Monday, October 27, 2008

Of Mickey Mouse, Forrest Gump and Herb Pond (not necessarily in that order)



Well, we guess we they won’t be sending out a fan club photo this time around, as Glen Boychuk takes to the letters page of the Daily News with a review of the political career of Herb Pond.

The recent contributions to the Daily News letters to the editor page have provided for more than a few comments about our soon to be departing Mayor Herb Pond.

Over the last number of weeks, we have seen letters from those seeking answers about the recent high profile hiring issue, to letters of praise for a job done well in hard times, as it is, the Mayor has been the hot button issue (and target) for a couple of months now. (One wonders why anyone might wish to challenge for the job some days, such is the temperament of the populace these days).

The latest of the contributions to the letters page, this one from Mr. Boychuk, is shall we say definitely not in the affirmative when it comes to the impressions over the Mayors two terms of office, all part of the ongoing discussion over his legacy as mayor of the city.

Letter to the Editor
The Daily News
Friday, October 24, 2008
Pages four and five

Pond has gone too far

To the editor

In a letter to the editor recently the question was asked: “Has the mayor gone too far?” (Daily News Opinion, Oct. 10) Well, I suppose if you were to ask him he would say, “No absolutely not… are you crazy?... you must have me mixed up with someone else!”

However, on the other hand, often where there’s smoke there’s fire.

When someone is reporting directly to his office in secret meetings with timesheets requiring his signature only for payment?

Do we smell smoke?

Our Mayor loves the Carver Policy on Governance, a series of principles when acting as a group there must be an Owner/Representative (mayor) and the rest follow into Servant/Leader roles. In effect, basically cutting out any access by any private citizen or members of a board, etc, thus making m most of the decision-making in and behind closed-door meetings. Didn’t our “short term got a better job offer” former city administrator and current mayor set that one up?

As for owning a pulp mill, of course he would! Setting himself up as the CEO, holding secret meetings and trying to convince any and all that only he has the steady hand to guide us through whatever lays in front of us.

From citizen to alderman to mayor, always promoting himself, promising everything and delivering nothing, that’s right… nothing.

No roads, bridges, buildings should ever be named after him.

That will be our reward for all of the years of smiles, smirks, silence and ineptitude we had to endure while his personal agenda was of much greater importance than that of our city.

Months ago, the paper reported that our mayor was to carry our city’s banner high on his trip to the Orient, but really he should have carried and delivered the ‘tax past due’ notice on the pulp mill, but then that would interfere with his other agenda of making sure he was more recognizable than, say Mickey Mouse should he decide to represent our area as an MLA.

Forrest Gump said it best, “stupid is as stupid does” We deserve better.

Glenn Boychuk

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