I've got under the skin of another Labour Councillor on NPT. This one's name is Peter Albert Rees and he's the councillor for 
Neath South. Or rather one of them, the other being Andrew Jenkins who occasionally writes on the Neath Ferret. For the full lowdown on what's happened I recommend you read Andrew's blog (actually some really interesting ideas on there), more specifically the post entitled Give me Credit - the comments. Councillor Rees is also Deputy Leader of NPT Council.
http://www.cllrandrewjenkins.com/news-and-views/give-me-credit
This is what Councillor Rees had to say about me:
"Why does this Stan character - not a real name of the Neath Ferret editor/provider always have to resort to the lowest common denominator of always denigrating councillors? Most councillors I know just try to represent their communities within the rules and legalities of the government. They don't have to put up with the constant rants from this fictitious person about their legal renumeration (my emphasis). Andrew don't allow your website to become like the website previously mentioned."
Now having crossed swords with the once fearsome Whipper of Alltwen and lived to tell the tale, well I'm hardly going to worry about criticism from someone who has hardly ever featured on my radar. However, I was intrigued enough to look further into why Peter Albert Rees seemed to be so touchy about me commenting on councillors' allowances. And when I did so, I instantly spotted something interesting.
REMUNERATION PAID TO CLLR. PETER REES BY NPT COUNCIL
15/16 £33,459.96 (entitled to £33,500 so that's saved us a few quid then!). Plus £295.25 travel and subsistence - highest paid councillor in NPT
14/15 £33,459.96 plus £265.60 travel and subsistence expenses - highest paid councillor in NPT
13/14 £33,459.96 plus £524.15 expenses - highest paid councillor in NPT
12/13 £32,539.65 plus £297.00 expenses - highest paid councillor in NPT
11/12 £32,202.96 plus £464.00 expenses - highest paid councillor in NPT
10/11 £32,859.96 plus £1,004.80 expenses - highest paid councillor in NPT
09/10 £31,291.01 plus £1,371.60 expenses - second highest paid councillor in NPT
08/09 £29,637.74 plus £1,584.00 - highest paid was Derek Vaughan who claimed £46,244.64 plus £159.52 expenses. I have heard that Derek's nickname was Piggy - possibly expenses related?
07/08 £29,602.92 plus £636.00. Vaughan claimed £46,488 plus £276.00 expenses
06/07 £29,085.96 plus £1,329.70. Vaughan claimed £45,861 plus £263.71 expenses
Total salary/allowance paid 2006/07 to 2015/16 £317,600.12
Total travelling and subsistence paid (same period) £7,772.10
Average paid to Councillor Rees per year £ 32,537
Yes, in 10 years he's had a total of over £325K - nearly one third of a million pounds. All "legal" within the "rules and legalities" as he says. I have never suggested otherwise, of course. If I had I'm sure Councillor Rees would have had the Council's lawyers on me straight away. And as it's all within "the rules" he takes umbrage at me having a dig about the salary/allowance they are paid. Well, Peter Hain's Aga and oil bill were all within the rules too - but it didn't stop me criticising those figures any more than it will stop me criticising how much is spent on councillors' salaries. It will be a sorry day when we, the people whose taxes pay these public servants, are prevented from expressing our viewpoint.
And all these figures are a matter of public record from NPT's own website.
Incidentally our Councillors' salaries throughout Wales cost us £21 million annually, another reason why we the public should be asking are we getting value for money and are there ways of reducing this figure.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I believe now I entirely understand that sensitivity about councillors' pay. He is the highest remunerated of 64 NPT councillors for six consecutive years - and if as seems likely he makes it to the top next year I'll write a piece called "The Seven Year Rich" (sorry, couldn't resist that one). And as regards the records available on the NPT website he's right up in the top echelon of claims in those earlier years too.
In the original quote of things written about me by Mr Rees I emphasised his word "renumeration". That is because there is no such word. It's actually "remuneration" which considering the word is published in Council tables every year and Mr Rees gets so bloody much of it, I'm really surprised he doesn't know how to spell it. It seems that my old sparring partner Finbarr is not the only NPT councillor who gets his knickers in a twist trying to use big words. But I'm not offering my last dictionary to Mr Rees - he gets more than enough public money to buy one himself!
Finally, if I could correct Councillor Rees on one more thing. I am far from a fictitious person as he claims but very much flesh and blood - just like him in fact though I probably have considerably less money in the bank. Stan is a shortened form of a name given to me on my birth certificate. It's on my tax records, driving licence and marriage certificate. It will be on my death certificate and on any plaque or headstone if my family decide to have one because it won't make any difference to me. 'Tis unwise to jump to conclusions without any hard evidence. Potential jurors - take note!!
Councillor Rees is not the first councillor to be critical of the Neath Ferret or my own website, nor will he be the last. That's fine - it's called freedom of speech and I welcome it. But in future posts I'll be revealing several more interesting facts about our Neath councillors, including Mr Peter Albert Rees, so stay tuned. Everything I set out is/will be based on public records. I am looking forward to it.
---------------------------------------------
Postscript
The following link takes you to the elusive page on the NPT Council website where you'll find all the allowances and expenses paid to our Councillors for the last 10 years. Quick now - because it may not be available once they know we've found it:
