Three Strikes You're Out (05.11.07)

Well, that was a close one. This of course refers to our beloved Canucks doing what they do best; not making it to the third round of playoffs. Sure I was rooting for them, but it’s been a couple years since I’ve watched the NHL on TV. I actually gave it up when I looked up at the screen and couldn’t for the life of me figure out who was playing. This was also around the time that the Bruins put a Care Bear on their jersey. Having had enough, I followed the 12 step program of only watching certain teams, then only bandwagoning it during playoffs. But having been burned by the choke-a-thon year after year, I’ve limited it to only watching if the ‘Nucks make it to the third round. This not only saves me heartache but I’m also able to enjoy fantastic spring weather instead of fattening up on the couch.

While it was nice to be saved from the embarrassing lack of teamwork on ice, I unfortunately could not avoid the lack of teamwork displayed in our council chambers.
After getting elected on a platform of fiscal responsibility, our current mayor and council have ground themselves to a bitter halt showing they are incapable of working together. The latest example being the tenth hour yoinking of the budget. After months of nattering on and on about our appalling financials, council finally eeks out a budget only to vote it down.

The optics of this are truly appalling, yet not quite as damaging as our Mayors questionable role in the sale of BC Rail.

The past several years have seen the Provincial Liberals impose a flabbergasting amount of hurtful cuts on our community. During it all was the uncomfortable knowledge that our Mayor was cozy enough with the party to consider running under their banner back in ‘04. With the recent allegations of wrongdoing, and dirty political trickery by top politicians like ex-Finance Minister Gary Collins in the Basi/Virk trial, the benefit of the doubt is rapidly disappearing for the BC Liberals. The worst part for us here in Squamish is that those at the top of the crooked food chain appear to have considered Mayor Sutherland to be a go to guy.

Few things have choked me as much as our community’s pathetic behavior during the obviously shifty sale of BC Rail. We should have been yelling and screaming about this heinous injustice but instead, with our Mayor at the lead, we rolled over and took it like we’ve taken every other provincial hit.

Now our mayor (rightly or wrongly) has been tainted with provincial Liberal dirty dealings while our council has bickered to a halt. All this and they haven’t even reached the mid-point of their three year term.

Part of me hopes we’ve hit the bottom and have no where to go but up. Yet as we know all too well: Squamish is full of surprises. Not least of which is just how low our bottom is.

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