May 2025 Views Letter

May 2025: A Triumph? Or a Masterclass in Mismanagement? 

Is inaction our dynamic future?

More Passive decisions but Active expectations.

After last month of seriousness I'm reverting to type! Just in time for our Councils political shape to implode before local elections.

Ah, what a glorious month for our beloved Dumfries & Galloway! The powers that be (been) have outdone themselves—brand damage to D&G (who needs thriving industries when you’ve got ideological purity, eh?), and a spectacular own-goal in the name of "progress."  

Tourism: No Parks, No Parking, No Problem! 

John Cooper’s dream of a "go-to destination, not a go-through destination" is coming true—because soon, there’ll be nothing to stop for. Who needs functional infrastructure when you’ve got vibes? Toilets? Car parks? Pfft. After all the Council can barely maintain the ones we’ve got.

And why bother attracting visitors when we can just tell them to imagine the natural beauty from afar?  

Next up:"Dumfries & Galloway—Now with 100% More DIY Spirit!"  

Yes, the secret to our delayed Levelling Up Funding? Self-sufficiency! Why wait for investment when an 80-year-old can grab a broom and tidy the town themselves? Meanwhile, Council employees are far too busy to promote their own engagement events (Community Safety) —apparently, posting 56 whole community visits on social media is just too taxing. Maybe next year we might get it outsourced to a primary school coding class.  

Fishing: A Battle of Wills (and Waving)

Our valiant fishermen, guardians of the Solway, now face their greatest challenge yet—demanding the right to wave at foreign boats from shore! "We shall never surrender!" (Unless, of course, it’s just one or two little boats slipping through. For old times’ sake.)  

The Future? Bold. Brash. Bureaucratic.  

With our local buses teetering on the edge, what’s next for our beloved industries?  

- Farming? Restrictions.  

- Forestry? Regulations.  

- Renewables? Red tape.  

But fear not! The AI Excuse Generator 3000 for passive responses is here to help:  

🔹 “It’s a retained/devolved issue." 

🔹 "Insufficient funding from Holyrood/Westminster."

🔹 "It’s an [insert party here] problem." 

Perhaps use your learned assets. Live the headlines, keep us in the black not the dark, express yourself by ploughing on not chewing the cud all the time. Best of all keep the heard’s interests in mind.

The Real Priorities?  

We could focus on:  

✅ Keeping better educated youth in the area (if only there were improved education and new, better paid jobs).  

✅ Investing in renewables, food processing, logistics (if only there were investment).  

✅ Protecting the 3 Fs—Forestry, Farming, Fishing (if only someone actually could).  

Active Expectations!

The Sound of Silence

“The most valuable resource of any organization is its people, and the least utilized resource is their collective ability to learn from each other” (Reg Revans).

Instead, we’ve got:  

🚑 NHS waiting times skyrocketing. Up this first quarter of 2025.  

🦷 NHS dental care now extinct.   

Active expectations!

“There can be no learning without action and no action without learning.” (Reg Revans)

So here’s to May 2025—a month of stellar governance! And fresh chaos for June to bring? Stay tuned. And maybe we can start a consultation to start drafting that Cremation-at-Home DIY Council PDF while we wait.  

Final thoughts.

It's of Neglect and Inactivity.

As I approached Cookoo Roundabout last week, I saw and heard an icon of our “place”. Two identical company lorries with trailers, loaded with newly gathered wood, hooted each other, one going west, the other way east. 

Do we truly understand our journey or purpose?

Dumfries and Galloway 

"Don’t stop here—it’s too beautiful to share!"

David Wood - Who received an upgraded pension of an extra 25p a week in May (and an extra 5p on my income tax as a result).