Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to your comments in ‘This weeks rants’, page 11 of The Meaford Independent March 15 issue (The 3 Rs… Rants, Raves & Rumours).
“… so it is no surprise that current members of council aren’t willing to participate in a public debate about a topic that is likely to be an election campaign issue. In short, I think it’s too early for such a debate, and if those trying to organize it would consider waiting until after May 1 when candidates can file their nomination papers…”
I totally agree “that it is no surprise” that council members refuse to participate in any kind of debate. Please remember that this group passed a by-law forbidding disagreement of any kind by volunteer members of select committees. This is ‘the gag order council’. No council member or members have ever held ‘town hall debates’ as is common in other municipalities, and to the best of my knowledge, there has never been an open debate in any of our council meetings. Furthermore, anyone who dared to approach the council throne and ask a serious question was under the threat of the two minute bell! Fortunately, there will be one member of this council in the debate.
Why wait and delay the debate? Because it’s never too soon to investigate what may or may not be a major expense to taxpayers. Did the previous CAO seriously affect the thinking of council or was council as a whole so ill informed that they meekly accepted her decisions. Was it the person or the position? This debate is not about candidates’ slates, it is not about election platforms. It is about an informed educated public taking a position and making their position known. It should be the taxpayers who tell the politicians what we want, not the candidates and/or a CAO. These are the reasons why we are holding the debate at this time.
David Long, Meaford
