To the Editor,
Re: Group seeks more women in politics, Sept. 30.
I think this needs to be said: neither of the women on our present council have distinguished themselves as qualified decision makers. Almost always these women vote in favour of city staff recommendations, and staff is almost entirely dominated by men who are well-meaning but rigid, dogmatic, unimaginative and self-centred if not self-righteous, and largely indifferent to the views or issues that might be particular to women.
I have a friend who worked at city hall and she said during a staff meeting, “We don’t need signs on the door that read ‘men’ or ‘women,’ they just have to read ‘managers’ and ‘clerks.’” In no significant way has that divide changed in the years since my friend made that very astute observation.
I really do want more women on council, as much as I want more women in managerial positions in city hall, but I do not want any more women who abdicate their responsibilities by simply deferring difficult decisions to the men in the room.
Dan AppellNanaimo
