The fireworks ban case is coming back like a boomerang.
This time, the Krakow authorities conduct a public consultation on their use. It is glorious for politicians to learn about citizens' opinions. But will this consultation truly be a learning experience of the people? And should Krakow ban fireworks or make money from them? – asks on his blog on the portal Salon24.pl Bogusław Mazur.
In a survey, the Krakow office asks about the attitude towards different types of fireworks
In January, president Aleksander Miszalski announced a public consultation on restrictions on the firing of fireworks in the city. In a survey available to residents, the Krakow office asks about the attitude to different types of fireworks, the anticipation of time limitations and spatial application, and preferences for alternate shows specified as alleged silent fireworks, light shows or lasers.
President Misztalski stated that the residents themselves will decide the future of fireworks in Krakow. It follows that the results of the consultation will be considered almost binding by the authorities. Is that right? Doubts are twofold.
What does professional public opinion investigation say?
The consultations conducted by the Krakow authorities, including a survey for residents, have been the reason for conducting a professional opinion survey on fireworks in fresh days. The investigation of Ariadne's National investigation Panel shows that most of the inhabitants do not imagine that there would be no fireworks in Krakow. Only 37 percent of the respondents from Małopolska are in favour of their full ban. Among the remaining 15 percent, there is no request for additional prohibitions or restrictions. On the another hand, almost half of respondents – 49% believe that fireworks should be banned only at a certain time and in indicated places.
The same distribution of opinions as in Małopolska is throughout the country. In general, it follows that Poles are supporters of fireworks. A survey of the National Ariadne Panel, carried out in fresh years on a population typical example of over 1,000 people (N=1064) over the age of 18, indicates that as many as 65% of respondents utilized pyrotechnics or participated in an event involving them. 51 percent of Poles do not support the full ban on fireworks and firecrackers, while 10% have no opinion on this issue. Moreover, studies show that, among pet owners, opponents of pyrotechnics are besides a clear minority. As many as 50% of surveyed animal owners argue the complete ban on pyrotechnics. In the Kantar study, as much as 85 percent of the respondents asked whether he liked fireworks shows answered yes.
Is consultation the voice of the people?
No, public consultation is not the voice of the people. The practice shows that mostly curious organisations participate in the consultation. In the Kraków case animal and ecological, plus any part of the owners of dogs and cats, plus those seeking the future election support of politicians. On the another hand, a fistful of tiny Polish owners of companies from the pyrotechnic sector may participate. Opponents of the ban will not make an organization or their own movement specified as “Yes for fireworks”. True, in times of social media, this movement can theoretically be arranged quickly, but realistically, the chances are not great.
Consultation as a pad or a plane
This is simply a broader issue than only the Krakow case of consultation. Experience shows that if public consultation comes to the thought of power, it is willingly utilized as a manifestation of the will of society, or a pad for the desired decision. What's called democracy, though it's its crooked mirror.
However, if the results of the consultation are not the way politicians thought, the paper on which the results were printed makes a plane, which sends the flight to the basket with a neat move. As with the 2012 consultation on raising the retirement age. The improvement was opposed by trade unions and the majority of social organisations and, by far, public opinion, which was investigated by CBOS and TNS OBOP, among others. Employers' organisations followed the reform. How the consultation was done with a paper plane, how it was affected at the elections, and who then caied that "upping the retirement age on a coercion basis was a mistake", I think everyone remembers.
Short and extended terms
According to the Kraków Magistrate, due to the large interest of residents in the fireworks survey, the city president decided to extend the consultation until 29 August this year. What does much interest mean? As Radio Kraków reported on 14 August, so far more than 3 1000 people have completed the survey on fireworks in Krakow. The question arises: if in the conditions of Krakow, in which 809,000 inhabitants live, these 3,000 people show a large interest, why prolong consultations? If it were 200 people, would it be a decision to end them? Or should they be extended?
We have a problem with the dates of consultations for a long time and not only in Krakow. In accordance with the applicable rules (e.g. at the Ministry of Digital Affairs), the standard duration of the consultation is at least 21 days, in order to supply adequate time to familiarise the inhabitants with the task and to submit comments. However, in the case of ‘routine’ or exceptionally urgent documents, abbreviated mode may be allowed, but provided that it lasts not little than 7 days. What is regular or highly urgent, officials decide. And it is not a secret that there are situations in which to express opinions in a complex case this or this ministry sets a time limit of 7 days, sometimes including holidays.
7 days to measure 2 taxation documents
For example, in April the Ministry of Finance published draft 2 regulations on transfer pricing documentation for PIT and CIT. The deadline for legal and economical analysis of projects and the effects of the proposed changes was 7 days. Like the draft amendment of the Act on the National Institute of Freedom of March 2022. A list of 206 organisations to which the request was addressed is annexed to the flagship letter. The letter states that comments should be made within 7 days of receipt of the letter. The letter concludes that ‘the failure to present the position within the above time limit shall be deemed to have been rejected’. Bingo!
All these procedures and practices require that the results of the consultation be treated with at least large care. This caution should besides apply to politicians. due to the fact that you can gain support from comparatively few, and in return lose support from the majority, as with the effort to increase the retirement age.
How about a Krakow fireworks festival?
Krakow's consulting past shows at the same time a unusual thought about making money and gaining support. The city encourages residents to pride on limiting fireworks shows. Yet they may be a gold vein. Kraków, Warsaw or Gdańsk are tourist cities, as if created for large outdoor events. Which, like all tourism, generates large gross to the city's cash registry and tens of hotels, hotels, shops, restaurants, stands, monuments, museums and galleries. Yes, tourist traffic and outdoor events can be a nuisance, but no 1 with a healthy head prohibits them, that is, he does not quit money.
Instead of prideing on the ban on fireworks, the authorities of a city like Kraków could make a 180 degree return and organize a big, specified on a global scale, fireworks show. With the aid of Polish companies. For example, Surex has won many awards at global festivals in Austria, Belgium, China, France, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Korea, Portugal and Spain. Specialists from SuperPower have returned in fresh years with awards of global festivals specified as Croatia, Germany or France. Nakaja Art participated in the festival in Mexico, which attracted over 100,000 viewers from around the world. Generating money for the general needs usually means expanding the support of the general for those who make it.
Don't bury your talent due to the fact that it ends badly.
So we have the organizational and expert possible to make a competitive global event. Instead, we'll blow up the ban problem. This is simply a bit like the fresh issue of Polish experts on artificial intelligence who do not find a place to make their talents in the country, so they usage invitations from Western large Tech. It's a bit like an evangelical parable of talents – they can be multiplied or buried. The informing is that, as St. Matthew wrote, an unusable servant who buried money alternatively of multiplying it, was to be thrown out in the dark, where he could be heard crying and gnashing his teeth.
