Editor: In August, following one of the Township council decisions to develop housing on agricultural land, a Vancouver newspaper mentioned a previously unheard of political group called Live Langley.
The editor of The Times responded and provided an excellent review of slate politics in Langley (The Times, Aug. 13). At its core, a slate is a group of representatives who agree to vote together on the same issues. In our opinion, a quick review of voting patterns over the past years reveals, especially on controversial matters, an existing slate on Township council.
A political party, on the other hand, is a group of representatives who espouse a common ideology or vision. They may disagree on particulars. As a new municipal party, we at the Live Langley Electorate Association strive to be an inclusive and transparent civic organization committed to a sustainable, livable, and prosperous Township of Langley.
In so doing, we are committed to progressive values with the purpose of reinforcing the Township as a desired community in the Metro Vancouver area. As a progressive group and in opposition to slate politics, we value and encourage independent thought and believe that disparate views and opinions are essential in a democracy and lend to more creative decision making.
To learn more about our party, we encourage everyone to visit our website at http://www.livelangley.ca/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoteLiveLangley.
Some have attempted to brand us as a NIMBY group, or have voiced concerns that we are against development. Let us unequivocally state that nothing could be further from the truth, for without development, many of us would not be living here today.
We believe development brings prosperity to a community, but that it must be properly managed to fit within existing community guidelines and values, both great and small. We strongly believe that development must meld with the key principles of smart growth, sustainability and livability, and not occur on an ad hoc basis. Simply put, development must benefit the very people who live and breathe in Langley.
We hope the electorate of the Township of Langley can clearly see that we are not a slate, but a platform for change. More importantly, we hope the electorate takes this opportunity to make themselves aware of the issues surrounding our community over this next year, and come prepared to vote in our next municipal election in November 2014.
Clint Lee, president,
LIVE Langley Electorate Association
