All posts in the topic Fw: Request: What issue would you like to hold a public discussion about? (Short link)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kathleen.McMullen" <<email obscured>>
To: "Chris Todd" <<email obscured>>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [BH-Issues] Request: What issue would you like to hold a public
discussion about?


> 'Down to the local level'
> ▼
>
> needs to be replaced with 'Up from the grassroots,  or basement dwelling
or
> kitchen sink!▲
>
> Kathleen
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Todd" <<email obscured>>
> To: "BH@forums Issues Forum" <<email obscured>>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [BH-Issues] Request: What issue would you like to hold a
public
> discussion about?
>
>
> > I would certainly like to see some work on proportional representation
and
> > how the current voting system is disenfranchising people.  I live in a
> > strong Labour ward so unless you vote Labour your vote counts for
nothing.
> > Equally, if I lived in Withdean ditto with the Tories and probably the
> same
> > for the Greens in North Laine and St Peters.
> >
> > While I agree with Joyce that proportional representation is not a
> panacea,
> > the current voting system cannot be helping engaging more people with
> local
> > politics.  On a moral level it also seems much fairer that greater
account
> > is taken of people's views when deciding the political makeup of the
> > Council, rather than those views being swept aside because they are not
in
> > the majority as thrown up by the current voting system, which actually
> only
> > relates to a very small proportion of the local population in any case.
> >
> > People also often talk about devolving power down to a local level and
> this
> > is often bandied around as the cure of all ills for local democracy but
I
> > would like some dicussion around this as I don't necessarily agree.
There
> > are some issues, environmental pollution being one of them, where
> devolving
> > unfettered power down to a local level could be a disaster.  So whatever
> > happens there are going to have to be some guidelines or restraints on
> > devolved power which will be seen by some as undermining the power of
> local
> > people to determine their own destiny.
> >
> > Chris Todd
> >
> >
> >
> > Chris Todd
> >
> > Info about Chris Todd: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/christodd
> >
> > This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/4iER5KC0BpkVuN4GarBUnD
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