Make sure your proposals hold water!

I attended a meeting at the local council recently.  A proposal had been put forward relating to school buses and a number of concerned parties were present to make their views known.  It was amazing how quickly the gathered throng managed to so clearly voice all their concerns about the risks which the proposal would present to a group of over 100 children and young people.  If I had been the man who put the paper together I'd have wanted to curl up in a little ball and hide in a corner - clearly ill thought out, badly prepared and with oh so many holes in it, this colander like proposal was systematically ripped to bits. 

First rule of presenting controversial ideas?  Make sure your arguments hold water!