Budget Consultaion and Whitesands Plan

https://youtube.com/shorts/OoMYiZWenAg?si=0Y-f8FG0AweQY_W7

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Perplexity view of Tourism Tax Survey

Image
Perplexity These two Dumfries and Galloway Council visitor levy surveys — one for businesses and one for citizens — are presented as neutral research tools but reveal identifiable institutional bias in favour of legitimising and eventually implementing a visitor levy.1. Structural and Framing BiasesPresumptive Framing: The introductory text presumes that a visitor levy is potentially forthcoming and that discussion should focus on design and use of revenue, not whether it should exist. This creates framing bias, positioning the levy as a practical inevitability rather than an open policy question.Positive Value Language: Phrases such as “to ensure it benefits Dumfries & Galloway,” “improve services and facilities,” and “support and grow local festivals” predispose respondents to view the levy as socially beneficial. Such value-laden framing encourages agreement before any critical cost–benefit trade‑off is considered.Omission of Counterarguments: Neither questionnaire p...
Read more

OCTOBER LETTER TO LOCAL LEADERS

Image
Building a Future Beyond Depopulation A video report As autumn arrives, Dumfries and Galloway stands at a crossroads. While Scotland’s population is growing, ours continues to fall—raising national concern about the region’s risk of long-term decline. Few things illustrate the muddle of local politics more than the way two major decisions—the Whitesands project and the rejection of Galloway National Park—went through the “democratic” process, yet failed to deliver on value added or value for money. Capital, like water, continues to flow out of the county. Unless projects are rooted in long-term vision, they will not deliver the future our communities need. Political Engagement Over the Summer This summer saw heightened political activity. John Cooper MP campaigned for: Better access to local banking services Stronger rural digital inclusion Renewable energy innovation, including floating solar Welcome pinpointing of Hospitality with some whimsical descriptions, like tomato a fruit not ...
Read more