Up ahead: getting rid of local councils
Published:
July 23, 2014 at 4:01pm
You can see where all this is heading: away from the devolution of power to local councils and back towards the focus of power in central government.
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I’m not sure getting rid of local councils would be a negative thing – really!
Do you remember when we did not have local councils? We were dependent on the grace and favour of cabinet ministers to have light-bulbs changed in our streets.
Some towns never saw any funding going their way and some were almost completely forgotten, Sliema under the Labour government of the 1980s being the most conspicuous example of that.
Rubbish collection was a joke, and public spaces in towns and villages were derelict unless those towns and villages had a padrone.
If you are happier with that state of affairs then yes, getting rid of local councils would be a great idea.
Agreed. But they are terribly expensive, in terms of funds, accountability and value for money.
The things you mentioned are the positive side of local councils. The other side includes fraud, overspending, criminal activities (including bribes, electricity theft etc) sometimes by the mayors themselves. Not to mention the fact that Labour led local councils did their part to undermine the PN government at every opportunity. Remember the signs fixed in various streets around the island blaming the ‘central’ government for their state of disrepair? I can remember quite a few, in the Rabat area especially, but not only. The same streets are even worse now, but no sign is fixed.
One of the bigger white elephants PN saddled us with, together with the local wardens.
The list of PN ‘white elephants’ is very long: 25 years long in fact during which the PN upgraded our state from that of a banana republic to that of a first world nation and member of the European Union. Previous to that we a had a government that ended up shooting gas canisters, rubber bullets and even anti-protest bullets at opposition activists while our national infrastructure went to the dogs. Corruption was the only way to have things done, imported, bought, sold, etc.
But dear Aaron,
Did the taghna lkoll voters vote for this?
Regional committees with full time administrators answerable to the Great Leader.
How very…Chinese.
Hong Kong is going through the same issue. After only 17 years (instead of the promised 50 years in the agreement with the UK), China wants to change the election rules for Hong Kong.
They want the candidates to be approved by China first, before running for office in Hong Kong.
Didn’t Labour vehemently oppose local councils?
Devolution of powers is a heretical notion to totalitarian control freaks, after all.
Why not abolish local councils altogether? Surely they cost more than Eur 2.5 million every 3 or 4 years?
Nahseb ftehmna.
He does not even know what he is talking about. He is saying that we should be moving toward decentralisation by opting for the 5 regional administrators in place of the present 68 councils. If this is not centralisation of power then the word has been redefined.
Gaetano, when reading such people the mind boggles. Certainly what he meant was centralisation, but probably decentralisation sounds more bombastic and impressive to his audience.
Although local council have their faults, they have improved our lives. At least we do not have to depend on the local MP to get something done. Probably better auditing of the councils will do the trick.
This man thinks in “fives.” So it’s five regional administrations, five degrees…
The only positive outcome of abolishing local councils is the removal of some mayors who have turned into petty dictators.
That’s because the people get what they vote for. The same rule applies to both national and local elections. It’s a reflection of the general public’s state of ‘intelligence’.
Aaron-Six-Degrees-Farrugia is seeking to get his seventh degree: a Masters in Regional Government at a Chinese University.
It goes without saying that Mr. Six Degrees’ Seventh, will be paid in full by Muscat from the money ‘saved’ through the fake-postponement (read ‘suspension’) of the local council elections.
Aaron, you, like me, were a councillor in one of the smallest councils in Malta, do you think that this was a waste of time?
With all the problems we went through together, do you really believe that we were wasting our time and got nothing done?
The 5 regional committees are taking us back to centralization and removing devolution, is that what you really want?
>A.Charles. How very very true. I am no fan of local councils and think they attract two sorts of people. Those that think that this is a step up towards a political career and then there are those who have nothing better to do and involve themselves in these councils to ‘pass the time and fell important’. I hasten to add not all but the very vast majority. I have ah dealings with two councils and found members of both to be pedantic, unruly, completely asinine and of absolutely near zero intelligence. Having said that I would not want a return to the grovelling scenarios of the past. My view? Reduce the number of councils for starters, then set a minimum educational level to man a few centres slated to cater for the surrounding villages. Then have a committe made of of elected members to oversee (not override) the operations. Just a starting point.