Sunday 21 July 2013

Influence Without Accountability

Observation suggests that some decisions are made by show of hands some through favour, influence and lobbying power and some via the particular whim of whoever's been put there by the small number of voters who can be bothered to turn out at elections. But most well informed people think decision making processes at all levels should be transparent and subject to rigorous scrutiny. Queries should be answered not evaded. It's a cop out to do things purely by numbers. And I have examples to show that the present Sheffield Council rejects the majority anyway when it suits it.

According to Councillor Bowler who does the environment stuff for Sheffield's political decision-making Cabinet, 'not everyone agrees with you' (i.e.with me).  Hmm. Did I ever think they did? It's odd that others who don't want to answer serious points raised also use these words. No response to points made just 'others think differently'.  And numbers don't seem to come into it either. The petition of 2006 with 761 signatures was dismissed out of hand  with no opposing petition and flawed arguments against.

The argument was from this side for more natural public land and less farming exploitation of the landscape and less farm subsidies. All entrenched in the Master Plan of SMP. But it was principally for more public debate on these vital issues.

Those who were on the other side who were quoted by Cllr Bowler as supporting the farming and the subsidies and presumably the lack of meaningful debate were Terry Howard whose twin fiefdoms are the Ramblers and Sheffield Campaign for Access to Moorland, added to a regular presence at the Local Access Forum. People in these organisations may be qualified to speak on access issues but have no authority to speak on anything else; certainly not without engaging in wider debate. But they conspicuously refrain from debating these other  things and have never tried to discuss them with me or comment on this blog despite knowing about it and doubtless seeing it at least occasionally. They prefer to make their comments behind the scenes away from the public gaze, a profoundly undemocratic practice. They shied away from attending the Icarus consultation on Blacka Moor in 2006 and have given their support to the conservation industry's empire building by the back door. These access campaigners go on fighting yesterday's battles but don't ever seem to notice that the fight has moved on from access rights to what it is we're getting access to.

Where do I get the chance to swap views in public with Terry Howard who for all I know, and it's a fair bet, believes that no trees should ever grow on our uplands and sheep should be everywhere, if he does not comment on this blog or any other forums I know of? Well informed discussion and debate is a precondition of good decision making. We don't get much of it in the conservation sphere nor in Sheffield politics.

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