Sunday September 18, 2022
Municipal elections are held every four years in B.C. The next election is coming up fast – October 15.
On the political spectrum, municipal elections are the poor cousins, the runt of electoral litters. You don’t think so? Consider at the emotions they arouse. Federal politicians get hated. Provincial politicians, ridiculed. Municipal politicians? Mostly a shrug.
Especially, in a rural municipality sandwiched halfway between two much larger cities.
I attended an all-candidates’ meeting for the District of Lake Country. Out of curiosity, mainly. I already know who I’ll vote for.
I didn’t go as a journalist. I went to see how the candidates treated each other.
Mostly, I felt, with respect.
To their credit, no one attacked any other candidate.
They could have. As an outsider who avoids political rallies like psoriasis, I could anticipate some heated dissension coming over the next four years.
Several candidates were clearly pro-development. They wanted to cut red tape. Speed up processes. Reduce regulations. If they were looking for a dragon to slay, it would be their own municipal staff.
Others placed a high value on protecting the natural and social environments that make this community a desirable place to live.
But no one played the fear factor so prevalent in national politics: “If you elect this jerk, you can kiss your way of life goodbye…”
Promises, promises….
While I’m on a “no one” thread, I should note that no one made rash promises.
So no one promised to control inflation. Even though national polls rank it as Canadians’ primary concern.
No one made any promises about climate change. Even though last year this province suffered through “heat domes” that caused forests to explode, and “atmospheric rivers” that washed out highways and flooded farmlands.
No one promised to wipe out violent crime and vandalism – although that seems to preoccupy news media these days.
No one even mentioned Vladimir Putin. (I’m sure he’s hurt.)
More seriously, no one promised to deliver grants from senior governments for new housing, roads, or facilities. Although some incumbent council members did point out that several projects had either stalled or been cancelled because the province had not provided funding.
Perhaps that’s simply a recognition that municipal governments – to amend Teddy Roosevelt’s maxim – “talk softly and don’t carry a big stick.”
I applaud those candidates for being realistic.
Taxes, pro and con
I also found myself listening for subjects that didn’t come up at all.
Taxes, for example. If I were to judge by occasional guest editorials in this paper, rising taxes are crushing taxpayers.
No candidate talked about raising taxes.
Yet as community residents expect more and more services from their local government, tax increases are inevitable.
When my wife and I moved to Lake Country, almost 30 years ago, we took for granted that our tap water would have a brownish tint every spring. It was safe to drink, we were assured. But Joan didn’t wash white shirts until the water cleared later in summer.
That’s no longer acceptable.
With more people and more cars, we have more accidents. More housefires. And tragically, it seems, more theft and vandalism. Police and fire protection have to increase to match.
And as a widely spread rural community, everyone had septic tanks. Now most houses are connected to a sewer system. Which needs expansion, and improvement.
All of these must be paid for, by someone.
Of course taxes will have to go up.
Why shouldn’t they? Personally, I have no objection to paying more taxes – as long as I get a benefit.
And I do. A friend recently talked about getting an X-ray for her injured cat: $720. An X-ray for her injured son: $20.
That’s my taxes at work.
Beyond anyone's control
The only subject on which I heard unanimity was the bus service. The mayor-elect described it tersely: “The transportation system sucks!”
Not that a municipal council can do much about it. Because the bus system is run by a crown corporation, based in Victoria. BC Transit brags about serving 130 communities, outside the Greater Vancouver area. Lake Country gets about as much attention as a water buffalo gives a fly.
Actual operations are contracted out, I gather, to a multinational in Glasgow. Which cares even less about Lake Country.
To catch a bus, I would first have to walk five km. Or call a taxi, to get to the bus.
It’s a vicious circle. Low ridership means fewer buses. Fewer buses means lower ridership.
Can the council that will be elected October 15 do anything about it?
No one made any promises.
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Copyright © 2022 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups encouraged; links from other blogs welcomed; all other rights reserved.
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Your turn
In retrospect, looking at both the opinions expressed in your letters and my own reflections since writing last week’s column, professionalism seems to be a subject that is clearly understood only by those who already have a clear understanding of what it is.
A few writers didn’t agree with my characterization of Fox media. Mirza Yawar Baig wrote, “As for media and their ethics, if you want to see media that's totally devoid of it, go to India. Every time I think they've reached the bottom of the pit, I'm proved wrong. Fox is pious in comparison.”
Garry MacDonald supported Fox : “I was a journalist in a past life, and a news junkie since I was a teenager (bad upbringing). I am appalled that you fell into the same trap that every journalist who leans slightly left has found themselves in. Why is FOX news the major sinner?
“I have been following elections, here and in the U.S. since Diefenbaker and Pearson, Kennedy and Nixon. I looked forward to the newcomer vs. Hilary, the tired old establishment that would do nothing. At the time, the only station I watched was CNN.
After hearing the lies and contempt promoted daily against Trump, I eventually found FOX, where I have been since 2015. From the moment he won the nomination, the Democrats, for which CNN was obviously shilling, would say anything to get rid of him.
“Lies and manufactured stories from the Democrats, swallowed whole by CNN and panels. Panels of experts in national security who swore Trump was a Russian puppet and committed all sorts of vile and horrendous acts, none of which turned out to be true.
The VP says the border is closed; CNN and CNBC don't show the thousands crossing the border that puts the lie to that. The President makes speeches that tear the nation apart calling millions of Americans right-wing idiots or worse. Like Hilary's ‘deplorables’. CNN, or worse, the NYTimesm don't question any of that. It is accepted that Trump is evil and anyone who disagrees is a devil worshiper. FOX reacts to that. Somebody has to. Just like lawyers have to question witnesses and police to make sure they get at the truth.
