Tomorrow, we vote.
For the past month, candidates have knocked on doors, handed out pamphlets, attended meetings, put up signs, picked them up and hammered them in again, commented on websites and blogs, and answered question after question, in person, in print, and online.
We’ve identified the issues.
In Maple Ridge, this election is, above all else, about the suburbs, those sprawling north and east, away from downtown, where shops and services are as limited as sidewalks and schools. Residents are clearly tired of the poor planning that has pervaded the district for a decade or more. Some call it sprawl. It needs to be controlled. The ’burbs wants some attention. Don’t just build more of them.
In Pitt Meadows, the North Lougheed corridor and accompanying road were much discussed, as was the race to replace Mayor Don MacLean. Taxes were touched on, too, as they were in Maple Ridge, along with municipal spending and council pay.
For school trustees, there wasn’t much to talk about, which may explain why the two for Pitt Meadows were acclaimed. School boards have little autonomy anymore. Teacher pay and class sizes are provincial issues. But trustees still must decide where to direct funding.
Now is time to decide.
Who do you want representing you? What do you want from your council and school board?
We won’t endorse any candidate or try to influence your vote, but we do feel it is important to choose carefully. We want politicians who are informed and have a strong voice, who listen, who will do their best to represent us – the voters – but are unafraid to take a stand when they know better, who have a conscience.
It’s difficult to find all that in one person, which is why having a balance of views is best.
We all want to see our communities and schools grow and prosper, to thrive. But not at the expense of what we value most.
Again, that is up to you.
– The News
