‘Can’t’ shouldn’t be part of politicians’ vocabulary

October 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

If your incumbent or candidate utters the word “can’t,” I would suggest you take a second look.
Time and again, municipal politicians stress that upper-tier governments make the rules and there’s nothing we can do about it.
That simply isn’t true. Our democratic history is filled with “can” stories where citizens and local governments have planted their feet firmly in the ground and said “no.”
Locally, one of the most impressive success stories was forcing the provincial government to abandon plans for a “mega-dump” in Caledon. It took a concerted citizen effort, petitions and protests, but in the end, we won.
That was a long time ago. In recent years, it seems people have discarded vehement opposition in favour of going with the flow. Some local councillors are guilty of this, too.
Today, vocal citizens are considered trouble-makers and fear-mongers.
Am I missing something here? Why are we simply buying what the establishment is selling?
I don’t know about you, but I hate the idea of the public being muzzled, regardless of the issue.
Ontario Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller released his annual report, noting the Growth Plan is not achieving its goal of curbing urban sprawl. The province has extended its forecasts to 2041, meaning growth will continue for another 10 years. Places like Caledon will face pressure to free up more land for development, something many candidates and incumbents oppose.
So what do they plan to do about it? This affects us, right here at home. It’s not some far-removed issue, but one that will encroach on our quality of life.
We will need strong leaders who are not afraid to stand up to the province and not just go with the flow.
If the person who comes knocking on your door utters the word “can’t,” send them packing!
Mark Pavilons
Bolton