Some on council have issues with change

Letter to the Midland Free Press January 26 2011
It would seem that some council members on the Midland Council are making life as difficult as possible for those members who want to effect change and take their community forward. These council members object to a mediation meeting being held which would determine the future vision for the community.

I think that it’s obvious that mediation will have to take place as that is going to be the only way to gain some form of consensus on the key issues. The money spent will be money saved, as with consensus, things can move ahead. How much will it cost the tax-payer to pay for the unresolved issues to play out over and over again?
Gord McKay is a fine leader. I know him well. He is founder and chair of Zero Waste, an organization that wants to hold producers accountable for the entire lifespan of their products. He works with the homeless and he has the best interests of the community at heart. He cares deeply about people and the earth we live on. He wants his council and his community to come together and create a future that we can be proud to hand over to our children.
In this day and age I think that it’s so important to watch closely to determine the priorities of our elected officials. Often those that appear to be “watching the budget” are really just obstructionists. We don’t have time for this. Investing on a vision for the people (and the planet) is NEVER a waste.
With the process of mediation everyone comes to the table and determines the direction that things will take. By saying no to mediation these politicians are telling us that they do not want to come to the table and enter into the discussion. They think that determining a vision for the community is a waste of time and money. This childish display of not wanting to come together is a breach of the public trust that has been placed in them by the voters. They should think on that.
Jennifer K. Brock