Vincenzo Capozzoli

Which country do Americans like the most?

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:43:00 GMT

Some of these answers seem a touch unfair to me. I would have preferred to see a poll asking Americans about their views of other countries' goverments, rather than the countries themselves. For instance, my guess is that most Americans have no problems with the Iranian people -- but take issue with the regime.

Another curious thing: The United States invaded Afghanistan nine years ago. Now, 18 of Americans view Afghanistan favorably, but 47 percent of Afghans view the United States favorably.

Southampton goes ahead with Special Constables Council Tax discount

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:49:00 GMT

I am pleased that last week the City Council approved a new scheme to help the Police recruit more Special Constables in the city. From April residents who live in Southampton and who volunteer as Specials to help police the local streets will be exempt from playing council tax.

I am delighted that after a three year long campaign the scheme will be up and running in a few months time.

When I knock on doors and meet people, time and time again I am told that we need more police on the streets. The numbers of Special Constables has halved since 1997 and it is hoped that this new initiative will double number in Southampton.

Join us - even if you've never voted Tory before

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:11:00 GMT

David Cameron outlines the serious and bold plans we have to fix our broken society. With your support we can bring about the change this country so desperately needs.

Local surgery success

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:59:00 GMT

Last Saturday myself, Cllr Jeremy Moulton (Southampton Test perspective parliamentary candidate) and Matthew Claisse (Perspective candidate for Portswood) held a help and advice surgery in St Denys Community Centre. Here residents were able to bring local issues to our attention and a great number of local residents attended.

The next help and advice surgery will be taking place on the 13^th March at the Community Centre.

Cameron urges Government to deal with its debt

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:16:00 GMT

At Prime Minister's Questions, Cameron highlighted growing concern about the Government's debt.

This year the Government will have to borrow £178 billion.

Cameron criticsed Gordon Brown for the Government's handling of the public finances.

He said the following individuals and organisations had all questioned it:

One of the largest holders of government debt has warned that British debt is likely to be downgraded.
The CBI say the Government’s plans are "too little too late"
The Governor of the Bank of England says "there is not a credible plan"
The OECD says "more ambitious” plans "would strengthen the recovery"
And Howard Davies, the man the Prime Minister appointed as the head of the FSA, has said that "the loss of confidence in the government’s ability to get the public finances back under control" is "the major risk"

"Isn't the reason for the lack of faith in the Government's plans that the Prime Minister is so completely unable to admit what everyone knows to be true – that there is a need for cuts to be made?", Cameron asked.

He also pointed out that if the Prime Minister can't convince his own Chancellor and Business Secretary of his leadership on public finances, then it is no surprise that he can't convince the country.

Ask David Cameron your questions on the NHS

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:12:00 GMT

David Cameron will be holding a live event at 6.30pm on Friday, 8th January in which he will answer YOUR questions on the NHS.

Latest weather update

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:08:00 GMT

The situation in Southampton:

The city is expecting more snow, ice and very cold weather conditions over the next few days.

We have enough rock salt to grit all the major A roads in the city. However, during these extreme weather conditions many roads and pavements will inevitably be icy and slippery. Driving conditions are dangerous so we urge extreme caution to all residents and advise that people only make essential journeys.

For more information-

visit the Southampton city council

For school closures click here

Street Lighting PFI - Financial Close Announcement

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:09:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce that the Street Lighting PFI has now reached financial close. This is a huge milestone in the project, and enters the Council into a 25-year contract with Tay Valley Lighting using its subsidiary contractor Southern Electric Contracting (SEC). During the first five years of the contract 14,000 lights, signs and bollards will be replaced or upgraded. The focus for the following 20 years will be on maintaining and operating all the city’s lights to a high standard. Research shows that better street lighting helps improve road safety, as well as reducing crime and the fear of crime. All our lighting stock over 15 years old will be replaced on a like for like basis with white fluorescent light in residential areas, giving greater clarity and representation of colour and features. Carbon emissions will be reduced through the introduction of remote lighting management, with a central control room having the ability to change lighting times and levels.

Southampton will work with Southern Electric Contracting to organise the work programme, staff and equipment needed to deliver the project. A key part of the contract is communication and consultation with residents to keep them informed about work in area. We will now be working towards service commencement which will be the 1st April 2010.

Your Portswood Action Team, here to help

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:14:00 GMT

Your Portswood Conservative action team are here to help. We are always happy to help with any problem, no matter how big or small with anything that will improve your local area.

You can contact the members of your action team using the following links-

Cllr Jeremy Moulton- Southampton Test Parliamentary Candidate- E-mail

Cllr Vincenzo Capozzoli- Portswood Ward Councillor- E-Mail

Matthew Claisse- Portswood Ward Candidate- E-mail

St Denys connect 2 update

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:45:00 GMT

The Connect2 project in Southampton is just one of 79 Connect2 schemes across the UK. In December 2007 Sustrans’ Connect2 was announced as the winner of a vote on ITV, taking 42% of the votes and winning the £50 million prize.

The “Boardwalk”, from Horseshoe Bridge to Northam, is the centre of the overall Connect2 scheme within Southampton. The overall project will link Southampton Airport to The City Centre and the Ferry terminals along National Cycle Route 23; this passes through Riverside Park. National Cycle Route 2 runs along Weston Shore and into the City along the Itchen Bridge – the two routes extend to reading in the North and Cornwall and Kent along the coast. The Boardwalk can be viewed at the following web site www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/schemes

A contractor has been appointed and a trial section has already been fabricated on site. Start date has been postponed until April 2010 because some unregistered land is being investigated. A completion date for this section is proposed for Summer 2010. However other sections of the City’s network are still being planned; a local one is a route to link the St Mary’s Football Stadium to the City Centre. Cycle lanes have been installed in St Denys Road so that they will link to Portswood in the future when the Supermarket in developed in a couple of years time.

