John Alexander’s statement yesterday was hugely interesting. I thank him for coming out and speaking directly to the city.
If only his fellow councillors could do the same from time to time.
And I sympathise with the difficulty of balancing a budget in difficult times. I’m sure everyone appreciates there are no easy answers.
But there are some things you said, John, that bear further examination.
Reading between the lines, I detected a frustration with the way money is allocated to local authorities with stringent qualifications on how it is spent.
I am surprised, then that you did not criticise the Scottish Government for dictating so much money must be spent on un-needed projects such as cycle paths, when clearly – as you said yourself – there isn’t enough money to keep essential services going?
Have you, and the other leaders of the Scottish Cities Alliance, complained to Holyrood that the way they ring-fence funds for things like this is wrong?
Do you have the minutes of meetings or email trails to show how often the alliance has laid it on the line that the way the Scottish Government is funding local authorities is ridiculously skewed?
Have you kicked down doors and gone in with “elbows out” to point out this isn’t the right thing for Dundee?
Have you discussed this with the city’s MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick? Are they also fighting to change it?
I do, however, agree with the core of your message. Spending on these things isn’t what Dundee most needs.
Though if you so dislike the way you are forced to spend money on active travel, why did you allow your convener of fair work, economic growth and infrastructure to announce with such glee that he would introduce a “disruptive” Dundee transport plan?
He said: “Change is usually difficult, but it’s just something that we need to do.”
Shouldn’t he also have gone on to point out that this was forced upon him when he knows there are other, more deserving, priorities?
When councillors are asked to fight for Dundee it means to fight against everyone who isn’t dealing with the city in the correct way, no matter which government or which party they represent.
That means we want you to criticise the Tories at Westminster for their disastrous policies every bit as much as criticise Holyrood rulings that dictate you must spend, spend, spend on cycle paths only a small minority of Dundee people will use.
You would clearly prefer to spend that money elsewhere, and I think most Dundonians would agree with you.
But I want to end by reiterating that explanations are very welcome.
Whether people agree with what you’ve said or not, you deserve respect for speaking out. Communication is the essence of good politicking.
I hope you will continue to use this avenue to explain things to Dundee far more often than you have in the past.
You could start by detailing why, with all the latest failings, there is still no inquiry into The Olympia farce.
STEVE FINAN: If councils don’t like their budgets they need to fight with BOTH governments
4
0
21.02.2024
John Alexander’s statement yesterday was hugely interesting. I thank him for coming out and speaking directly to the city.
If only his fellow councillors could do the same from time to time.
And I sympathise with the difficulty of balancing a budget in difficult times. I’m sure everyone appreciates there are no easy answers.
But there are some things you said, John, that bear further examination.
Reading between the lines, I detected a frustration with the way money is allocated to local authorities with stringent qualifications on how it is spent.
I am surprised, then that you did not criticise the Scottish Government for dictating so much money must be spent on un-needed projects such as cycle paths, when clearly – as you said........
© The Courier
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Donald Low
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
