Elected members are uninterested, uncaring and uninformed

Dear Richard, Chris and Bob

Elected members are uninterested, uncaring and uninformed

I would love you to join me in highlighting how democracy is failing and that we need to concentrate on trying to get the present people fired up, concerned and active.

We have also had new, very well staffed organisations: the WMCA, and Midlands Connect, that have arisen over the last few years.  This means the most enormous salary bill that we are all footing the bill for.  Extraordinary!

Climate ecocide and shortages of fossil fuels and other resources like critical minerals are continuing as we bow to the foolish cry for economic growth/greed to solve all our problems.  Thus, we have:

• About 100 Kms of West Midlands railway lines bulldozed and built on.
• Seven railway lines now destroyed in my own Dudley borough.
• Constant building, demolition and rebuilding with the numbers of tower cranes in double figures, I guess.
• When homes are built, they are still not being built to high energy efficient standards.  Not even passive solar heating, let alone active solar.
• Last decade, two councillors at the Cradley community forum when I tried to get them to understand that our very own Black Country Railway was being destroyed and broken up into three different rail modes, told me that that was something councillors did not cover and redirected me to talk to Transport for W Midlands!
• When I spoke to our very own dear Jules at our demo outside Wolverhampton Civic Centre, he did not know that 16 Summer Lane was the regional HQ of Transport and the WMCA (and Tram UK!).  But he was critical of what I was doing!
• Our top officials and our elected members and MPs declare climate emergencies but then do nothing, apart from business as usual to rack up all our problems.
• Since September 2001, we have had 'The Exchange' at Centenary Square being quite relaxed about their magnificent Grade 2 listed front doors being open throughout the day to let the warm air out and the cold air in.  A most colossal energy bill for them - the University of Brum, no less - and yet another example of climate ecocidal behaviour for a grim future.
• The UK's major, urban-rural-urban, 22 Kms cycle-walkway is a mudway over some of its length and unsatisfactory over its entire length when compared with the 20 miles of the Gryffe Cycle-Walkway, west of Glasgow.
• My own MP is not interested in anything, it seems and does not think anything is going wrong.  He is the epitomy of negligence, of acquiescence, of apathy and collusion with whatever the authorities want.

Never, ever by anyone, a spark of interest to check, challenge and question!