I question the implications for our democractic traditions when a mayor and a handful of elected councillors surround themselves with an army of UNELECTED lawyers and other cohorts, who seem to be exercising undue influence, if not a reign of terror here in the lovely municipality of Rawdon. Citizens become afraid to speak out or even participate in any public debate when a mayor and her lawyers can capriciously decide whether a question is unwelcome or impolite.
However, as a judge recently declared,"No one has the right NOT to be offended ." And that goes especially for public figures who control the use or abuse of taxpayers' monies. We are not supposed to have any "vaches sacrées" or holy cows in our political traditions. But the tactics of the Major administration now ressemble "la chasse aux sorcières", the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. Only now the lawyers have replaced the priests! The consequences for the people and diversity of opinion is the same: simply devastating.
The proliferation of frivolous, punitive and often simply unjust lawsuits using citizens' taxes against the citizens is a SERIOULY DISTURBING TREND the the Major administration. Add the threat of fines during the single 30-minute question period relegated to the end of the assembly meetings, the control of the local media and the complete shutting down of the one free Internet forum ___ and you have left only the facade of a democracy __ that is, democracy only for those who collect our taxes.
The adoration of the administration
I question the implications for our democractic traditions when a mayor and a handful of elected councillors surround themselves with an army of UNELECTED lawyers and other cohorts, who seem to be exercising undue influence, if not a reign of terror here in the lovely municipality of Rawdon. Citizens become afraid to speak out or even participate in any public debate when a mayor and her lawyers can capriciously decide whether a question is unwelcome or impolite.
However, as a judge recently declared,"No one has the right NOT to be offended ." And that goes especially for public figures who control the use or abuse of taxpayers' monies. We are not supposed to have any "vaches sacrées" or holy cows in our political traditions. But the tactics of the Major administration now ressemble "la chasse aux sorcières", the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. Only now the lawyers have replaced the priests! The consequences for the people and diversity of opinion is the same: simply devastating.
The proliferation of frivolous, punitive and often simply unjust lawsuits using citizens' taxes against the citizens is a SERIOULY DISTURBING TREND the the Major administration. Add the threat of fines during the single 30-minute question period relegated to the end of the assembly meetings, the control of the local media and the complete shutting down of the one free Internet forum ___ and you have left only the facade of a democracy __ that is, democracy only for those who collect our taxes.