Monday 17 September 2012

Why Are We Paying For This Ineptitude? (2)

Just as an amusing aside, you may be interested to hear that your humble host has been mentioned in a hilariously incompetent slideshow at the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference in June (with thanks to fellow jewel robber, Gregster, for the spot).

During a presentation which at times looks like it was designed by a 7 year old, they took great exception to my asking a couple of questions as to what they were doing with my taxes, as I'm entitled to under the law.


I'm not entirely sure why the superfluous quotation marks around the word libertarian, perhaps they think that such people don't really exist or something. It wouldn't be surprising seeing as they can't seem to understand that others think differently to their own insular and deluded hive mind.

And how I can simultaneously be classed as right wing - a term usually used by ignoramuses, as in this case, to devalue those who disagree with them - is a mystery considering I consistently argue that there is no right or left in politics anymore, merely shades of authoritarian or libertarian.

Freedom2Choose get a mention too in the form of a member who I'm pretty certain doesn't exist. Cathy Freeman is a former Australian athlete who I can't imagine signing up for membership and sending FOI requests even if she was entitled to. Perhaps these idiots - who are obviously incapable of basic error-checking - are thinking of someone else?

There is also a hint that the Gold Medal winning Olympian has been issuing death threats to ASH, or do they just mean Freedom2Choose? If so, they don't seem to mind the casual tobacco control tax sponger making the association. The reference, of course, is the display of faux outrage they threw over an article which was obviously satirical to all but the most feeble of minds, and at the Freedom2Choose blog under a banner declaring it "does not reflect the opinions of the Freedom2Choose organisation".

Lastly, the authors and presenters - all employed by Smokefree South West at your expense - declare that they received 32 "vexatious" FOI requests about plain packaging. I presume they mean that it was distressing not to be able to squander our money without the hassle of accountability, because there is a section in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which allows non-compliance with such requests. If they figured they could invoke this section, you can be pretty damn sure they would have done. If they didn't, the requests weren't vexatious, simple as.

Like I have said before, I don't mind if they want to spend their time spreading smears and inaccuracies about me - in fact, I'm delighted I get under their skin so much - and we have come to expect that people in their industry throw our hard-earned down the shitter every day, but it's soul-destoying to know that they are wasting it on such utter incompetence.

Benefit cheats are more honest, and cheaper, by comparison.


7 comments:

DaveAtherton20 said...

They are a bunch of libelous bozos at SFSW. They are thinking of Becky Freeman, Simon Chapman's bag carrier.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

That thought had occurred to me too, dude. They're an incestuous lot, aren't they?

philhandyman24-7 said...

I wish I had been invited to this particular 'soiree', I could have put them straight on a few matters!

Jeff Wood said...

They put quotes round Libertarian because they want to put quotes around Liberty.

moonrakin said...

As one of the FoI-ers I can say that the response I got was wholly inadequate and ladled with the sort of dumb-ass sloganeering and unsubstantiated assertions that is these goons stock in trade.


That front line NHS funds should be peculated away by a bunch of self regarding penpushers who're ensconced in expensive offices miles away from patients on likely illegal lobbying of the government that they are supposedly servants of - is simply wrong on oh, so many levels.


Smoke Free Southwest are a disgraceful shower of bureaucratic ticks who see themselves as unaccountable to the public - in any way, shape or form. The organisation is actually structured to obfuscate lines of accountability.


uh-oh ... what's this ? they're re-branding as Salt Free South West you say?


Who'd a thunk it?

Henry Crun said...

Point of order Mr. P: It is ignorami not ignoramuses.
Other than that, well done for getting under their skin.

Dembones said...

I imagine that the 'soiree' will have been held between 12 - 2.00 in order that a mini-buffet with tea and coffee is also provided on the tax pound.


Many NHS Trust AGMs are held during the middle of the working day ensuring that those who have paid in the most have the least opportunity of raising questions because they are at their desks or otherwise earning a living.