Government by stridency
The Malta Independent on Sunday, 22 February, Letters
Government by stridency
From Mr Antoine Vella
When a case is being heard in a court of law, experts are sometimes appointed to prepare technical reports regarding various aspects relevant to that case. These are important in helping the court reach a decision, but the outcome of the case is not decided by the experts themselves but by the magistrate, judge or jury. It is how our justice system works and nobody would dream of changing it to allow “experts” to take the final decision.
This procedure came to mind when reading Astrid Vella’s article ‘The experts DID decide the St John’s project’ (TMIS, 15 February). The reasoning behind the article is worrying because it implies that the outcome of the application for the St John’s museum was decided by the experts rather than by Mepa. If this were true it would be a subversion of the legal process by which such applications are decided and would be the equivalent of the court experts taking over the job of the judiciary.
When considering a planning application of a certain magnitude, Mepa consults experts, holds public meetings, commissions EIAs, talks to stakeholders, invites objections from the public and does whatever is necessary to have a clear picture and take an informed decision. Ultimately, the decision has to lie with Mepa and no one else: not the experts, not the public and still less FAA. Just as one might disagree with a particular decision of the courts, one might also occasionally disagree with a Mepa decision. However, it remains the entity established by law with the express purpose of deciding on planning issues and the thesis that a lobby cartel – or “experts” – should take over this role is essentially subversive.
For the record, I had my own doubts regarding the risks associated with the project but wanted to see what the EIAs would have said before making up my mind as a layman. I was looking forward to following the debate within Mepa and in the various public hearings; it would have been the orderly and civilised way of doing things, irrespective of the final decision. All this has now been swept aside because Astrid Vella, in her bossy wisdom, insisted that there was no need for such procedures: her experts had decided.
The situation is even more frustrating because it is not even true that the experts had decided. The ones quoted by Ms Vella are mainly the members of Mepa’s Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee. These gentlemen are indeed experts in their fields but the CHAC, as an advisory body that is an integral and important phase of the planning process, makes recommendations to the Development Control Commission and the MEPA Board, which are the actual decision-making bodies. CHAC members would never presume to take over the job of these bodies and surely never expected Ms Vella to quote their recommendations in order to justify her claim that the case was decided by them and had to be closed.
There is one last point that needs clarification. If, as Ms Vella states, the experts did decide the outcome of the project, what was the purpose of her petition against it? Were all those who signed experts? We Maltese are indeed blessed to have Astrid Vella protect us, but who is protecting us from her?
Antoine Vella
BALZAN
40 Comments Comment
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Poor Antoine Vella no comments, no body cares what you write.Let me give you a little publicity. Since you don’t have the talent to do it yourself.HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHa HaHaHa.
Nationalist backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has joined the fray too. Writing in The Times today (see back page) he says that immigrants should be sent back immediately
WOW WOW WOW.
[Daphne – Someone hasn’t been taking his medication.]
AHA! Denis the Menace is back, with his well thought through, illuminating comments.
Antoine again I get the attention from Harry Potter. He’s not interested in what you wrote. Antoine a little tip mention me in a blog and you get attention.
A good blog to write about below.But mention my name. You too might be a star.
I ask you is Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando a racist?? Simple question.
Read the Times today.
So Dennis Catania believes he’s a star, eh? It must be the sort that’s described as a black hole – all associated sense and logic appear to have collapsed into another universe.
Corrine Vella Harry Potter Purdie called me best Denis the menace.Aren’t suppose to be working for the illegals?? Antoine another comment, not about your blog.
On a more serious note I’m thinking about what you and another blogger said. I’m thinking about changing the name of the group.Don’t swallow all the credit, this has been in the making for a month.
Denis Catania
“Antoine a little tip mention me in a blog and you get attention.”
I don’t have a blog so cannot mention you in one. To make it up to you however, I’ll mention you in one of the entomology lectures, when we do horse flies. I’ll introduce you as a new obnoxious species: Tabanus cataniensis.
Mr. Catania,
I don’t often comment on Daphne’s opening words on her threads since I tend to agree with her train of thought. I do, however, like to comment on the commenters. I especially enjoy remarking on asinine, idiotic and puerile verbage from individuals such as you.
