The big city wish list of councillors

I was born and raised in Toronto. That was 54 years ago. can still remember safe streets and responsible government; the days when one paycheck would support an entire family. Things in Toronto changed and the safe streets disappeared and the politicians became more irresponsible. So I did what thought was best for my loved ones and, moved them out of the city to the Town of Innisfil.

That was in 1998. In the 11 years I have lived here, have seen changes that disturb me greatly. I see what was once a fairly responsible town council turn into small town boys with big city wants. But they're still restricted to a small town budget. I've watched as the crime rate and the feel in the town has shifted away from being perfectly safe. A lot of these things are not able to be controlled by town council, but the spending of hard earned tax dollars can be.

The list of waste in this town is not so long, but has been extremely wasteful in a very short period of time. When the juggernaut called big government shifted gears and suddenly decided the Oak Ridges Moraine was worth saving, all development shifted to north of the Holland Marsh. This was all fine and dandy for all the municipal governments north of that boundary. The only problem is this development puts increased pressure on resources and town finances, if not managed carefully.

Town council, in their infinite wisdom, decided to run before they could walk financially. As our parents tried to teach us when we were kids, don't run with scissors in your hands. Obviously, some council members did not heed that advice, because they tried to run (so to speak) financially, and now the town is flowing red ink.

I was always under the impression that government, especially locally, was supposed to be for the people. Now it seems to be by the business people and lawyers for big companies. Town council gives Canadian Tire a monstrous break on development costs awhile back because it threatened to leave.

The deal was that Canadian Tire begin construction by the fall of 2009. When I think of under construction, that doesn't mean an eyesore piece of land stripped of its trees. Although it may be surveyed, marked and the services buried, I was still under the impression when I read about the deal in the newspaper that at least steelwork would be up or something. I guess council got blindsided by the dog and pony show. Personally, I would have told them to pay up, or keep quiet. This town doesn't need Canadian Tire.

Canadian Tire needs this town so that it can turn a larger profit.

It was council, largely comprised of business people, that decided to spend money to build a 'better' downtown for the community. The translation of this is that they wanted to 'beautify' the main strip of revenue generating roadway in the town with hard earned cash. Right off the top of my head, I can think of one council member who owns a prominent business right on the same street. Not to mention the other council members who will benefit in some way shape or form from the irresponsible spending of tax dollars. Repaving the road would have been sufficient. Instead, these people will put the town at least $30 million in debt.

I am pleading with the intelligent, caring people of this town. Run for office and boot these councillors out, before they can do more financial damage. I am disabled, and would otherwise run for mayor. Jackson has been in power for way too long now. The alleged incident of his verbally and physically abusing councilor Bill Pring speaks volumes as to how he sees his position. Personally, I didn't elect a dictatorial, foulmouthed autocrat to office during the last election, and will cast my ballot for someone else in the next one. The fact that Pring had the nerve to blind side Jackson in open council speaks additional volumes as to how the mayor is viewed by his peers. In closing, I would just like to say it is past time for a changing of the guard. We the people of this town, when looking to our future and to the future, have to focus on current infrastructure demands, before considering expanding and spending to excess. If we keep what we have in good order, businesses will want to come to this community because it will be an attractive place to be located.

My hope is that we have a man or woman come forward, who is not a business person, to run for mayor and that more elected councillors fully understand the intrinsic value of a dollar, and how hard it is in this day and age to earn money.

John Ridge,

Innisfil