Wagga Wagga, Australia. This text may be downloaded for personal use, or stored electronically, as long as no charge is made for access.
Local government offers many disappointments.
Perhaps mot disappointing is the experience of local people who turn to their local council for support and the council says no. It may be saying no fora very good reasons, but when local people feel that their organisations should be trusted to do the right thing by then, and when they appeal to their largest local organisation but only receive apologies, then disappointment and even resentment can flourish. Country people have a particular interest in local government as an advocate for local interests especially in those areas which continue to suffer economic and social decline. Feelings of disappointment may, however, not be confined to local people. I have heard people speaking from state or federal government perspectives expressing disappointment in the unwillingness of local government to participate in both human service and environmental protection programs.