Can NATO really get 5,000 troops?

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:40:00 GMT

Referring to the United States's NATO partners, President Obama last night asked, "that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we're confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead." A conference will be held in London in January to discuss international contributions to the effort.

NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen promised 5,000 troops, but it's a little unclear where he's going to get them:

Reacting to Obama's call for more help, a Polish official said the government will likely send 600 combat-ready reinforcements, mainly for patrolling and training, to beef up its existing 2,000-strong contingent.

Albania pledged to increase its 250-member unit by 85 troops, army trainers and medical workers, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said.

Spain's El Pais daily said the defense ministry was considering adding 200 soldiers to its 1,000 contingent. Italy declared it would do its part and Finland confirmed that it had been asked to consider sending more troops and would do so next week. [...]

Britain announced before Obama's speech it is sending 500 more troops to Afghanistan, bringing its numbers there to 10,000.

France and Germany are holding off on any troop decision until an international conference in January, though French President Nicolas Sarkozy has previously pledged that he "won't send an additional soldier."

The other big question is the Netherlands, whose parliament voted for a non-binding resolution in favor of withdrawal when the Dutch mission ends next August. If the Dutch government follows through and pulls out its 2,160 troops, that would more than negate the 1,385 troops already pledged by Britain, Spain, Poland and Albania. Canada has already passed a withdrawal plan for 2011 as well and seems unlikely to add more troops.

Even in a best-case scenario in which the Dutch keep current troop levels and the countries mentioned are able to follow through through on their commitments, NATO will still need get more than 3,500 troops from the Italians, the Australians, the deeply ambivalent Germans and a hodge-podge of smaller nations, none of whom currently have more than 1,000 troops in the country.

It doesn't seem too likely.

Attending the Oakmont Triangle AGM

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:40:00 GMT

I was able to attend the OTRA AGM held on the 30th October in the Portswood Residents Gardens. OTRA has been very busy this year, they have held a plant sale, a quiz evening, a book sale and a hugely successful street party which had been supported by the City Council’s Active Communities Department and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation’s Grassroots Grants Scheme.. They have also been working on the Character Appraisal and Management Plan for the triangle which has the purpose is to offer guidance on change, development and conservation in the Triangle.

Overall it has been another productive and successful year for OTRA.

For more information please visit their website.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't- Afghanistan

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:34:00 GMT

What should we make of the news that President Obama is still not happy with the proposed strategy for Afghanistan, and that his doubts are being reinforced by a skeptical report from retired general Karl Eikenberry, who is now the U.S. ambassador in Kabul?

First, I think it's a sign that deep down, Obama knows he has no good options. He’s figured out that the stakes aren’t as great as he may have once thought, that the commitment is potentially endless, that America has no local partner for the kind of centralized, "state-building" approach that remains at the heart of U.S. strategy, and that going all in will commit him to a war America won't win. No wonder he keeps looking for an alternative.

Second, he's painted himself into a corner with his earlier tough talk, and he’s worried that the GOP and FoxNews and various armchair generals will all accuse him of appeasement if he gives McChrystal anything less than what the general asked for, or if he dares to put a time limit on a continued U.S. effort. So all those recent news stories stressing how seriously Obama is taking this and how much he’s grilling his advisors are designed to convince us that he’s looked really, really hard at all the options. The goal is to build support for whatever decision he ultimately makes, even if everyone secretly knows it’s not likely to work.

Third, this is an issue where Obama's instinct for compromise and his natural gift for reconciling conflicting positions is not serving him well. Given the range of problems that the United States is facing at home and abroad, bold action is badly needed. Not the sort of unthinking, shoot-from-the-hip fantasies that drove Bush's foreign policy during his first term, but rather a ruthless, hardnosed set of choices about priorities. Obama did a little bit of that during his first couple of months -- mostly about the economy -- but well-entrenched interests and conventional wisdom began to take over.

With respect to Afghanistan: it is either a worth a prolonged and costly investment of lives and money or it isn't. Either America goes all or they should get out. Trying to split the difference on this issue is not leadership; in fact, it is a recipe for failure.

Cameron questions Brown over failure to tackle unemployment

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:33:00 GMT

At Prime Minister's Questions David Cameron challenged the Prime Minister over the latest employment figures, and plans for cuts in government spending.

Referring to figures showing that the youth unemployment rate has reached a record high, Cameron asked if the Prime Minister about his failure to keep his promise to abolish youth unemployment.

"Does he accept that by any of the yardsticks he himself set – total unemployment, youth unemployment, the amount of time young people spend unemployed – he’s failed?", he asked.

Moving onto public spending, Cameron said that the "the state of the public finances is so bad" that "this Government is planning deep cuts in every department, including those responsible for helping the unemployed".

To reinforce his point, Cameron revealed a leaked memo from the Business department setting out £350 million worth of cuts to apprentice rates, the adult learning budget, and development loans. "Will he finally acknowledge that he himself is planning to cut spending by government departments next year?", he asked.

Read Theresay May's response to the new youth unemployment figures

Remembrance Sunday

councillor.v.capozzoli@southampton.gov.uk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:24:00 GMT

Last Sunday I took part in the Remembrance Day service that took place at the cenotaph in Watts Park. Servicemen, councillors and council staff marched from the Civic Centre to the cenotaph for the two minute silence and the wreath laying ceremony to remember the fallen of two world wars and the many conflicts that followed.