Victoria’s regional government is feeble
Times Colonist Letters
June 28, 2015
Re: “Saanich rules out ALR sewage site,” June 23.
The fact that the sewage issue has dragged on this far attests to the feeble state of regional government without power to solve complex problems that cross boundaries.
How can regional problems be solved when local issues always trump the regional? The answer, it seems, is to pretend — ostrich-like — that there are no regional problems, only local ones, and these can be solved through talk and more talk until the problem goes away. No eggs need ever be broken.
Perhaps in another world. In this world, the province needs to look at the regional district as now constituted and ask if this structure is working well on behalf of a metropolitan region of 350,000 with many regional issues — not the least sewage — that cross the multitude of municipal boundaries.
Thankfully, the province does not need permission from anyone to ask this question. Indeed, it has a responsibility to do so and to set out on the road with others to answering it. It should get busy.
John Olson
Colwood
© Copyright Times Colonist
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/victoria-s-regional-government-is-feeble-1.1982065#sthash.zYbZM4a3.dpuf
Times Colonist Letters
June 28, 2015
Re: “Saanich rules out ALR sewage site,” June 23.
The fact that the sewage issue has dragged on this far attests to the feeble state of regional government without power to solve complex problems that cross boundaries.
How can regional problems be solved when local issues always trump the regional? The answer, it seems, is to pretend — ostrich-like — that there are no regional problems, only local ones, and these can be solved through talk and more talk until the problem goes away. No eggs need ever be broken.
Perhaps in another world. In this world, the province needs to look at the regional district as now constituted and ask if this structure is working well on behalf of a metropolitan region of 350,000 with many regional issues — not the least sewage — that cross the multitude of municipal boundaries.
Thankfully, the province does not need permission from anyone to ask this question. Indeed, it has a responsibility to do so and to set out on the road with others to answering it. It should get busy.
John Olson
Colwood
© Copyright Times Colonist
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/victoria-s-regional-government-is-feeble-1.1982065#sthash.zYbZM4a3.dpuf