I’m getting a little tired of all the council bashing - no need for names. After all you, your peers and your neighbours voted these people in to do the work you don’t have time for, can’t afford time for or just can’t be bothered; to make the unpopular decisions and to perform the thankless task of serving the community. Yes, one would expect them to be honest and open but you can’t expect them to do everything you or your pressure group wants. You elected them to act ‘on your behalf’ which means that you trust them to make the right decisions for all the community they represent. They should listen to your wants and needs but when they act it should be according to their conscience, which may have been swayed by other opinions. ‘On your behalf’ also means they do not have to consult you on every decision they make. This is how democracy works, you hand over the decision making process, on trust, to those whom you elect. There’s little point in whinging about it afterwards if you backed the wrong horse.
If countries are said to get the police forces they deserve then perhaps it could be said that communities get the local councils they deserve. After all, as I said earlier, it is you, your peers and your neighbours who voted these people in.
I don’t expect this is the popular view but, naturally, I believe popularity is overrated.
16 Responses to “Councils”
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too true & a fair point Dr.F
As I am a person very involved in making public and private comments about how my Council of Glen Eira operates, I could at first glance assume you mean people like myself.
Hand over our money and our votes and cease to have views about their uses!
What do you expect of us as residents? To vote you in and then “shut up” and stop thinking for ourselves because we’ve delegated our rights to free thought, by voting for you.
I haven’t voted in a Councillor to do my thinking for me, but rather to represent my viewpoints. As in Federal and State Government, Local Government is still in position to continually monitor the “voice of the people”….
Of course, I don’t see myself presenting my views on their process as “Council Bashing” but rather ensuring that what is meant to occur with the Legislation introduced covering the Local Government Act 1989 continues to be “Bible” of local government.
When I drive now a clean well presented Street, mostly it is the householder themselves who contribute to its appearance….We mow our lawns, plant our gardens, and paint our houses. Not the Council, but the residents!
In Glen Eira we are presented with a thousand services, which do not come free to the residents once they paid their rates. I wanted to book a DVD and was asked to pay about $2.50 for the privilege of using their library facility….Shop keepers pay for those little boards telling us they’re now open. Animal owners who pay $500,000 are among an aggrieved group of residents who don’t like how their Councillors represent their position…..
I can’t be responsible for other who “don’t care” - I do and it shows. I make no apology for being who and what I am. An activist who creates waves so that residents can swim through the fluff and into the surf!
And who says, I voted for those who represent me?! I never voted for John Howard either - but he does represent Australia on the world stage much to my personal embarrassment.
Mary, why dont you get on the council? or run for Mayor? Would that not be a good thing to do to channel all of your energy?
And and I would be interested to hear, who you would put up on the world stage. I dont think the p.r team have prepped Rudd past a one liner statement and a a weak little smile…..who would do us proud?
you know what…..WHO CARES……some of us, sometimes, but not all of us all the time……and does it make a difference, sometimes ocassionally but most of the time not and ultimately not.
councils, governments, unions, multi nats, industry, world wide, they’re all filled with false hope, false expectations, corruption, lust for power, abuse of power, greed.
it’s doesn’t matter whether you voted them in or not, whether you campaign for them, against them.
because we’re flawed, as a species, we’re a failure.
the more we evolve, the more toxic we’re becoming. we might delude ourselves, that we’re basically good, we care, we can save the planet, each other, our souls.
we can’t, it’s all a crock.
a big bang started it all off, we need a big bang to finish it, the universe wouldn’t miss us.
there is one major fault in the above comments - it assumes that councillors are the ones who make decisions!! In theory this is how it’s supposed to work; but in reality, it is the UNELECTED, who maintain real power. Let’s face it - those poor elected sods are at the mercy of the spin doctors; they rely on information they are given, or not given; they are literally ‘part timers’ buried under the morass of officialdom who basically monitor and appoint themselves! It would take an extremely courageous soul to refuse to renew CEO contracts as was tried by the last lot of councillors - all to no avail!! Councillors are irrelevant in Glen Eira - they are mere tokens of representative government.
You know vivavoice I understand exactly what you mean but I think it very stupid not to say or do anything because we feel jaded by the system….I know that many people in high profile positions are there to service their egos….Many are extremely well paid for very little effort (but they’re good at directing traffic themselves)…I just don’t want them stuffing up my patch, and allow themselves the delusion that I’m not looking…
People are basically “good” folk….but I’m glad we’re flawed. It provides us with the opportunity to improve…being perfect would be so very boring, so being perfect is not on my agenda.
I have neither the time, the wit, the health, nor the ambition winnierose to stand for Council. They’re full of lawyers and wanttobe politicians, and people who love the political sparring opportunities. I just want good Governance and I know there must be residents in Glen Eira who are young enough to think they can make the difference. We’ve had some good Councillors in Glen Eira recently - David Bloom springs to mind, Dorothy Marwick’s heart was always in the right place.
As far as a Prime Minister is concerned, if it was my choice, it would be a woman. Howard I’ve never liked or trusted, and Rudd is so like Howard its scary. I want an Opposition Party to oppose….not go along with every Conservative decision from Howard. From wars to aboriginals Rudd hasn’t expressed an original idea.
