Here for the first time is a copy of the 'Walkabout Talkabout' included in this website....Cumbernauld Citizens own newsletter. Please click here to download it.

Colour me a Garden

In the year 2008, the Lord came unto Noah who was now living in theUnited States , and said, 'Once again, the earth has become wicked
and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build
another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good
humans.'

He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, 'You have 6 months to build
the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40
nights.'

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his
yard - but no Ark.

'Noah!' He roared , 'I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?'

'Forgive me, Lord,' begged Noah, 'but things have changed. I needed
a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the
need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated
the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and
exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development
Appeal Board for a decision.'

'Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted
for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead
obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I
told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear
nothing of it.'

'When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued
me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their
will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was
cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.'

'Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd
conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.'

'I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights
Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my
building crew. Immigration and Naturalization are checking the
green-card status of most of the people who want to work. The trades
unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union
workers with Ark-building experience.'

'To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm
trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.'

'So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me
to finish this Ark.'

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow
stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, 'You
mean you're not going to destroy the world?'

'No,' said the Lord. 'The government beat me to it.'

Some Tenants thoughts on the ‘Firm Foundations’ Discussion on Housing Scotland by Rose Bowie with input from the ‘Cumbernauld Citizens’ RTO group in Cumbernauld… “Caves to Castles” we called it.

After attending the first welcomed discussion on the housing Scotland review in the Abode Hotel in Glasgow and the last, we have had a few debates in our own meetings since, especially after the questionnaire was delivered.

The groups thoughts were that the discussions alone was not enough to answer all the questions on housing Scotland, as the document was a bit prescriptive and seemed to lead in a direction more for the private sector and subsidising them, and not where it should be the driving force with the social sector in focus.

Extract from CHP’s AGM. - A Tenants perspective.

Like a debutante at her coming out ball Sanctuary were presented on queue strutting as a peacock showing off its finery to alert us to what a good suitor they would make. The presentation was one of the best sales pitches I have seen in ages. There it was the huge dangling carrot for all the rabbits (tenants) present to rush in and get a piece of. Not that a lot of tenants showed up at this years Cumbernauld Partnership’s AGM.

Sanctuary showed off new, desirable houses, new, senior citizens very secure palatial living accommodations, and great landscaped open spaces; all to have us champing at the bit to join up with their group. Is this the consultation we are promised by CHP to discuss Sanctuary’s takeover?

 Cumbernauld Citizens
October 4th  2007

Cumbernauld Citizens will meet in the Kyle Road Day Centre on 26th October 2007 at 11.30am. This is an Extraordinary General Meeting called by the membership specifically to amend the Constitution of the Cumbernauld Citizens. Anyone willing to attend should notify the Secretary Ms Mia Crawford on 01236 739260. A focus meeting of the Constitution will be held on 16th October in the Kyle Road Day Centre at 12 noon. Any one interested in the procedure may attend.

Cumbernauld Citizens tenant Participation sub-group attended a consultation meeting with the Tenant Information Service in the Cumbernauld College on Tuesday the 2nd October
. 
Ilene Campbell, Director of the Tenants Information Service (TIS) hosted the meeting to discuss the proposed plan of Cumbernauld Housing Partnership joining with Sanctuary as a subsidiary.  CHP were not in attendance and with limited information all that could be discussed in this meeting was questions the Tenants unanimously agreed they need answers to from both CHP and Sanctuary.

The meeting was restricted to invited participants only, giving a very limited view of Residents concerns. Another meeting is scheduled to be held next month with this focus group,  later there will be discussions with the wider CHP stakeholders although a date has not yet been set, with only around 200 members being able to vote at the end of discussions, deciding whether they think CHP should join up with Sanctuary or not. It is understood that the majority of CHP Tenants of approximately 1630 are being denied this privilege of having a vote even though CHP profess to be signed up to equal opportunities. Where are the equalities being implemented in this serious issue?

It appears that landlords can flout any rule they feel like. Is it one law for you and another for me? Or use the law if it fits?

TIS informed us that CHP hope to have concluded the entire business plan and have agreement early in the New Year. Doesn't leave the Tenants much time to put up a case. Is that CHP's intention?

The haste is indecent.

Contacts   Ian 720814…….. Rose  721551……….. Mia  739260

Cumbernauld Citizens will meet in the Kyle Road Day Centre Kildrum Cumbernauld on 19th September at 12.noon. This is a focussed meeting to deliver Cumbernauld Partnership residents a more pronounced dialogue and information of the approaching joining with yet another landlord The information we seek will be  delivered from the Tenants Information Service based in Glasgow.

Ilene Campbell, Director of the Tenants Information Service will be at the meeting to enlighten us and hear our views of what we are concerned about and of why we, the residents were not consulted about the changes within Cumbernauld Housing Partnership, Registered Social Landlord, and the move to join Sanctuary in the first place.

The ‘Cumbernauld Citizens’ Registered Tenants Organization were not happy at the TIS / CHP correspondence that dropped through our doors last week as it lacked any definition or assurance that the CHP’s customers would influence, in any way the plans on the table. It looks like an afterthought to make the residents feel included. The Cumbernauld Citizens feel the stakeholders of Cumbernauld Housing Partnership have been treated disrespectfully by being kept in the dark about what went wrong within the company especially when CHP are supposed to be an open and transparent business but were in fact the opposite.