At the moment, for the most part, I'm following the activities of our councillors from a distance. I find that I work a lot better if I ignore there activities as I find involvement with the majority of local politicians a very emotionally draining experience. I have also found that I can achieve most goals more effectively by avoiding them - putting stuff on Youtube works - direct contact with officials far more satisfying. I gave my immediate council representatives on Town, SLDC and County some tasks to carry out on our behalf as soon as they were freshly elected and there has been no visible action.
I've had contact with the new town councillor, Jane Harris, and am cautiously impressed.
However I've just had the chance to talk in Market Street to Cllr. Bharath Rajan who is newly elected as both a Town and District Councillor and I'm not impressed so far. He was trying to persuade me, as many politicians do, that he was 'on the ball' on any topic I choose to mention. In the area of parking in the town he failed miserably - he hadn't even heard of Jack Rice, the person who has just given up as Town Councillor and did so much for us over the car parking issue by preparing a thorough probe into the use of our car parks. It's though Jack's hard work in ferreting out data from a reluctant SLDC and publishing a report that put pressure on SLDC to grant us the use of Stockbridge Lane car part at 20p/hour . Low and behold they now find the are earning more money than at the ridiculous rate they were charging before. You could say that my initial campaign ( when I raised the matter in full council about three years ago) followed up by Jack with his report finally drilled a hole in the scull of Kendal centred Lib Dem Councillors and penetrated with some common sense. Since then our local 'brass' have all jumped on the bandwaggon.
Note , this blog has been awash with posts on the Stockbridge lane issue (try a search of this blog using the box below on the right using the word "Stockbridge": there have been some 30 posts on this topic starting in 2008 with this ). Continuing with this in June 2009 Then in September 2009 I went to the Full SLDC Council here in Sept 2009
This indicates that Cllr. Bharath Rajan has a lot to learn and hasn't taken a deep interest in local politics until now. Let's hope he switches quickly into listening and learning mode, rather than trying to impress others with what appears to be a very superficial knowledge of the issues in Ulverston.
Asked at the beginning what his main concern was, he replied "Planning; the issue of wind turbines on local farms" He takes the view that they are a blot on the landscape rather than one step towards fighting Global Warming - though he acknowledges Global Warming he doesn't recognised the urgency for action needed and so will fight the implementation of Wind Turbines where he can. It's up to those of us that a well informed with a science background that the luxuries of the "Beautiful Landscape" can no longer be afforded.
2 comments:
I suggest that before those of with a "science background" judge Dr Bharath Rajan you should make yourselves aware of his professional/scientific qualifications and back ground.
Thanks for your comments, - I stand by them.
Dr Bharath Rajan's scientific knowledge was not an issue, though I would question his understanding of the seriousness of Global Warming. I would be concerned if the Town Council were to trust his scientific knowledge implicitly. There is the very real danger that the need for renewable energy is considered less important than the need for "beautiful, turbine free, landscapes".
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