Some may say that a successful politician is the one who manages to convince everyone that they are the right person for the job, even while everything is going wrong.

Who knows, perhaps there is some truth to this. If you are a politician reading this, feel free to comment. Lol. Anyway, we’re in the middle of election season now. There’s lots of talk about all kinds of things. Which is commendable.

This is the time to debate different views.

However, when a candidate drops by uninvited and upsets some of the nicest people in town, who just happen to be immigrants, I think that is not acceptable.

When people from certain areas of the federation are looked down upon simply because of where they live, that is not productive.

When we have some serious issues being raised, such as conflict of interest issues (there’s more than one, look closely they aren’t that hard to find), now is the time to discuss them and to resolve them in some way if possible. Not brush them off. After someone is elected, it is ethical to recuse yourself, however, a person doesn’t have to leave a meeting unless asked to do so, and the only way to enforce this is to go to court. It’s better and cheaper to deal with it now.

There were many wrongs done in the past, however, what’s done is done. If we want a reasonable future, we should start thinking of what could be, how can we make this work? Not about what should’ve been way back when.

If we want social programs to survive, we need to increase the tax base. We need to increase population.

If we really want people to keep moving here, then we should be welcoming people who already are moving here. Not upsetting them. If they are different then us, so what? They’re willing to come here and live with us, to suffer through a Canadian winter with us, to contribute to our community, why wouldn’t we make them welcome?

If we are serious about settling down the hurts and perceived wrongs done in the past, from one area of the voting area to another, if we are serious about attracting new business, we need to have a political process that is fair and unbiased to everyone in the entire region…and it must be seen to be fair and unbiased to all citizens and to the entire region.

Now that I’ve made my own political speech. I’m not asking you to vote for me. I’m suggesting that we as community members hold these people running accountable. When they come to our doors, ask them real questions about the real issues at hand. Ask them how they plan to accomplish what they are promising to do. Don’t just vote for someone because they talk smooth or are your brother-in-law’s buddy from way back.

On a federal level or provincial level it can feel like we don’t make a difference. However, on a municipal level we really can make a difference.

It’s obvious, our community has been in decline, if we really want change, we need to get serious about making it better.

We need to stop making excuses or waiting for some miracle worker to come along and fix it for us.

Let’s study the real issues.

Let’s ask real questions.

Let’s encourage a high standard of integrity among the people who want to represent us. ..