To the Editor,
Re: Councillor opposes garbage incinerator, Dec. 3.
After council’s Monday agenda had been sent out, Coun. George Anderson slyly fired off an e-mail mentioning he’d be sneaking in some late motion in a couple of short days to kibosh a waste-to-energy facility. No real advance notice given, no time for civic leaders to gather comprehensive facts on a very serious and big project, one way or the other. The councillor had decided this would no doubt be his claim to fame. It backfired.
Whether you are for or against such a facility is not the point. The point is, no
one should try to halt debate before discussion has begun.
By pandering to an assembled crowd for votes, Anderson miscalculated the rest of the city fathers and mothers would not follow in his line like ill-informed sheep. Commendably, they tabled the motion and await detailed information.
The whole stupid debacle, shouting for or against, could have easily been avoided by arranging all sides, including the incinerator company, to answer straightforward questions so a process could be rightfully followed.
No one should crown themselves judge, jury and executioner. And definitely not before all the facts have been presented and debated.
Kevan ShawNanaimo