I am writing this letter to shed some light on a story that’s overlooked and under told; a story that few like to hear, but unless it’s brought to our attention over and over no one will ever champion the fix.
I became a municipal councillor in 2008 because I thought I could make a difference and bring fairness and honesty to city hall. I worked hard and I fought the only way I knew, but that was not enough and I failed.
People do not only feel powerless to get a fair shake at city hall, they are powerless and the conditions are getting prescriptively worse as new rules to blame these conditions on dissident citizens are adopted. Eventually, there will be little a person can do as more rules will erode the democratic condition we think exists in our community.
Some senior officials regularly skirt the rules and take advantage of their power. These people seem to flow through like a revolving door and is evident in the many questionable departures of the past.
I am less likely to make a difference anymore, but maybe I can inspire someone to have the political will for some fair treatment of citizens.
Herb Haldane
Sooke