#councils

[probablyasocialecologist]

Austerity has been biting since 2010, when George Osborne slashed the amount of money councils could receive from central government in one of his first acts as chancellor. Between 2010 and 2020, they lost more than 50% of their government grants in real terms. Six councils have already gone ‘bankrupt’ in the last two years while more than half of the rest say they could follow, meaning they could be taken over by Whitehall or replaced by new authorities.

[...]

Councils are responsible for 800 different services, including meeting Britain’s soaring demand for social care. They also run schools, public health, housing, planning and licensing. “Everyone thinks that councils [just] collect the bins and fix the roads,” said Revans. “We do so, so much more.” Most council services are mandatory, meaning they must legally be delivered. But others – including leisure centres, pest control, museums, and youth clubs – are discretionary, meaning councils can choose whether to offer them or not.

[...]

When David Cameron and Nick Clegg formed the coalition government in 2010, they declared that: “The time has come to disperse power more widely in Britain today.” A year later, the Localism Act became law, giving councils “the legal capacity to do anything that an individual can do”. In practice, that meant not a lot, because councils continue to be fiscally dependent on Westminster. London, for example, relies on strings-attached central government grants for 68.8% of its funding. New York, by comparison, only depends on central government for 26% of its budget, and Paris just 16.3%. Councils can also generate revenue from council tax and business rates, an equivalent tax on business premises. But the Localism Act prevents councils from raising council tax annually above a cap – which is currently 5% – set by the government.  Austerity, then, has seemingly overridden any attempt at decentralisation. Fourteen years ago, your council could do a lot more for you, especially if you were in a tight spot. But year after year, it has pared back what it offers to the point that some campaigners fear residents expect less in the first place.

[feckcops]

Private companies are stealing public parks

“For years now, entertainment mega-corporations have targeted cash-strapped councils as amenable, affordable hosts for their events. From Clapham Common to Glasgow Green, city-dwellers across the UK have become accustomed to basslines vibrating their windows, five-metre fences encircling their playgrounds, and security guards policing what are effectively their gardens.

“Yet as entertainment companies try to recuperate massive pandemic losses with aggressive multi-year deals, while the climate crisis renders urban summers increasingly unbearable, the privatisation of public parkland is becoming harder to swallow.

“In April, dozens of Haringey residents descended on FoFP’s biggest-ever meeting to vent their frustrations, while a recent petition demanding private companies keep their hands off Finsbury Park was signed by thousands ... For the most part, the work of groups like FoFP and FCC is polite engagement with the council to ensure the park is properly maintained. Yet as councils’ approach to major events has become more aggressive, so have the friends groups’.

“In 2016, FoFP took Haringey to court over its outdoor events policy. The group lost the case – though it did win an agreement from Haringey that the money made from the park would be spent on it. Haringey claims to have done this, though to FoFP, the numbers don’t quite add up: while in information obtained by Novara Media via an FoI request, the council claims it spent £871,626 on staffing Finsbury Park in 2020-21, many have questioned where the money is going: the park has had no park ranger since late October, no on-site manager since May. ‘If you’ve got this money […] you sure as hell didn’t spend it here,’ says Simon, pointing to the chipped paint of the bench on which she’s sitting.”

[syn4k]

would he fucking say that? let's investigate.

[eldrytchcryptid]

A shout-out to my Gen Zers cause no one taught me!!!

Make sure you look into your employers Trade Union!!! Eg: the UK's two main ones are called Unison and Unite the Union!!

I think it's called a Labor Union in the US, but I was specifically researching for the UK so it might be a bit different.

I'll add a good link I found on my searching at the bottom.

[epitome-the-burnkid-viii]

[creativemedianews]

'National scandal' as record number of children live in temporary housing

'National scandal' as record number of children live in temporary housing #Councils #funding #governmentaction

[valtsv]

guy who says "this is the worst day of my life" and then pulls out a spreadsheet ranking every day of their life so far to prove it

[adragonsfriend]

It's always "the Jedi failed at this," "Anakin should've done that," and never "Darth Sidious is so good at his job, he deserves to get Sith Lord of the month."

[sayruq]

The US, on 29 February, vetoed a UN Security Council (UNSC) statement that would have condemned Israel for the mass murder of over 100 Palestinian civilians who were awaiting the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza City. “We don’t have all the facts on the ground – that’s the problem,” US deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told reporters on Thursday. He then claimed there are “contradictory reports” about the Israeli army's latest massacre and highlighted that Washington was focused on finding “some language that everyone can agree on.” Thursday's veto is the fifth time Washington has blocked a UNSC statement or ceasefire resolution that would hold Israel accountable for the atrocities it has committed in Gaza.

