Where Is The Mayor When It Comes To The Flood? One Man'sOpinion

By Ben Meisner

If the Emergency Operations Committee is an indication of what you can look forward to at a time of disaster in this city, God Help Us.

There is no question that there are a good many city staff who are working their buns off on the flooding of the Nechako River, many of them are in over their heads, away over their heads.

Simply look at the list of people who are on the committee and come up with a working group who knows what to do in the event of a major ice flood in the city. Feel more comfortable, or do you?

Watching the goings on at City Hall on Monday should have left anyone cold as to how the City operates in a time of emergency. A mayor who’s name by the way I don’t see on the master list for the EOC but of course he should be able to get in without a pass, criticizing a Councilor who was asking for the city to seek help from the federal and provincial government to get their expertise… a great idea by the way that Brian Skakun had, problem was that the Mayor kept interrupting him ,not allowing him to speak his piece. I believe that the people elected Skakun to do just that, but somehow the democratic system fell apart and I didn’t see anyone from the rest of the Council standing up and saying hold it one minute here Mr. Mayor,  Skakun is entitled to his thoughts.

Then there was the issue of John Brink trying to get to talk to the Council. He , along with a gallery full of businesses, private home owners and unemployed workers who have seen their jobs cut because of the flood, all had a number of questions to ask. What did they get from the Mayor?  He told them he had to look at the whole City’s interests. Well he might start by looking after the interests of the 1,000 workers and the $250 million dollars in investment from that corner of town, instead of trying to brow beat them into submission.

In the end they were told that business has to go it alone, there is no compensation for them or the workers, but $300 grand for the owners. They were allowed to speak but only two reps. from each section,of course minus the unemployed workers after all, what  have they  got to do with the flood, except perhaps try to feed their families while the water keeps them  away from their jobs.

The mayor criticized Skakun for not being involved in the process. I should say 250 has heard more from Skakun and the business owners along River Road than the Mayor. But of course we already know that the mayor doesn’t like us,  after all we are his, “only " opposition to the manner in which city hall runs, and we can’t have anyone speak against his policy, because it’s always the right move, now isn’t it.  

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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