“If your political theory requires humanity to “evolve”, then you do not have a theory.” A.E. Samaan
Building work is underway on a £1.2 million sports complex on the doorstep of Valley Parade which is set to become a community hub. See the attached article.
Funding is from the Football Foundation, the Premier League, the FA and government’s charity that helps communities improve their local football facilities through football grants; the Power to Change charitable trust, Sport England and Bradford Council, the latter pumping in £100,000 for the project. All good then?
Except that this is another splurge of money that is targeted on the same old areas and criteria so far as large spend sports projects over the last three decades.
Whether these have achieved value for money is very questionable ignoring the realities that many inner-city estates just a bit further out have many of the same issues.
If you doubt the real focus here consider this.
Humayun Islam, BEAP chief executive, who has helped spearhead the project, says he hopes the new complex will boost Asian children’s participation in football and possibly lead to them playing for the Bantams in the future. How inclusive.
Meanwhile, Bingley Pool continues to be allowed to rot by the same Council who simultaneously plan a £20m application for a new pool in another of their favoured areas.
Wacky Races
Operation Steerside has been working hard in Bradford for a number of years trying to tackle the scourge of uninsured drivers on the district’s road, but across the county and the whole country the problem just seems to be getting worse and worse.
Nobody who uses Bradford roads could doubt that the problem is out of control. If the police have generated more than £2 million raised through the sale of seized cars or payments made to get the cars out of impound where is the evidence of additional resources?
In certain areas driving standards are worse than a Third World slum. Likewise, the chances of seeing a traffic warden or cop are comparable to sighting a Dodo Bird.
But we must not dare tackle this issue which is fundamentally the result of liberal policies for generations where the rule of law can be casually ignored if it risks upsetting a sizeable group.
A once-proud city spirals ever further down.
Stubborn Is As Stubborn Does
This week I planned to take my old Mum to Batty Class, as I termed it, perhaps somewhat insensitively. A fortnightly group meets at a local church and offers valuable support and learning for both carers and sufferers alike.
I could sense things were not going well as she wandered to the bathroom muttering “they must have trained you in Belsen!” The minute I met her downstairs with her wheelchair poised on the grid that was it.
“I’m not going to sit with a bunch of old people!” she declared “There’s nothing wrong with me…what day is it?”
One step forward, two steps back.
Gone With The Wind
Proving she has not quite gone with the wind, my Mum recommended I read this classic. Of course, it deals with complex issues and is written in the language of the time. I can imagine the Woke bunch seeking to erase it forever.
But it is a classic and should be viewed, warts and all.
Planet Warriors
When I chunter about younger people, I will now try to remember the words of a wise old sage whose company I enjoyed on a walk this week: “We made the world they live in.”
There is merit to stopping and thinking as to what this means.
Why are kids so unfit? Which generation curtailed the provision of school sport for them?
How come kids have no money? Because we created a greed-based system to stuff them.
But then I don’t have any sympathy for the privileged little ****s who left the devastation behind at Leeds Festival recently, an event with the strapline “You, young people, are Planet Warriors.” An event partnered with the layabouts from Planet Extinction.
I was so angry with this I even agreed with whiny old Christa Ackroyd in The Yorkshire Post. So, although we did create the world they live in, there is no need to shit all over it and **** it up even more.
Numbers
Finally, to those actually paid to **** it up. The projected budget deficit for Bradford Council 2022-3 was put at £13m in this week’s meeting at the Wheeltappers & Shunters Hall.
The projected cost set aside for 2022-24 for the embarrassing City of Culture bid is £6m. Remember this when Council Tax rises 5% again next Spring and it’s all the fault of austerity.
To Truly Evolve
On the same day the Bradford Telegraph & Argus banned public comments on the council’s attempt to sweep the recent child exploitation report under a well-used carpet, a refreshing sign here that journalism lives.
That some council toadie should rule what we, the public, are able to view, is as obscene as Chubby Brown himself. But we should be free to make that choice. This is as good a two-minute read for as long as I can remember.
M.T.Leahy says
Chubby Brown , heard of him but have never attended one of his performances.
Now Billy Pearce’s adult shows…well worth seeing.
His show is due in Bfd shortly I think, & I don’t mean the woke Panto.