Mayor’s comments typical of Central Canadian smugness
Sir: I recently watched an interview that Mayor Mike Bradley did with CBC on saving the jobs of people that work at SNC-Lavalin, at any cost.
I would sum up his comments as: “We need to protect organized corporate crime in Eastern Canada as it supplies thousands of good-paying jobs. Not only in Ontario and Quebec, but also across the country and abroad.”
It’s comments like this that reveal Central Canadian superiority-thinking over the other parts of the country. That crime is OK if it helps us, and the federal government needs to support it.
We out west are losing thousand upon thousands of jobs every day at honest companies, with no help from Sarnia’s mayor or the federal government.
It’s this smug superiority of Central Canadians that keep pushing the West to strongly consider leaving this one-sided confederation. Yours truly,
James Thomas
Brooks, Alberta
People complaining about an Amber Alert was shameful
Sir: Honestly, I still cannot believe that many people provincewide were angry and complained (actually calling police) because their sleep was “interrupted” on Feb. 14 by an “Amber Alert, which was issued because of the abduction and later murder of 11-year-old Riya Rajkumar in Brampton!
How dare police break into their precious sleep. They really should be ashamed.
Some day they may need this same kind of help. Could it be their son or daughter?
Thankfully, they are outnumbered by those of us who care.
Joan Hall
Sarnia
The shortage of downtown parking is discouraging
Sir: Finding a parking space in downtown Sarnia has never been easy, but the city has found a way to make it even more difficult.
They have decided to convert more regular parking spaces in the downtown lots into reserved spaces for monthly permit holders.
Recently, I was unable to find an open regular space in the lot next to the Bank of Nova Scotia on Christina Street. At the same time, six of the lot’s reserved spaces were empty.
I don’t know who these monthly permit holders are, and why their needs are greater than those of other residents, but I think the city should reconsider before people stop trying to go downtown altogether.
Bill Elliott
Sarnia
A city council job is part-time, should get part-time pay
Sir: Regarding the Jan. 31 story, “Sarnia council approves a pay increase for itself.”
Beleaguered taxpayers are once again supporting a pay increase for people who should be collecting only a small honorarium.
Being a mayor or councillor should be a part-time civic duty, not a career position. In the past, politicians were already well-established people in the community.
It’s a fallacy that paying large sums of money attracts the best people. You can see that in the corporate world, where large companies fail and the taxpayer bails them out.
Why should city and county politicians get large pay increases when that money should be spent on failing infrastructure?
Maybe the new integrity commissioners can look into it.
Jeff Williams
Bright’s Grove
Government and business must work together on housing crisis
Sir: Sarnia-Lambton’s housing crisis could be the opportunity to do it right.
Now is the time to bring the city, county, provincial and federal governments together with the private sector and co-operate on innovative ideas for constructing fair-rent apartments.
Now is the time to provide a variety of affordable units suitable for students and families, singles and seniors. It is time to build a complex that includes all people at different stages of their lives.
There are many empty commercial lots in our city that have great potential for such a complex.
One is the lot on London Road that once housed Sarnia's old cinema and a restaurant. This property is near Lambton College, the shopping mall, public transit and a newly refurbished plaza.
Perhaps it’s also time to build a SMART complex with environmental initiatives such as geothermal, solar and wind.
It is time to get government and business together to work toward Sarnia getting it right by providing one of our most basic human needs — safe and affordable housing.
Louise Lamb
Sarnia
New LED streetlights illuminate only one side of the street
Sir: I have noticed the new street lighting in the Wiltshire area. I realize the intent is to save money by using LED technology.
Unfortunately, this money saving has resulted in a loss of public safety on the streets. The new lights only illuminate a narrow band on one side of the street.
The other side of the street is now dark and unlit. It could have worked if the lights were placed on alternating sides of the street, but they aren’t, and it is unlikely to happen since there are no poles on the other side.
Cars don’t need street lighting because they have lights of their own. If they needed it, all the highways and rural roads would also be lit. So it seems logical that street lighting was originally installed to provide a safety factor for the city’s residents.
I hope the impact this has on the safety of Sarnia residents is fully realized before there is any further installation of this type of lighting.
Rick McLean
Sarnia
Council should lift the sanctions on Mayor Bradley immediately
Sir: A lot has certainly been said about Mayor Mike Bradley not taking harassment training along with members of the previous council.
So much so that former councillor and mayoral candidate Anne Marie Gillis said that once Mayor Bradley had completed harassment training the sanctions imposed on him would be removed.
On Feb. 4, Mayor Bradley and the new council members took that training.
On Feb. 11, Coun. Bill Dennis asked for those sanctions to be removed immediately, and Coun. Dave Boushy proposed a further motion.
Unfortunately, councillors Terry Burrell, Brian White, Nathan Colquhoun, Mike Stark and George Vandenberg voted against both motions, and a rude and obnoxious debate ensued.
It was quite a display. These people obviously don’t want Sarnia to move forward, but want it to remain in chaos, like we experienced the past four years.
The people of Sarnia voted overwhelmingly for Mayor Mike Bradley, and voted for people who claimed to be in support of him.
Two councillors publicly denounced him, and how they got elected nobody knows.
In my humble opinion, these councillors who are against our mayor should never have run for council in the first place, if all they are going to do is to continue to hurt the people of Sarnia. That's the whole reason for an election. We voted for people who promised to support the mayor.
Sandi Compagnion
Sarnia