Towns begin to fade

Today I noticed I do not have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Handy to know. 
Well the weekend is behind us and Michael has had a swim with some very unfriendly sharks off the coast of Cape Town. Angela in Sidney, Robert in California, Mark and Gary in South Africa, Michael soon to be in Sri Lanka and to top it all Susan will be in Japan. All very exiting for them I suppose but it would be nice for all of us just to take a trip to Corfu Castle and have a cream tea.

The weather has taken a turn for the worst and with it we have very dense fog wrapping the street lights in a shroud. Cold but the chill factor is not exaggerated by strong wind, probably why the fog has not cleared in the last three days. They say the sun will shine, when?
Getting back the the abdominal aortic aneurysm, once you turn a certain age, you are invited to go for a abdominal aortic aneurysm scan. Something like checking the fuel pump on an old car, anyway mine has passed its MOT. MOT is a yearly check all car over three years old have in the UK. Making sure they are roadworthy. I am roadworthy and thankfully no parts to be replaced, just yet.

Enough of the pleasantries, the main reason for this blog is to highlight our inability to hold our elected Councillors to account. Poole Borough Council pass new bylaws without thinking of the community they are elected to serve. For example they raising the price of parking and business rates, while ignoring the fact that this is a major contribution to businesses closing in the town centre.
If you talk to anyone who works for the council you find they are constantly complaining. Get them talking and you realise they are more often guided by hesitation and insecurity, and that is often a reflection of themselves.
The Councils are inadequate and ineffective because the members are driven by either desire or fear. Desire to be seen to be serving the ward they represent, when in fact they are serving just a vocal few. They are driven by fear of not been re elected, so will tend to mediocrity, upsetting as few as possible but also achieving very little. 
Far better to be motivated by a sense of purpose than to be dulled in their senses by the desire to undertake only what’s manageable.

We do not take delight in our towns wonder but in the answers it gives to our questions. Towns begin to fade when we do not ask questions of how better to live together.

Comments