In North Wales this week, we have witnessed yet more acts of corporate arrogance which continue to anger and infuriate the local population. As I observe events unfold, one thing strikes me in particular. As angry as people undoubtedly are, they don't quite seem to know what to do about it. But that is not their fault.
This week alone, three decisions in particular have dominated our local news. The week began with news that the plight of a 90 year old lady had finally been addressed by the local council. But let us not get too carried away with ourselves. It is only the plight of one elderly lady which has been addressed. The decision of the local council to close the three local council-run care homes was met with a good degree of opposition.
In the first instance, a young lady from one of the towns affected achieved a petition with over 5,000 signatures. Given the modest size of the local population, that was a considerable achievement. The response of the council to this amazing feat of human engagement was to largely ignore it. At best, that is plain ignorant. At worst, it is arrogance of the very worst type. The 90 year old lady in question became a cause celebre on account of her having raised many thousands for her local care home throughout her life before being told there would be no place for her even with failing eyesight. In the end, it was more to do with the intervention of local politicians than the petition of 5,000 people which reversed the council decision. But I reiterate, this was just a victory for one person, however laudable that was. At the time of writing, there is nothing to suggest that the planned care home closures won't be enacted as planned by the local council. This gets to the heart of the matter. Unchallenged, they will surely succeed. But that challenge needs to come from sources more direct than social media. Public demonstrations and the interventions of elected political representatives will effect the greatest outcomes. A public meeting has been called for February 26th in the town of Corwen but I sincerely hope that the numbers on social media can translate to real life. My recent experiences make me doubtful but I will gladly be proved wrong.
Not two weeks after the Welsh Assembly Government opposed the intention of the local council to close a Church of England primary school, the local Council wasted no time in restating their aim to close it. Whether the small band of hardy parents and governors can once more beat the corporate machine remains to be seen but I wish them luck. The point here is rather sobering. My local council has an idea to execute a decision and not even the intervention of the national government will assuage them. That is a chilling indictment of the democracy which we are now left with.
Just yesterday, the local health board announced that maternity services would soon be dropped at one of our district general hospitals. The decision was greeted with a public outcry and once again, local people flocked to social media to register their opposition. All well and good. The real acid test though is translating those sentiments on social media in to actions in real life. Irrespective of my own opinion on this decision, I am far more interested to see if local people will put their money where there mouth is and vote with their feet. If they do, they will make strides toward dispelling the myth that social media has become the domain of the whinger who lacks the conviction to convert his or her thoughts in to actions.
Of course, it is also instructive to note that all three decisions which have caused so much public opprobrium, have been made by unelected people without the input of local tax-payers. Maybe the time has come to question the suitability of such a system. But will people take the next big leap and play their part in making that happen?
This week alone, three decisions in particular have dominated our local news. The week began with news that the plight of a 90 year old lady had finally been addressed by the local council. But let us not get too carried away with ourselves. It is only the plight of one elderly lady which has been addressed. The decision of the local council to close the three local council-run care homes was met with a good degree of opposition.
In the first instance, a young lady from one of the towns affected achieved a petition with over 5,000 signatures. Given the modest size of the local population, that was a considerable achievement. The response of the council to this amazing feat of human engagement was to largely ignore it. At best, that is plain ignorant. At worst, it is arrogance of the very worst type. The 90 year old lady in question became a cause celebre on account of her having raised many thousands for her local care home throughout her life before being told there would be no place for her even with failing eyesight. In the end, it was more to do with the intervention of local politicians than the petition of 5,000 people which reversed the council decision. But I reiterate, this was just a victory for one person, however laudable that was. At the time of writing, there is nothing to suggest that the planned care home closures won't be enacted as planned by the local council. This gets to the heart of the matter. Unchallenged, they will surely succeed. But that challenge needs to come from sources more direct than social media. Public demonstrations and the interventions of elected political representatives will effect the greatest outcomes. A public meeting has been called for February 26th in the town of Corwen but I sincerely hope that the numbers on social media can translate to real life. My recent experiences make me doubtful but I will gladly be proved wrong.
Not two weeks after the Welsh Assembly Government opposed the intention of the local council to close a Church of England primary school, the local Council wasted no time in restating their aim to close it. Whether the small band of hardy parents and governors can once more beat the corporate machine remains to be seen but I wish them luck. The point here is rather sobering. My local council has an idea to execute a decision and not even the intervention of the national government will assuage them. That is a chilling indictment of the democracy which we are now left with.
Just yesterday, the local health board announced that maternity services would soon be dropped at one of our district general hospitals. The decision was greeted with a public outcry and once again, local people flocked to social media to register their opposition. All well and good. The real acid test though is translating those sentiments on social media in to actions in real life. Irrespective of my own opinion on this decision, I am far more interested to see if local people will put their money where there mouth is and vote with their feet. If they do, they will make strides toward dispelling the myth that social media has become the domain of the whinger who lacks the conviction to convert his or her thoughts in to actions.
Of course, it is also instructive to note that all three decisions which have caused so much public opprobrium, have been made by unelected people without the input of local tax-payers. Maybe the time has come to question the suitability of such a system. But will people take the next big leap and play their part in making that happen?
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