Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 9/2/2012 at 10:50 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

Jack Davis said he believed the cost increase was “a waste of money”.

Jack, you're too kind, and very wrong. The whole lot of do-good Councillors are "a waste of money", sack them all. Don't forget to sack the one that comes out with the budget and writes the tender.

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 8/2/2012 at 4:15 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

The increase in cost should NOT have been approved.

It is an increase of 50% of the original budget. How much is the running cost in maintaining the curtain, and what's the life of this?

Can we trust the budget of the ongoing maintaining cost if the budget for the curtain is so disastrously off-target?

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 7/2/2012 at 2:26 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

A cost blowout of close to 50% is totally unacceptable, and whoever did the cost estimate and budget should join the dole queue. As for the Councillors, I doubt they know what they are doing almost all the time, except to agree with all the proposals, and moved motion to pass whatever put forward.

With more than three quarters of the Councillors belonging to the same political party that the PM belongs to, I suppose this is the best of the worst they can do for the City.

"Councillors voted unanimously last week to accept ... increasing the curtain budget from $45,000 to $66,400" is a conspiracy of the worst kind. Did they understand that if the blowout was so big in magnitude, how could they trust the budget for future maintenance cost, very likely came from the dude that budgeted for the construction?

Have you heard anything constructive the Councillors that have done for the ratepayers except raising their temper as fast as the mercury shooting up the thermometer stem on the total fire ban day?

This is the price to pay for voting for your mates. Open your eyes in the next election.

Paying for privacy in Monash

Posted Posted to Waverley Leader (22/11/2011) on 22/11/2011 at 1:04 AM
Commenting on "Paying for privacy in Monash"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/paying-for-privacy-in-monash/

It's probably cheaper to build a "small" Great Wall of China as a barrier than the stupid curtain. As a ratepayer I would like to know which company has the contract to build it. At that cost, probably Monash can outsource to a factory in China for less than 25% of the original budget.

The move to install the curtain is a bad precedence, and I can see all future toilets in public places and offices will be renovated to have taps and hosts to cater for those who use their hands instead of toilet paper, after they have discharged their business, for religious reason. That is not a fiction - the new Melbourne Women's Hospital wasted a lot of money to fix the problem after the management discovered the toilets of the newly built hospital were forever wet.

$45,000 bill for Monash women-only pool sessions (Post 2 of 2)

Posted to Waverley Leader (14/2/11) on 21/2/2011 at 11:08 AM
Commenting on "$45,000 bill for Monash women-only pool sessions"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/your-view-45-000-bill-for-monash-women-only-pool-sessions/

Who is going to pay for the on-going up-keep and maintenance of the curtain at the Clayton Swimming Pool? The ratepayers, of course!

Every dollar spent on the curtain is a dollar sacrificed on other items such as maintenance of roads, street lighting, tree pruning, rubbish collection, etc. Now that this matter is so publicised, the flow-on negative effects will outweigh the benefits. There will be additional financial cost on security in addition to cost stated above, and social cost such as racial/religious harmony.

The next DEMAND will be prayer room and special toilets in all public facilities in the City of Monash. Some larger organisations have bowed to pressure to provide special prayer rooms, and companies must make allowance for workers to pray during work hours.

While I was assisting in a project in a middle-eastern country, my colleagues and I were advised to be sensitive not to eat in front of fellow colleagues at lunch break during the fasting period!

$45,000 bill for Monash women-only pool sessions (Post 1 of 2)

Posted to Waverley Leader (14/2/11) on 15/2/2011 at 12:50 PM
Commenting on "$45,000 bill for Monash women-only pool sessions"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/your-view-45-000-bill-for-monash-women-only-pool-sessions/

I have written in various papers including this about my views on segregation, whether it is on businesses in Kingsway or the use of swimming pool.

Multiculturalism is not a one-way traffic. Australians are asked to be patient, tolerant, and acceptant with other’s cultures, and expected to learn about them, and yet many immigrants do not reciprocate. Unless there is a common unifying force to bind them together, the Australian social fabric will be torn.

To find out more about my other comments, follow the links
http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=114&m=49118&ps=50&dm=2, published 27/8/2009
http://www2b.abc.net.au/guestbookcentral/list.asp?numtoview=&GuestbookID=156&start=&sort=&filter1=Name&filter1val=CHAN, Sin Fong&filter2=Subject&filter2val=Speak English and Respect the Laws&filter3Remark=&filter3val=Tower of Babel&view=&advanced=&Action=&pagestart=, published 19/9/2006
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/women-only-pool-float-for-monash/, published 19/10/2010
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/better-business-mix-in-kingsway/, published 7/1/2011
http://www.monashweekly.com.au/content/letterstotheeditor/, published 7/1/2011, 3/12/2010, 20/10/2010

Women-only pool float for Monash (Part 3 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (19/10/10) on 24/10/10 at 3:28 PM
Commenting on "Women-only pool float for Monash"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/women-only-pool-float-for-monash/

I don't hate anyone because of one's beliefs, cultural background or holds different values. If one reads my posting dated 19 Oct 10 at 05:47pm, one can see that I'm advocating equality NOT the opposite.

As good citizens, we have to obey the laws and orders of the land. It is incorrect and inconceivable to say that one can do whatever one likes unconditionally - obviously one cannot wear a pair of shoes or pyjamas in the swimming pool.

I can't demand, as a taxpayer, that a train station be built just round the corner because I have to take a train to work in the city. My options are to drive, take a bus or walk for 40 minutes to train station.

Women-only pool float for Monash (pPost 2 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (19/10/10) on 22/10/10 at 3:36 AM
Commenting on "Women-only pool float for Monash"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/women-only-pool-float-for-monash/

Nuha, it is your prerogative to choose to be a Muslim. If you feel uncomfortable to wear a swim suite now around men, then don't swim in a public pool.

Women-only pool float for Monash (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (19/10/10) on 19/10/10 at 5:47 PM
Commenting on "Women-only pool float for Monash"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/comments/women-only-pool-float-for-monash/

I strongly oppose gender seggregation whether it is religious base or otherwise. This is a bad precedence for future argument about separate workplace offices, classrooms, buses, train carriages, taxis, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals and the list just goes on.

Imagine in a crowded train or bus, aren't women in closer contact with men? Will there be enough female gynaecologists to help pregnant women or deliver babies? I'm a Chinese by descent, and there are a lot of differences between my believes, values and the Australian way of life. I choose to be an Australian, and therefore I can't be dogmatic expecting the country / fellow citizens to change for me. I have to adapt or compromise to some extent. In the worst case scenario, I avoid!

If the women choose to walk 10km each week to swim at Kingston Council’s Don Tatnell Leisure Centre, let's be it. There are different modes of transport, or they can carpool with friends. On the positive side, walking is a good form of exercise.

Who pay for the $45,080? All ratepayers including myself do. I don't expect the Mayor or the City to waste my money in such proposal.

Seggregation spells the downfall of Equality!