Hello Colin thank you for your recent e.mails.
I find your manner and indiscriminate ridiculing of me to be rather unfortunate and disappointing. We have known each other for over thirty years and our contact has always been mutually cordial and respectful. You have now though decided to publicly insult both myself and my family and at no time had the decency or courtesy to contact me personally to discuss your issues.
I have responded to as many of your e.mails as I considered appropriate and done all that you have asked of me with regards to trying to improve the speeding problem on
Last year when I was elected you asked me to see what I could do. Following numerous request and quite intense pressure that I put on highways, we eventually had a meeting on 2 May. The discussions were open and all who were present had the opportunity to voice their opinion and make suggestions. As I recall though, I did not hear much of a contribution from yourself!
It was eventually decided and accepted at the meeting that count down speeding signs would be erected, rumble strips would be put in place and a flashing sign erected. The police would also monitor the situation to establish the extent of the problem. It was also decided that once these measures were in place the situation would be reviewed to establish the effectiveness of what had been done. Once the flashing signs are in place it will be appropriate for the situation to be reviewed. As far as I am concerned the agreed steps have taken far too long to be put in place and I have pressurised the various departments to as much of an extent as my position enables me. I also took the case up with Chris Kay and am continuing my complaint with the current Chief Executive.
Having known and respected you from our Kelsterton days of over thirty years ago, I find it very disappointing that you seem to take such pleasure in insulting me the way that you are at the moment. Because you have not got your own way you accuse me of being weak and inefficient. If you want me to be a ‘bully’, as your wife describes Tony Sharps, I am clearly the wrong person for the job. If you want me to discuss, negotiate and argue the causes of our village in a mature and rational manner, you will have to go a long way to find anybody more committed or sincere.
I find myself constantly defending you, not only in the Red Lion, but in the Spar, the Butchers, the Post Office and the Chip shop. I am regularly asked how I put up with ‘that idiot’ or ‘the sad little man’ from the bottom of Penymynnydd road. I was even stopped in the post office the other day by one resident who I did not know and had not spoken to before who asked me just that question. He also informed me that you had blocked him from your blog because he criticised you? So much for free speech! Your methods are doing your reputation a grave disservice as I have no doubt that your aims are totally sincere. It therefore gives me no pleasure to hear people calling you the names I hear, especially that of being a pervert because you take photographs of young children!
There is no doubt that there is a problem with speeding in the village, and despite the statement of Chris Pullen that it is not the priority issue at the moment, from my point of view I strongly disagree. Speeding in the village, anti-social behaviour, the elderly people having to walk long distances to catch busses that pass their homes, the family who are getting their home re-possessed and made homeless because the father lost his job last year, the council houses and pensioners bungalows without central heating, the disgraceful lack of amenities in the village, together with many other issues that I am involved with are all of equal priority in my opinion. The speed I am able to deal with them all and then get some action out of Shire Hall is another matter!
As I have stated on a number of occasions, your aims as far as I am concerned are completely valid and necessary. Your methods though are very questionable and to a certain extent are very damaging to the cause. The figures you provide are now subject to real doubt, and the fact that you accuse my wife and brother-in-law of speeding, when I know how painfully slowly they drive puts a big question mark over the accuracy of the figures you are producing.
It must be really nice to have been able to retire at the age of fifty and have so much spare time on your hands to be able to canvas on your single speeding issue the way you do, and even have the observation skills to be so quickly on the scene for the fire to make your comments to the press! It is a shame that you do not have the courage or conviction to put yourself forward and try to put what you constantly preach into practice by standing for a seat on the council. On your own admission you could not subject yourself to such pressures so in your cowardly way, prefer to ridicule and criticise people who are making sincere attempt to try and make a difference.
In standing for the council last February I was put under a great deal of pressure to stand from friends and existing councillors to put myself forward. I can only assume people wanted me to stand because of my record of working voluntarily for the community for most of my life and the conscientious and diligent way that I opposed the Meadowslea proposals, the UDP and my fight to improve amenities in the village. This has clearly been a difficult and enlightening year for me where I have gained valuable experience which I am still learning from. Unfortunately I am not yet up to the competence of your hero Tony Sharps, and I do not have it in me to be the ‘bully’ that your wife claims him as being.
At the time of writing this e.mail to you I am still unsure if I will be able spare the time to stand again in May. Obviously as far as you are concerned I am not strong enough and it would be best if I just gave up now. If I do decide to stand again though, it will be as a result of my commitment to trying to improve the quality of life in Pen-y-ffordd and certainly not the remuneration that you seem to take exception to. On the other hand, if I decide against standing it not will not be through the cowardly pressure you are putting me under. Nothing you do or say will affect my actions, and I will continue working to the best of my ability to get the best I possibly can for the well being of the community of Pen-y-ffordd until my term is up in May. Whatever happens, it may be an idea for you to think again about standing, for your obvious experience and ability at being a cyber bully, which is regularly displayed in your blog with you abuse of others, would surely make you an ideal candidate to get things done at the drop of a hat for the village.
As I am sure you know and can imagine, letter writing is not one of my strongest points, and being rather less literate or articulate than yourself it does take rather a long time for me to compose such responses. Also, as I do not have quite so much time on my hands as you do, this response has taken a fair chunk out of my day that could have been better spent on other important matters to do with my council work, school work and my home and family life which is really suffering at the moment. It is for this reason that any future communication I have with you will be in response to matters that I feel can have a positive effect on improving things in the village. I do not intend to respond to the indiscriminate and irresponsible comments that you appear to take pleasure in making..
If you wish to speak with me personally, I will willingly give you the time and will never be so cowardly as to block you from my e.mails which you have obviously done with people who have had a go at you. I therefore trust that you will have the decency to put this response on your blog where the public can form their own opinion on how I am dealing with the matter that most concerns you.
Kind regards,
David Williams
From: Lisa
To: David Williams (Councillor)
Cc: alcohol.licensing@flintshire.gov.uk; Arrive Alive
Sent: Tuesday, 12 February, 2008 9:55:04 AM
Subject: Chester Rd Sppeding update - stilll 2000 cars a day
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