I've never seen anything like it, and it makes me despair for the good old days. I'm sorry you were to narrow minded to miss that.”
Garry is now a lawyer. He had some thoughts about professionalism among lawyers: “As a lawyer who practiced criminal law for over 30 years, I can safely tell you ‘personal loathing’ would block almost all lawyers from taking the case. One doesn't work for someone she loathes. Dislikes, maybe. And you learn quickly in this business -- not everyone charged is guilty. Police can sometimes be lazy and pick the first person they see or, more often, take a ‘witness’s’ word for it without checking for animus or details. So that's how we can represent some supposedly wicked people.”
Steve Roney also defended Fox: “The current problem with journalistic ethics does not start with Fox News. The original slogans of Fox News were ‘fair and balanced,’ and ‘We report—you decide.’ These slogans obviously resonated with the public; Fox rocketed to news dominance. Clearly, there was already a public perception that the media were biased. Fox was the antidote.
“Fox has dropped these slogans, as more of its schedule has been taken up by commentary. But commentary is not supposed to be unbiased—the bias is why you watch.
“I recall a few years ago, a pro-life demonstration in Washington set new records for attendance. It was not reported anywhere I could find in the legacy media.
“In journalism school, you are told that, whenever you report on a controversy, you should quote spokespeople on both sides of the issue. The legacy media almost never to do this anymore. You never hear two sides among scientists on the climate debate, or the efficacy of ivermectin for Covid, or the efficacy of wearing masks, or the side effects of the vaccine, or whether Donald Trump recommended drinking bleach, and so on. An obvious breach of ethics.”
Sandy Carpenter: “I appreciated your words on journalism and truth. Speaking as one from the United States, I can tell you that most of us long to know what the truth is these days! I hate what our former president has done to cast doubt on any hope for truth we've imagined in the past.
“I know that political parties have always stretched the truth to influence the public in favor of their positions, but in my 70 years, I have never experienced what we are experiencing now. Fox News is a travesty as far as a place to get facts, but so many people believe that they are reporting ‘God's truth.’ To me, it seems so evident that our former president is a snake oil salesman and a narcissistic liar who will go to any lengths for power. But to some friends and even close family, he is being framed by the ‘corrupt news outlets.’ I can't believe they believe the distorted truth, and they can't believe I believe what I believe. It is so disheartening when a person really wants to do the right thing, but the ‘right thing’ is totally lost somewhere in all the noise.”
Frank Martens asked, “Have you ever checked into who owns or controls most of the media in the States? I think you might be surprised. One of the reasons why certain people, or subject matter cannot be mentioned or written about.”
JT: Also in Canada. Gwynne Dyer, one of the world’s most respected editorialists, was banned from a local paper because something he said – once – offended the owner at the time.
Tom Watson questioned my reasoning: “I'm not sure that all three situations you cite near the end of your article—the doctor's,, the lawyer's, the journalist's—are equivalent. The doctor need not do something that's against his conviction; no harm is done as another doctor can be available. The lawyer works on points of law, not guilt or innocence. The journalist, in my view, is being unethical, as well as dishonest with the readers, by producing a story known to be false.”
Randy Hall: “I don’t know how any of us can maintain true objectivity. Perhaps that is why we begin the three phrases of the Apostles’ Creed with “I believe.” Here in the U.S. there is a major philosophical battle going on about Critical Race Theory. The debate is especially vigorous in the South where the legacy of slavery still packs a punch.”
Vera Gottlieb: “As a former Senator from Hawaii once stated: you are entitled to your opinion but not to your facts. As I see it, journalists too often express opinions (and why not?) in such a form that they are understood as facts. In today’s world it doesn’t seem to matter whether I am misled or whether I am told the truth: it is up to me to dig out the facts as they really are/were and ‘connect the dots’ as they say. Sadly, too many folks can’t be bothered to check out ’the other side of the coin’ or are afraid to think for themselves. Many times I rely on ‘my gut feeling’, trying to discern lie from truth.”
Laurna Tallman: “I’m happy to see you were changing your mind about what ‘professionalism’ means towards the end of your piece. If we are searching for the truth, we can be driven by our passion as long as we keep a firm grip on reality and reason and our moral compass. You don’t have to drink the hemlock with Socrates if you have a better god than the state. You may have to go to the Cross with Jesus and with Bonhoeffer if you are committed to Jesus’s principle of pacifism.
“Professionalism is having a high standard of whatever you do as work, not a religious commitment to do the work no matter its moral hazards. You should plan to imbue your work with a higher moral standard than whatever is currently guiding the profession. We are here to be creative forces for change.
“I have turned down ghost-writing jobs because I would be committing to the author’s moral order or ideas of unproven value. I have turned down other kinds of work because I felt that doing them would compromise my morals. I hope that how I do my work and live my life are making a contribution of value to the communal effort that is world peace.”
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TECHNICAL STUFF
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PROMOTION STUFF…
To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols. (This is to circumvent filters that think some of these links are spam.)
Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” is an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca. He set up my webpage, and he doesn’t charge enough.
I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom. She also runs beautiful pictures. Her Thanksgiving presentation on the old hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth, Is, well, beautiful -- https://www.traditionaliconoclast.com/2019/10/13/for/
Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom (NB that’s “watso” not “watson”)
ALVA WOOD ARCHIVE
The late Alva Wood’s collection of satiric and sometimes wildly funny columns about a mythical village’s misadventures now have an archive (don’t ask how this happened) on my website: http://quixotic.ca/Alva-Wood-Archive. Feel free to browse all 550 columns