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Letters: Defending the chamber

Controversy and name calling is nothing new in Sooke council chambers

Frederique Philip is a person to be respected, not just given lip service to.  It doesn’t work. Members of council must be prepared to hear and accept harsh dialogue. Talk all you want yet be prepared to listen as well.  And, not just to the people who you like and who like you.

Frederique announced herself as speaking personally for herself to council. I understand she reacted to a statement by saying “You’re lying,” at council. I have personally heard far more intense degradations from Councillor Kasper and Councillor Haldane, whose recent letter of “…the Chamber you need… to work on your presentation. As you can see, I’m working on my own delivery.” Coun. Haldane this statement actually was quite decent.

I do hope that new is always respected. Things do not have to be known to be respected.

This council’s version of settling in, is far more intense than what I feel is currently considered standard municipal governmental phasing in.  So… Intense gives, Intense gets.

Kari Osselton is doing more in an organized manner than would normally happen with just volunteers. I say this as a dedicated volunteer and a member of the chamber. You can only see what she does and the true direction of our chamber by looking at it up close, not third party. Chambers of Commerce and municipalities are connected internationally. Councillors, please support us and attend our meetings, as do councillors in many towns and ridings elsewhere. Public money is absolutely relative to commercial activities and comes from these activities.

I do not see clubs like the Sooke Rotary and the Sooke Lions involving themselves in the way you mention relative to any commercial profit-based societal enterprises, even though the chamber itself is non-profit.

And a final observation about fiscal clarity and transparency: Please note that grants in our community derive in large part from money that people spend at the View Royal Casino, not taxes collected in Sooke. It’s an important distinction that might help people like Mr. Anderson sleep more comfortably at night.

Sifu Koshin

Moonfist

Sooke