Pilton Sucks dotCom

We hear on the grape vine that former chief executive of Waterfront free spending Edinburgh Stephen Izatt has contacted a senior member of the Greater Pilton Community saying that he was in his words encouraged to spend like there was no tomorrow by the former chair Councillor Macginnis. We of course have to remind our readers that we have not received confirmation of any such contact but our source tells us that Mr Izatt is angry that he is having to shoulder the blame for the free spending Councillor.

Much has been written about the events surrounding this disgraceful episode but it is clear the blame for this obscene extravagence is not on Mr. Izatt’s shoulders alone,and that the screams of innocence being heard in the community are rather to loud for many peoples liking.  The mere fact that this organisation was shrouded in secrecy leads to understandable suspicion and it seems from the reports we have all been reading that these suspicions where more than justified.

When it was clear and obvious to many that right from the start of this development  local people should have been brought on board they where given the cold shoulder and sidelined,paid only lip service and bought off with cheap wine and  crustless sandwiches. Never in a communities history have so many been shafted by so few and lead a merry dance by the peoples party representatives.

So indeed if Mr.Izatt has broken his silence and chosen to do it by using the community grapevine,it shows his frustration at getting the blame for all the wrong doing that certainly went on. Yes Mr. Izatt is guilty but it is guilt shared not guilt wholey owned. The real unwitting guilt is owned by the community that allowed it to happen right under their noses while getting shoved to one side. The new chief executive has a thankless task and he starts from the premise that he is under suspicion right away due to the sins of others.

What does he do. Sweet talking the community won’t do it he has to act and act fast or he could find his coat is on a shakey peg. He can’t hide away in his office  lock the doors and shut the curtains even if they are made of Waterfront tartan. He can’t cycle away on one of the many bikes that where bought or take his frustration out on the punch bag in the private gym,for reality fitness he should spar with the community and their concerns and go the distance with honesty and transparency. If not he could be a victim of rope a dope

Remember Zaire and the rumble in the jungle,you might not even get to go eight rounds

Ding Ding round one.

We have  received reports four to be precise from residents of West Pilton Gardens who have complained about groups of people mainly young men hanging about outside the housing office in West Pilton Gardens behaving in a rowdy manner, and generally misbehaving. We enquired at the office to see what the problem was,and Helen our roving reporter was told that it was people waiting to be collected for Community Service.

No suprise when Helen was told that the Muirhouse Social Work Centre was responsible for them. We Have informed the community council concerned and asked that the police be notified of any unruly behaviour. Surely in this day and age there must be a better way of doing things,but of course this is the Muirhouse centre we are talking about. In the same complaint was the parking of  vehicles on the pavement which of course as we all know is breaking the law and could pose a danger to passing pedestrians.

We hope the community council concerned makes it’s views known to this centre and that these practices are stopped. Copies of the complaints will be forwarded to the director of Health and Social Care for his comments.

Over on our Sister site Edinburgh Sucks,they have an interesting story regarding the peoples best mate Mike the chancer Rosendale. It seems that the peoples champion Rosendale wants to bleed the community centres amongst others of the money they raise through lets.

There seems to be no stopping his enthusiasim to lick his new masters asses,and suck the financial breath from Centres which do excellent work. Of course this won’t be allowed to happen in the Forth Ward where the voters new best friend or trying to be after years of shafting them Eliza Doolittle Macginnis will of course fight to the last drop of someone elses blood in an attempt to stop her former ass licker Rosendale from robbing the poor to keep his own well paid job and lovely jubley pension.

Leave no stone unturned to make sure the deprived communities of this city cannot afford to have after school clubs or make provision for other much needed and valued activities. We even had a call from the wealthy Pentlands Community Centre who agree that this smash and grab would strike at the heart of good community work.

Where does this kind of thinking stop. Shut down all the centres or make sure only those that can afford to use them get the opportunity to do so. If you live in one of the inner city communties then you could soon feel the chill blast of the Rosendale wind as he seeks to pay homage to his new political masters,so he can still enjoy the finer things in life.

