Issues Without Solutions

Langley politics is a strange mix of good and evil. Manipulation is at ever turn and lately residents seem to feel a conspiracy exists at every turn. Why are so many of our residents negative and angry?

Attend any public session or delegation to Township Council and one will hear the accusations and innuendos. As one recent blog commentator suggested, much of the talk is directed at Township staff and is very disrespectful. People tend to think they know more than the well-qualified engineers and true experts. Why is that?

Former Township Mayor Kurt Alberts had a slogan... "Working Together". Mr. Alberts did nothing short of that when he opened communications with the federal and provincial governments. He lived out "Working Together" when citizens contacted him about concerns. There was respectful discussions and sometimes respectful disagreements. Not everyone may have left Mayor Alberts office 100% satisfied, but they were shown respect and most returned that respect. At the Council table, Mayor Alberts showed that spirit of Working Together with his fellow councillors. One, two or more might have disagreed with Alberts on one issue or another, but there was much mutual respect across the table. Cllr. Kim Richter disagreed often with Alberts, but Mayor Alberts treated Richter with respect at all times. It was all a part of his Working Together philosophy.

Mayor Rick Green on the other hand talks often about "fighting" other orders of government and others. He has managed to set a precedent for disrespecting staff at every turn. During the Mufford Overpass debates, Green routinely questioned staff's integrity and expertise of several members of Township staff. It was obvious after his first two months in office that Green would not be Working Together with anyone other than insiders with vested interests.

One particular local newspaper editor gives lip service to peace, harmony and cooperation. Yet he helped get this "fighter" elected! Now how hypocritical was that? And now that Mayor Green's true colours are out, this local editor continues to polish the brass knob in an attempt to make it look better and more appealing.

Our Township community is now more divided than it ever was. Extremely qualified staff are abused with accusations and loud arguments. Staff did not sign up for combat duty and these are fine people with impeccable qualifications. Working Together has sadly given way to Every Man for Himself. For his part, Mayor Green continues to gather with groups opposed to something. People that have some issue in the Township. He strokes their egos and puts down the expert data to win their trust.

Green very manipulatively never brings about any intelligent solutions that could resolve these people's problems. Though he has access to all the expert reports, and within them many times contain room for good compromise solutions. Certainly never any MIDDLE GROUND is offered by Mayor Green. He simply vows to "fight" and then allows the fallout to hit fellow councillors and staff.

Much of Council have to "wear" Green's shrapnel. Wise Township residents see that its all fodder for the next election. One which Green has already announced his candidacy for. Green's pals in the media can't help but invoke his name and write stories about the big bad Township Council members who just can't work with this mayor. They gush with praises for this rookie mayor that has managed to alienate all but a few. The fact that Mayor Rick Green cannot get along with Cllrs. Ferguson, Fox, Kositsky, Long, Bateman, Richter and Ward should clue these media types and others in on a fatal flaw here. Can all these councillors be big and bad? When all of them at one time or another Worked Together with former Mayor Alberts for the good of our community, one has to question what Mayor Green is doing behind the scenes.

Our fellow Township residents should really examine this pattern of political maneuvering by Mayor Rick Green. Watch the media comments. Watch the public meetings that turn into a circus sideshow because he can't chair a meeting. Listen to the soundbites. Watch him appear in the driveways of those with issues. Listen for any hint of wise solutions that should come from someone holding the office of the mayor. You certainly won't find any intelligent middle ground coming from this mayor who wishes to FIGHT everyone. You will find strife, division and and personality conflicts that come from a divisive agenda that is the hallmark of Mayor Green's administration. An agenda that was clearly evident during his campaign with an issue here and another issue there.

It's very interesting that the day after the election, Mayor-Elect Rick Green removed his website from the Internet, including all of the sound bites and promises. Cllrs. Richter and Bateman have maintained their websites on a consistent basis. Their promises and statements are there for all to see. Yet if you go to this link of Green's campaign website, you will not be able to connect. It simply vanished from the face of the internet the very next day after Rick Green was elected Mayor of the Township of Langley. Now why is that?