I am surprised at the largely negative response aimed at this person. I am hearing of how properly the local authority has behaved and of this man's perceived playing of the race card.
Nobody actually knows the man's circumstances or what led him to taking the matter to the press. There seems to be an assumption that fair play is inherent in local authorities - this is not my experience at all. As for suggestions that he would fair less well in Thailand, these statements are totally irrelevant. Is the suggestion that Thailand, or any other third world country, has the correct welfare system?

The only point I am making is that there is no evidence of any racism whatsoever. If he did have any evidence he would most certainly have offered it to the press. If there was one iota of any corroboration to his assertion then he would have identified it. He did not. He did not even offer a reason as to why he thought it might be a racially motivated decision.

I'm sorry Tobias, but you do tend to analyse everything as if it were a courtroom. The newspaper is never going to print specific allegations against a local authority until it has been through some formal process - nor should it. So of corse you haven't seen any evidence. I am not saying this guy is right - but nor am I saying he is wrong. I am just very disappointed that this guy has been set upon by so many people who judge him to be an a***hole out of hand.

quote:

The newspaper is never going to print specific allegations against a local authority until it has been through some formal process - nor should it.

We are talking about the press here ?

If the press could really drive this story home to help sell papers then they would. If I had a pound for every time a local authority got bad press from a local rag (rightly or wrongly) then I would be a rich man !

I think what most people are showing is the resentment that he is showing the race card with no real facts. The facts as reported show that he would be on a low priority list.

If we presume the fact that he is living in a two bedroom flat with a wife and two kids then there will be loads more people worse off than him. Which will cause him to be longer on the waiting list.

quote:

I am just very disappointed that this guy has been set upon by so many people who judge him to be an a***hole out of hand.

The article steers most readers in this direction. I expect if anyone met him they would find him to be a nice guy and trying to do the best for his family. However without decent facts to support his views, people will judge him as such.................

Very well put Ivan. I'm going to a BBQ today, not far from this guy so will report back.
If nothing else, this has livened up what has been a very sleepy forum for the past couple of weeks
Pass me another beer someone

quote:

I'm sorry Tobias, but you do tend to analyse everything as if it were a courtroom

I'd have to agree with you John - its one reason Tobias is very difficult to 'argue' against.
The other is he is invariably right....but I'm sure he doesnt mind people trying


Rob

Yeah Toby ! Give us some stats. How much an hour do you charge ? How many scoundrels have you "got off" ?
Got any juicy gossip (you can disguise the identities if you like )

quote:

The other is he is invariably right....but I'm sure he doesnt mind people trying
Wink

niamys'
ash

niamys' ??

You've lost me Ash

Rob

Not In A Million Years Sunshine maybe?

Well I went to the BBQ a few miles from this guys house and the wife has been going to the english classes. However, all the girls seem to think that she does not have a 14 year old daughter - but an eight year old daughter. Someone pointed out that they might have had difficulty getting a visa to live at that location if the daughter had been 11 at the time of application, due to inadequate living space. However, noone seems to know how long they have been resident. So the plot thickens ......

Never known a newspaper to report anything remotely accurate. Council housing is a disaster where ever you are in the UK. Too few resources for huge demand, open to all forms of abuse and corruption. Thatcher/Conservative legacy.

was with him and his family yesterday at birthday party of mutual friends. the daughter is 13 nearly 14.sanoom has been here nearly 2 years children came early this year. when his wife came he told the council about the children and asked about the possibilities of a bigger place when they arrive, he was told no problem let us know when they are here and we will sort it out.
for the last few months they have been telling him he will get a bigger place, but when the time comes they tell him again next month next month.
dont know where he got the racist thing from, beats me.

If he didn't have adequate accomodation how did he get visa's for the kids.

Too many people expect something for nothing and won't face up to their own responsibilities.

he has lived in the 2bed for a few years. agree he should look outside the council for accomadation. swansea housing is just one of our local housing associations, friends are moving in tomorrow in a brand new flat 2beds in centre of neath 3 miles from where he lives and put thier application in less than two weeks ago.
they dont have children but he has a daughter who he gets to see when it suits his ex, mainly weekends when she wants to go on the razz.
dont know how he got visa for kids, didnt ask dont want to know.

steve

quote:

Too many people expect something for nothing and won't face up to their own responsibilities.

