Housing:

[Vital Spark]

Is it okay to alert folk to the following?

Shelter: Act today to save tomorrow's homes

If not, I apologise and trust that someone in the know will delete this post.

[demon_x_slash]

Good link. We're not on the property ladder yet (renting) but we hope to be soon...don't know how we're going to manage.

I think the problem with outside links is that the various unscrupuli have been posting commercial links, or referee links. Naughty.

[Vital Spark]

I suppose that, if it's allowed, it should really be posted in the Scotland forum as it really only pertains to our region.

Well, no point in concerning myself with earning the reputation of "El Thicko": already attended to. So, what's a referee link?

[Vital Spark]

Originally Posted by demon_x_slash

Good link. We're not on the property ladder yet (renting) but we hope to be soon...don't know how we're going to manage................... .

Have you looked into Earthships? You'd have to find yourself a piece of land first, of course. That's how I'd plan to go and I wish local authorities would start building them to replace the council property they're selling off.

DRAT! Apart from my artistically creative spelling and grammar, my keyboard's about to go on the blink. Shouldn't have bought it from a shop which absolutely stunk of stale cigarette smoke. It's pobably gummed up with tar. Next time, before I lay out £1,500 on a pc, I'll:
1) ask advice from someone in the know;
2) ask teh vendor if they smoke;
3) if they do, I'll find another vendor.

The mouse died the other day but a friend stepped in with another. It's always the same friends who are there when you need help, isn't it? AND, they're the ones you never seem to need to ask.

Good folk.

As soon as I entered the pc room, for months after I bought this machine, I could still smell the stale smoke: DISGUSTING! I bet I'd have stopped smoking much earlier had I realised how much and disgustingly bad, I must have smelled to others. Anybody else notice how disgusting and dirty smokers smell: even some kids' clothes smell of stale smoke.

Aye, it's an awfie thing the addiction.

"When I'm dead and gone, every time my children pass a dirty ash tray, they'll think of me."

YEWK!

Not an epitaph I'd want.

Sorry. I diverse.....AGAIN!

[Vital Spark]

I've received favourale responses from 3 MSPs so far:

First to arrive was from Ms Christine May whom I mistakenly addressed as Mr in my initial mail. Correction and apologised for sex change, in my reply, with advice that better a sex change by title as such surgery is reputedly really expensive.

"Dear Ms Gardiner
Thank you for your email. So that I may respond to you, I should be grateful for your full postal address.
Best wishes
Christine May

Website: http://www.christinemay.org.uk/

Christine May Constituency Office
MSP for Central Fife 5 Hanover Court
Scottish Parliament Glenrothes
Edinburgh KY7 5SB
EH99 1SP Tel: 01592 759767
Tel: 0131 348 5740 Fax: 01592 760309"

I'll share a scanned copy of the postal response when it arrives.

[Vital Spark]

Second response from Mark Ruskell:

Dear Constituent,
Congratulations on your strong lobby of the Scottish Parliament on this issue. I will be voting against the amendments and I think it unlikely that they will now pass. You are right to highlight the issue and you should also demand consistency in the positions taken by MSPs from other political parties.
The Scottish Green Party has adopted policy that states there should be no limits on the number of HMOs in a particular area. HMO licences are clearly designed to assure the safety of those living in rented accommodation. In this context, it would be inappropriate to use the HMO system to determine who could live where. Accordingly, Green MSPs will be voting against any amendment to the planning bill that would mean HMO licences could be used in this way as a very crude method of social enginering.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Ruskell MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP - Mid Scotland and Fife region
Scottish Green Party Environment Speaker
Regional Office
24 High Street, Dunblane
01786 820099
Parliamentary office
Room MG.17
Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
Tel 0131 348 6368
Fax 0131 348 5972
RNID Type Talk calls welcome
"

If he proves to be as good (and consitent with it,) on green issues, principled, motivated and without 'head up bum syndrome' as he comes across, he, undoubtedly, gets my vote next election.

[Vital Spark]

Hmmm, definitely not personal response: Oskana does the work. Althought Mark Ruskell's response ws "dear Constituent", it was sent to a huge number of mailers: he can be forgiven based on content.

Murdo Fraser: great name. Response to mailed request: right action we'll see about reason:

• Thank you very much for your email with regards to your concerns about the amendments on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) coming before the Scottish Parliament at Stage 3 of the Planning (Scotland) Bill this week.
  Please let me assure you that the Scottish Conservatives will not be supporting these amendments, this is because they are being presented at the final stage of the debate with no prior consultation on their impact on the rental and house sales markets and I do not feel this is a responsible way to form legislation.
  In addition I feel that the HMO regulations are operating well at the moment and that it is too soon to augment the provisions without any prior review or inquiry.
  Thank you again for your email.
  Regards - Murdo Fraser MSP
  

Oksana Last - Personal Assistant to
Murdo Fraser MSP - Mid Scotland & Fife
Deputy Leader Scottish Conservatives & Spokesman for Enterprise & Lifelong Learning
Contact: 01738 553990 Fax: 01738 553967
Control Tower, Perth Airport, Scone, Perth PH2 6PL