6p tax rise could help recruit more police, says crime commissioner candidate Joy Garner

“As a member of "our" council she has aided and abetted the waste of millions of pounds of our money. Now she wants to charge us some more! Just what we need!”

“Thanks for reminding me what my point is Wilksey, you obviously know me better than I know myself.

I'm well aware that the PM is a member of a political party and that the Home Secretary, as a Minister of State, will also be a member of that party and this is the system we're stuck with.

How many people though would be accepting of a PM and Home Secretary who micro-managed the police? I'm guessing not many. The police need to be free from political influence or interference. The PCC will be a politician who will be directly micro-managing 'their' force on a daily basis and to bring the party political system into this is wrong. Whoever wins there could be a temptation to influence the force's priorities and objectives to fit in with their own view of the world. The police have always steered clear of political bias, my fear is that with a party political PCC this could change. Remember a police officer takes an oath to exercise his or her duties, 'without fear or favour'. What if an extreme left-winger gets elected and puts pressure on the Chief Constable not to police a picket line or not to stop the intimidation of 'scabs'? What if an extreme right-winger puts pressure on the Chief Constable not to police an EDL march? Politics and the police just don't mix.

I'm surprised that someone as clever as you didn't see my point. Then again you seem to take your pleasure from being a troll; I've noticed that you don't comment on the articles themselves, you just criticise other people's posts.

Please try to have an opinion of your own for once, rather than simply having an opinion on other contributors.”

“Your point, Dr Do, was that you are unhappy that the Home Secretary - the government minister in charge of the Home Office - is a member of a political party. Are you also unhappy about the fact that the PM is politically aligned? I see that with your gargantuan intellect, you resort to calling me a moron...”

“Thomas Dean of Macclesfield Road Burslem- Park Road Estate. Being run from- Moorland Road Enterprise Centre, a couple of hundred yards away. The Park Inn, known for it's after hours serving and drug problems that have been going on there. LAW AND ORDER. she does not know what goes on in her OWN BACK GARDEN . The area she supposedly represents. WE ARE DOOMED . Just the tip of the iceburg. To much time pursuing other matters that are more important to her own self worth. EN-JOY your time on the TITANIC. But she will get approx £70k for the privilege. JOY GARDEN - COMMISSION BARE.”

“Do you have anything to add Wilksey, or are you just here to do a bit of trolling?

My point, which appears to have been lost on your gargantuan intellect, is that political influence over the police, local or national, is a bad thing.

Moron.”

“I will be spoiling my ballet paper in the Crime Commissioner Elections. I don't feel able to vote for a Labour City Councillor who is crying war on the cuts and at the same time toeing the line of the City Council Leaders in destroying so much that is important to us on the ground in this City. It is hypocrisy. The same is true over the argument about Community Asset Transfer - it's simply not true that this will necessarily "put the community firmly in power and masters of their own destiny". Since January 2011 Stoke on Trent City Council have recieved 14 applications for Community Asset Transfer and have approved only ONE. The ONE that has been approved has still not been successfully completed ie there have been ZERO successfully completed CATs since Jan 2011 ( see FOI 19647 on WhatDoTheyKnow.com). Councillor Pervez last Thursday pledged community halls will be given until the 31st Jan 2013 to get a viable business plan together if they wish to proceed to CAT - this token "given" after having "whipped in" all the Labour group with direct interest in their community halls in order to avoid having the matter considered again by an overview and scrutiny committee. I'm sorry but this labour group change with the wind. Joy Garner is one of them and I have no confidence that she could be capable of acting in any independent capacity as a representative for Staffordshire, let alone the where withall to hold anyone to account. Beware Councillors - there are some excellent people among you but you will be a long time tainted by the complicity and rank closing you've displayed during this period in office.”

“"It's bad enough that the Home Secretary is a member of a political party."

Genius.”

“A drop in the ocean that labour have just written off, and the millions vanishing through bad and miss management. That money they will get back through rates and other sources with being an ongoing buisness. Plus the community aspect to what the Football Club support. It's good to see someone supporting the community, or should we be withdrawing the social welfare of the community. Oh i forgot, Labour are already doing it. Not might be ,not ruling it in or out. ARE DOING IT.”

“Lets get real, Joy Garner hasn't got a clue. Its make things up time trying to con us all to elect her. She is only the puppet of the labour party.

Why should I pay extra taxes, cannot afford to live with all the fuel and food bill prices, I pay enough already, no way do I agree with paying more taxes, it's the principal. We already get sub standard services. Next it will be pay more taxes to have my bins emptied, or streets cleaned, NO NO NO. Thin end of the wedge.”

“Makes you wonder if there is an hidden agenda going on here. Is this part of the process of someone being groomed for so called bigger and better things, all part of the C V. Committees ,Commissioner, another step up the ladder so to speak. What next on the agenda you might ask? Labour candidate for Stoke North. Why are these M. P.s taking an interest, she is a nobody in the political arena, or that is what we are led to believe. Should she get the job, god help us, she will probably want to resign from that should this arise in the future. Lets hope it states in the contract, NO GOLDEN HANDSHAKES, should you have to leave your post for whatever reason, forced or not. She is out to make a name for herself, knocking on doors in London,she states. If that were to happen it will be out of only SELF INTEREST. Which was the case when she would not stand against Dave Conway in local elections, and sent a lamb to the slaughter. The Local M.P. will do well to steer clear of this, by association it might damage her reputation. With her recent activities in the media and the way it has been portrayed she is becoming damaged goods. But it should never have come to this, 2 political parties fighting it out, what is needed is for someone be truly Independent.”