When I heard that my Tory Member of Parliament John Weston would be addressing West Vancouver City Council on the implementation of the Government's Economic Action Plan, I had to attend. As an outspoken advocate of the positive performance of my government in this economic recovery, I wanted more details at the Municipal level. What specifically is my MP doing for my community?
This was the first time that I have attended a public meeting of city council, and I really didn't know what to expect. As a seasoned veteran of airport security, I was half expecting body scanners, bomb sniffing dogs, maybe possibly even a random body cavity search. I walked into Municipal Hall about 15 minutes before the event was to start, and I didn't see any people. I walked into an open information office to ask for directions to the nearest security checkpoint; and a very nice lady walked up to me, shook my hand, and started providing me with information about the process. At the end she guided me to the Municipal Hall and said "sit wherever you'd like and welcome to our City Council Meeting, I'm the Mayor."
I had not recognized that I was talking to Pam Goldsmith-Jones, whom I voted for in the last round of Municipal elections. I am so consumed by Federal politics that I only really pay attention to Municipal politics when I am asked to vote for my local politicians. I was not expecting to walk into an information office to be greeted by my Mayor. There were other staff in the office who could have answered my question, and Pam was minutes away from moderating her first public meeting of our municipal government for 2010. Yet she insisted on personally greeting a casually dressed normal citizen who had a question about local government. It is safe to say that I am a fan of Pam!
At the start of the meeting, John Weston was invited to address City Council and take their questions. He outlined in detail how federal stimulus money was being spent on infrastructure in West Vancouver for the betterment of our community. Projects that were suggested and sanctioned by the local Municipal government in detailed consultation. That same government which invites normal citizens to attend their meetings, where regular people can address their Municipal legislature, and ask for motions and projects to be introduced into law. My MP then submitted the best Municipal projects as determined by city council to the Minister in charge of project spending.
The Economic Action Plan in action in West Vancouver is upgrading our sewage treatment plant, expanding public walking paths, upgrading community centers, even building bridges. Permanent improvements to our community that will last for generations, done with financial assistance from Ottawa, approved and implemented by the Municipalility. A Municipal government where the Mayor will meet and engage in conversation with any random civilian who walks through the front door. The Conservative Economic Action Plan is a true grassroots movement, unlike signing up a 100,000 people on Facebook to name a kid Megatron. I don't know if I can ever forgive Laura for not naming her child Megatron...is there a lawyer out there who would like to represent me in a personal civil suit against Laura?
I left my first public meeting proud of my MP John Weston, proud of my Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones, and most especially proud of the Economic Action Plan of our elected government who have been engaged in detailed consultations with the Municipalities on how best to stimulate our economy at the grassroots level. I am proud of real action, of tangible results, as the alternative to some superfluous contrived campaign attempting to convince Canadians that they should be ashamed of something that they should in fact be proud of.
Pam and John, I salute you!
Its pretty strange to walk into city hall, no one around, and you pretty much can make yourself at home. Municipal politics in action is pretty easy to witness.
ReplyDeleteOf course, people usually ignore it, but its as important if not more so for the average citizen, considering how much what is done there touches your life on a regular basis.
But as a way to make a difference for people you care about, there is no better place to be involved.
Iceman,
ReplyDeleteI have long thought that we are way to easy on our local politicans. We often don't know who they are or what effect they will have on our lives. They pass assine bylaws that most don't even know about until you get busted doing something that was against the bylaw.
So while I usually do this myself paying attention to only provincial and federal politics. It is likely the local politics that have the most immediate effect on one's life. Whether in getting a building permit or a ticket from the bylaw officer.
So congrats to you on going down to Silly Hall and meeting the Mayor. (Sounds like you have a really good Mayor)
Rocky