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Note:
Names may have been changed from 'name' to [N] or
[job title]
Dear Mrs Seex
In the film
Guys and Dolls there is a character, Big Jules who proudly boasts that
he has a record of 'Twenty arrests. No convictions!'
A little bird
tells me that Jules had nothing on Sefton Council. The little bird chirps
that in the two years up to the 31 /3/2005 Sefton were reported to the
Ombudsman about 14 times (that roughly one every three and a half working
days) and came out smelling of roses.
Indeed they
were so delighted with the Ombudsman's performance that they paid Ms.Thomas
a fulsome tribute on her retirement. There do not appear to be any tributes
from the 140 complainants.
I see that
little has changed. Positive proof of nefarious activities by Sefton Council
has been brushed under your carpet. Your Mesdames [Investigator] and
[Investigator] sing in perfect harmony from the same hymn sheet as Mr. [H]
and Mrs. [E] Perhaps they could be persuaded to form a barber shop quartet?
The theme song
could be the old Ethel Merman hit. We belong to a Mutual Admiration
Society.
Of course
it
might be that the Ombudsman's Office enjoys the same cosy
relationship with all the councils it deals with. In that case you could
form a full blown Choral Society.
That average
of seventy cases a year intrigues me. So much so that I would like to know
how many cases concerning Sefton council were reported to you between April
First 2005 and March Thirty
First 2008 and I ask you for that information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.
Please note I
am not asking how they were dealt with. I can make an informed estimate
about that. I simply want to know how many disgruntled residents of Sefton
found the council's disregard of their concerns so blatant that they put
their trust in the broken reed that is the Ombudsman. My own experience
tells me what satisfaction they got.
I suspect
there will be some caveat that allows you to deny me this information. If
you use it you will simply be confirming my suspicions. It I have to obtain
it elsewhere it will not redound to your credit.
Yours
sincerely
R Ellis
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