Watching an Asian being interviewed about his voting potential it was interesting to hear his comment…That as a business man he would vote for Howard, but as an immigrant, he would vote for Rudd….Hard choice to make…but I won’t be voting for either so it won’t be my call who governs, just who holds the balance of power perhaps.
mary you bash because its people like you that keeps these so called council people honest after all we do need some one to keep a eye on them
trouble is, we dont really know those whom we elect.
we elect in trust that they will be open, honest, and dedicated.
it is a matter of public record (here in knox) that these trusts have well and truly been betrayed.
Stand for council / mayor yourself. idealistic, as you need to know someone of influence to get the nod, and indeed the acceptance.
until such time as people give up on apathy, we will indeed SUFFER those whom we elcet- out of a sense of, we have to vote for someone…
cheerio
john
oooooooooo viv……………who put s**t on your cornflakes today??
Hi Mary, You have hit the raw pocket nerve. I think we really should talk and exchange ideas on how to elect good Councillors and what makes for a good Council.
All nooksters opinions were valid POVs and present a rather sordid picture of our Local Government. Here is how I see the problem in Glen Eira, which is an $80m operation. This is Big Business and we should be able to assess its performance like any other business and influence its operations to benefit users and consumers of its services.
In a commercial operation environment there is one thing every business is doing. It is checking with its customers the benefits of the good or service they buy from it and if does it satisfies their needs. If a business does not satisfies the need or provides some kind of benefit you and I have a choice not to shop there. WE VOTE WITH OUR FEET.
Unfortunately with Government services we do not have that choice of VOTING WITH OUR FEET. Once you elect them you are stuck with them until the next election time. We are boxed in and that is very frustrating.
The worst part of Glen Eira bureaucracy operations is that they simply refuse to check with residents and ratepayers if what they are doing is worthwhile. Instead they write excellent Reports and get awards in recognition of their excellent reporting. So we have that peculiar situation that Glen Eira has now the greatest number of residents Action Groups protesting & complaining against the Council and at the same time Glen Eira administration displays the greatest number of Awards! Are you and I consumers of reporting Awards? (’harry’ is right about unelected rulers of Councils)
But here is the real problem for you and me. From 2008 Councils are elected for a 4 year term. So if you will not elect a good Council you will be stuck with it for 4 years! Can you imagine what damage can a BAD council do in 4 years?!
Nooksters now is the time to deliberate what you and I want from our Counillors. What makes for a good Council (give an example of a good please)? And how to judge a good Council candidate from a bad one?
Frustrated ‘glenira’ (yes I feel like an IRA member)
Before you were “tired” Somewhere in Brazil, on the subject of perceived “Council Bashing” …No doubt by now, you are prpbably fast asleep!!
Do not be dismayed vivavoce. There is a solution. As I have said previously, one day everyone will think as I do - read on.
My apologies, marywalsh. I would have replied sooner but I have had a very busy weekend. Forgive me also for not taking the time to explain how democracy works against individuals like yourself. Please read on.
I make no secret of my own point of view. If I am devout about anything then it is anarchy. Not the sort that wants to destroy governments but the sort that sees little or no sense in being governed by others. What I like to consider the purest form of anarchy, no government other than your own conscience.
I may be wrong but I sense vivavoce and marywalsh may already be entertaining vaguely similar views.
It only remains for gleneiraratepayer and one or two others to climb aboard and we have the makings of a sociopolitical revolution.
Naturally, I can accept no credit for this. Chaos, disenchantment and disorder – my work here is done.
I think harry has the right idea, it is the UNELECTED who really are behind all the decisions made by councils, the councillors are merely rubber stamps to pass whatever the paid officers put in front of them. If the councillors have an idea on something, the paid officers have to vet it and see if it is viable before anything gets done, it’s not the councillors who prepare the budgets and rates, it’s the CEO and his offsiders.
Moreland Councillors dont run Moreland - the CEO Peter Brown makes the real decisions - an unelected, highly paid offical.
Dr.Fell, you are obviously do not need to worry about your Taxes, Rates and Charges (TRC). You must be earning enough not to worry about how to feed yourself and your family. My calculation tells me that those on average wage pay over 50% of its earnings on the total of Governmnt TRC. Particularly those on fixed incomes cannot keep up with constant increases in interest rates, CPI, government taxes, rates, fees and charges,and rising petrol and fruit and vegetable prices!
If you let anarchy rule then those with money will rule over everybody else. Forget about equity, fairness, and justice. All just lofty ideas. And forget about democracy. It just will not exist.
Coming down to reality in our backyard. Can you imagine having a BAD Council for 4 years? And able to stuff up one’s lifestyle and livelihood without any reference to residents, ratepayers, and communities? That actually what we are ALL facing from 2008 Council elections.
The question is how do you elect good, responsible and responsive Councillors that progress community needs and wishes? And how do you ensure that the Council as a whole makes beneficial decisions on behalf of their constituency?
If you take Glen Eira as an example every Council meeting on average they underwrite over $5million. That is about $6million per Councillor. How would you like to be writing out a cheque for $6million every three weeks! That is what is happening on every Council!
Don’t you think you want to know where does the money go and whether you are benefiting from it? What do you think Nooksters?