Ask Susan !

April

13

19 comments

susanfamilywindmill

If you have any questions for Susan Gaszczak, our parliamentary candidate for Rayleigh and Wickford, you can ask them here……

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  • In addition to parliamentary duties at Westminster, how will you be working towards making Rayleigh and Wickford better?

    I have heard of specific pledges of support that do not seem to have actually been followed through. Will you be able to put your words into actions? There is no point in being in every photo opportunity of community success stories in the paper; if there is no action from our representative on ongoing issues that our community struggles with.

    I write ‘seem’ rather than ‘nothing is done’ because I have not heard of action – that is not to say that it has never happened, it is just that I have not ‘seen’ actions louder than words.
    I also feel that this is a problem of members of parliament in general not just locally, so I feel very disillusioned with the whole thing.

    J Lydford

  • Hi,
    I would like to know how the proposed system of a Local Income Tax would work and also how the proposed rise in the personal tax allowance to £10K would be funded. I find the concept of a written constitution appealing and would be interested to know who exactly would draft this.
    Thanks.

  • Imagine that you are our MP, one of your children has one off, never to be repeated school event / play etc that is very important to both them and you. However this clashes with a vote in the house for which all MP’s are required to attend. What would you do ?

  • Deanne Hooper – Yes without doubt. I understand that MP’s work irregular hours either in Parliament or at constituency meetings and events. I believe that the UK will face many challenges over the next 4-5 years burdened as it is with a massive deficit. I want to know that the person I vote for will be able to commit 100% to this mammoth task – regardless of who they are.

  • RR- I’m going to try to persuade you otherwise here! Yes, we want dedicated MPs but there should always be a bot of room for family life- or a bit of life outside politics in general.

    For example – Vince Cable spent a lot of time caring for his first wife when she was dying from breast cancer. David Cameron was greatly affected by the illness of one of his children. I’m sure these were massive distractions for them at various times – but one of the advantages of the party system is that there is almost always someone to cover for you when necessary.

    If we are going to attract and keep talented people to stand for parliament – and looking impartially I’d include both Mark and Susan in that category – they should be able to have a family life

  • Jane – I understand your frustration with all talk no action. I always have been a person of action. If there is something that the community wanted delivered I would work with the community to get that, as I have in the past. Just to give you a couple of examples of things that I have delivered, although not for Rayleigh and Wickford. When I was a County Councillor I saved a children centre, securing a new site, a new building and the funding. I got a speed limit changed from 40mph to 30mph on an A road because there was a school present, something the community had campaigned for for years but never made any in roads.

    Alison – Local income tax has been a Lib Dem policy for many years. The way it would work is to tax residents through their pay packet. The raise to £10k in personal allowances would be funded by the £15bn of savings we have identified in our fully costed manifesto. We would scrap databases, ID cards, like-for like replacement of trident and close tax loopholes that allow corporations to evade tax. A constitution would be drawn up by parliament.

    Bruce – I never have been a fan of nuclear weapons, and yes I believe that Trident is a waste of money, our policy is no like for like replacement.

    Rayleigh Resident – it would have to be the debate in the house. Regardless of how hard that is on my children I am standing for parliament because I want to make a difference. I would get myself replaced at the one off event by their dad or grandparents though and make sure a video camera is present!!

  • Just a follow up for Rayleigh Resident – you asked about a one off performance/exciting thing in my children’s lives but as Chris has added (missed his post) if my child was ill, and needed me, I would be there for my child. A performance is one thing, a sick child who seriously needed me is another!

  • Susan,
    You mention that your past experiences of dealing with traffic issues that matter to the community. This is an issue of great importance to me, crossings across Down Hall Road and Hullbridge Road & the one by Lubbards farm, were both, I understood now considered Priorities but other than that no news. The Down Hall / Hullbridge Road has our Lollypop Man / Lady so that school children can cross safely then but the Lubbards turning still has nothing. I walk my young daughters at least a couple of times a week (to and from Lubbards) sometimes daily in the holidays and each time I feel that the crossing will only be put in once someone has had a fatal accident there. The speed limit is very high and cars drive even faster. Both crossings would make it safer for school children (there is a Nursery at Lubbards) but it won’t be a benefit for just those.
    I am regularly asked when it is happening by other parents, excited that believe that the crossings have been agreed and that it is coming soon. We do receive the Liberal newsletter from Chris and the other Lib councillors but other than that, nothing about what is happening. My parents don’t even know who the Candidates are or what ward they are included in living in the Rayleigh part of Eastwood.
    It is good to hear that you worked for the community that you represented, when you were a County Councillor. I don’t believe that the majority of those we have now do. I don’t want to hear of block party voting, I just want people that are supposed to represent us – that members of parliament members, Essex county council, Rochford District Council, Town Council etc – to do so.

