In today’s language world we are taking more liberties and becoming lazier in our speaking and writing.
Where we once used full words with intent, we now use single letters or acronyms to convey the same message. Call it what you will. The words efficiency, laziness, stylish, fad and many others may explain the reasons for this change. In any case, we seem to abstract many words to a single letter. I wish to deal with one today, the “R” word.
In our present circumstance re: parkland development, there is one word that the current administration seems to avoid; to shun; be deathly afraid of; to be oblivious of, or not care about to meet their own self-serving, sycophantical vanities.
In the democratic world, we are taught to believe in the old adage of government by the people; for the people and of the people. This is a fairly simple tenet and has been for some time. However in our case, one of these components seems to have been intentionally forgotten, ignored, or otherwise massaged to fit the administrative structure of the day. That being said, I move on.
If you have guessed that the “R” word that I’m thinking of is “referendum,” you would be right on the money. Many of the decisions on parkland heretofore (in previous administrations) were predicated on referendums to give people an opportunity to understand and respond in a tried and true democratic way.
Presently, the current administration in its omnipotence, has made the idea of referendums almost null and void. Is this by oversight? Definitely not. Is this by not caring what the majority thinks or feels? Possibly. Is it because they can ignore it and choose to do so? Very possibly. However, from where most of the sentiment regarding referendum lies with the people, it would seem that the current administration is, in a face-saving mood, afraid of the outcome were the issues to go to referendum.
I believe that Shakespeare in Julius Caesar said it best. “Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once!”
If council stays on its present path of “giving away” public lands, “May the eggs of 1,000 omelets be on your faces.”
As your legacy, you may relish the thought of having your own chapter in Penticton’s Book of Legacies entitled “Faux Pas are Us!”
Ron Barillaro
Penticton
