I know I’m late with these comments but I want to toss them out there anyway. It’s about the “improvements” to the downtown area, most notably, the removal of the trees along with whatever else is being done to “enhance” downtown.
What I want to know is why we, the people, weren’t asked what we would like done in this matter? It is, after all, our town. We pay the bills, we should get to say. After all, city hall is supposed to be working for us, so why weren’t we asked?
Surely it wouldn’t have taken that much. A notice in the paper, an address where we could drop off a letter or an e-mail and one or two people to read through them and keep the best, most articulate letters, then perhaps a casual voter‘s terminal.
On such a small matter, surely there could be a place where we could place our vote. It’s not a national matter here but it is a local matter. Trees take a great deal of time to mature in order to give us the shade and beauty that we need and love, not to mention, improving the quality of the air we breathe.
City hall’s excuse for murdering the trees was, “they would have been in the middle of the sidewalk.”
Well, golly gee, it is possible to side-step a tree. It isn’t as though they were in the habit of reaching out and strangling us as we trot along and if we’re so dim that we can’t see a tree in front of us, we deserve to walk (or drive, as the case might be) right into it.
It’s too late for those trees, but it isn’t too late for others that might stand in the way of “progress.” Next time, city hall, remember whose town it really is. You are supposed to be representing and serving the people, not assuming you know best.
Here’s another little item to go with the above. I took note of the high cost of these improvements that have been placed upon us, along with a hike in our parking fees. Sure, it’s not a huge hike but it’s an annoying hike, considering that we may not have really needed these “improvements”.
Again, ask us. Maybe we’d have out-voted your experts and kept both the trees and our money, at least for another little while.
We don’t always have to roll over and play dead for those in favour of the policy of “new is always better.”
Sometimes, things only need a bit of repair and a brush up, maybe a fresh coat of paint. We are in a recession, folks, as if you haven’t noticed, with no improvement in sight, according to Ottawa. Ever heard of keeping to a budget or even, astounding thought, saving a bit of whatever the city may have stashed in its coffers?
It’s good housekeeping, therefore, that bit of wisdom should work well for the government as well. Try saving our money as well as our resources. It can happen. It does work.
G.C. Robertson
Vernon
