COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

CAPABILITY SCOTLAND

Capability Scotland have launched a pretty good website explaining the voting system for the Local Government elections in May, I saw an article in the local Paisley Daily Express and thought that I would check it out. It is an excellent resource for information for disabled voters to see what help they are entitled to, and there is a section on the single transferable vote system explaining that instead of using an X you should use the numbers 1, 2, 3 etc instead.

Check out the website by clicking on the title 'Councillor Rayleen Kelly' above and it will take you straight to the Vote 2007 webpage.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

DUNN STREET FIRE

I have received reports that there was a fire in Dunn Street last night, the Fire Service were called and ten people had to be evacuated. I have spoken to Williamsburgh Housing Association and it seems that the residents were taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley for smoke inhalation, at this point I have had no reported serious injuries.

I would like to thank Williamsburgh Housing Association for their swift response for the tenants and their ongoing efforts to support the tenants.

I also wanted to take some time to thank Strathclyde Fire Brigade for their work in this fire, time and time again they put their lives on the line for others and they have been comended by the Housing Association at the meeting last night and I wanted to personally thank them as well.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

OUTRAGE


As promised here are a few of the images from the outrage conference on Wednesday...

Above is a work entitled Sadness to Sunshine by the Disability Resource Centre.

The above work is titled S.E.A.N. (Somebody, everybody,anybody, nobody) by the Star project and Renfrewshire Women's Association. This particular art work is interactive, on the way into the conference the delegates were given a sticker with the phrase ....

'I Pledge, Never to Commit, Condone or Remain Silent About Violence against Women.'

Each delegate then signed the pledge and attached it to Sean, it was an excellent idea and very well done.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

CHRISTMAS FAYRE

Paisley Grammar PTA organised an excellent Christmas Fayre for last night, despite the howling winds and the severe weather warnings it had an excellent turnout. The stalls included the students selling an array of items including small Christmas cakes (one of which my mother bought) and Christmas cards. Among the stalls I have to give a special mention to the Disability Resource Centre Art Group, the art work was exceptional and I never fail to be impressed by their work, congratulations to all involved.

The night was a big hit, and although I could not stay for the raffle at the end I had an excellent time and I hope that it raised a lot of money for the PTA. The organisers are to be congratulated, and the students deserve a congratulations too for all their efforts.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

HOUSING STOCK TRANSFER

Earlier this week Renfrewshire tenants voted by a majority of 36 votes to reject the proposal to transfer the housing stock to a not for profit Housing Association.

Despite the SNP and SSP claims that it will be OK because the Scottish Executive or the Treasury will give the Council the money there have been no indications to this effect. They are claiming this as a victory but the tenants that I have spoken to are not so sure, they are concerned about where we go now!

Keep this in mind those who are professing to be the saviours of the tenants, not one of them actually lives in a council house! Mr's Hogg and McCartney from the SSP certainly don't live in a council house, and before the accusation gets fired back, I have never suggested I do, I have similarly never told the tenants to vote in a particular way because I am very aware that it is the tenants choice! The mistruths being put forward by the SSP and the group Mr McCartney professes to represent are shameless, maybe they have the answer now? I doubt it!

Youth Justice

RENFREWSHIRE RAMPS SERVICE

Both the Minister and Deputy Minister for Justice were in Paisley this afternoon for the launch of the Youth Justice Group report and the Executive's response to this document. Both Cllr Tommy Williams Deputy Leader of Renfrewshire Council (Convener for Social Work and speaking on behalf of COSLA) and Ms Jamieson suggested that the young people are the future of Scotland and that there are a relatively small population of persistent offenders. Cllr Williams pointed out that RAMPS is an excellent service and that it has made a big difference to the youth offending rates in Renfrewshire.

Cllr Williams, the Minister Cathy Jamieson and Deputy Minister Hugh Henry (also a local MSP for Paisley and Renfrewshire) all spent a large part of the afternoon speaking to both the parents and young people involved with the project, they asked questions of the young people about how they felt the project had helped them. I was most impressed with Ms Jamieson and her instincts with regards to the young people and the protection of their identities when a photo journalist began to take photos.

It has been suggested by her opponents that Ms Jamieson does not know what she is doing, my advice would be to keep doing what she is doing at present because everyone who met her today was impressed with her interest and honesty.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

MARTIN SCAREMONGERING

Well it turns out that Cllr Martin's defection from the SNP has not made him any more likely to check his facts. He appeared in the local newspaper this week suggesting that Renfrewshire Council were closing down ALL of their community halls for two days every week, causing alarm to the general public.

I would point out that this is not the case any closure during the week is because the halls are not being used. There is no point opening up a centre on nights when it is not being used, this is a waste of tax payers money. If anyone has any questions with regards to this please contact your local councillor.

COUNCILLOR RAYLEEN KELLY

FULL COUNCIL

This morning we had a Full Council meeting discussing the issue of Single Status, and although the Falkirk issue had already been exposed by the national media. The difference as outlined by the Labour Administration at today's meeting was that ...

1. Falkirk (the SNP controlled council) to the best of my knowledge did not allow the Unions to ballot, where Renfrewshire did.

2. Renfrewshire's package was accepted by Unison, Falkirk's was not.

3. The Renfrewshire package was widely hailed as one of the most generous in Scotland, the same has not been said of Falkirk's!

The SNP are saying one thing in Power and another in opposition, how tell me can they be trusted?