This week’s local news has revealed more local government events that give one cause to shake their head.
Local (tax paying) printers who might otherwise have made a little profit from a tax notice printing contract have unilaterally been denied that opportunity by local City bureaucrats who gave the printing contract to a Vancouver company (so much for keeping community dollars in the community). And, in order to ensure that these affronts can be perpetuated, councillor Mary Storry has presented a “stifle motion” to keep Mayor Jakeway from commenting further on the ineptitude and ineffectiveness of senior City managers and the attendant need to make changes - the very platform on which he was elected. And then, in a show of virtual solidarity (only councillor Ron Kerr voting against) council has supported a proposal by Dr. Charmaine Enns to provide free “crack-use kits” to local crack cocaine users in order to reduce their chances of inflicting personal harm from using sub-standard implements in the process of indulging in their illegal drug habit.
Joe citizen can now feel proud that his (increased) tax dollars are being used in part to subsidize illegal drug use and in the future his house/boat/car/business will be vandalized by “safe” crack users. Perhaps we should go one step further and eliminate drug-related crime altogether by providing “druggies” with their illegal drugs as well.
And of course City managers can now relax knowing that the likelihood of any further candid opinions from the likes of Mayor Jakeway are now greatly reduced as a result of councillor Storry’s brilliant motion against free speech. And local businesses can be proud that the contributions that they make to Campbell River through job creation and taxes are brushed off by City hall and work that they could otherwise be awarded is given to faceless companies in Vancouver and elsewhere.
It just keeps getting better doesn’t it?
M.J. (Marv) Everett, Retired
Campbell River