Our blog yesterday led us to recall – that although Boston is often referred to as forgotten or neglected – we have, over time, enjoyed a considerable amount of financial largesse.
The problem is that we don’t seem to know how to spend the money wisely.
Back in   November 2009 the Department for Communities and Local Government awarded Boston Borough Council £53,000 under the Empty Shops Funding Grant Scheme to improve the look of the town centre.
That money was mostly wasted, and the only sign of it today is a shop devoted to helping people give up smoking – not exactly what was intended.
Then there was the £2 million Market Place refurbishment project – which has left us with an unattractive ocean of grey stone as far as the eye can see, on which pedestrians take their lives in their hands each time they try to cross it, and for which there seem to be no safety rules whatever.
Later this year work will start on a £600,000 replacement for St Botolph’s footbridge. A “consultation” on the best design generated a pathetic response – with only 137 questionnaires.
Conveniently, more than 80% of replies said the timescale for building the bridge was very important, which allowed Lincolnshire County Council to adopt an unsuitable design whose only merit is that it can conveniently be largely built off-site.
The result will be an unsympathetic construction that will be out of synch with the historic look of the area.
More money down the drain, then.
Yesterday, we heard of the first tottering steps being taken by the powers that be to get their sticky fingers into a £1 million pie that is supposed to be for the people of Boston  – and free from any interference by the  so-called great and good of the area.
And last week we were reminded of perhaps the most blatant waste of public funds for years – the Transported arts programme.
According to Boston Borough Council, which is a supporter of the scheme, “Art from Boston and South Holland will be seen from Sutterton to Spain, Holbeach to Holland, Benington to Belgium and Fleet to France as part of a travelling display set to clock up 125,000 miles a year.”
This “art” will involve “large-scale photographic commissions (big pictures to the likes of us) on vehicles that criss-cross Europe, will connect the local work force with the places and cultures the lorries travel to.”
But there’s more.
Boston and South Holland are among seven “areas of greatest need” that have been awarded funding to establish action research projects called Creative People and Places.
The investment will encourage long-term collaboration between local communities and arts organisations, museums, libraries and local authorities.
According to the jargon, it aims to “empower them to experiment with radically different approaches and develop inspiring, sustainable arts programmes that will engage audiences in those communities.”
It involves a consortium of representatives from artsNK, Lincs Artist Forum – which has the entirely appropriate acronym laf  –  and the usual suspects  ...  the South Lincolnshire Community Volunteer Service ... which between them want to  “take art of all forms out to the community and into often isolated rural areas where access can be limited.”
We’re sure that local villagers are waiting agog for this, and will have been for many years.
Amazingly, this project will run for three years and cost – a staggering £2.5 million in Arts Council funding.
In a nutshell – you give us the money – we’ll waste it.
It could be our new slogan.

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Our former blog is archived at: http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com