Local Authorities
You would gladly let our local authority get on and the job they're paid to do if at times they weren't such idiots. But they're worse than idiots, they're arrogant idiots that don't listen to reason, ignore public feeling and don't know how to take good advice. They waste inordinate amounts of public money in the process and then want to screw the public at every opportunity to cover the cost of their flippancy and pig-headedness, leaving the public to contend with their cockups and pick up the financial tab. That has to change...
Bad Behaviour! Local authority corruption and dishonesty is widespread in this country. The councils aren't entirely to blame because just like the starving lad that is forced to cheat or steal a loaf to feed himself, the councils have been partly driven to bad behaviour by the cuts in government funding, designed to divert money to the rich.
Undesirable Tendencies! Currently local authorities exhibit many undesirable tendencies, including lying, cheating, short-changing the public, manipulating circumstances to suit themselves, not listening to the people that pay their wages and initiating and proceeding with schemes that go against the public will.
Morally Wrong! Local authorities do many things that are badly motivated they also implement many unhelpful traffic schemes. They don't seem to understand the problems they are causing at times and they don't want to listen to the public, that is the people paying their wages. This is a completely bizarre and morally wrong situation, and yet it is endemic throughout our local authorities.
Bully and Dictate! If you get people in and pay them to work on your house you expect them to do what you want them to do, not what you don't want them to do, and yet local authorities simply do not abide by this principle. They bully the public, they dictate and go against the democratic will, that is the will of the people employing them and paying their wages.
Local Authority Control
Our case study involves instances covering our own local authority, however, it is true to say that everything we will be observing about our local authority, Bexley Council, can be observed to be manifest with the mentality of local authorities up and down the country.
Generally local authorities like to get their own way and do what they like, regardless of the fact they should be serving us and regardless of the fact that it is us that pay for their wages (and their cockups). All too often local councillors and council departments alike take absolutely no notice of public feeling or even what is common sense, as they serve their own arrogant agenda and do just what they like, regardless.
In this one borough alone millions of pounds have been wasted on schemes that make life worse and more difficult for people whilst facilites that people feel are important to them have been curtailed or eradicated. It makes one think that you have to have a qualification in idiocy and arrogance to get a job in such council positions. It is about time people had more input as to where there money goes and what is to be considered priority!
Bexley Council
Not Listening To You! Communication with Bexley Council over many years has proved to be a complete waste of time, fair comment or otherwise. The Council should have a duty to consider the views of the public and serve the best interests of the public to the best of their ability. However, the Council refuse to listen to the people’s viewpoint and consequently much of what the Council do is contrary to what people want. Much of it actually goes against the grain of common sense and the best interests of the community.
Working For Themselves! Bexley Council actually spend significant amounts of public money on things that make life more difficult for people, sometimes resulting in a very serious degradation of efficiency or facilities. Is it plain stupidity, ignorance and arrogance that causes this, or is it something more insidious and even more disturbing? Deliberate corruption and self-interest! Wasting public money on the institution of things that nobody wants simply because someone is making money out them!
Robbing The Public! Such examples are the appalling traffic planning, with Bexley Council spending inordinate amounts of public money on schemes that are less efficient and that make life more difficult for people. They have also robbed the public of facilities, built on our playing fields and even cancelled the Danson Festival, one good thing that people could look forward to once a year.
Lack Of Honesty! There has also been a notable lack of honesty from our local authority, who are devious in the extreme. They make nonsensical excuses to try and cover up the truth about the real motives behind their schemes and proposals. They plot behind closed doors and are basically corrupt as they deviously push schemes through to make money regardless of the real long term cost to the people.
Lack Of Democracy! Bexley Council do what they like and do not acknowledge the democratic will of the people that pay their wages. They are bullies and tyrants with a devious agenda. The Crosstalk Foundation is based in a small back street in Slade Green that has just 22 houses in it. Over the past few years we have had three issues in this road alone relating to pavements and parking where the overwhelming majority will of the public has been 'overruled' from afar, despite protests and with no absolutely consideration for the people that live here.
The response of the local authority raises some interesting questions…
- Who knows what is best for people?
- Can people know what is best for themselves?
- Can people be allowed to have what they would prefer?
- Should the people have a say in the management and running of their own lives?
- Should the people have a say in what their money is spent on?
- Should the people of this country be dictated to, against their will, by the people they employ?
- Should people be made to do things, which are obviously not in their best interests?
- Should people be treated like children, by the people they elect?
- Should people be considered?
- Are people’s thoughts and feelings important?
- Should the people be paying to have their feelings walked all over?
- Should people be paying for the privilege of having their lives made more difficult?
- If the local authority cannot get it right for people, is there another way to manage our affairs more satisfactorily?