Denis: not sure how good your Maltese is but when I read your comments the expression “vera qieghed sew” keeps popping into my mind.
RE John Borg
Does Denis from outer space speak any language at all?
Will someone comment on Antoine useless letter.
Mr. Catania,
Which one? The ‘A’, the ‘n’, the ‘t’, the’o’, the ‘i’, the ‘n’ or the ‘e’? If you can’t punctuate properly, why do you persist in exposing your ignorance? Perhaps a masochist?
Dennis Catania: With you here to steal the limelight, it doesn’t seem likely. Black holes don’t allow any light to shine.
Denis,
Enjoy being in the limelight.
Fame is but a transient shadow.
@ Denis – Oh for cyring out loud! Get a life you irritating little runt!
Denis Catania – Possibbli li ghext hajjtek kwazi kollu l-Amerka, u kwazi l-anqas biss taf tifforma sentenza wahda sura bl-ingliz?
Can someone comment on Antoine Vella’s useless letter.Poor Antoine.
Andrea use your fathers last name, if you had one.Find your father and ask him if he speaks any language.Try looking at the Marsa open center.
Amanda Mallia yes I spent most of my life in the great State of New York.After spending my first 10 years in the great city of Gzira. Go Maroons. Why? You don’t work Gzira do you.
NGT what does that stand for no good trick.
Harry Potter Purdie watch your mouth Potter.
Anyway for more important news JPO jumped on our bandwagon. He opened his eyes and drove to Marsa.
To much money to much time on my hands. Where should I retire in Malta?? North side or the south side.
[Daphne – “Anyway for more important news JPO jumped on our bandwagon. He opened his eyes and drove to Marsa.” And he’s probably already regretting the embarrassment he’s caused himself. Just as with his attempt to appeal to Sliema constituents who vote AD, I can’t see what he thinks he stands to gain by appealing to AN and Labour supporters. His only chance of re-election in 2013 is by redeeming himself with Nationalist supporters, and he’s not doing anything to make that happen. What does he think, that he’s going to get elected on a Labour, AN or AD ticket?]
Dennis Catania: “I’m thinking about changing the name of the group.Don’t swallow all the credit, this has been in the making for a month.”
Let me save you the trouble. You say you’re campaigning for the rights of immigrants, right? So here’s a couple of new titles you could consider for your group:
“Save immigrants from racists.”
“Save immigrants from Dennis Catania.”
Now don’t try taking the credit for that. You read it here first.
Daphne – “His only chance of re-election in 2013 is by redeeming himself with Nationalist supporters, and he’s not doing anything to make that happen. What does he think, that he’s going to get elected on a Labour, AN or AD ticket?”
Trust an amateur politician!
[Daphne – He’s not an amateur politician. He’s been there for years. He’s an unhappy one, and when you’re unhappy, you make as many mistakes as when you’re happy. Your judgement is clouded.]
Time and years do not necessarily make a professional politician. Time and years do not even necessarily make a good politician. Moreover, every person is in first instance responsible for his/her own happiness. Furthermore, clouds can be found everywhere.
Denis Catania – “yes I spent most of my life in the great State of New York.After spending my first 10 years in the great city of Gzira. Go Maroons. Why? You don’t work Gzira do you.”
You infiltrate the internet with “save Malta” messages, despite having lived abroad for 80% of your life. What’s your problem?
Mr. Catania,
North side, South side? How about up your backside. You appear to spend most of your time there anyway.
Watch my mouth? Another amazingly creative comeback. Voldemore you ain’t.
Corrine Vella: You forgot to put the word illegal in front of immigrants. Don’t hide their criminal activities by eliminating the most important word. ILLEGAL.
Still nobody has commented on Antoine Vella’s letter. Poor Antoine.
[Daphne – It should occur to you that the reason we don’t comment is because we agree with him. We comment in reaction to you because we don’t agree with you. I’m sorry, but what time is it in California right now?]
Dennis Catania:
Excuse me, but are you feeling alright? You say that immigrants are criminal, and yet you’re campaigning for their freedom of movement?
Really, you had better find out whether you’re coming or going. You’re about the worst advert possible for the cause you say you represent.
Daphne Leave the people in California alone they are sleeping.Don’t you have to run a errand for ABC or you let your husband run all his errands.