Helen our roving associate came across a letter,well that’s what she thinks’ it is,but it seems the NEN would not print it,so she handed it to Anne who feels Pilton Sucks has a duty to publish it.

Watch this space.

Friends and readers,information has reached us regarding developments on the bullying scandal which took place at the infamous Muirhouse Social Work Centre. We are reliably informed from one of the Social Workers who has been helping us unravel this mess,that Nancy Kelly full time Unison Official based at Belford House Edinburgh has been brought in to nail the bully. We are also informed although the information comes from a different source that Unison General Secretary Matt Smith may also be involved.

Since the cases of bullying have become public knowledge there has been consistent lying and cover up from senior management,even though they where well aware of the bullys activities. What investigations that took place where we are told designed to make sure no shit came managements way. We are aware that there is a mountain of evidence against this no necked thug but it has been supressed and diluted.

Pilton sucks has managed to get a hold of some of this evidence and it makes grim reading.outlining bullying of a severe nature naming times dates and places along with eye witnesses to a lot of what went on. We know of at least 5 victims but there may be more,and this character has to be stopped. So it is no suprise that full time senior Unison officials have become involved in these cases.

These cases and the thug involved reach right into the heart of the caring sharing Health and Social Care Department. Our associate George who has been closely involved since the story broke has uncovered a trail of lies and deceit coming from Shrubhill and now Waverley Court. There is more than enough evidence to start a criminal proscecution against both the bully and the Department that has protected him.

This callous Department has decided early on that it was easier to punish the victims than remove the bully from the picture. We do not forget that this serial bully had help and that his go-for assistant is just as guilty as he is. George discovered after speaking to service users that the bullys side kick was a willing participant in what went on at this infamous centre in Muirhouse.

We are unable to fully understand what these victims went through but the picture we receive is one of sustained attack and in a couple of cases that we know about bordering on physical abuse.

It seems according to our chief Social Worker Michelle Miller who is sitting on her hands doing nothing about this mess that some forms of abuse is in her stupid view acceptable. We have been told from a union source that Ms. Miller believes and this is in writing that verbal abuse in the form of swearing at staff is a cultural thing and does not take it seriously,and it goes on all the time.

So she is aware that staff are verbally abused and does nothing the papers would love that,and now they know. What kind of mentality does this person have that believes that verbal abuse of a vicious nature is accceptable and in her own words a cultural thing. What kind of message does that send out to the service users on Community Service, that it is alright to abuse staff because staff are abused by a insignificant small minded nonentity who is allowed and encouraged to carry this sort of behaviour on.

No Ms Miller you will have to do better than that,a lot better. You are as guilty as the thug who carries on with this kind of behaviour,in fact you are worse,after all you should know better,but alas no.

The circle of lies and deceit has widened,but by doing that it has become weakened,and George who is giving a lot of time to this trail of lies has uncovered further evidence which he is now closely looking at with another colleague. The newly formed Social Work group which have been helping us and are aware of what went on in Muirhouse as one of them was an eye witness to abuse of staff,are reporting what they hear and see in an attempt to bring the bully and his kind out into the open where he cannot hide behind the skirts of his manager or anyone else he tries to use.

In a foot note one of our associates had cause to visit this infamous centre recently and asked for the bully by name. He was told that no-one was available to speak to him. We have also phoned this centre requesting information which after all is in the public interest but where again told that no-one was available for comment. Pilton sucks knowes for certain that vicious behaviour took place at Muirhouse Ms. Millers comments about cultural behaviour tells us so. Senior management those very people whose responsibility it is to make sure staff have a safe working environment have seriously negleted that duty and allowed a bully to abuse staff and at least in two cases we know of do damage to their health.

Still senior management done nothing even when it was obvious that this little ass licker was guilty of serial abuse. Detailed evidence from victims was ignored as it became clear that they had a major problem on their hands,and did not know what or how to deal with it. Simple really follow your own proceedures which of course never happened. First suspend the bully have a proper outside investigation. Then when it is found that bullying took place deal with it. Did any of this happen. Amost certainly not,in fact Pilton Sucks is certain it did not happen,so this department is guilty of neglecting it’s own duties,we wonder how they would answer that one in court.

