WALGA’S
RAY OF SUNSHINE-Behind the scenes ‘the voices of
York’ have been loud and clear in condemnation of State and Local Government bureaucracy
in its inability to engage with local communities to establish what their wants
and needs really are. Also regarding a regime of Local Government, senior
employees with no abilities and ethics who are continually reincarnated by
inglorious bastard, finger-in-the-pie groups such as WALGA which make protectionist,
militant, left wing union’s look like a church choir. Our community wants and
needs are strictly limited to the wants and needs of WALGA’s often incompetent membership.
So why bother giving any of these useless bureaucratic departments and agencies
a spray? It is because they deserve it, and the day we stop- they have won.
Letter sent to Lynne Craigie, President WALGA, September 14, 2016.
Your Ref: - Acting CEO Ray Hooper.
Congratulations
It appears that WALGA in an ersatz Local
Government Mafiosi encouraging and perpetuating the lowest standards of officialdom
within Local Government Areas, while retaining the highest level of poor
quality administration and lack of ethics and morality among your members.
As you can see both Tony Simpson and the Premier have been in the past, and now in the present, made aware of local government community disrespect of the likes of Ray Hooper and by association, WALGA.
Yours sincerely
David Taylor.
Letter sent to Tony Simpson and Colin Barnett, September 11, 2016
Your ref: - RAY HOOPER former CEO- SHIRE OF YORK
The disgraced former CEO of the Shire of York, Ray Hooper, has resurrected himself as Acting CEO of the Mukinbudin Shire.
Two years ago it was reported in the press that Hooper had resigned amid accusations of misuse of a corporate credit card, using improper auditing procedures and engaging in the personal harassment of local ratepayers.
It has been alleged that Hooper left York with a multi-million dollar debt including a new convention centre and Shire-owned tavern in extreme financial difficulty and crumbling assets such as unmaintained and unsafe local roads.
Hooper’s activities were brought to the
attention of the Major Fraud Squad and the CCC, but no charges have been laid
(nor has he ever been officially exonerated.)As you can see both Tony Simpson and the Premier have been in the past, and now in the present, made aware of local government community disrespect of the likes of Ray Hooper and by association, WALGA.
Yours sincerely
David Taylor.
Letter sent to Tony Simpson and Colin Barnett, September 11, 2016
Your ref: - RAY HOOPER former CEO- SHIRE OF YORK
The disgraced former CEO of the Shire of York, Ray Hooper, has resurrected himself as Acting CEO of the Mukinbudin Shire.
Two years ago it was reported in the press that Hooper had resigned amid accusations of misuse of a corporate credit card, using improper auditing procedures and engaging in the personal harassment of local ratepayers.
It has been alleged that Hooper left York with a multi-million dollar debt including a new convention centre and Shire-owned tavern in extreme financial difficulty and crumbling assets such as unmaintained and unsafe local roads.
Hooper’s appointment has come at a time when the Auditor General, Colin Murphy, has continuously expressed grave concerns regarding the quality of the financial auditing of nearly 50 per cent of Local Governments in WA and questions have been asked regarding the capabilities of the Minister for Local Government and his department.
Yours sincerely- David Taylor
Ray’s resurrection!
The only living creature that can survive a nuclear holocaust is believed to be the humble cockroach.
However, there is another great survivor, a humble Local Government love-child named Ray Hooper.
Now this brilliant example of local government administration aficionados’ is the Acting CEO of the
How lucky are the 491 locals who can look forward to his friendly smile, his personal generosity with the Shire’s Corporate Credit Card and getting a postcard when he attends an obscure conference in some Far-North Queensland holiday resort at their expense.
The Mukinbudin Council must have seen Ray’s enthusiastic referee statements from Kalgoorlie, Chittering and last, but not least, York. Then there are all the glowing testimonials in the Fitz-Gerald Report.
I am sure the Mukinbudin’s are mightily impressed with the lovely article which appeared in The West Australian after York’s much-loved leader resigned suddenly leaving the town physically, emotionally- and financially devastated.
Yes Mukinbudin now feels like it has just won ‘Lotto’.
So ring them up and ask to say ‘Gooday Ray’ or drop him a friendly email wishing him well.
