Month: November 2009

In Praise of Leyton’s Safer Neighbourhoods Team

Met Witness Appeal

I have always rated the work done in Leyton ward by the superb Leyton Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team but I was even more impressed when over the weekend four out of the six members of the team were down my street gathering mine and my neighbours’ views, about the worrying new trend in anti-social behaviour that’s flared up in Coronation Gardens opposite my house.

On Saturday, PCSOs Azhar and Emma diligently went from door-to-door with a survey to find out how my neighbours were feeling about it all, then on Sunday night the hard-working duo were back again leafletting every house (in the rain) with the witness appeal you can see above.

Also on Sunday, I spent a really productive couple of hours helping PC Shane and PCSO Anabell with more detailed evidence they’re gathering about everything that’s been going on. I was impressed by their professional yet friendly manner and the fact that they really seem to care. Shane and Anabell told me that they’re forging some good links with the kids who hang out in the park and are slowly gaining their trust. As Shane said, “you have to give respect to get respect”.

My faith in the police declined drastically after the senseless trauma I was put through politically and personally two years ago but I am finally and slowly starting to regain confidence in some members of the police force. I am proud that Leyton ward’s safer neighbourhoods team is so fantastic.

Well done to Jonathan, Azhar, Shane, Anabell, Mark and Emma.

Leyton ward is lucky to have you.

Just Superb

From: President Barack Obama (info@barackobama.com)
Sent: 08 November 2009 06:33:50
To:

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn’t just witness history tonight — you helped make it. Each “yes” vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.

So this is a night to celebrate — but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.

The final Senate bill hasn’t even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people’s voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.

Please donate $5 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight.

Tonight’s vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

Even after last year’s election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn’t like. Now, they’re desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing — and the people will not be ignored.

In the final phases of last year’s election, I often reminded folks, “Don’t think for a minute that power concedes without a fight,” and it’s especially true today. But that’s okay — we’re not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

Please donate to OFA’s campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year:

https://donate.barackobama.com/History

Let’s keep making history,

President Barack Obama