Last updated 06:29, Friday, 02 May 2008

I AM CURRENTLY being proactive, which is not very unique but in terms of satisfaction, it makes me feel good.

To be honest, I was going to dedicate this column to saying positive things about Allerdale council, but I was hijacked by colleagues ranting about the unnecessary, stupid and dishonest things that people say.

I was given a list of words and phrases and the introduction to this column includes the most hated.

When did we start being “proactive”? Who decided we no longer just took action?

I think it started at the same time as we all became “pragmatic”.

Perhaps there were just not enough P words in the dictionary and we had to decide on some more.

Have you ever noticed how often the radio tells you that a road has been closed because of “an earlier accident.”

Is that opposed to it being closed because of the next accident that is going to happen?

Then there are the famous “architecturally designed, ongoing, multi-agency facilitated projects designed to enhance” - or designed to confuse!

Who are the “multi-agents”? When you read about a multi-agency approach, what does it mean to you?

Of course, you can’t have a multi-agency approach without a “facilitator” to “co-ordinate” it.

And if the project they are involved in is “ongoing”, what does it mean?

When did it start, when does it end and do we care about the bit in the middle?

My colleague says “very” should never be used. I think it can, for emphasis.

I can be angry about one thing and very angry about the next. But my colleague says there is no excuse for the use of this word - and as he is a sub editor with the computer equivalent of a red pen, so he has the final say!

What about a “qualified” nurse or doctor? Probably the adjective is superfluous, although, with cuts in NHS services, maybe it pays to inquire.

A very major issue, in my opinion, is the use of the word “major”.

If something is described as major it usually is not. The same is true of “special”. Nine times out of 10, we use the word when we don’t think something is very special at all.

And talking about not meaning what you say, how about: “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but . . .”?

English is a living language and I defend, to the death, its right to grow and to change.

But I don’t defend anyone’s right to use a load of buzz words that nobody even understands.

There was an advertisement in our paper this week about a business which offers “total capability, multi-discipline services.”

I can’t apply because I don’t know what the job is. And anyway, I’d have to update my CV which would only irritate my husband who remembers CVs when they were work records!

It’s all a load of rubbish, really. Oh, that reminds me what I was going to write about Allerdale council.

We complain about the council but I, living Flimby, was glad to be here when I read about the poor Copeland bloke who got fined for having a wheelie bin that was not completely closed.

Up and down the country people are raging about fortnightly rubbish collections and the trouble they are causing.

I think Allerdale’s approach has been excellent, even though there was plenty criticism at the time.

Our council retained weekly deliveries, reduced the size of our household rubbish wheelie bins and gave us paper bins and garden waste bins as well.

In our house we consciously recycle all our paper because it has been made so easy and we have also started paying far more attention to recycling plastics and glass.

When we had a large bin we filled it. Now we have a smaller bin we don’t need any more and our rubbish is collected weekly.

This multi-faceted, proactive approach has facilitated an optimistic outcome in Flimby, anyway.

Plainly speaking: Good on you Allerdale, you’ve done well!