THEN SEND IT TO COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW

So, Councillor Akers-Belcher is going to set up a committee to investigate the pothole situation in Hartlepool’s roads! Oh good, that problem’s solved then!

The Committee will need several months to complete its work and I couldn’t help thinking of an animated cartoon my children watched when they were young. Babar, King of the Elephants, wants to do something; unfortunately he is fighting bureaucracy which comes up with the classic delaying tactic, set up a Committee!

In the Words of King Babar’s Chancellor,

“We’ll set up a committee to discuss and interact.
Then authorise a study to investigate the facts.
Then summarise the data to find out what we have to do.

We’ll call in all the experts, to hear just what they say.
Get their general agreement and consensus today.
And then we’ll take a survey to get the public point of view.

Then we’ll circulate a memo to all the parties concerned.
Discussing all the options and note what we have learned.
Then submit the mater to a democratic, thorough debate.

It’ll be glorious, glorious, Glorious.
THEN SEND IT TO COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW”

A Committee substitutes talking about a problem for actually doing anything about it. Committees take up resources and cost huge amounts of money. A couple of blokes with shovels and a wheel barrow full of tarmac going round filling in potholes would be more cost effective than any number of committees. I've been trying for months to get some repairs done in an alley way on the Headland, but no luck.

If there is one thing Hartlepool doesn’t need it is more committees!