Dear Editor:
Wow - thanks to the media, the truth about our special interest mayor, councillors and some city staff is coming to light.
Through investigative reporting and determination, the credibility and integrity of this New West group is in serious jeopardy.
Regardless of whom is spearheading what, the fact remains that New West taxpayers alone should decide if they want to risk the burden of an additional $59 -million debt load, combined with the huge debt already accumulated during the past 10 years.
Some have said the total debt with this borrowing bylaw will edge $100 million - for a population of only 60,000!
What is more disturbing than knowing select incumbents deliberately misled the public prior to the election is the total disrespect offered the taxpayer by these politicos and their arrogant comments (or lack of) in the local papers.
First, we have Jonathan Cote saying the "referendum won't stop - tower' (re: Newsleader, July 20), then we have Gary Holowatiuk adding "We don't have to borrow anything" (re: City moves ahead with centre plan, The Record, July 18), and now the ultimate insult from our mayor who confirms "a referendum means nothing because we are building a building, OK," (re: Growing concern on impact to Massey, The Record, Aug. 1).
Harper, MacEvoy and Williams apparently have nothing at all to say about the largest borrowing bylaw in the city's history, and Chuck Puchmayr votes against it all, but what has he done to actually stop it?
I believe that the people can stop this bylaw. They just have to vote 4,528 times in opposition of this bylaw and the process to regain the power of the people will begin.
We can be diverted by the self-righteous comments of the mayor (re: Growing concern on impact to Massey, The Record, Aug. 1), but our goal must be clear: referendum first.
We could highlight Wayne Wright's rhetoric, "we have several people interested" in purchasing the building, but we know that no one believes this, given his "we have developers lined up to take it over" pre-election false bravado.
We could even enjoy his amusing comment that "we are on target for budget" which smells strangely like his pre-election promise on Westminster Pier Park being "on-time and on budget" when he knew it was nearly $1 million dollars over budget - and that is for only half a park.
What this is actually about is a fight between the people and the politicians.
The people are saying they want to hear the details and be heard via referendum.
The politicians are saying they will do as they please regardless of public opinion.
Either way - win or lose - our politicians' credibility and integrity has been seriously tainted.
So to those who voted for this lot, you should feel duped, and to those that didn't vote for them, you should feel vindicated.
To those approximately 35,000 who didn't vote at all, you need to act and help lead this great city back from the edge of bankruptcy.
Sign the opposition form, available until Aug. 7 at 239 Sixth St., and send it to referendum now.
Paul R. Thompson, New Westminster