This disgraceful travesty goes on and the victims are still under attack but they must go on and fight for justice. This Department is guilty of doing nothing that is for certain. This department is guilty of cover up that to is for certain. The victims continue to come under attack from this department that is for certain. So Ms Miller chief Social Worker or what ever your title is today,you have well and truely messed up. You tell us verbal abuse is acceptable you tell us that it is the norm so in the same sentence you turn a blind eye to it,that is not acceptable. Staff who come to work must be safe in the knowledge that they will not be subjected to any kind of abuse and if they are then action is taken to deal with the problem. The message being sent out from on high at Waverley Court is that it is quite alright to abuse staff because not only will you get away with it, senior management will back the abuser up. Nice work if you can get it.   

As new PM Gordon back stabber Brown start’s to realise that coveting the top job meant more than stabbing Blair in the back,he now finds himself flat on his ass after making a hash of the election timing,something he did not have to bother with as he was only a couple of years into a government. He handed the batton to the dreaded brainless Torries and may well have lost it for good.

Instead of listening to the half wits Alexander and the well named Balls who are play time politicians,he should have told them to fuck off and make sure they do their job. Brown has got carried away with his own sense of self importance and took his eye off the ball. Unless he get’s his finger out pretty quick he’s finished and he will leave the rest of us at the mercy of those horrible bastards the Torries,who regardless of what they say will cut the throat of the poorest and smile while doing it. Cameron and Osborne are this country’s doomsday weapon which will be unleashed if they take power.

They will have no mercy on the weakest,and will crush them out of sight. Their dislike of each other is only surpassed by their hatred of the poorest and weakest in society. So that’s what Brown’s first 100 days in office has done for the people. His desperation for the key’s to  number 10 and how best to boot Blair out has resulted in meltdown,well just about.

So congratulations Mr. Brown,your determination to back stab and oust Blair from the hot seat so you could park your ass on his chair,has resulted in half wits advising the frugal Brown that a few opinion polls could  put you back in Downing Street with a bigger majority than the existing one. Not the case.what in fact has happened is those seats that both parties so desperatly need in the south west of the UK to form a Government have jumped ship in favour of Tory tax promises.

Instead of sitting on top of the hill Brown now finds himself tumbling down and unable to stop. It’s a long way back especially with the burden of airheads like Alexander and Balls to carry.   

As you may already know friends and readers we have a new chief executive for the Waterfront development. Mr Hunter is now in place and can set about unraveling the mess created by the last lot. We still have no local jobs,still no affordable homes,and we are some way into this development. He has a big job in trying to win the trust of the local community and he must be given time.

Not to long as this community has waited a long time to be included in this exclusive development, so action will have to be swift and decisive. The time for talking and bullshit is over and Mr.Hunter must hit the ground running,or be tarred with the messy brush that was left behind. We have all been shocked and disgusted by the antics of the previous board and it’s chair,and never again can this be allowed to happen. We have been treated like idiots and our trust was betrayed.

So the new chief exec will have little trust to start with and he must build bridges and bring on board the local community. Pilton Sucks believes there is nothing to fear from this and everything to gain. There is a good active network within this community with a wealth of knowledge and experience which could be put to good use and all can benifit.

Should the opposite course be taken then the chief exec’s chair won’t be warm for long and we will all be back where we started. 

We have just been informed that one of the victims of the Muirhouse Social Work Centre Bully has been refused acknowledgement of his third stage grievence. This after chief Social Worker or what ever her title is this week Michelle Miller told the victim that Maureen Adair the personel jobs worth knew all about it and was dealing with it.

This in fact was not true and the victim was lied to. It seems from what our source tells us that he was sold a cheap line about retirement through ill health without any action being taken against this no necked thug who continues to be in the employ of Criminal Justice. The victim will now seek to sue both the Department and this cowardly bully.

