OUR story about a small industrial business that faces closure at the end of the month as part of the Leale’s Yard redevelopment highlights a recurrent theme from the last four years of this States: how problems are left hanging.
F&B Blasters might not be a particularly glamorous operation - it is, after all, classed as a dirty industry - but it provides a useful island service and a living for father, son and two employees, who have just been given notice.
In short, it is a grass-roots business that this island once did so much to support and encourage. And while no States department should be acting as estate agent for private individuals, government has a duty to zone land to support the enterprises that this community needs to have provided.
Commerce and Employment understands that but Environment, the successor to the unlamented Island Development Committee, does not.
Or rather, according to C&E, when there was a change at the top of Environment the climate altered and the department blocked moves to release more land for lifeblood industries.
There are two problems when departments or individuals play politics. The first, and most important, is that innocent people suffer. In this case, F&B Blasters. But there are many others like them whose story has yet to be told.
The second is that islanders look at government in the round and wonder why it does not perform better.
When things that should not happen, do and are allowed to remain in force, people shake their head and view the States with pity and resignation. Explanations along the lines that people or the media do not understand the role of the Policy Council and/or the chief minister do not wash.
When the inactivity of one department or individual starts to affect the livelihood of islanders, action has to be taken to right the wrong. Nothing less will do.
Yet the current political attitude is to shrug shoulders and say, ‘well, what can we do?’.
Until that is changed and chief minister and council act in such areas, disenchantment in government will worsen.
This article posted on April 11, 2008 at 12:00 pm, filed under Comment, News.
Act or the criticisms will mount
OUR story about a small industrial business that faces closure at the end of the month as part of the Leale’s Yard redevelopment highlights a recurrent theme from the last four years of this States: how problems are left hanging.
F&B Blasters might not be a particularly glamorous operation - it is, after all, classed as a dirty industry - but it provides a useful island service and a living for father, son and two employees, who have just been given notice.
In short, it is a grass-roots business that this island once did so much to support and encourage. And while no States department should be acting as estate agent for private individuals, government has a duty to zone land to support the enterprises that this community needs to have provided.
Commerce and Employment understands that but Environment, the successor to the unlamented Island Development Committee, does not.
Or rather, according to C&E, when there was a change at the top of Environment the climate altered and the department blocked moves to release more land for lifeblood industries.
There are two problems when departments or individuals play politics. The first, and most important, is that innocent people suffer. In this case, F&B Blasters. But there are many others like them whose story has yet to be told.
The second is that islanders look at government in the round and wonder why it does not perform better.
When things that should not happen, do and are allowed to remain in force, people shake their head and view the States with pity and resignation. Explanations along the lines that people or the media do not understand the role of the Policy Council and/or the chief minister do not wash.
When the inactivity of one department or individual starts to affect the livelihood of islanders, action has to be taken to right the wrong. Nothing less will do.
Yet the current political attitude is to shrug shoulders and say, ‘well, what can we do?’.
Until that is changed and chief minister and council act in such areas, disenchantment in government will worsen.
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