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Sooke council’s fecklessness showing

Re: Sooke councillor cries foul over entrance way garbage (News , July 19)

Re: Sooke councillor cries foul over entrance way garbage (News, July 19)

It’s obvious what moving these rocks is about; removing the people who sit on them.

Coun. Brenda Parkinson’s notion, supported by Rick Kasper and Kevin Pearson, is heartless, useless, simplistic and elitist. I’ve seen consistently craven approaches to policy shown by some members of this council over the years, but this one’s a beauty.

The callousness of this motion really puts a point on what Mayor Maja Tait has had to deal with over her tenure and helps explain council’s fecklessness.

Targeting the least fortunate like this is common in politics. It’s lazy and cowardly, but shows “constituents” (voters) how much one “cares about the community.”

Caring about a community means facing challenges by addressing their root causes with empathy, intelligence, sincerity and understanding. Not by slapping a facade over uncomfortable realities in the pursuit of self interest.

You wanna solve the problem of garbage around our Welcome to Sooke sign? How about a garbage can? You wanna keep people from relieving themselves there? How about a Porta Potty? Since Parkinson is so focused on putting a public restroom in John Phillips Park, I’m surprised that idea didn’t pop into her head immediately.

I’d go a step further and put some seating there for these guys if it were up to me.

The people who spend their time there are well known members of our community. They deserve respect. The three councillors supporting this stupidity see these guys as something to be swept aside to appeal to those constituents of theirs who show up to vote.

Council is there to understand our community and make decisions that take everyone into account. Instead, people are constantly thrown under the bus by some members of this council and this time those people are the most vulnerable in our community. That’s what makes this story disgusting.

Lorien Arnold

Sooke