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Posted on 16-4-08 For A GAC
By Alan Marston, 14 April 2008
Submission To Royal Commission on Auckland Governance
Negatives
Poor political management of socio-economic conflicting interests and
their impacts on greater Auckland's Natural environment.
Specifically:
a. Dictatorship by the commercial `paradigm' which results in
b. Alienation of the majority of people from their community, city and
natural environment which has lead to
c. Disconnection of people from themselves, from their community and from
nature which has resulted in
d. A climate of me-first fear, disrespect, unhappiness and falling quality
of life for society and ecology
Positives
Crisis in democracy seen as an opportunity to involve more Aucklanders in
the better management of conflict in Greater Auckland.
By changing the decision-making processes to:
(i) Lower the bar and
(ii) Reduce the boundaries which
(iii) Lowers the cost and
(iv) Reduces the effort
Axioms
A1 People are social, we live in groups, make decisions about life in groups
A2 The commercial person is an individual, makes decisions about life
outside the group
A3 The majority of people have more weight in decisions than the minority,
the term for which is democracy
A4 Democracy favours people-as-group interests over individual-as-commerce
interests
A5 Conflict is unavoidable. Managed well conflict is the energy that
creates the wealth and joy of life, its net gain. Managed poorly conflict
fuels fear and violence, net loss.
Conclusions
A1+A2+A3+A4 = A5
Whether A5 is a negative net pain/loss or a positive net joy/gain depends
on the balance between commercial/individual and group/social
decision-making leaning toward or away from the democracy of group
decision-making.
Personal Disclosure of Bias
I prefer joy over pain, gain over loss.
Practical Recommendations
1. Delete political boundaries that dissect Greater Auckland creating
2. Integrative boundaries on the edges which will
3. Reduce to less than domineering the influence of private, individual,
commercial, non-democratic interests and promote democracy if
4. One over-all elected Greater Auckland Council (GAC) is made up of
5. Many smaller and local districts each with its
6. Greater Auckland Councilor and elected District Councilors and where
7. The GAC elects the `Mayor' from within its ranks.
Yours sincerely,
Alan Marston
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