This is a disgrace. Several victims come forward to testify that they where ill treated by this thug while employed at Muirhous Social Work Centre only to be picked off one by one and the antics of this known bully covered up. It seems they have even changed the manager yet again at this infamous centre,but be sure that won’t solve the problem,he will just suck up to her and carry on behind her back as usual. 

It seems the chief Social Worker Ms. Miller has decided that it is easier to attack the victims than deal with the bully,which is par for the course accross this spineless Department.  But we urge the victims to continue the fight all the way to the courts of law if neccessary. The newly formed Group of Social workers who are determined to rid the workplace of bullys haves been informed of the situation regarding the treatment of the victim who the department tried to get rid of through ill health,caused may we say by bullying ,one of these Social workers has actually worked in the Muirhouse office and has first hand experience of the bullys tactics,and is prepared to come forward should one or more of these cases get to court.

The worker concerned knowes at least one of the victims very well and is keen to support him should he require it. The bully may not know this but he is cornered. Everybody in the Community Service section of Criminal Justice knowes who he is. Senior management may have covered up for him but they know who he is. The Union know who he is,and he knowes who he is.

He may be able to run and hide behind anybody he can find but he can’t run from himself. He knowes the damage he has inflicted,and he will be caught,of that you can be sure. Pilton Sucks knowes who you are and we have given over our own dossier to Waverley Court. We know that they will ignore it,but be warned the law may catch up with you,and we have retained a copy of what is a full and frank dossier outlining serial bullying with factual back up evidence. Some of this evidence is startling and makes horrific reading. And the rabbit from the hat is the last piece of evidence which comes from a senior manager it is very daming.

Watch and wait.

Well friends and readers,have you heard the one about the selling of land which did not belong to the con artists who where trying to sell it. Nice work if you can con it. 1.1 million pounds is the figure in question and our old friends down Waterfront way are up to their necks in it once again.

The  coming’s and going’s of the Waterfront cabal would do credit to the secret service. And what about this primary school nobody knew anything about,well almost nobody. You can almost see Redford and Newman dancing to the music of Scott Joplin. 

As you know the Government has been telling us all that we do not take enough exercise and that is a contributing factor in the huge obesity problem this country has.

Meanwhile over at Ainslie Park leisure centre we are now told that leisure will now be subjected to VAT. Read on.

Dear Customer

At the moment many of our activity charges are exempt from VAT. However HM Revenue and Customs have recently advised all Leisure Trusts that all memberships and combination tickets which include the use of a sauna, Turkish or spa within the one price,are liable for VAT. the resultant loss of income to Edinburgh Leisure would be an estimated £630,000 per year which would significantly impact on our service.

So,as 1st October 2007 the punters will be charged more and this in an area of multiple deprevation. So much for encouraging people to take exercise. It is already financially difficult for residents of Wardieburn, Royston, Granton to afford the already expensive swimming,use of the Gym or any other of this centres activities. The centre has already been hi-jacked by the better off so the local punters are financially excluded anyway.

How on earth did the greedy Customs and Excise manage to come up with any good reasons as to leisure been VAT rated. Once again a tax on the poor is clearly visible. Why not go the whole hog and make Ainslie Park Leisure Centre a private club it practically is anyway. Who allowed these VAT vultures to tax Leisure,surely they are answerable to the Government,and do not come up with these quaint ideas on their own. The poor already pay the bulk of the taxes and get most of the shit thrown at them. What appeal do they have,why none of course.

So once again the poor get shafted. They have no representation nobody listens to their voice,only at election time,once that’s over they go back to being ignored. As soon as we get up in the morning we are taxed,this great country of ours is a land of milk and honey for the revenue,who milk us to death. There is a war out there,not the one in Iraq,the one against the ordinary joe who is screwed at every turn. The war on the motorist goes on at pace with ever new ways to screw more money out of them. The war has now been widened to make sure the people who might enjoy a trip to their local leisure centre are shafted good and proper.

As per usual those that might have gone once or twice a week to their local centre will have to think twice about wheather they can afford to go or not. But our better off friends will have no such worries. In fact it will create more space for them so they can swim around the pool or sit in the sauna talking about how rough they have it. Our heart breaks for them.