Letters / Still a long way to go
Dorothy O’Brien reckons she has upset me? (Elected to serve; SN, 30/11/14)
Upset? No, just puzzled that the most vociferous critics of the SIC savings strategy refuse to come up with constructive alternatives.
It is simply not good enough for her to imply that she has already thought of measures to reduce SIC spending, but will not follow them through since she is not a member of the council, or privy to the discussions of the finance department.
Details of council spending were presented at the series of public meetings, which addressed the serious financial difficulties facing the SIC.
Members of the public present were then asked to carefully consider the options; many constructive proposals were then put to council members and officials, and there are now hopeful signs that the outlying communities are having some impact on council policy as SIC endeavours to escape from the financial morass.
There is still a long way to go to ensure that the diminishing reserves are not entirely frittered away, and a continuing exchange of meaningful proposals between elected members and the communities they represent is essential.
In the meantime Dorothy can continue to skip happily along her Yellow Brick Road, but there will be no Wizard at the end: there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, no magic wand.
The current financial problems will only be solved if everyone, councillors and individual members of the community alike, are prepared to make their contribution.
Mike McDonnell
North-a-Voe
Yell
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