The Manure Mayor Lacks Leadership

By Mike Archer. Ever since Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman took full responsibility for the Abbotsford Chicken Manure Homeless Incident he has done nothing but defend City staff and act as though this were some sort of sorority prank.

Guys will be guys. What’cha gonna do?

Now he has weighed in on the Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) proposal for a Supportive Housing Shelter for the homeless men which the Salvation Army won’t help by suggesting that ACS and the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association (ADBA) get together to hash out their differences.

BaDaBin BaDaBoom. Eeeeeyyy!

“It would make council’s decision a lot easier,” he told the Abbotsford Times at the ACS open house held Thursday, July 25th.

“I think Abbotsford Community Services and the ADBA and residents need to get together in one room and talk about their positions and come to a compromise,” Banman told The Times.

Actually Bruce, we created just such a room and called it council chambers and we elected representatives called politicians who would meet regularly to hash things out. It’s called your job.

What exactly does The Manure Mayor think political leadership is? Apparently it involves having everybody work out their issues beforehand so that politicians can stay popular with everybody concerned and not have to make any tough decisions.

Smile; don’t say anything; send the newspaper your strong position on air; take full responsibility for everything; make a speech about the dire need for leadership in modern society; and then … do nothing.

The Chicken Manure Mayor is fiddling away while Rome burns. He simply has no idea that his inaction has allowed Chicken Manure to define his City.

He let it happen, he defended those who did it, and he just wishes he and his council didn’t have to make a decision about the ACS’s proposal.

It is a sad, shameful and sorry example he is setting. If ever a city was crying out for leadership, Abbotsford is doing so now.

Mark my words. Leadership will not come from Banman, his council or any other Abbotsford politicians. Unfortunately, I predict it will have to come from the courts which will force our community leaders to obey the law and act with a modicum of decency towards their fellow human beings.

Hiding behind the statistic that places Abbotsford at the top for private tax-deductible donations belies the fact that most of that probably goes overseas. Nor does it change the fact that we treat our own poor and destitute people with a disgusting lack of decency.

Pastor Ward Draper, in a column earlier this week, described the current situation in Abbotsford best:

“Nearly all channels of dialogue are exhausted and steps must be taken towards a fresh course of action; some of these steps being lawsuits and Human rights complaints. It is our hope that these actions will make our City realize the seriousness of the situations that are breathing down our necks.

“The vile, disrespectful, and inhumane actions and inactions from our City must be called to account. It is time to remind our City leaders that they work for us, and that means all residents of Abbotsford. No human, regardless of lifestyle, mental health issues, addiction, or economic position is to be denied the right to dignity, respect, justice, or care. We have tried for years to come to agreement and action and our city has failed horribly to adequately address this real human rights crisis.”

That such a thing should have to be said to a community while its politicians stand on the sidelines is a testament to just how badly this city is broken.

As George Peary would say, “See you in court.”