Policy. |
Harry
Morskate | 21
Fevrier
2010
|
| Policy
is the set of goals and resources with a timetable attached to it. It
is preferable if the place and time of the actions are specified.
Policy is made both in the government and in business. A government
policy is almost always public. This is because public services are
paid with public finance (taxes) and therefore subject to democratic
control. Policy is impossible without good governance. Without public policy in a democracy a democratic control is excluded. In our community there is no policy formulated, let alone recorded and made public. A democratic control is therefore impossible. This is especially so since the mayor "reformulates" all the municipal reports before they are published. As a result the only objective control possible concerns the financial situation. And these data show the painful result of the absence of policy in a shocking manner. Also there is no consistency at all in decision making. Even worse, many plans and decisions in the recent past have been contradictory and counterproductive. For example, efforts are made to promote tourism, while allowing a wind farm to be established. There are also plans for a solar energy project. In the cases of these two projects we certainly cannot speak in terms of a positive contribution to tourism. |
Meanwhile,
money and energy are invested in the renovation of the castle with the
adjoining unique medieval settlement. There is however no
reflection on the purpose, let alone the maintenance, and 'modus
operandi' of this project. The ideas of "little shops" and "workshop
for artisans', shows little realism. There should be real objectives and the financial revenues and costs be made known.The formulated policy should also name the primary stakeholders and the possible positive and negative impacts: economic, employment, financial, social, environmental etc. Only when these issues are known, the citizens and the council itself may form an opinion, take decisions and exercise a democratic control. The council will then function and the content of its actions will also be attractive for tthe residents, who through their expertise and with their own opinions, can contribute to the community. |