[decaffynated]

Comic of this here.

[xkat-holstaur]

[maeamian]

Part of the reason that Republicans are so desperately acting like they will never lose again is because they are deeply terrified that this is their last real chance to win. The big orange dipshit came in and gutted the party of everyone who wasn't a loyalist, which left it full of nasty little gremlins who have gaping voids where charisma and human decency is supposed to go.

They still hold a lot of power, but if we stop them this year the next presidential election may not be the Most Important One Of Your Life™, that's not a guarantee or anything, but if they don't win here and now their future looks grim, this dipshit is the only guy they have left and he's extremely diminished and has his brains leaking out of his ears at this point. We can beat him into the ground.

So that's what we're gonna fucking do. We're gonna break these fucking fash. They will crash upon us and we're gonna break their fucking necks. When they come for us they will lose because they're fucking losers and we have each other's backs which is something they fundamentally are incapable of comprehending.

[avandelay20]

Proposed density reforms expose NIMBYs as racist

Those with influence—often white and privileged—shape policies and practices that adversely impact non-white immigrants and the Indigenous.

Communities of color, especially Indigenous Australians, suffer from discriminatory decisions that seek to preserve white majority culture on a council-by-council basis.

Hiding behind "Heritage listings" or NIMBY-ism to protect "the character" of a white-majority suburbs needs to end.

Those in opposition to COMMON SENSE density improvements near train and metro lines may not realise it, but their talking points are mostly racist dog-whistles.

News Corp, of course, has plenty of coverage of the NIMBYs and their pathetic battle cries:

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/politics/sydney-mayors-antidevelopment-protesters-hit-nsw-parliament-iagainst-increased-density/news-story/cd8d673206b2efda374d2b9cf814863e

Australia’s capital cities, especially Sydney, grapple with a complex web of real estate practices that shape urban landscapes. Three significant phenomena—redlining, community-led NIMBY-ism, and the strategic use of heritage listing—are interconnected and deeply rooted in racism.

Let’s explore how these practices intersect and perpetuate inequality.

Redlining

Historical Context: Redlining emerged in the late 1930s in the United States. Real estate professionals and public sector actors developed color-coded maps to assess areas’ “riskiness” for housing investment and mortgage lending. These maps explicitly relied on racist assumptions, blocking Black households and other communities of color from homeownership opportunities based on race, ethnicity, and religion1.

Australian Parallel: Australia experienced similar discriminatory practices. Although it wasn't called “redlining,” racially biased lending policies existed. Indigenous Australians and non-white immigrants faced barriers to homeownership due to discriminatory practices by banks and real estate agents.

Community-Led NIMBY-ism

NIMBY-ism (Not In My Backyard) refers to local opposition to new developments, often driven by existing residents. While NIMBY-ism can arise from various concerns, it sometimes masks underlying racism.

Racial Dimension: In Australia, NIMBY-ism disproportionately affects marginalized communities. When residents resist affordable housing projects or apartment buildings, they inadvertently perpetuate segregation. These actions reflect a fear of change and a desire to maintain the status quo, which often aligns with racial biases.

Heritage Listing as a Tool of Exclusion

Heritage Listing: Designating buildings or areas as “heritage” aims to preserve historical and cultural significance. However, this tool is increasingly used to block development.

Racial Implications: Heritage listing can reinforce racial disparities. In Sydney, for instance, heritage protection disproportionately favors affluent neighborhoods with European colonial history. Meanwhile, sites significant to Indigenous Australians or other non-European communities receive less attention. This selective preservation perpetuates racial inequality by excluding certain narratives from urban memory.

The Roots of Racism

Implicit Bias: These practices stem from implicit biases—unconscious prejudices that shape decision-making. Real estate professionals, policymakers, and residents may not overtly harbor racist beliefs, but their actions reflect systemic racism.

Power Dynamics: Racism in real estate operates within power structures. Those with influence—often white and privileged—shape policies and practices. Communities of color, especially Indigenous Australians, bear the brunt of discriminatory decisions.

Legacy: The ghosts of historical redlining and discriminatory practices continue to haunt our cities. The denial of housing opportunities based on race persists, albeit in subtler forms.

To dismantle racist tendencies (whether overt or implicit), we must acknowledge their historical roots and actively work toward equitable housing policies.

Australia deserves inclusive cities where everyone has a place to call home.

So do us all a favour and check yourself before you start banging on about "protecting the character of a (white-euro) suburb" or "preserving the (white-euro) history of a street / building / house".

[my-deer-legolas]

[rewuyuu]