Quote:
Originally Posted by bogtrotter
We have recently had the sad news that several major retailers are moving out of town - including Marks and Spencers, Homebase and Morrisons. I constantly here people saying that the town centre is run down and in decline. True - maybe it has seen better times but one thing the area has goy is a proud heritage and great people. I sometimes think we are too quick to put our town down. We have some great buildings and great country side and many green spaces are being made more accessible to the general public. We are also a multiracial community which, on the whole gets on well and shows a lot of mutual respect.
So lets try and look at some of the positives and try and reduce some of the negatives and maybe we can help take out great town forward.  |
I think, in general, you are right. I can't speak to Hyndburn's situation in particular as I don't live there. Never did. I'm from Clayton, bottom end.
There are positives in every community ... ok, most communities ... Damascus isn't doing all that well. And it is a good strategy to work to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative ... wait! I feel a song coming on.
I also like to believe that most municipal politicians do attempt to do the best for their communities. One might not agree with them, but I don't see them as folks who work long, hard hours merely to screw things up.
I don't subscribe to the "Field of Dreams" strategy ... build it; and they will come. One has to work first with the folks who are already there. And if the inhabitants of Hyndburn don't actively support and participate in their own community, nothing ... or "nowt" ... will improve.
In Kingston, we have idiots who complain about the slow pace of snow removal (it's actually pretty damn good; throughout the worst February in recorded history, things slowed from time to time, but never shut down). These same clowns are the ones who complain about tax increases so that Public Works can invest in snow plows.
As Pogo said: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."