Emu swamp dam
So far I’m two from two in the prediction stakes. So here are a few more. The extra $100m about to be promised by the national party will NOT be enough to cover the overall cost of the construction of the dam and associated irrigation pipeline network. The proposed benefit toStanthorpe community will not eventuate with most subcontract work let outside of the district. The irrigators will get larger and more efficient, squeezing out the smaller more marginal farmers. SDRC will never draw a single litre of water from that dam, as it will be empty long before storm king dam. Because of SDRC involvement in the dam it will become a huge millstone around ratepayers necks forcing up rates with NO benefit to the vast majority of ratepayers. All thanks to the local branch of the National Party.
(Deamalgamation was never viable and was little more than a smokescreen to be rid of the previous council and the $87M pricetag on ESD was just a ridiculous understatement)
– Geoffrey Pittard, Stanthorpe
Cr Marco Gliori
Dear Editor,
I didn’t go to the local event where Greg Ritchie performed but I agree with your journalist Emily-Rose Toohey in her story on 10 March called “Ritchie’s jokes aren’t funny”. Black-faced characters performed by white people are definitely inherently racist. They are hurtful and demeaning because they do (wrongly) reinforce white notions of superiority. Her calling Greg Ritchie to wake up and change was brave and correct.
Greg Ritchie was born in Stanthorpe, was a cricketer, then became a performer. Another local man has a similar background. Marco Gliori was born in Warwick, was a policeman then became a performer. Unfortunately, Mr Gliori also does black-face humour.
Mr Gliori plays a character called Bobby Cashmere that speaks and sings in an Indian accent as insulting as Mr Ritchie. The turban and brown makeup are offensive. Bobby Cashmere jokes about and denigrates Indian religion, food, women’s names, occupations, children’s educational choices. Mr Gliori has many times performed this paid act at festivals including the large Tamworth music festival. He sells CDs with this denigrating character, including the one I am enclosing the cover of called “Cowpokes and Indians”. You rightly said that Greg Ritchie’s racist and dehumanising act was for his sole gain. Likewise with Mr Gliori, his act was for his sole financial gain.
Mr Gliori is now a Warwick Councillor. I saw where the Council recently considered a land claim by us Githabul who are the local First Nations people. Unfortunately this was discussed behind closed doors. I am wondering if Councillor Marco Gliori left his racist attitudes at home when this was discussed?
Signed; A proud Githabul woman
