Michèl Tromp (VVD) best district council member
3 February 2008 - Michèl Tromp (VVD
party leader in Geuzenveld) is the best district council member
and Eigenwijks is the most influential neighbourhood website, according
to the respondents in a survey among 117 district council members.
The top three district council members are:
1. Michèl Tromp (VVD, Geuzenveld)
2. Bram Bos (GroenLinks, Oud-Zuid)
3. Rutger Groot Wassink (GroenLinks, Westerpark)
Respondents
say Tromp is not afraid to resort to activism and that he successfully
promotes his party, despite the small number of seats it has on
the district council. He is also described as having a positive
impact on the quality of the council as a whole.
In May 2007, Tromp criticised the police for their treatment of
a Turkish business owner who did not know he had to close his shop
because of the remembrance
of those who fell during WW2. “Reportedly, the police behaved
in an authoritarian, ill-mannered way and did not appreciate the
problems and challenges the business owners were suddenly facing”,
Tromp told News from Amsterdam at the time.
In August, he criticised district chairman Robin de Bood for travelling
to Morocco
to strengthen ties with the town of Asilah, saying this was not
helping the integration of Moroccan residents of Geuzenveld. “If
you continuously emphasize: you are immigrants, then that is not
helping”, Tromp said. “Question is: how do you make
people feel Dutch”.
The second place is occupied by Bram Bos, who is said to come up
with many ideas and to be very active. The third place is occupied
by Rutger Groot Wassink, who is said to be a keen and lucid debater
as well as very knowledgeable.
Ten percent of the respondents named themselves as best district
council member. This did not affect who came first.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WEBSITES
Six percent of the respondents say they often visit independent
neighbourhood websites, whereas 49% say they visit such websites
on occasion. On the basis of the websites visited by respondents,
the ranking of most influential neighbourhood websites is as follows:
1. Eigenwijks (Slotervaart)
2. Verbaarsjes (de Baarsjes)
3. Cremerplein (Oud-West)
4. Dorspraad sloten (Osdorp)
5. Zeeburg.nu (Zeeburg)
6. Rivierenbuurt - wat is daar aan de hand (ZuiderAmstel)
7. Buurt 10 (Geuzenveld)
8. Geheugen van west (West)
Links to neighbourhood websites can be found here.
OPPOSITION-COALITION RELATIONS
According to a majority of respondents, coalition parties are open
to arguments raised by opposition members. A smaller number of respondents
say members of the coalition are likely to support proposals from
opposition members. Not surprisingly, respondents who are themselves
members of the opposition tend to have a more critical view of opposition-coalition
relations.
In four districts, the PvdA has an absolute majority. In these
districts, 22% of respondents say that coalition parties are often
open to arguments raised by the opposition, as opposed to 47% of
respondents in districts where the PvdA does not have an absolute
majority.
The report of the News from Amsterdam District Council Survey
can be found here
(in Dutch). See also: Council members divided
over Accounting Office
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