It may be only May, but the silly season has started.
For those of you new to the lingo, the silly season is the lead-up to an election - in this case, the municipal elections set for November.
Recent issues in the community -the proposed Silverback development in Sechelt, the Shoal Bay development proposal in Gibsons, the recycling review by the Sunshine Coast Regional District -are just three examples where the community and our elected officials have been at odds with each other. The issues have spurned much public debate, heated exchanges at meetings and letters to the editor. Some politicians have taken it upon themselves to try to justify their actions through letters to the editor, some even defending their decisions. While everyone has a right to their opinions and to state their views, it sometimes begs the question: are these politicians looking out for themselves and trying to win votes come November, or are they truly looking out for what is best for this community, moving forward and making decisions in the best interest of those who got them there in the first place - the voters?
Whatever the case may be, it is clearly time for change. While all levels of government on the Coast have done some positive things during this current term - opened up new recreation facilities, won environmental awards, lobbied for changes on our highways and received numerous grants from both the province and the feds to provide better services, some have also made many questionable decisions regarding development, flip-flopping their votes, bowing to special interest groups and public pressure and looking out for themselves.
Now is the time for new candidates to start coming forward. Hope for the future is here after last weekend's Campaign School where women from all over the Coast gathered for insights into the political process.
We hope qualified candidates (male or female) with the best interests of the community and a desire to move the Sunshine Coast in a positive, progressive fashion will step forward and run for office. After all, sometimes a different viewpoint can be good.
It's going to be an interesting few months. Let the games begin.
