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Letter in tonights Edinburgh Evening News:
Direct action result of political failure
WHEN Councillor Cameron Rose says he has no sympathy for those who break the law of the land and that ".. such action loosens the very glue which holds our society together", isn't he doing what politicians like to do – focusing on the effect and ignore the cause (Letters, April 4)?
Isn't direct action, which can descend into violent or destructive conduct, simply borne out of political failure, politicians ignoring the interests of those whom they're supposedly elected to serve? And, isn't such action taken by those who are sick to death of the failure of politicians to represent their interests, rather than commercial and government vested interests, and who see no alternative for redress?
Cllr Rose must know that there are growing numbers of people who are now disenchanted with the political process.
The poor turnout of around 35 per cent for local government elections proves this.
Yet, despite this, unpopular government measures and extravagancies are forced on us with wild and false claims of public or majority "support", "will" or "agreement". Don't many now believe that rather than work to control unelected officialdom in the public interest, those elected just become part of the problem, furthering their own interests and becoming the servant of the "system" rather than its master on the public's behalf?
And that the political process just doesn't serve public interest, that it doesn't work, that it is long overdue for an overhaul?
Isn't direct action the consequent effect, the politicians and their failure to properly serve the public the cause?
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Tying it into what happens in the taxi trade - a further posting on the thread:
My letter today is aimed directly at Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the Regulatory Committee on City of Edinburgh Council.
I don't know what game he is playing, but it doesn't have any semblance of political accountability or even common sense or decency.
The latest wheeze of considering a licence application in a month when the council's own survey reported a (considerable) significant unmet demand for the month of December, the deferring the application for the next meeting, then refusing the licence because the next survey conveniently showed no unmet demand, negates every tenet of fair government imaginable.
Fast forwarding licence applications to suit the council's restriction policy is little more than political skulduggery, and shows that an SNP government behaves no differently from any other party's government style. All party's have shown that the unelected officials are calling the shots.
Restricting taxi numbers is about protecting government interests. And vested trade interests.
Workers, the drivers, well they're just canon fodder to be worked to death by operators with little control over their future.
Unless of course they are prepared to buy into the pyramid selling scheme that is paying £50,000 for a licence they can never own and the council insists has no value.
The taxi licence scam in Edinburgh positions taxi worker's rights even less than those endured by mill workers in the 19th century.
If alive today, wouldn't Charles Dickens be writing about our taxi trade, with Colin Keir cast as Mr Bumble?
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