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Lakeshore Advance, 2013-05-15, Page 44 Lakethore Advance • Wednesda 15, 2013 opinion www.jakeshareadvance,com takoshoro Ailvance PUBLISHED WEEKLY P.O.BOX 1195 58 Ontario St., North Grand Bend ON NOM 1TO phone: 519-238-5383 fax: 519-238-5131 email: Iakeshore.advance@sunmedia.ca SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher/Advertising Manager nell.difforddsunnnedia.ca LYNDA HILLMAN-RAPLEY Editor Iakeshore. advanceesunmedia.ca MARK STEPHEN Advertising Sales mark.stephenr(Dsunmedia.ca KATHY YOUNG Typesetting/Classifieds Iakeshore.adsOsunnledia.ca www.Iakeshoreadvance.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES ADVANCE: Regular S42.00 (40 00.7 00 OSI) Online subscriptions available ---same rates Publk:atlons Mall Agreement No. 40064883 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO LAKESHORE ADVANCE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O.Box 1195 58 Ontario St. North Grand Bend ON NOM 1 TO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns phone: 519.238-5383 e- mall: lakeshoro.athancodsunmedia.ca Changes of address, orders for subscriptions, and undeliverable copies (return postage guaranteed) are to bo sent to lakr:sho-v Advance at the address indicated hero. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertise- ment will be paid at the applicable rates We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through Ili'. Canadian Pur iodical Fund ((:111) for out publishing activities. Canada Member the Canadiany ZOCr Newspaper Asnndetkwand theOntario Community Newspapers Actt'dation editorial Stand behind your rantings- sign your letter Wth Lambton Shore's former CA() safely out of the way, it appears the next target is the Planner. Last week the downtown (rand Bend business sector were delivered a typed missive with partial quotes from the Lambton Shores Planner. Reading it, some who contacted the Lakeshore Advance were confused when the mes- senger told them they would be paying a special seasonal tax in the downtown. Business owners -renters were asked to sign the letter and send to "mayor, clerk and council..:' but saw no signature on the letter from a group or person who authored the request. 'Ihe receivers said the individual who delivered the paper identified himself. 'Ihey said they did not know hits and did not think he had a seasonal busi- ness downtown Grand Bend. 'there was no indication to the business owners as to whether council as a whole or mem- bers were aware of the correspondence. Some said they were not interested in this kind of politics and had no desire to sign anything, especially something they were not clear as to its meaning. '!he public is always leery when something conies to them unsigned. 'There was a previous public outcry when residents received flyers in the mail slamming Lambton Shores -with no attribution to whom wrote them. People who do not sign their work are cowards. Pure and simple...by defini- . tion a coward is "a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person:' The diatribe seemed to be geared at getting rid of the Planner; " ...We strongly suggest that council immediately seek staff, which can appreciate the unique commitment it takes to operate businesses in Lambton Shores..." but since the explanation from the messenger was not the same for all the businesses, some were a little baffled. Unfortunately, the letter was out of context and the businesses owners who contacted the Iakeshore Advance thought maybe this was a witch- hunt to get rid of another staff member. To be fair and perhaps following a code of conduct, we have never seen a report from the Planner, or any other municipal staff that is not signed- they have to stand behind their reports- and so should the author of this missive. Since the business people Were con- fused as to its meaning- they had no way of asking the writer for clarification. - l.yrula Hillman-I>'apley letter to the editor • Moonwalking in Lambton Shores Dear editor, Everyone remembers the Tate Michael Jackson's iconic dance move where he appears to be walking forward but in actual fact he is moving backwards. It's that dance move that reminds me of Lambton Shores Council these past 3 years. Not only is it hard to believe these guys have been in office for nearly 3 years, it is even harder to see whist, if anything, they have accom- plished in that time. Like Michael Jackson, there appears to be lots of discussion and actions but in reality more movement back- ward than forward. Perhaps that's what they mean when they told us they were moving in it new direction! Lets take a closer look. 'This was the Council that was going to he more "open and transparent'. 'I he reality is this council has had more "in camera" meetings than any other and has cut off public access at every turn 'Ibis Council has had more staff reports than any other previous Council, 1)111 it turns out that the reports and their recom- mendations are 11111'(` often 111011 11(11 never acted upon (1r referred to the Black 1 !ohs they refer to as Strategic Planning. 'There have been s(1 many reports 011 the cash in lieu issue that we have all lost track. Just mak(' a decision and move (1n. 'Then there is all the grandstanding and perceived action that this Council is taking on issues like Wind Turbines and (ell'I'ow- ('rs. Two issues over which this council had no jurisdiction but decided to involve itself anyway. Then there is all the perceived action about Mules of Procedure, (:odes of Con- duct, and Council Chambers. So much paper work, yet so little substance. Or should we say follow through, it's one thing to talk the talk quite another to walk the walk. More regress than progress. Lets look at the Councils track record on the Grand Bend Sewage issue. Rather than laying a foundation for future growth and development and dealing with the festering issue of aging septic systems, this Council has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and hours of staff and Council time to cre- ate a project that does less to meet the future needs (tithe community and virtually nothing to deal with the septic system issue. Rather than utilize an excellent staff teal(( it was endowed with it has managed to nearly destroy it, firing one of the hest (:r\Os in Southern Ontario and destroying staff morale by attacking staff and throwing then( under the bus at nearly every meeting. Another attempt was made recently to deni• grate staff over a crosswalk issue. If you did not attend the town hall meeting in Grand LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lakeshore Advance welcomes letters to the editor. Letters (must include the writer's full name, address, (laytime phone number and signature (for verification. Anonymous letters will Bend, read the Lakeshore Advance for the full story. You have to wonder who is driving this bus! Money is spent on 0 consultant to hire a new CAO and to provide council training. What a waste. Nothing changes. God only knows what still goes on behind the scenes! Grandstanding is the order of the day at any given meeting including public meet- ings. Just go and watch. 'these councillors do not appear to have any use for st'a(egic thinking, for prioritizing items, for utilizing staff expertise as well as background docu- ments such as Road Needs Study, Beach Study, Rec and leisure study etc (all paid it,. with taxpayer dollars). Rather, delegations and individual complaints are taken at face value with little effort to obtain background. Grandiose promises are made. 1t would appear these promises are intended to slake individual councillors look like they ate doing something. 'I his is so sad as it is the municipality as 0 whole that suffers. And what will Council do with its new (:A), allow hila or her to actually do their job or take the same actions it did with the previous one and sideline hint/her and invoke the rule that they only speak \ellen spoken to and only tell us what we want to hear not what we meed to hear. Peter Coleman Lambton Shores not he published. \Ve reserve the right to e(1it all editorial sub- missions including Ietters for clarification, style and length. Let - ters must be signed and he in good taste and follow the laws of libel and slander.