Local councils are hostile to large developers and think that, by doing this, they are standing up for the community. But they're wrong.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
A local company has more accountability.
Development in this county is always going to be an issue. Until development and zoning are handled on a regional basis, rather than each municipality left to its own devices, we will suffer from developers having the upper hand in suits and in front of zoning boards.
I suspect that many corporations have begun to understand that they have an important role to play in the lives of their communities, and that allocating funds to support local groups helps them discharge that function and also burnish their image.
When I visit local communities, people often complain that they need the approval of several dozen government departments to get something done or to start a business, and people are quite frustrated about this.
Large-scale public projects require the agreement of large numbers of people.
That's what mayors do. They lobby Congress to provide resources for their city.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.
You always have groups that want to come after the big bad developer. They don't want to see anything done. Don't disturb a blade of grass; just freeze the world in time. It validates them.
If there is 'right to buy' for council tenants and housing association properties, then why shouldn't that apply to all tenants? Some landlords are decent, very caring people, but some of them are truly appalling.
As a former mayor, I know that local governments must have control over land use decisions.