City status for Medway Borough Council - Answers on a piece of bunting please!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/10499037.stm

Get rid of the system that uses a council leader and his cabinet of political chums and vote for a mayor directly elected by the people of the Medway Towns and answerable to the people. You only have 8 days left to voice your opinion - DO IT NOW!

"The choice has to be made as to whether we continue with our local authority headed by a council leader, elected internally by his political chums, or a mayor directly elected by the people of the Medway Towns and answerable to the people.
Too little publicity has been given to the vital opportunity to follow the success of directly elected mayors in other parts. The people of the Medway Towns should go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XWMTRZZ where they can follow the link which gives them the facts and a survey enabling them to express their preference."
From a letter in The Medway Messenger 18th June 2010.
Remember you only have until 30th June 2010 to give your preference. This has not been well advertised by the council - I wonder why?

City status - are we going far enough? - Let's go for full re-branding, damn the expense!

Is medway borough council (sic) being too humble in its current attempt to re-brand itself as a city? Having lost city status for Rochester through incompetence, negligence, stupidity, arrogance, lack of professionalism (choose any that fit) perhaps it needs to up its game a bit. Here are a few suggestions that might help:-

1. Rename Rochester Castle as Medway Castle -

 Medway Castle

2. Rename Rochester Cathedral as Medway Cathedral -

 Medway Cathedral

3. Go for the city name Medway upon Medway.

Some more stunning and original ideas:-

A. Rename Gillingham Footbal Club as Medway Football Club.

B. Rename the various towns as Chatham in Medway, Gillingham in Medway, Strood in Medway etc. Or better still Upper Medway, Middle Medway and Lower Medway we could also include Lesser Medway, Greater Medway, Medway under Medway, Medway Rural, Medway Urban, Inner Medway, Outer Medway, Medway Without, Medway Within - the re-branding list goes on!

C. Rename Chatham Dockyard as Medway Dockyard.

D. Change all references to Rochester, Chatham, Strood etc in the works of Charles Dickens to Medway!

Then they will take medway borough council (sic) seriously!

Medway Matters council magazine - value for money - here are the figures - what do you think?

Medway Matters has a circulation of nearly 112,000 and costs around £17,000 per issue. Medway council have a contract with Royal Mail who distribute the magazine.  This costs nearly £8,000 to deliver per issue.

How much does "Medway Matters" the "free" Medway Council magazine cost us?

Here is a statement from Medway Concil's Media Manager:
"There is no specific budget for the council's residents' magazine. It is funded through a mix of advertising and through local partners buying into its editorial content, with nearly 68 per cent of funding coming from external sources."

How much does your local councillor get? Medway Councillors allowances and expenses 2009-2010

http://www.medway.gov.uk/membersallowances2009-10.pdf

Medway Council's Medway Matters pamphlet - what's it all about Rodney

Having just received my obligitory copy of Medway Matters, I was struck by the number of times the word "Medway" appears in it (128 until I fell asleep - excluding email addresses adverts etc). Why am I sent this - all the info is readily available in local press or online? Who pays for this mag - is it me with my council tax ( it can't be funded by adverts because there are only a handful)? I have emailed Medway Council to ask how this mag is funded but have received no reply yet (will keep you posted). There are several articles that ask for the readers' feedback or comments - is this Medway Council's excuse for consultation? Can they then say that they have consulted thousands of people and have met their obligations? 
What are your views on Medway Matters please let me know - and by the way what has happened to the "Letters" page - perhaps they don't get any letters other than complaints?