  • Susan,

    Thank you for the response – of course sickness or serious illness in the family must always come before work no matter what you do, I was more concerned about “normal” events and you have addressed my concerns by your reply.

  • Susan – what ideas / proposals do you have to stop anti-social behaviour from a small minority of youths in Rayleigh who feel they are above the law.

  • RR, I do not know about Susan, but I believe this should be the responsibility of the parents. We cannot delegate how our offspring behave to a third party. We have the responsibility of how our children behave, no one else.

  • Reply to Jane
    Please feel free to contact any of your 3 local coucillors regarding the Lubards Farm crossing and the lack of progress that is happening. Or not happening. It seems that money cannot be found for what you and I consider an important safety measure.

  • Jane, As it happens I’d asked the council earlier in the week for an update, hadn’t had a reply, so I emailed Cllr Keith Hudson, the portfolio holder, and he kindly emailed me back.

    Back in January, the West area committee gave top or second priority to six improvements in Rayleigh . We managed to get three in Downhall:

    Pedestrian crossing at Rawreth Lane/ Downhall Park Way (Priority 1)
    Pedestrian Crossung in Hullbridge Road opposite (Priority 2, and subject to a final traffic assessment)
    Junction Widening at the Hullbridge Road/ Rawretyh lane Junction (Priority 1)

    For those outside of Downhall, the other 3 Rayleigh improvements were:

    Church Road – improving the road surface (priority 1)
    Bardfield Way / Langham Drive – install lighting in alley (priority 1)
    Little Wheatley Chase – repairs to roads and footpaths (priority 1)

    There were also a lot of parking restictions included at priority 1, but thses are cheap to do.

    There were six improvements plus some minor stuff at priority level 3 and 4. Other items didn’t make the list at all.

    The Current state of play is that the priority 1 items all have the ok to go ahead.

    In a few weeks the council will decide wthether it can do all of the priority 2 schemes.

    As far as I can see , the priority 2 schemes across the district are:

    West Area
    – the crossing in Hullbridge Road

    Central Area
    Footway between White Hart Land and shops
    Beeches Road Hullbridge ??????? – resurfacing

    East area
    -Footway in Canewdon High Street
    -Footway in great Wakering from Cupids Chase to Wakering Road
    -Twyford Avenue Great Wakering – protection of verge to stop parking abuse

    So the crossing you and I and loads of people want, is close to being approved, but we are not quite there yet.

    And finally Jane – I want more people elected to work in the wa that you describe. And I’d love it if one of them had the name “Lydford” !

  • Jane – I hope Chris has answered your question re the crossing, sounds like a nightmare and I would push for it to be installed ASAP.

    RR – my view on youths is that we do not give them enough to do. At a Youth Conference about 18 months ago I was talking to teenagers and they were looking for things like supervised youth houses where they could go and ‘hang out’ and drink coffee. Lots of them complained that that was not possible to do in coffee shops etc due to the cost of coffee – £3 for a normal coffee is a lot of money! They also wanted conductors back on buses and more transport to get them about! (Don’t we all!)

    Currently we have a youth service that is target and paperwork driven… A waste of youth workers time!

  • Susan, Thank you for the response however I do not feel that you have answered the question. Whilst the majority of young people are perfectly law abiding we have a minority who are hell bent on causing as much trouble as possible ( see the post from the householder in Victoria Ave ) so my question remains – what would your proposals be to deal effectively with that minority.

  • Rayleigh Resident

    Sorry as this had slipped off the front page I had missed your comment. I have copied and pasted my reply to your question of where I live from the other thread below.

    Hi everyone

    Just wanted to address the question of where I live. Currently I live in Watford. I have made a commitment that if I am elected my first job will be to move to Rayleigh and Wickford, as I had planned to 7 years ago. Unfortunately my then partner lost his job two days before were due to exchange contracts on a house we were buying in Wickford.

    The reason I was selected was because I am, and I hope Chris will agree with me, a person who is good a standing up and representing people.

    I hope that addresses your questions

    Kind regards

    Susan

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