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Councils get a lot of stick in the Daily Mail, they are often on the receiving end of diatribes over being 'elf 'n' safety killjoys' whilst at the same time they are blamed if an accident does occur for the lack of health and safety measures. Likewise, any keen gardener that works on council land without permission is painted as a martyr - a victim on tyrannical local government. Interesting that the vast majority of councils are Tory run - luckily most Mail readers think that the Labour government can still be blamed in most cases just because they happen to be in government.
Today's story of nasty councils picking on a poor gardener who wanted to simply 'spruce things up' gets the Mail readers up in arms against the council involved, but fails to see that the council was actually acting on behalf of complaints from residents, which is surely a good thing? The Mail headline certainly makes it clear that they're on the side of the gardener and that this is another 'PC-gone-mad-what-is-this-county-coming-to' story: 'Gardener who spruced up council car park for free faces legal action for criminal damage'. The headline certainly generates the right kind of response from readers:
what is happening to this country? has every one gone mad? give this lady a medal .not threaten her in the way they have.if every one took pride in the area they lived in, it would be a nicer place,
- jp, wales uk, 24/6/2009 19:52
Again, if Daily Mail readers could actually get to the bottom of an article they might not be quite so quick to illiterately condemn the council:
A spokesman insisted the council backed residents who wanted to spruce up the public areas around them but added: 'This is done in partnership with ourselves to ensure appropriate plants and maintenance.'
He said: 'In this particular case no agreement was sought to carry out the works. Several complaints from residents have been received concerning the planting.'
However, his comments suggest the council's approach might not be as draconian as the letter to Mrs Bailey had threatened.
'A council horticulturist has been asked to look at the suitability of the planting,' he said.
So, another case of the Daily Mail Reporter using a misleading headline to generate a large quantity of frothing responses from readers to lazy to make it to the bottom of the article. I wonder if Daily Mail readers would be pleased if residents in their area started messing around with council land - which as the council suggested, leads to the presumption that certain residents own land that belongs to the council. As the council make clear, they have a scheme whereby volunteers can help out with land maintenance, but it has to be agreed.
Still, as the Daily Mail Reporter constantly proves, as long as the headline is nicely misleading why worry about the details? |
Yes, local authorities have work to do, and they have to enforce legislation etc. But some of it is just downright petty mindeeness. Ever since our wonderfully useless and spineless Labour Government ahve granted various additional legal powers to local councils etc. These same local councils have made damned sure they use them. Like any School Yard Bully, they will take advantage of this for as long as it lasts.
Of course, the 'Catch all' is 'Elf n Safety'. Which I'm not saying is not important - but for goodness sake, why don't they use their God given intelligence (Oops, I can't say 'God', as that might...'Upset Somebody!!)
Please somebody, let there be Enlightenment and Common Sense decend on our Town Hall Jobsworth. (Won't happen because planning permission would need to be applied for, and the 'Elf & Safety' Goblins will be in there as well).
Oh, I am soooo cynical ain't I.