UPDATE: Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing...the Federal Government now too has indicated it will also Declare a Climate Emergency. Doesn't it know the City of Ottawa has already done this? Does it not know that several other Canadian Cities have also gone this route? Don't the Feds realize we cannot do better than that?
Another waste of time and energy and of course the Taxpayers hard-earned money. KDB
Following is what our city's left wing paper had to say:
Ottawa’s city council voted overwhelmingly to make the declaration as a way to show how serious the municipality is about protecting people from the impacts of climate change.
It was a big win — and a somewhat surprising one — for Coun. Shawn Menard, who first brought the proposal for a climate-emergency declaration to the environment committee last week. On a council that doesn’t care much for making symbolic gestures, Menard managed to push through a motion that won over most of council’s leadership.
For a supposed council that does not like "making symbolic gestures" I cannot think of any other gesture that can be construed more as 'symbolic' (read empty).
This motion came before council this past Wednesday, with only 3 councillors having common sense enough to vote against it. And it is not like this afflicts only Ottawa, since a number of councils throughout Canada are passing similar totally unenforceable and ineffectual motions.
And with it comes costs... in the case of our city - new staff and support to the tune of $250k per year. And watch that number climb dramatically over following years.
Whether you agree with the proposition of there being a Climate Emergency ...or not, I believe like me, you would be of the view that this matter rests at the national and international levels...not with your municipal government which should be focused on fixing pot holes.
The local talk radio had a field day with this subject, first reading on air the gobbledygook, cliche ridden text that only a mother could love. They asked for listeners to call in with actions Ottawa City should now take and they ranged from all Councillors must now ride to work on bicycles, to the closing of our International Airport. It is to cry.
And this leads me to another criticism of local municipal government generally...it is filled with left wingers ...i.e. socialists. Types that have never had to account for a private sector payroll.
And that is probably not surprising since who among us would want the responsibility to their neighbours for water, sewers, bus service and the like. The Left gets the nod by default.
So maybe in their defence it must get pretty mundane dealing with such basic, albeit, important issues.
Why not pretend for a minute that they are on the same level of societies' more senior politicos.
AS I SEE IT,
K.D. BELL
