By Pepper Parr
December 4th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
A reader wrote:
Okay, here we go.
Now Meed Ward has a target on her back.
She didn’t give the elected Councillors a chance to speak?
My guess is that they begged her for more time so that they hone their skills as speakers.
But hey- that wouldn’t give newspapers a chance to shoot down a really wonderful new mayor who should be lauded for her intelligence, empathy and generosity of spirit.
How about giving her a break!!
Mayor Meed Ward does not want any breaks. She would be offended if you offered her any.
I didn’t hear the Justice who swore them in suggest we give them a break. I heard just the opposite. Justice Quinn said to the audience and to the new council. These people are going to hold you account. He didn’t say ‘Hold them accountable but give them a couple of weeks to get the feel of the job.’
In a couple of week this council will be going through the budget – and if I heard the Mayor correctly she wants to keep the tax increase well below the 4% we have seen for the past seven years.
These people have known from the get go that they have a big job in front of them. They all worked hard to get elected – they wanted the job.
No breaks. Burlington citizens did that in 2014 and look at what that council did for you?
What this writer has forgotten is that a democracy has the elected and the electors – and both have to do their work if a democracy is going to work.
The 2010 Council learned they could get away with a lot and several of them trampled all over delegators.
Your job dear reader is to hold their feet to the flames. No breaks.
Imagine if you did give them a break? That would perhaps encourage some of them to ask for “a little more time” and before you know it they are getting away with it.
You throw them in the deep end – they will learn to swim very quickly.
Council members getting ready to read their Declarations of Office. The Gazette didn’t hear them asking for a break.
EH:
Unsure where the negative comments are in this post? I am a supporter of MMW and I agree with the above comments by PP. I would suspect that MMW would also agree and expect nothing less. One of the reasons I voted for her and I too feel we are very lucky that she is our new Mayor.
Quit white washing all journalists (MMW use to be one).
But we should not put up with any politician who promises the world (here I speak of JT) and then just tries their best. As Yoda would say; “Do or do not. There is no trying”
cheers
Well, it was only as guess, as yours is only a guess. Actually your negative comments about Meed Ward were expected. Don’t most journalists love to attack the elected official. It certainly is true of Trudeau, without reason, I believe. He’s just a guy trying to do his best, as is Marianne Meed Ward. So I still say- ease up on her. I feel lucky we’ve got her. Very lucky.