It is true that power corrupts. The hope at the polling stations and the actions of the elected representatives, unfortunately, often turn to be opposite. The power of ballot turns into the power of wallet.
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Next Tuesday the Council meet to decide the budget for the forthcoming financial year. Money is admittedly tight and there are some tough choices ahead.
How steadfast to it’s declared aim of being a supporter of the health and well-being of it’s citizens will the Council be though?
Or will it try to slip through a proposal that, at a stroke, could eradicate a large part of the volunteer run sports and community clubs, built up over generations, and of incalculable value to our district?
{Read the attached as a back-drop to this.}
If they do vote through a proposal to abolish small business rate relief applying to the not-for-profit sector, at the same time removing subsidised rents for groups using Council facilities such as football pitches, it will be an avalanche of collapsed endeavours.
Consider the impact on the wider health of people too. In several articles I’ve written about the obesity epidemic not just in Bradford but nationally.
Helpfully, the local paper featured a timely survey forecasting “an obesity crisis…over the next 40 years.”
Most of us have seen this coming for decades and, in reality, obesity is at crisis levels already.
In a low-income city with numerous health challenges, will the Council wake up and realise the true value of the silent army of volunteers out there effectively providing what they cannot?
Finally, contrast the value an army of volunteers offers this city to a bloated bunch of ninety individuals costing £1.8m a year.
This bunch of councillors – many of who would not know which way up to read a balance sheet – will opine on a £400m budget largely along the same old tired party lines. Frightening stuff.
Who Speaks For You?
Sat in the Council Chambers I noted a comment regarding the Government’s support for councils in it’s heartland constituencies and wondered whether this was Emperor Green making political capital sat on high.
Cautious that we should not believe all we read – or for that matter anything the Emperor says – there appears to be a grain of truth here.
Now I would sooner vote for Donald Trump than Jeremy Corbyn but Big Dave and Google George have been taking this piss ever since they strolled to power unopposed last summer. Power corrupts so they say.
Increasingly, sections of society are becoming marginalised and presented with bleak futures as we continue to add to our national debt, the days of reducing it still a pipedream.
Au Revoir!
The following bit may suggest I need to get out more but I’ve been trying to absorb as much as I possibly can around the whole issue of should we stay or should we go re Europe.
As ever the frustrating and, ultimately determining factor, has been the inability of the lying, snivelling, back-stabbing bunch we have as politicians to actually answer a question as it is put.
Given that the majority on both sides of the Westminster flea-pit are arguing for us to stay then this has made my mind up and I will be voting to leave simply because I don’t trust any single one of them.
And if Big Dave is concerned that Calais may well end up in Kent then that’s good news as far as I am concerned because at least Bulgaria won’t end up in Bradford.
Guten Tag!
Council Clowns And Corporate Vandals; When Greed Came To Town.
Inevitably the wrecking balls have arrived and shame on our inept Council for the wanton destruction of a beautiful old building with such a rich history.
One year on from witnessing our a bunch of doddery, half-senile elected halfwits vote to allow a Leeds based office block developer to come and wipe out a part of the City’s heritage the sight of the building being slaughtered to the whim of private profit is gut wrenching.
That such a noble old building can be wiped out by idiots say a lot about those that vote on our city’s future.
Reasons To Be Cheerful.
Read the following piece and disagree of you can; Bradford is the new Utopia!
Reasons To Be Cheerful – Part Two.
Here are the television listings for Wednesday February 10th; make of them what you will as a reflection of our society.
C5 – Violent Child: Desperate Parents
C4 – How To Die
ITv – Midsomer Murders
BBC2 – 24 Hours In A&E
BBC1 – West Brom v Peterborough!
And Finally!
I hope most of you caught my Open Letter concerning the opening piece here contrasted against the seemingly limitless budget afforded to the revamp of Bradford Park Avenue cricket ground.
Whether or not you are bothered about sport, consider the following though as to who really makes some of the big decisions concerning our city, amidst all the talk of devolution and Northern Powerhouses.
An application for £5m to assist with the restoration of the Odeon from the Heritage Lottery Fund – declined.
An “application” for £5.5m to restore Bradford Park Avenue from Sport England (same money) – approved.
Both decisions taken miles away and perhaps reflecting a tale of two cities?
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