Dear Editor:
Last week’s letter to the editor, Let’s stifle negativity by Whitewater Region Councillor Dave Mackay stated, “Cobden was once one of the most promising villages in Renfrew County, but in the last 10 years it has lost its way due to being undermined by a small group of citizens whose negative actions are dragging their community down, making it impossible to promote new initiatives that could help Cobden’s economic stability.”
So tell us Coun. Mackay, is one of those “new initiatives” their opposition to the Renfrew County Official Plan, because I have it from several citizens you thought it was fine. However, when asked if you had read its contents you replied – “No but Hal told me it was a good thing so I’m for it.”
Has it ever crossed your mind that you were not elected to do what Whitewater Region Mayor Hal Johnson does? The reality is you were elected to make your own decisions after studying all the facts and their implications in order to best serve the electorate, which requires that you read important documents instead of sitting on council like a possum.
As for those “petty issues” you referred to, the $14,000 spent trying to defeat them and your transparent attempt to link those issues with the closing of a school, subdivision development and water and sewer upgrades – those issues are unrelated to the “petty issues” which you only mentioned in an attempt to divert attention from matters soon to be resolved in a Court of law, and made public with the names of who did what to whom, after which the electorate will know real the truth about what precipitated those issues in the first instance, and what transpired thereafter, such as the personal vendettas, vindictiveness, lies and malfeasance, and the individual who caused it all.
Your further attempt to denigrate Doug Shields by insinuating he was responsible for council spending countless dollars over “a fire suppressant necessary for all restaurants” is simply another example of the scurrilous accusations which showed you lacked the backbone to call him by name, just like your other pathetic innuendoes by mentioning “Those who ran for office but were not elected” which simply confirmed your public persona as a Chihuahua chained to a Bulldog.
With respect to the citizens you alleged are “pushing personal agendas and don’t seem to care about the other 6,000 citizens in the township” – I challenge you to produce a speck of evidence proving that allegation – a single instance where they have profitted from their efforts to ensure our municipal future – prove they have lied to the people, engaged in a cover up, received special treatment or pushed personal agendas to the detriment of their fellow citizens – and finally I challenge you to put your money where your foot is, if you can get it out of your mouth.
No other comments are needed as your letter speaks for itself. Nor do I have further questions for someone who doesn’t read matters over for himself, but relies on the word of another when making a decision. So, I will forego asking more questions as you already have enough to answer.
To sum up, you said, “Cobden is at the crossroads of either being bogged down in negativity or getting over the personal vendettas of a few selfish citizens because Cobden is being left behind.”
But, you are mistaken, because it’s not selfish citizens who are causing all the trouble, it’s a tumor in the municipal office and the sooner that malignancy is removed the sooner our region can heal.
In the interim, the ball is back in your court, but be careful Coun. Mackay as the game you are playing is hardball, and it’s one of my favourite sports.
Donald E. Broome, Cobden
