Consultation craziness.

Once upon a time…

and this, of course, is all just a fairy story. Or perhaps a nightmare. The choice is yours.

As I was saying, before I so rudely interrupted myself, once there was an inner-Adelaide  Council discussing the issue of a corner café’s bid for ratepayers’ aid to create an outdoor eatery just a few metres away from a busy main road. Wanting to gauge public opinion on the proposal, and the subsidiary issue of a donation of $25,ooo of public (ratepayers’) money to  the private venture, the aforesaid anonymous Council decided to conduct a very localised public consultation.

Lo and  behold,  the result was 12 “noes” and just four in support.

Confusion. Consternation in the pro-café camp.

Solution? Argue that no notice should be taken of the figures and the donation should proceed, as the  consultation result should be taken as being in favour of those who did not respond  and were therefore  conveniently assumed to be in the “yes” camp.. So the dozen who opposed the idea are over-ruled and the proposal gets the green light.

Monty Python come home. All is forgiven.

Maybe I am being just a leetle bit cynical. Partly because, while one pro-donationist  councillor  said that  footpath fodder would be a boost for local traders, the official spokesperson for the very  self-same traders’ organisation was actually listed amid the opposition dozen!!!

Work THAT one out.

Oh yes. And the final vote? Seven to three in favour of the project and the public’s enforced $25,000  benevolence.