It’s that time of year again, when we get to wonder why Lou Bondi deserves to get a whopping fee – reportedly of €54,000 – for consultancy fees to the Malta Arts Council. We are assured by the ministry that he is “worth every penny” and that he is “crucial” for the organisation of the World Summit on Culture being organised by the Malta Arts Council.

The funny (not funny “ha ha”) thing is that nobody seems to know exactly what he does, how much time he spends doing it or what results his “consultancy” work provides. Suffice to say that the members of the committee organising the summit say that he has not attended any of their meetings.

Perhaps that is a good thing – there are only so many of Bondi’s Doors T-shirts and air guitar solos one can take before running screaming for the exit.

The fact remains that we have no way of assessing why Bondi is “worth it”. Is he worth it because of his professional expertise and experience? If so, how is he conveying it to the rest of the organising committee? By means of mental vibrations? And is his help so indispensable for the organisation of a summit? It’s not like others could not be organised without him.

It is so depressing to note that there are so many other areas where the money being lavished on Bondi could be put to much better use – live-in carers for old people, literacy initiatives for children, expensive medication, clean-ups and environmental projects to name a few. Yet the government chooses to reward Bondi for no discernible reason.

■ Last week we were treated to yet another interview by the developers of Townsquare. It was the third interview in nearly as many weeks, covering mostly the same ground. This time, Joe Gasan gave what was described as a “rare” interview (though a preceding interview was published only last June) about the unfairness of those he claims are tarnishing his name.

Residents have been bitten too many times and that is why they decry the continued onslaught on their quality of life – even if it is accompanied with a public relations blitz

Gasan takes umbrage at those who accuse him of being greedy, of being rich. He has a point. Being greedy is not illegal – otherwise our prisons would be busting at the seams. On the other hand, being greedy does not make one admirable, honourable or likeable.

Gasan laments the way he perceives his Townsquare tower is being singled out for particular opprobrium. If he was a football player he would be Balotelli stripping off his T-shirt to reveal a plaintive “Why always me?” logo printed on his vest.

I’m not sure about the singling out. Rather the opposite I’d say. There have been protests and cries of concern about many other projects. This is the first time that I can recall of a Gasan name being in the news for the wrong reasons (other than the unforgettable plane jaunt to watch Arsenal with the minister who could potentially be influenced by the freebie).

The Townsquare tower has attracted attention because it is roughly twice as high as any other high-rise building, looming over the skyline in a heavily congested area. There is no way that it is going to improve things.

But the main reason that the public has reacted in the way it has is because people no longer fall for the carefully curated spin sent their way. People rely on their past experiences and see through much of what is being said.

For example, the “open space” myth has been debunked. Developers make much of the fact that high-rise buildings will be surrounded by open space. This is a legal requirement and not a sign of developers’ largesse.

However, “open space” does not equate to green space or even one large space. It could consist in fragmented areas of space, paved over and crowded with street furniture for further selling points. Is this open? Well it is, in the sense that it’s not roofed over and people can get in to buy more stuff. But that is as far as it goes.

Unfortunately, experience has shown that the gloriously rendered photomontages of projected landscapes hardly ever translate to the resuItant reality. The whole open-space experience spun by developers at application stage invariably ends up with the public jostling across sterile paving punctuated by trees which look more like spears of broccoli than anything else.

There’s always the fact that one can sip over-priced cappuccino in the pit-like shadows at the base of high-rise towers, but it’s hardly the uplifting and progressive experience promised. Of course, there may be many noises made about strict adherence to conditions and regulations, but we all know that this is a useful fiction utilised to ram through the most environmentally deleterious and socially-unfriendly building permits. Enforcement is practically inexistent at all levels.

As the saying goes “Once bitten, twice shy”. Residents have been bitten too many times and that is why they decry the continued onslaught on their quality of life – even if it is accompanied with a public relations blitz.

drcbonello@gmail.com