Democracy, as we saw with bus franchising, involves a 500 pages report for senior councillors to read in an effort to understand the arguments. The public had the opportunity to read in the papers and online all about the bus consultation process. This is not democracy.
Who decided to start the whole expensive process, anyway?
Democracy is a rubber stamping exercise by volunteers becoming councillors who usually have full-time jobs which makes it difficult for them familiarise themselves with all the details of the lengthy reports that are placed in front of them by expert, professional officers.
They usually take the officers recommendations because it is so difficult to challenge, question and so, perhaps they feel, to be an irritant in the experts eyes.
With many matters there are no for and against statements which invites a debate and then voting.
Hence, wrong, foolish decisions are sometimes made.
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