Now that the Canucks are done, maybe it is time to give a few thoughts to the upcoming elections. Not an easy task, and to my way of thinking getting more difficult as time goes on.
With politicians having themselves elevated into a privileged class with excellent salaries and even better pensions the disconnect between 'them and us' seems to be growing with time.
I'm not envious but do worry that more and more opportunists see a political career as an easy way to a secure financial future for themselves.
It is then far from an easy task for us voters to separate these black sheep from the rest, from those that still consider 'serving the people' as a calling.
The great difficulty as I see it, is that we can only judge on past performance - in other words - not until a politician has been in office for one or more terms do we get any inkling if he/she is a self - serving personality or is genuinely trying to do the right thing for their constituents.
At the all candidates forum on Monday evening much was made by the Liberal candidate about the wonderful promise of liquified natural gas, to my ears it’s beginning to sound as just simple flatulence.
While it was left to the independent candidate, a sincere sounding young man, to point out the importance of the Columbia River Treaty review. With water being the real source of wealth in the foreseeable future. (Please keep us informed Norm Gabana)
All in all, with voting becoming more and more of a gamble to select the right candidate of your choice we're in danger of ending up with a totally dysfunctional democracy and might well have to live with a plutocracy in the near future.
Did you say we already do?
Peter van IerselFruitvale