Author: Sally Perry
Library Cuts: Dan’s Printing Press Produces Pledges (podcast)
3:50 pm Sunday, 30th January, 2011, Isle of Wight
ShortURL: http://wig.ht/printingpress
Read More- Budget Cuts, Island-wide, Isle of Wight Council, News, podcast
Just before we went into the East Cowes Public meeting yesterday, we bumped into friend of VB, Dan Roberts.
You might recognise Dan’s name from the piece we did about his amazing wooden tricycle, which he cycled from Cowes to the depths of Spain last year.
Well, Dan is back now and he’s certainly a man who likes to keep himself busy.
His frustration at the Isle of Wight council’s plans to close nine of the eleven libraries on the Island, inspired him to create, from scratch, a traditional 17th Century printing press.
The press prints out a pledge to actively campaign against re-election of councillors who vote for the library cuts.
Dan told us more, click on the play button to listen
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In Dan’s own words, here’s what he has to say about the pledge discussed on the podcast and why it’s so important to him.
The point of this pledge campaign is to make councillors truly accountable for their actions by making a direct link between the way they vote on the plan to close nine of our eleven libraries and their own job security.
At election time, councillors rely on a handful of helpers to get their message across, and we hope that the prospect of having hundreds of people campaigning against those who vote for the cuts will help concentrate their minds on the importance of finding alternatives.
In a world where machines and means of communication are increasingly electronic, people seem to be fascinated by anything that has cog-wheels and visible moving parts – especially if it is made of wood. That’s why we thought that making a 17th century style printing press might be an effective way to get our message across.
It’s also reminiscent of the 17th and 18th century pamphleteers like Swift who demonstrated the power of grass-roots publishing to give ordinary people a voice.
The technique is limited by the number of times we can slap paint on the roller and crank individual sheets of paper through the roller while standing on chill street corners so we also plan to use the advantages of modern technology by setting up a web page where people can register their pledges (details to follow).
People needn’t be worried about the idea of making a pledge – it is as much or as little as you want it to be. ‘Actively campaign’ doesn’t imply supporting any particular party or candidate. It could mean standing yourself as a Public Libraries candidate at the next election or it could just be saying to your friends “Do you remember?…so-and-so voted to get rid of our library. Perhaps we shouldn’t vote for them this time’.
Click on images for larger versions
I love this, brilliant idea Dan. How does this work though when so many councillors are actively campaigning against closing libraries but also actively encouraging people to become volunteers and their own town council to take on the service?
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The crucial thing is how councillors choose to vote on 23rd February rather than just what they say beforehand. The aim of the pledges is to create a direct link between the way the councillor actually votes on library closures and their own chances of being elected. They are apparently very keen to encourage accountability and public participation in local democracy, so I hope councillors will also welcome the idea!
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Thanks Dan, I just wondered if councillors might be able to wangle out of it by abstaining on voting.
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Yes – you’re right, that is a tricky one that I hadn’t considered. I guess we have to emphasize to our councillors that it’s not good enough to stand on the sidelines while our libraries are closed down. Perhaps we need to rethink the wording of the pledge to reflect this. If you have can think of a consise way of putting it, do let me know!
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Lilly they can do this because the want their cake and be able to eat it as well ,come the next election they will be able to say,well we tried ro save them for you please elect us again to the gravy train
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Thanks Allan, yes I agree, I think they’re being very sneaky and duplicitous – but some people are being taken in by this. Just glad I never voted for them to begin with, they won’t be getting my vote next time either. I think there would be a lot more support on the Island against the cuts if the majority of Island voters hadn’t voted Conservative/LibDem in the first place – some are putting their heads in the sand out of embarrassment hoping the whole issue of cuts will just go away,some hope!
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just had a thought (just a little one) if the top people were to anounce they were going to take a cut in their pay to try to help then the rest of us might be persuaded to go along with a lot of their ideas
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It would be a start Allan if they took a pay cut from the top, but its not the answer, this Council needs to sort its own mess out or get out and leave it to others more trustworthy and accountable to take control. I don’t think we should see these cuts in isolation or it will end up like an x factor popularity contest.(Which its going that way). Can you imagine a phone in:-vote for your favourite,’libraries, loos, Westminster house, youth clubs etc.’ No doubt it would generate some income but would anyone realy want to live in a country based on ‘game show’ mentality, where ‘minorities’ are picked off and only the ‘popular’ survive. I’m not opposed to a ‘vote for your least favourite councillor’ however!
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You can now sign Dan’s pledge online at http://www.cutsbothways.org.uk
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