Dear Editor,
“Kiss my ass, you drunk—you coke head!”
These were just a few of the less than endearing words launched at Mayor Mike Bradley during a budget meeting recently from councilman Bill Dennis. The various video uploads of the exchange have reached other areas of the country, and even the United States.
Is this an embarrassment for Sarnia? A lot of people would say most definitely, and even outsiders looking in have commented on their distaste for Mr. Dennis’s behaviour.
One such critic is by an unknown author on a recent opinion posted at The Chatham Voice. “Dialogue goes out the window when someone such as Dennis hijacks a meeting and makes wild accusations,” says the author. “Respect is lost, never likely to be regained. Dennis’ antics have put the D in dysfunction for Sarnia council.”
But is this the only layer to Dennis’s “antics” as this author describes? It seems to me there’s a side to this story that has been lost in transmission; mainly because Mr. Dennis prioritized his explosive episodes over the substance of his arguments.
So what are his arguments? He’s got the city’s attention (whether we like it or not). So what on earth is he always so frustrated about?
Mr. Dennis sat down for an interview with YourTV Sarnia recently and expressed how he’s frustrated and takes personally the fact that businesses are leaving Sarnia because they can’t survive. Between drug addictions, record high unemployment, record high violent crime rates, and what he feels is bureaucratic waste starving our city’s budget, he's embarrassed that the majority of councillors, including the mayor, care more about looking good on camera than they do about doing what’s right.
A particular concern Mr. Dennis raises is with CAO Chris Carter, and how his alleged refusal to provide requested budget materials—items an elected official has every right requesting—raises red flags.
What most well-meaning citizens trust is that our city officials (and those they vote into positions within City Hall) are competent, reliable and honest individuals. After all, we’re shown receipts of all the spending that goes on; this information is publicly available and on the surface it seems nothing deserves a question mark, right?
Well, those who understand any system; they know that the smart people who know how to exploit it will always do so. Why? Because they can get a way with it and as long as the outside of the cup looks shiny to everyone else, the average person won’t suspect a thing.
Now, you might be thinking this is quite the accusation! Suggesting that something like this could be happening behind the closed doors at city hall?
Not at all. It’s not an accusation. It’s a simple statement of “we don’t trust bureaucracy”. Yes, we trust the local, kind-hearted people we vote into office. But it’s typical for our elected council members to have no experience in how these systems work and how they can so easily be exploited. Councillors often rely on the guidance of City staff to make up for their lack of experience and this can create weak spots.
I know a lot of people want to believe our systems work and are fundamentally good. But in the perspective of councilman Bill Dennis and many other Sarnia citizens, they think it’s naïve to leave areas unchecked, particularly areas where our elected officials have no expertise in detecting the bad apples.
Is disrupting a budget meeting with vulgar language the best look for Sarnia? Nope. But is it effective in shining a light on the issues that may be one of the reasons the city is crumbling?
Perhaps.
Brandon McCaskill