In touch with Broads News, maybe.

[JennyMorgan]

Oh and I forgot to mention - be careful for what you wish for. The last people you want elected are those who wish to promote their own views and not necessarily the best for the Broads - the various Forums are full of those who would do the Broads no good at all and as they are often so good at self promotion likely to become favourites.

 

That would be disastrous - they are not what the Broads want. They want solutions, not self centred individuals full of their own importance - as they see it!!!

Marshman, I could take the above comments, almost word for word, and apply them to at least one person in a position of power and control over the Broads. All I'm asking for is a meaningful acceptance and recognition by the BA that it is accountable to both its customers and those who live here. After all, it is OUR Broads. 

[Guest]

Oh and I forgot to mention - be careful for what you wish for. The last people you want elected are those who wish to promote their own views and not necessarily the best for the Broads - the various Forums are full of those who would do the Broads no good at all and as they are often so good at self promotion likely to become favourites.

 

That would be disastrous - they are not what the Broads want. They want solutions, not self centred individuals full of their own importance - as they see it!!!

 

 

Again, I find that Marshman has rather eloquently put my own thoughts into words.

 

A partial drawback of democracy is that it enables individuals to vote for what they want individually, not always what is best for everyone overall.

 

For any organisation (or country) to function as "well" as possible, unpopular decisions frequently have to be made, in the long term common interest. These would rarely  be voted for by those affected.

 

If  a Quorum of selfless, intelligent, and unbiased people could be voted for to run the BA, then that would be truly excellent.

 

How likely are they to be found though ?

 

Local council elections prove how badly such a system often works in practice,  with councillors pursuing their own agendas, or following a party political line, regardless of their primary duty, which is to the interests of those that they represent.

 

IMHO it's best to have organisations like the BA run by the most professionally competent people available, (elected or not), and overseen by an independent official Ombudsman, eg OffBA.

[JennyMorgan]

Strowager, can't nor would wish to argue with most that but I will pick up on just one sentence, namely:

 

A partial drawback of democracy is that it enables individuals to vote for what they want individually, not always what is best for everyone overall.

 

I'll shorten that to 'it enables individuals to vote for what they want individually, not always what is best for everyone overall.' I will then change just one word, 'vote', and replace it with 'work'. Please, for example, see the one man campaign to call the Broads a National Park.

 

The best committee is a committee of one, if that committee agrees with me!

[Guest]

Ok Peter, if I work it out correctly, your fully amended sentence is now:

 

"it enables individuals to work for what they want individually, not always what is best for everyone overall."

 

I guess you're alluding to JP's motivations again.

 

I can't dispute that, (nor want to bore the hell out of everyone here even by discussing it )

 

If true, the it is indeed a problem that needs to be fixed.

 

We're theorising on practical solutions on this thread though, (or so I believe).

 

How likely is it that a Quorum of intelligent, informed, unbiased public spirited individuals can be voted into office ?

[BroadAmbition]

How likely is it that a Quorum of intelligent, informed, unbiased public spirited individuals can be voted into office ?

 

 

Well I would offer that there is a fair sum of those types within this forum - YOU included Stow (IMHO of course)

 

 

Griff

[JennyMorgan]

Strow, it is the problem, believe me, it really is! Not just my opinion either.

[Guest]

That's very fair of you Griff, but despite my replies to some subjects on here, I'm only too aware of how much more knowledge other people possess on most Broads matters.

 

Yes, I agree with you, certain very able forum members do spring to mind, but there's no assurance that they would be the ones getting into office if it was a free vote.

 

I'm still smiling over Peter's revelation that his new neighbour at the Nav committee table asked "what is the Broads ?"...... 

[Guest]

Strow, it is the problem, believe me, it really is! Not just my opinion either.

 

I surrender Peter !

 

I have no proof to dispute your claim. 

[JennyMorgan]

Great Strow, we are now 100% of a like mind, for now, forward & upwards!!

 

It's a great pity that you don't allow p.m.'s, if you did I could send you a copy of a letter by an ex BA employee that I'm sure you would find revealing.

 

Griff, amen to your nomination of Strowager. For a 'foreigner' he's pretty sharp!

[BroadAmbition]

Ask him for his e-mail and do it that way then.

 

Those forumites that are considered 'Broadsman/women' I fear would have little chance of being elected.  Nominated = no problem there but form what I've seen / learnt over the past 14 years since I started taking a much more interestered stance on matters concerning the BA and Broadland - is that:-

 

(And this will sound cynical but its just my opinion I have formed)

 

Those in Yare House, not all but certainly a good proportion of them  (Excluding the actual sharp end of those out ther on the ground / rivers) are mainly in 'Office' or thier positions purely because they are 'Yesmen' are are happy to tow the party line!

 

 

Griff

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Speedtriple - i suggest you go off and read a thread on the "other channel" about Boundary Farm and read the post by Torty ( Phil) - it says it all and to be honest sums it up perfectly. Of course by all means make them electable but I doubt it will make them any different - after all your councils right up from your local Parish Council are all electable but I do not see that that cures any ills!!!

 

Hi Marshman,

 

i won`t go down the route of taking onboard a view (aka an opinion)  of somebody else on another forum (or whatever), but the post on facebook IS a link to the BA`s website. Opinions are one thing, but official notifications by a relevent authority on their own media are far more relevent. Before i take notice of  anybody`s opinion, i`d like it to be backed up by factual evidence. That`s exactly the point i was trying to get across to you earlier.  If however Torty DOES have factual evidence to back it up, then please post it on here, and i will imediately stand to be corrected.

 

 

As for elected officials being inefectual, well, in a local example to us, a detached bungalow was recently sold, the buyer having ambitions to demolish it and build 2 detached 2 bedroom houses. Planning was submitted, but locals objected and got our local councillors involved which resulted in the planning application being refused, with an alternative acceptable to the local community put forward,and consent being approved, but even then after a few minor ammendments. So you see, elected authority does work very well (admittedly only sometimes), but if this was a non electable council issue, i seriously wonder whether the outcome would have been very different, more than likely i`d say, as those with the biggest wallet pay the piper. 

 

Just imagine what the BA officials would lose if they were to continue to override the wishes of the toll payers?.