The number is 9047 2100 and the email is admin@mukinbudin.wa.gov.au .
He is not wanted by the Major Fraud Squad or the Corruption and Crime Commission. So make him feel wanted by somebody!
For gods sake, please please please the good people of Mukinbudin count your fingers if you shake hands with him. Then check your wedding ring is there along with your wristwatch, then check the financials and read the credit card statements. Finally, get everything on record, don't believe a word he says, if he tells you something or quotes an Act, go and check it, penny to a pound its bullshit.
ReplyDeleteAnd make sure there's an extra large ashtray outside the rear of the Shire office.
ReplyDeleteThe Local Government leech in all his parched glory gorging on another poor unsuspecting collective of innocents. Oh my heart goes out to those 500 poor souls, lambs to the slaughter. Haven't the Mukinbudin Councillors got phones or internet connection, I understand it's out in the sticks but I would have thought at least one Councillor may have shown a little savvy and done some homework.
DeleteProblem is there's not the talent to go round so the old adage of scraping the bottom of the barrel applies - the dregs in less flattering terms.
I'm astonished that the Department of Dumb Bastards, WALGA, Graylands, LGMA, AA, etc haven't published a health warning and sent out a Statewide caution. I suppose he'll phone his little protégé and get her to apply, then good old Gordy and Gail can follow, shit, if he works on it hard enough they could all attend this year's Mukinbudin Chrissy party, Ray could even dress up as Santa.
The poor people of Mukinbudin. What the hell did they do to deserve this.
ReplyDeleteDidn't anyone on their council think to google his name?
Would be interesting to know who the referees were.
He will pad out the administration with all his favourites just like he did here in York - Tyhscha, Gail and Gordon. He might even take Chadwick with him.
Tyhscha may even work from home on line or be given travel expenses to get to work.
Your kidding me, look out Mukinbudin this man can lie through his back teeth, with a smile on his face, he will make you think he is telling you the truth it has taken me 3 years since he left York to get to the bottom of the absolute bullshit this man tossed around York for over 8 years, he quotes his own legislation, he should have been held accountable for what he has done in Kalgoorlie, Chittering, York all three places documentation, news paper articles etc. of finances in disarray. Ray is a serial offender. the department has finally put a wolf in the paddock with sheep disregarding its duty of car to the community of Mukinbudin. For you Ray please take me to court for defamation, I can and will defend myself as everything I have said is true and after you left we finally got the FOI to prove your lies and deceit. Mukinbudin Pay him out today cut your losses now before its to late.
ReplyDeleteThe above article and photo has been posted on a Mukinbudin face book page.
ReplyDeleteOh no surely there is someone in Mukinbudin that has some common sense to check this man out before employing him. York did not and the people who have possibly given references are the one he was in cahoots with here. He tells so many lies and if you stand up to him he will go after you. Also the people he went after were retired widows and older ladies. He virtually destroyed this town and one of his cahoots caused our council to be stood down and then his mate James Best came in and destroyed us some more. Please, please do some checking as he will zero in and as somebody has already mentioned he will get his suckers in that he had here. Say goodbye Ray.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed he's still going, the mans a dinosaur, Darlene hit the nail on the head when she said he's a liar, he's so bent he couldn't lay straight in bed if he tried. The damage he's caused to York will take 20 years to recover, the only consolation is Hooper will be long gone, just a grubby memory.
DeleteA message for the Mukinbudin Shire President, Councillors and Town folk.
DeletePlease do some serious research before the a/ceo's probation period is up.
Start by grabbing a bottle of good quality Brandy and a glass - trust me you will need it - then read all the articles and posts on this blog right back to the beginning.
Then, grab another full bottle of Brandy and google http://shireofyork6302realvoice.blogspot.com.au/
These blogs were only started because we had Ray Hooper here.
Happy reading - can't say you were not warned.
Oh by the way, keep a close eye on his credit card spending and limit the delegated authority you give him.
Just in case Mukinbudin Councillors have been told Ray did nothing wrong in York.
DeleteAsk him why the Shire of York felt the need to write official letters of apologies to York residents for the way they were treated while he was ceo here.
