Editor:
Judging by John Gleeson's column (Coast Reporter, April 26), reporters and editors are not held to the same rigorous standards of research for the facts as they expect politicians to be. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately. Quoting Betty-Ann Pap is also very popular these days. I suppose she is the voice of Sechelt now? Heaven forbid. Has anyone ever heard this woman say something positive?
Both Gleeson and Pap have neglected to inform themselves about the procedural details of a council meeting.
First, the agenda is set ahead of time and is published online. If the RCMP or anyone else doesn't want to sit through the first part, they don't have to.
Second, the procedures for a council meeting are that councillors and the mayor debate issues amongst themselves. That's the way the system works - in Sechelt and everywhere else. It is not appropriate for councillors to engage with anyone other than staff during these meetings.
If the RCMP or regional district wants to comment on something, they work with the District staff or they plan ahead of time to have an official presentation put on the agenda. In fact, Gleeson goes on in his article to outline what the police already said in a written report to council.
Mr. Gleeson's implication that the mayor is being a big meanie to old women and policemen demonstrates a sad lack of research which, if he'd done any, would have shown him that the mayor was actually running the meeting properly and that it was Ms. Pap who was out of order. Get your facts right, Mr. Gleeson, or take a job with a tabloid.
Elizabeth Reid, Sechelt
