Recently I saw in our local paper, a very public airing of issues between our local mayor and three incumbent city councilors.
Now, normally I don’t give much credence to any level of politics, as I find it to be an exercise in self -aggrandizement with various political pundits achieving heights of bullshit that leave one stunned into silence.
Having said that, my reading of the local mayor/councilor fiasco, boondoggle, what-have-you, leaves me less than impressed with the behaviour of so-called “mature” adults.
At heart of this set-to, is a request from the mayor to extend a previously agreed to, and approved, visit to Ottawa by one week so that he could meet with various federal officials and perhaps raise the profile of our “wee burg” on the national stage. The aforementioned councilors have taken it upon themselves to offer reasons that our mayor is not qualified to go that border on the spurious, imbecilic, and petulant.
Even though our municipal elections are a scant eight months away, the political manoeuvering has already begun. It is a shame that these councilors cannot see what most other people see: they have always kept our new mayor on the outside of their little clique; voted down most initiatives put forth by our new mayor; and generally put up roadblock after roadblock to ensure that our “wee burg” never moves forward in a way that would allow our young people to secure well paying jobs to buy homes, raise families, and most importantly, contribute to the tax base.
Sometimes I am left to wonder what exactly is the reason to shun all potential progress in this small town? Worried that a little competition, that knows a thing or two about real customer service, might drive personal businesses out?
Whatever the reason, I am glad to see that many local people have spoken out, and are speaking out against this childish behaviour. The mayor and council would do well to remember that the current mayor was elected by the people to do a job that obviously was not being done by the previous mayor; as well, the councilors are elected to represent the people, not their own personal feelings and agendas.
This coming November hopefully should decide who gets to play in the sandbox, and who gets to stand in the corner in “time out”.