BOGANISM

On the Examiner's front page sometime ago they told us what an awful lot of people living in our city know already and all too well. Boganism is alive and well. The Examiner simply reminds us of it, and the worry of it, in the light of the social dystopia that is so, so evident. 

We all know that we can expect more of the same in the weeks/months/years ahead.  The paper also reminds us daily that "antisocial behaviour in the city came under the spotlight after a city retailer highlighted the issue on Facebook".  The point being that the Council is in perpetual kneejerk reaction mode that is usually followed up by denial upon denial.

We are also reminded that city's Council has spent $MILLIONS of the city's community's hard-earned money on reports over time the Mayors and General Managers now seem to think its alright to pretty much ignore >>>  GO HERE to read this story Both men are very quick to tell us that we are expecting way too much. Pontius Pilate like (even if it is the wrong season) they are also quick to blame shift to the other levels of government. It is not us they say! Neither seem to take their leadership roles at all seriously.

When any Mayor says that some progress has been made but ``we're never going to get rid of all antisocial behaviour'' you know that leadership on this kind of issue is not front of mind. What looks like to be going on is something like this: Council is told about a problem; Council commissions yet another expensive report so it looks like they are doing something; Council considers the report and makes a fuss about doing this so it looks like they are doing something; 

• Council puts the recommendations on the to do list so it looks like they are doing something; 
• Council says to itself "this is going to be hard"; 
• Council decides to try and look like it is doing something; 
• Council wishes the problem away but hopes that it still looks like they are doing something. 

When the problem rears its ugly head again, like any time now, Council quickly goes into denial mode. If there was no intention to do anything then why commission that very expensive report? Maybe there is an another question that should be asked. If in the the professional opinion of those on Council employed to think about this kind of thing, and think that trying to mitigate against antisocial behaviour is outside Council's area of responsibility, why commission yet another expensive report they know they will ignore? 

In not too round about a way all this calls into question the sustainability of the city's administration.  But cities all over take out the "Keep Australia Beautiful" Sustainable Cities Awards with one taking out the national award. One city is singled out as "a model for sustainable communities – dedication to the philosophy of community development, volunteering, cooperation and commitment to environmental well being are backed with obvious civic pride".

This is where a city's residents might well ask, "I wonder what these people looked at"? There is so much that is either unsustainable in our city, or is very close to it. So why congratulate this lamentable level of undelivered sustainability? 

When, for instance, cities run Waste Management Centres and continue to expand landfill facilities, and continues to consign 90% of the waste stream to landfill, in all honesty, an honest Council should hand the award back. Perhaps the award was won it on false pretences!

Like it is with antisocial behaviour, where there has been an expensive report to ignore down the track, there has been an even more expensive report to a Council to do with waste management. 

That report will quite probably be destined for discretionary (pragmatic?) consideration. 

Looking back through most Council's media releases it is very clear that many of our Cities Mothers & Fathers have addicted to the landfill strategy only very slightly adjusted >>> GO HERE to read this media release.

People have to wonder if their Council is actually serious about achieving something and taking the citizenship they are supposed to serve with them on antisocial behaviour, waste management and so much more. Is leadership an option? You have to wonder!

IF the cynics out there in voterland think that very often their Council behaves in a antisocial way they would have to be forgiven.

Where are Council's social inclusion programs?

Where are Council's investment in sustainability projects?

Where are Council's real commitment to financial sustainability?

When will any Council's staff do themselves what they commission others to do for them?

It is way way past time for a reality check.