My personal philosophy is that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, as the old saying goes. And I think that’s generally true but every now and then I encounter a situation where the honey appears to be achieving very little, so it’s worth giving vinegar a go.
At the moment (and basically every day I’ve spent as local MP for this area, for that matter), the vexed issue of traffic congestion is front of mind.
My approach to the problem has tended to be more along the lines of honey than vinegar.
I’ve been asking questions to find out the extent of planned improvements, writing polite but pointed letters to government ministers and meeting officials – along with anyone else likely to be able to help – in an effort to solve these problems. My belief has been that by acting in a constructive, good faith way to engage decision makers with the problem, they’ll be more likely to make the decisions we need to solve it.
Having tried that diligently for over 3 years now, I’m rapidly reaching the conclusion that some “vinegar” in our advocacy efforts may have at least as much chance of success.
This is all a rather roundabout way of explaining that I’m in the process of arranging a rally or two to allow you, as residents in this area, to display your disappointment about the lack of transport infrastructure progress.
I should acknowledge in fairness that progress has been slow for many years(across the tenure of several governments) and I don’t think that anyone would deny that. It’s certainly the case, however, that in my time as local MP – when it comes to the timeframes involved for various transport improvements – there have been far more promises broken than kept by officialdom.
I’m inviting you and your family to join me soon at a “shovel-ready” event for this very reason, with details soon to be published on my Facebook page. Please search “Chris Penk” and follow me to find out more. The idea is to turn up with a shovel or spade and demonstrate just how ready we are for the long-awaited, much-needed roadworks to get underway!
It’s a serious problem, of course, but we’ll have some fun too. I’d love to see you there!
