For several weeks now I've been ignoring our politicians.
For the most part, I regard them as 90 % useless. More than this some of them are even harmful to what most agree are things that are needed in the town. They actually stop good initiatives taking place. Something I have said before and caused some people offence.
However for me, blotting them out from my thinking has meant that I am more relaxed and able to work hard on things that achieve results.
So much of my contact with our local politicians has led to frustration because I have been expecting them to act in a way they find is beyond them.
I have not tried to explain why here, as this only reminds me of issues that frustrate me. It has been bliss to forget about them completely.
I have come to identify more and more with the view of Carl Fine of South Ulverston who refuses to go to any meeting where a politician is in the fore because what has happened in similar meeting makes him so angry.
I am getting close to being able to talk about these issues in a way that you can understand. When I do you may then agree that they have serious shortcomings.
In a sense it is wrong to criticise them - they are presumably those that are believed to be the best of the people that are on offer.
I believe it is the system that is at fault in that the wrong kind of people are attracted to run for office so that the choice is very limited.
Sadly I have to go to Tim Farron MP before I find a politician that I really respect and he sadly isn't one of those that represents me in any way.
If I want to find people that I do respect then they are in roles outside politics. They are people with character who struggle against the odds and are very positive and take risks that benefit us all - often indirectly. I have featured many of them here on my blog. They are people who really lift our spirits and who gain our respect.
Increasingly we are entering into times when many people will feel that the standard of politician must be raised because they are aware that things are going on that hurt us all. Things that could be handled a lot better.
I only hope that people are waking up to the opportunity to get involved with doing things differently. Doing things with an absence of involvement of most of our present politicians.
Maybe life has always been this way. . . .
5 comments:
While not agreeing with all your thoughts I admire your energy and optimism.
Yes I believe it has always been similar.
I agree with your belief of our limited choice of representatives.That prompts the question as to why we are limited to those people.
Do they propose themselves for their view of making a differance for others or a percieved thought of self enhancement? Are any such thoughts derived from financial return through expenses or enhanced social position?
Possibbly a mixture of both?
Are there any local candidates whom are truly free from those attitudes?
(you possibly)
The rest of us are apethetic and deserve what we get!
My own feeling is that most people have lost faith in the system or see it as irrelevant - which in Ulverston's case it is.
What they don't see is that the situation could be different.
For this to be true , people would have to vote in an informed way and not tick boxes in the blind way of a quick glance at tele to see what parties are on the up on the national level and echo their choice at local level.
We need people who take note of the performance of their representative and vote for them for what they actually achieve. They would contact their representative and know whether they were responsive to issues they raised with them.
With email now this is so easy and with a blog like this they have a ready platform for reporting councillors that are and are not doing a good job in their opinion.
Some town councils or the equivalent are 90% Independents.
They each vote in council for what they believe in.The councillors are then known for what they actually stand for individually - there is no party line.
This is what would be good for Ulverston.
Yes shorten the chain of communication cut the waste
Record coversations,gather evidence.
Local politicians should be liberated from being message carriers and moan movers.
Phrobe,push make the fat cat paid servants earn it.
There are to many hideouts with the new call center culture.
Try asking to speak to the man who does the job its almost impossible.
In these tough times their seats should be made HOT not warm and comfey
SLDC has a complaint procedure the public should use it if needed.
I have used freedom of information act to great effect.
"Local" politicians!!?? It still beats me why Ulverston is dictated to from Kendal and (as a supporter of proper counties) is included in a council area - SLDC - which also runs part of Yorkshire (Sedbergh/Dent/Garsdale). Madness.
Goes without saying that I am also baffled why our 1st tier council is based in bl**dy Carlisle.
Solution? A unitary authority, based on the old North Lonsdale RDC, plus Barrow Borough. That way you wouldn't have 'politicians'/officers making decisions affecting say Ulverston then scuttling off to Carlisle/Kendal/Penrith and not having to live with the consequences.
Not viable? Well consider Rutland, it seems to function perfectly well as a Unitary with a population of only about 30,000. Services such as Police are shared with Leicestershire, and it works!
BUT, given our ineffective "local" councillors and opinion formers it'll probably never happen. They love to moan about Kendal/Carlisle but are terrified of something new, of taking that leap in the dark, of upsetting their status quo. It's a damned shame, I really feel it would work. Anyone know of anybody, with some sway locally, who supports this idea? Anybody want to set up a campaign group? No, thought so!
Sounds like an idea that Tom Henderson would support.
He seems to like chasing lost causes.
;-)
Is this how you do it?
If not, this is the Geoff version - could catch on.
Post a Comment