Local government has talked about prevention for decades. We know the argument inside out and why it matters. Yet despite repeated attempts, the system still struggles to shift from reacting to demand towards reducing it.
The basic contradiction is well rehearsed. The public expects high quality services, delivered universally, but funded at levels that make crisis-driven intervention inevitable. Unless we change how and when the state supports people and places, demand will continue to outpace resources. Prevention is not an ideological choice; it is a practical necessity.
