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Editorial: Local politics

Editor Joan Ritchie writes about local politics and Mayor Fraser Tolmie
Editorial_JoanRitchie
Editorial by Editor Joan Ritchie

It seems politics doesn’t always bring out the best in people; people and their ideas are as diverse as the fish in the sea.  It brings factions together that are of the same mindset, but it does cause a little controversy in comparison.   

Why does everyone think politics is a popularity contest?

That’s why individuals need to take the time to be informed and to weigh the candidates/political parties out so that they can make a knowledgeable decision as to how they want this country to run.

This also speaks to local politics.  

It seems most politicians are charismatic in their own right; that is probably a positive, considering their position, but you can’t run a marathon if you don’t have what it takes behind the scenes to get you there.  There’s got to be some substance and conditioning required to make it happen; good looks and a smile won’t get you to the finish line.  

When it comes to stroking egos, I would rather side with the regular joes than be pretentious.  It’s not the mayor’s city or the council’s city, it is corporately the people’s city…those that are taxpayers pave the way for the mayor, council and management to have a job.  The powers-that-be here are answerable to the people of Moose Jaw and don’t let them tell you otherwise.  They are supposed to represent you and me in their decisions, but are they?  

A little history…before becoming mayor, Fraser Tolmie was an employee of this very own media Moose Jaw Express and he seemed happy to get a paycheque from us.  After he acquired his position and in light of his position as mayor, we offered him an opportunity for a regular column to speak about what the city was doing.  As it turned out, the columns came in sporadically and it seemed he could very seldom follow through with his commitment to be a regular contributor.  I guess there wasn’t much good to report?  

And as a media, we are a voice for the community…whether it is through a column, editorial or the people.  There’s no doubt there are a lot of unhappy people voicing their concerns about decisions being made at City Hall and we are an avenue for them to state their concerns.   

Let me reiterate, in respect to politics, local politics should not be a popularity contest either.  It is of my opinion that many who work in decision-making positions at City Hall may have good intentions but it is the back-door dealings and those that are done behind closed doors in secret that make them questionable. Therefore, everyone making decisions is under scrutiny.  

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.  

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