Getting the right priority

Some of you will have heard me talk about the true value and purpose of money - a tool on loan from God to assist our life journey, to be used wisely and altruistically.  This applies to all money, including government money.  There is a double responsibility here, since governments are managing money given by or taken from us; it is not theirs.

This double responsibility often is forgotten or ignored, and we have, in whichever country we live, seen examples of mismanagement, misuse and waste, and sometimes clear corruption.

I was taken aback for a moment when I heard about a particular investment by the Welsh Assembly.  Not far from where I live is a village called Newbridge, set in the beautiful mid-Wales countryside.  It has an A road running through it, one section of which is narrow and requires a traffic light to filter the traffic, normally very light.  The Assembly has decided to widen the road to speed up the journey time.  It is costing nearly £40 million, is spoiling an area of great environmental value, and all to save 3 minutes driving time.

Wales is still one of the most deprived countries in the EU, with high levels of unemployment and the need to close many local schools and hospitals because they are unaffordable.  £40 million could have been put to good use in so many ways.  Interesting priorities...