People will need to learn how to filter out the bullshit. He comes across as an expert with years of experience. True, he has many years of experience.......in bullshitting. Ask ex councillors from Chittering and Kalgoorlie.
Make notes of the sections of the Local Gov. act he quotes at meetings, you may find it has no relevance to the subject at all.
Never take his verbal word on anything. Get everything in writing!
Take time to read both blogs and you will see what you are in for.
The Mukinbudin Shire president has been given a copy of the FGReport and the link to this blog, if the Council fail to heed the warnings they are bloody stupid.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for York, the warnings came too late from Chittering and Kalgoorlie.
If Ray Hooper was the best of the applicants, then Local Government in W.A. is in big trouble.
ReplyDeleteIs Ray desperate for a $? Cost of his cigs going up must be hurting.
Wonder what bull shit story Hooper told the Council about why he resigned.
Was it by any chance the York Councils fault?
I am astounded the Mukinbudin Shire Council did not check him out. All it would have taken was a day trip to York chatting with the locals in the CBD would have filled them in with the truth.
I truly believed we had witnessed a miracle here in York when Ray Hooper left.
ReplyDeleteThis resurrection news has completely stuffed that up for me.
My prayers and thoughts will be with the 491 residents of Mukinbudin.
Calm down everyone, Hooper is only acting CEO while Mukinbudin Council employ a permanent one. Agreed the man's dangerous but he can only remain as acting for a maximum of one year, the Council would have to be mad to engage a man of his age physical, health and track record, but we're talking Local Government here so forget logic.
ReplyDeleteGive Ray twelve months and he will destroy Mukinbuden and leave the town with a debt they can't jump over.
DeleteMukinbudin people are lucky, they have been given the information of what this man is like in time to make sure he is not given any power. If the Mukinbudin council decide not to believe the information they have been given, then its their own fault.
Bet Ray has told them all the negative information is coming from the trouble makers in York and that he is best buddies with Minister Simpson, Jenni Law and Brad Jolly.
No doubt Pat Hooper will write to all the Mukinbudin councillors with first hand knowledge of how bad the trouble makers in York were. He won't miss the opportunity to be in the limelight.
Dear Mukinbuddin,
ReplyDeleteAs you can see he's not very popular wherever he goes. He may have talked down all the accusations against him, stating there's no truth and we'll never really know because of all the cover ups. What he can't talk his way out of though is how much people in York just really dislike the man. He is not a pleasant person and if you get on the wrong side of him he gets much worse.
He makes things up to suit, regardless of the law/facts, then he bends the rules, then he covers up his tracks. Then if he's caught out he lies some more.
Just double check everything he does and every peice of legislation he quotes.
The man is not disliked in York, he despised.
DeleteWhen you good people of Mukinbudin are leaning on the bar in the local pub having a beer with Ray, ask him why he resigned instead of answering the complaints lodged against him.
Be ready to resuscitate him, he might just choke on his beer. He does not handle difficult questions well.
WALGA told them he had been exonerated and they believed it.
ReplyDeleteTwelve months, he can destroy a town that size in twelve months.
How can someone be exonerated when the complaints were never dealt with?
DeleteRay left Town before any one got the chance to confront him.
His mates on council Pat Hooper, Tony Boyle and Mark Duperouzel voted to bury the report. Not only were they protecting Ray they were protecting themselves.
Then Pat Hooper stabbed his Shire President in the back and wrote the minority report.
Its all on the blogs.
Would make a bloody good Australian Movie.
He was not exonerated, he ran away. As soon as proof against him is exposed, he resigns and claims his position has become untenable.
DeleteIt is always someone else's fault, never his.
He has his acolytes who may have provided glowing references for him. Tony Boyle, Pat Hooper, Jenni Law, Brad Jolly.
The Muka shire president is no fool.
ReplyDeleteHe knows that with Ray at the helm his shire will recieve 3 times the normal grants from main roads and with all that unaccounted for loot they will have one hell of a piss up and dish out the mulla to all the family and friends.
He will also ensure all the rich farmers that he drinks with will get some new bitumen outside the farm gate and all will be well.
Ray should survive handsomely for at least another 3 years.
