Re: Independent councillors don’t lack integrity, Mission Record. Dear Editor. The online posting phenomenon has spawned a massive number of venues for the general public to express views. Many, maybe even most, do so with an interest and knowledge of topic, many are respectful and ensure info is factual. It follows, some will use to make political expressions, pro or con about candidates in elections. Probably most are one word or one-liner comments following string, like answering a question posed, with a yes or no and brief comment. Others, most obvious, try to bully. Trolls emerge and often things go somewhat off the rails.
Sadly, when some assume and then proceed to remark from a non-evident or fact-based position they simply show disrespect. When corrected, the honourable person will respond, ‘I stand corrected’ or apologize for misstatement or inconvenience their remarks may have caused. Sadly this person is in the few-and-far-between category.
Often those of the troll nature or biased partisan political persuasion, can only launch personal attacks, lack the acumen to debate or communicate intelligently. One recent example – your remarks and those of Mike Scudder accordingly, near totally irrational and unable to understand, he ends his tirade with further illiterate bafflegab but of a perceived threatening or inciteful manner “Anyone still with me on this?”, and then your equally mundane reply, “Great impression Mike, I’m still with you.” Now really; do you actually believe the public understand a word you uttered in such silliness?
Clearly a bias favouring Randy Hawes or Jim Hinds seems to exist. No problem – your decision and an abundance of self-aggrandizement prevails. You clearly indicate a dislike for CRMG but it is unclear if you are addressing the incumbent mayor and one or two councillors or all seven? The public cannot take you serious and thus only at face value being a partisan supporter.
Arrogant behaviour and failure to listen to others was a hallmark of previous council and apparently, yourself and thus, it took a slate organized by Randy Hawes and others to throw the dysfunctional council out of office and they did. Sadly, some CRMG Council were unable to continue in a professional manner and, lo and behold, we witnessed an unprecedented lack of confidence vote by four, in the mayor. Some allegations of staff morale problems were largely unfounded but in part correct. Since their defeat a few councillors seem to have been in continual denial and cannot accept their defeat, thus repeatedly revisiting and exuding their perceived anger at any opponents, as just witnessed from Mr. Scudder.
Some try to insult the voting public’s intelligence by concocting false assumptions, as you just did, while others just get on with their lives. Clearly trying to debate issues with you is largely futile just as when at work, you and the council of your day always knew best and fortunately you quit and council was turfed out. While CRMG initially brought new life and some of their initiatives are bearing fruit and need further cultivation and development work, they imploded, mostly at their own hands and this is a shame.
Now, we find you trying to rewrite history, others expressing their anger in different ways, some are trying to get a retread mayor/MLA back into office under some false guise of ‘riding his white horse in’ to replace his former worshiper, having his ‘hero’ designation expire, and a few long time friends of Mr. Hawes shooting their volley of blanks out into the voting public hoping to convince the fickle voter to go back into the past.
There is an array of good councillor candidates and at least one mayoralty candidate that can meet muster and fulfill the needs of Mission’s future. Frankly, in the best interests of all citizens, we need to ensure a higher voter turnout, let’s say from current 30% to maybe 35-40%, if we can get all concerned to go to the polls for 15 minutes on voting day? Lastly, all the uninformed, biased and often senseless insults posted on social media toward politicians any individuals may dislike are similarly insulting informed voters’ minds and need to be dismissed for the meaningless folly they represent.
George F. Evens