.

So come down from your make believe ivory tower and tell the punters how your leadership of the city[god forbid] would make any difference to them,or is it just another job to add to your collection, and a see me vision clothed in the robes of office.oh and of course the wages to,let us not forget that,and you can sit in your counting house counting all your money,and tell the rest of us plebs,that socialism is alive and well and safe in your grubby hands.