The Editor,
This is an open letter to Surrey MLA Jagrup Brar:
Sir, your silence is disgraceful. After three former mayors, a federal MP, a Liberal MLA from Surrey and three former Surrey Safe councillors add their voices calling for a referendum on Surrey’s policing transition, your absence as my representative after repeated entreaties is duly noted.
If, as councillor Laurie Guerra says, there are compelling reasons for the transition, where’s the harm in advocating for a referendum? If, after a proper cost/benefit analysis is done, the majority of citizens who bother to vote choose a municipal police force, then they have made an informed choice. So be it.
We have had nothing of the sort.
OUR VIEW: Surrey policing process hardly ‘world class’
Instead, we have had a mayor hire a consultant group who has designed survey questions that give the impression of overwhelming support for the mayor’s proposition. It was manipulative and dishonest at best.
The problem – let me spell it out for you – is it’s hard to believe there are many decent, truthful accountable politicians in positions of leadership out there after seeing things like this happen unquestioned by those who should protect us against such excesses.
There are far too many special interest groups and voting blocks that those at the top are beholden to. We deserve so much better.
SEE ALSO: Former Surrey mayor calls on province to intervene in Surrey policing ‘crisis’
I’m no fan of politicians in general. However, I’ve never been so angry as I am now at those in power for their total disregard for my concerns. I’ve written numerous times and, for the most part, had either automatic receipt-of-message responses or been condescended to with empty jargonspeak.
I have, however, had my concerns on various issues acknowledged by Brenda Locke and Linda Annis, Ken Hardie, Jack Hundial, Steven Pettigrew and Marvin Hunt. My thanks to them.
I am on a pension. I have children and grandchildren renting in the Lower Mainland because they can’t afford to buy in this market. McCallum would have us believe we can spend $130 million extra for a smaller police force than what the RCMP commissioner says is already an inadequate number of officers to police Surrey.
How’s that work?
If there is something wrong with the governance and accountability of the RCMP on the local level, fix that instead.
Mike Bildstein, Surrey
• • •
The Editor,
This is an open letter to Surrey MLA Garry Begg:
I am dismayed you have nothing to say about your Surrey’s situation with regards to emergency services.
As MLA for Surrey-Guildford, and considering your background, one might think you would have something to offer.
Your silence is deafening.
Peter Marshall Green, Surrey
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