Subject: Hip ticket holders "believe in the dream"
One of the subtle yet pervasive changes that the LVEC debate demonstrates best is that the people of Kingston are no longer viewed as citizens but as customers. Now city staff have been recruited to be boosters and promoters of a dream project and the LVEC has to be sold to the people. The usual process of studying a proposal and making a decision after considering reports, studies and expert analysis has been replaced with gunning for the goal at all costs. Never have I seen a better example of realpolitick with the end justifying the means. In my view, the role of the city’s Communications department is to present the public with factual information not to win them over with a marketing ploy by printing tickets to a mythical concert. Will the same effort be put into the making the public aware of the parking and traffic studies? The LVEC on the proposed site of Anglin Bay raises serious issues for citizens that live in King’s Town, Williamsville and property taxpayers in the rest of the city. The citizens of Kingston have the right to have these issues seriously and objectively studied. If the LVEC is a foregone conclusion, then why are we spending $400,000.00 of property taxpayers money for reports and studies? I regret that my colleague Councillor Smith, Chair of the LVEC Steering Committee, has given away even the appearance of objectivity by supporting this very biased marketing manoeuvre. The role of councillor is to represent the public interest and represent constituents not to represent private interest and sell a bill of goods to a customer.
Rick Downes, City Councillor
King’s Town District