This is normally an argument used byh people who have plenty of money. The simple truth is: if you don't have it it is much harder to accumulate.... and it's money that gives you choices. We have a myriad of services in this country which distrribute money in a wide variety of ways - if you had a heart attack Keith, noone is going to call you a scrounger: society is going to pay for your operation, recuperation, and if necessary your ongoing needs. That's why we pay taxes. I repeat, this guy has a right to apply for social housing. He also has a right to complain if he thinks he is not being treated fairly relative to others(justified or not).

quote:

and it's money that gives you choices. We have a myriad of services in this country which distrribute money in a wide variety of ways - if you had a heart attack Keith, noone is going to call you a scrounger:

He had his choices, bring the kids over or not, he knew where he lived. To compare a heart attack to an immigration visa? You have started to scrape the bottom of the barrel now. All to justify your racism claims?
Admit it, he tried it on. Played the racism card and it backfired on him, at least on this forum. Fair play, it was an option and he took it. Oops, there's another choice he had. What really bugs me are the people who take an incident like this and whip up the anti-racist fervor. I for one am getting sick of it and hope that genuine cases don't end up getting ignored because of it.
Now where's that spare sheet and my pointy hat

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This is normally an argument used byh people who have plenty of money.

Mate, I'm currently working between 60 to 80 hours a week as a cabbie. Just to give us a decent standard of living.

Maybe South Wales has a different culture about scrounging than I'm used to, but where I live if you need money you get of your arse and work for it.

If this guy needs state help after only a few months of him bringing his wifes kids here, then maybe he should never have married her.

You've come on here and because of the Thai connection you expected a different response than the one you got. However at the end of the day, folks are getting fed up with scroungers when hard working people are struggling to not only pay for themselves but ungrateful, workshy, benefit claimers.

keith he works as a salesman and his area is 50 mile radius of his base. like yourself he works long hours and can be called out.
not agreeing with what he's done can't see the reason behind it.
I'm sure south wales is'nt alone with its share of workshy scroungers perhaps down your street there maybe someone who doesnt want to work.

as i go to work this morning struggling with a dodgy knee and ankles, (over 30 years ladderwork) i see the workshy scroungers living by me, with thier motorbility cars and blue badges and yes it pees me off no end.

steve

Steve, I hope you were able to pass on a few of the suggestions I made and advised to keep bidding every week. The suggestions certainly maximise his entitlements and will push up his points on a number of criteria...

Bizarre the places the thai diaspora crops up. I bumped into a chap from Dyffryn Cellwen in a bar on soi 8 in Pattaya,only having been in Banwen RFC the week previously. small world...

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Admit it, he tried it on. Played the racism card and it backfired on

Well Jack you obviously know the guy, all the circumstances surrounding the issue and what was said etc. What you and others have done is what really pees me off - rushing to value judgements and jumping on the guy like a pack of wolves. That's why I stood up for him. And if you don't like it you can take a running jump.

Keith,
You seem to think everyone that lives in a council owned property is a scrounger, and needs state benefits - thats the assumption you make.
Sorry, mate, but I've never claimed ****** all, and work up to 50 hours a week on a construction site for a wage that couldnt get me a mortgage to get out of my council home !
I pay the rent and bills, not the state.
Where do you draw the line about whether this guy should have his Thai family here - should people in his position also have to be able to pay for the kids education and health care privately before they are given a visa, so as to save those public funds.
Should my son only go to school in the morning, as being only half British he isnt entiltled to the afternoon session, or perhaps he should be provided with a monocle should his eye sight fail, for his British eye ?
I dont agree with this guys race tactic but now I hope he gets the house, and a nice big redecoration allowance to go with it !!

Rob

quote:

Originally posted by Roberrrt:
... I dont agree with this guys race tactic but now I hope he gets the house ...

Indeed