Re: Waiving public hearings an idea worth abandoning, Dec. 5 edition.
I applaud The Record's editorial. While elimination of red tape is welcomed, many on council lack the acumen and sound reasoning to understand that democratic process trumps self-aggrandizement at making changes that compromise public rights.
Earlier at a delegation, council remarked about many other municipal councils adopting bylaws that this council will not adopt, adding many municipalities do a lot of wrong things, implying what this council does is the only right way.
Similarly, Mayor Ted Adlem touts this foolish move to abandon public hearings on downtown projects, as the first of its kind in B.C., which tells any sane person something, doesn’t it?
Council has become dysfunctional, whether the mayor's outbursts to members of the public admonishing them “don’t make me angry,” through to bad behaviour dealing with both public and staff, it appears this is a council that has permitted its self-importance to overcome common-sense.
Thus, in part, The Record's editorial is right on but merely scratching the surface. The public is not only entitled to a public forum, but in fact, the public bring far more sane and rationale discussion into the debate than exuded by a council seemingly waffling in their own inability to deal reasonably with newfound power.
George F. Evens
Mission