Artecnica I didn’t say leave them in Malta, I said give them freedom of movement within the EU. So the aging European population can retire on them.They don’t want to stay in Malta with you. They said that over and over. Believe me they would rather come to America with me. If it’s up to me, they are welcome. It’s up to President Barrack Obama.He’s against illegal immigration.He wouldn’t even help his aunt who is illegal.Hopefully she’ll get her paperwork in order as we have room for her and the othe 13,000.000 in the States.We have the resources to help.
Meanwhile Antoine letter stays kidnapped. Kidnapped by the pro illegal immigration movement and their dozen members.
Dennis Catania: “give them freedom of movement in the EU”
Aren’t you referring to people you’ve just called criminals? Now you want the ‘aging population of Europe to retire on them’. What are you suggesting? A pension fund financed by criminal activity?
You’re sounding more and more like a fruit cake, only not so sweet.
Pleeease, please Daphne, I know you’re all for freedom of expression etc but I can’t STAND any more of the triple idiot D. Catania’s comments. And I can’t zap to another channel like I would on TV because I would miss all the other interesting posts. Can we have a vote? All those in favour of terminating Catania – say Aye………
@Fanny
NAY. He’s a scream. He’s great fun – as are many of the responses.
Fanny: I disagree. Dennis Catania has great entertainment value.
Aye
Denis Catania – Are you sure about your age?
Let the turkey (peeps?) stay. Never have seen anyone self-destruct before, other than suicide bombers. Now there’s a thought.
Corrine Vella thank you. I knew us PN supporters have to agree on something.I’m changing my aye to a nay.
John thank you!! You can have my autograph. Nays win
Fanny you lose. Do you want to try to terminate someone else? Maybe you should go watch some TV. Unless you want to catch me on the timesofmalta.com. Tell them I sent you. You’ll have a better chance of getting your comments published. Fanny you got me mad. No autograph for you.
On more serious notes have they caught the escapees yet? Are we still keeping the Tunisians who want to be deported? I heard locksmiths are booming in Malta.
Dennis Catania: It seems I was right. You’re only in this for the attention you get. I didn’t know you moderated the comments on timesofmalta.com No wonder yours are published.
“We” are not keeping anyone. You are in the USA and not here in Malta.
Denis Catania
“I said give them freedom of movement within the EU. So the aging European population can retire on them.”
I’m trying to imagine elderly Europeans retiring on the immigrants. Lying down on them perhaps? You retire on a pension, Denis, not on people.
“I knew us PN supporters have to agree on something”
It should be ‘we’ and ‘had’ but my point is another: what’s this with you claiming to be a PN supporter? You don’t even have a vote, thankfully, so there’s no danger that the government was elected thanks to you.
“I heard locksmiths are booming in Malta.”
I heard them too but I thought it was thunder.
Antoine Vella
Corinne Vella
you’re both jews who wants to destroy every country’s heritage expect yours you might as well take your ass to Israel and live there. jewfags
[Daphne – Looks like there’s been leakage from vivamalta here. You have to hand it to them. They really know how to build an articulate argument.]
So I’m in league with someone I never met and hell bent on destroying the world’s heritage except my own? Interesting.
Maybe blablabla is Malcolm Seychell, or Malsey as he calls himself on racist websites, wearing a ‘beard’.
This from The Times website. I bet this will generate the usual comment section crap. People will automatically assume that hosting this Support Office means we’ll have to take the rest of Europe’s Asylum seekers.
[Daphne – Darren, please post a link, not the story. Thanks.]
‘blablabla’ hasn’t got a ‘father’s last name’ either.
This from The Times website. I bet this will generate the usual comment section crap. People will automatically assume that hosting this Support Office means we’ll have to take the rest of Europe’s Asylum seekers.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090226/local/malta-offers-to-host-european-asylum-support-office
Andrea
Corinne Vella
you want every country to be multicultural expect Israel. the irony is you preaching humans rights when you bombed everyone in Gaza ? is that the human rights that you losers preach ? you ignored the UN and you’re gonna tell us what to do in our country ? hell no just go live in Israel where you belong. you think that we Maltese conservatives don’t know what is the Jewish plan ? you’re so wrong. you jews and muslims must be eradicated once and for all