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by Fred Kirby February 26, 2005
After yet another meeting and waste of staff time, council conjures up an expensive fudge to avoid what ought to be done. It’s a pity the OPG does not support the pipeline to Tiverton. The OPG certainly stiffened the mayor’s resolve when it came to nuclear waste. When Sandy Donald declared himself in the running for Deputy Mayor (The Kincardine Independent March 19, 2004) he said, “We need leadership with integrity, people who are competent and able to make the tough decisions….” Yet, while Sandy correctly acknowledges the pipeline is the only practical solution, he avoids the “tough decision” that integrity calls forth and seeks expediency over correctness. Too bad! He might have given the leadership lacking in this administration. Dipping into the road reserve is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Listen to Paul scream when later asked to pay it back. Roppel, Ribey, and others with their outlandish schemes do the citizens of Tiverton an injustice. It is a poor representative who never thinks beyond his or her back yard. I sympathize with those citizens. Of course they are upset, of course their choice is difficult, the lesser of two evils – lake water or pay more money - and if catharsis is good for the soul they might direct their anger at the former Tory government which contributed to the tragedy and brought in legislation with little thought to consequences. I, too, did not want lake water but the pipeline came and I hooked up, as did many others. An environmental assessment is not only a totally unnecessary expenditure bordering on mismanagement but is cowardly. Council is to pay $30,000 to $60,000 for someone else to make a decision that is their responsibility to make. When the assessment is completed the decision to be made – fair and correctly - will be the same: should Tiverton hook up to the pipeline or pay for its own wells? Council should cancel the assessment now before more good money is thrown after bad. A folly can happen anywhere; Kincardine is heading for one of its own making.
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As
I start to write this column, Barbara Tuchman’s book, The March of
Folly, comes to mind. I recommend politicians read this work. It might
save us from more political follies.