Friday, April 27, 2007

Creationists and Evolutionists can't both be right, can they?


It's not often that I delve into the theological or even philosophical debate, but whilst this post is not really to do with religion, it might have some of those mystical qualities. Currently I believe we are experiencing an interesting period in our local political universe, where if we look deep enough, we maybe able to see how life itself comes about in some of our stranger political entities.


What I actually intend to discuss is how quangos, come about, now for those who don't know what a quango is, it's not a four-legged hopping marsupial, although that would be as useful, no a quango is actually a government financed organisation that acts autonomously . There are big quangos like the Foods standards Agency, and then there are little local ones, like 'East Kent partnership' and 'locate in Kent', and 'Turner contemporary' one thing these organisations have in common, is that the people who run them are appointed and not elected. Before I lose your interest entirely, you're paying for these organisations, but unlike your local council you have no control in the governance of them. So how do these organisations come about ?


An example creationism, right now we see Kent council creating Kent TV, having appointed a company to operate it, belatedly a governing board is being created by mysterious forces within Kent council to oversee it. As with most of these organisations it appears those running it, will be coming from the public sector.


Evolution appears to be an unlikely origin for such organisations, but if we look into the controversy surrounding, Margates Theatre Royal, despite the council suggesting this will remain independent, the council is appointing two new directors, paid for from public funds to the Margate Theatre Royal Trust, also controlling the funds to the trust and might well be involved, in further appointments to the trust. Surely Margate Theatre Royal Trust is evolving into a publically funded quango rather than a charitable trust. The local council maybe not in the driving seat, but it is providing the crew.


How quangos come about either being created or evolving is to some extent irrelevant as it is mysterious, the fact that they exist outside democratic control, and appear to be the playthings of government and local government is a scandal.

4 comments:

  1. Interesting point. We might also, concurrently, be witnessing the birth of another related phenomenon - the community centre as the answer to all those problem buildings the council can't think what to do with. Theatre Royal? Ummm, let's turn it into a community centre! Marks and Spencer? Errr... I know, a community centre! West Cliff Hall? Tricky... er... how about a community centre!

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  2. To be honest I think this post was a bit more rambling than my usual rant.

    Still the photograph of the was the most important part of this.

    I always thought pubs were community centres.

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