Nezinu gan, vai visus vadošos politiski ekonomiskos procesus kopš aptuveni XX gs. vidus var saukt par "pie-in-the-sky bullshit fantāzijām". Local decision making ever really matters only to the, well, locals. If that's the kind of thing you're invested in then good for you but I think that it's merely prudent to realise that both the proverbial village and the public opinion in general tends to be downstream, not upstream of power.