If Mukinbudin gets grants for roads while ray is there, they need to make sure the money is spent on the project it was applied for.
DeleteYork almost lost a large Federal Grant to upgrade the Glebe Street Bridge because guess who had spent it on one of his pet projects instead of the bridge.
Thanks to Commissioner Gavin Troy who found where the money had been spent. He quickly got the bridge MAJOR REPAIRS done and saved the day and we did not have to pay back the grant. Can't deny that one Ray - it was headlines on the front page of local paper that you loved so much. You know the paper you tried to close down because you didn't like the letters to the editor people wrote.
If you think that Ray Hooper cant do any damage in a year you don't know Ray.... this man will try to destroy lives every minute his ego is on par with Hitler.
ReplyDeleteHere's another prediction - The Mukinbudin community will be divided and community spirit trashed.
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/thewestaustralian
ReplyDeleteCheck out the section on Local Councils/Planning
Sibilla Clifford : I hear Mukinbudin's got a new problem in their council now. A huge one! Their new CEO ... The one that did collateral damage to Kalgoorlie, Chittering & York townships.
Poor Mukinbudin.
David Kellock : I want to know how these councils keep re employing these people. Dont they phone the previous employer?
Sibilla Clifford : David Kellock they probably get the dodgy people that they surround themselves with to give references & say (even though it is in all the newspapers & Fitgerald reports) that it's a misunderstanding, it's been sorted, I've been cleared or He's been cleared, or he's threatened to sue so no-one is game to come forward & state the obvious.
But anyone googling the name Ray Hooper will see the trail of destruction. It's a matter of Public Record.
Beware Councils. You've been warned.
Oh and when he realises that he's going down. He gets himself a new contract & they have to pay him out.
Nice man. Bullies any locals that stand up to him or asks questions during council meetings.
David Kellock It always suprises me employers dont google peoples names its interesting what comes up sometimes. I worked for a building company as a salesperson and they employed a new salesperson so i put his name into google and an article about him came up as being charged as stealing as a servant. I mentioned this to the salesmanager who disregarded it. Guess what this guy stole numerous deposits for houses. Eventually they sacked him and he went onto another building company
The thing with councils is they tend to recycle the same people.
Greg J Connaughton Who is the property council ? Can we also have an independent review of them
I agree with everything Darlene has written, she is spot on.
ReplyDeleteHe uses ratepayers money to sue people.
He targets any one who challenges him.
His speciality is control by fear.
Good luck Mukinbudin, you are going to need it.
The fact Hooper's in the system only goes to show that the local government system is f****d and the desperate shortage of brains in the state public sector. Hopefully Labour get in next year and force amalgamations, the less Councils there are the less the chance of apes like Hooper slipping through the net. Don't forget how LG and state government works in WA, things haven't changed and are not likely to.
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell me exactly what the public servants working in the Department of Local Government do for the state of W.A.?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how many Public Servants are employed in the Dept. of Local Government - that is 'head office' in the City.
What does WALGA do for the 'people' of WA? Is it a Union, protection agency or, is it an employment agency for unemployable (rejected) ex CEO's?
Mukinbudin council may not want to admit they made a mistake by employing this man.
ReplyDeleteYork had years of councillors 'princess' egos getting in the way of admitting they may have been wrong on many issues resulting their reputations within the York community being trashed.
I hope the Mukinbudin Councillors are big enough - and strong enough- to re access their options and act before it is too late.
Good luck, you are going to need it.
Their main role is to protect people like Ray Hooper.
ReplyDeleteToo many.
Provide back up support for the public servants employed at the Department of Local Government.
Forget about the Communities part of their name - thats to make tax payers believe they care about us.
Message to the Mukinbudin Shire President and councillors.
ReplyDeleteSuggest you watch your backs. Ray said while he was here in York the best time of his career was when he only had to work with a Commissioner.
Ray Hooper exonerated?
ReplyDeleteWhy would the Shire of York provide a written apology to me after Ray Hooper resigned, IF he had been exonerated.
Mr. Blogmaster,
ReplyDeleteWould you consider replacing the photo of Ray Hooper with a cartoon?
I like reading the blog, but I really don't like seeing that man's face!