Editor:
Re: Community Comment (Optimist, June 20)
Columnist Mike Schneider has been a vocal proponent of Bill 44 and the new Official Community Plan (regardless of the way it was adopted) and has defended mayor and council consistently that their hands have been tied.
Firstly, in my opinion, it’s false to state our OCP had not been updated since 1985 and imply it’s a reason for our city to not push back and advocate for our community.
Our OCP had many revisions and amendments over the years, but not the complete overhaul other cities have committed to. He certainly never calls out the negligence on the part of mayor and council for never being proactive and contributing to the problem at hand with their lack of planning for Delta.
Secondly, his view that citizens should essentially “be quiet and take it” because when push comes to shove, a provincial government can dictate our local policies, is telling.
When governments (local or otherwise) remove the democratic process, it should concern all of us, regardless of whether we directly benefit or not. If it’s something we agree with this time, what about when it isn’t? It’s an incredibly slippery slope.
His condescending and dismissive attitude towards those expressing real concerns and frustrations are disappointing but he reminds us that our provincial NDP leadership and choice to govern with autocracy versus democracy is a red flag.
Kristin Roberts
