Dear editor,
To quote Jon Ambler as you have done, "I love to see them spend other people's money" when the money he is talking about is your money and my money, which is becoming much more difficult to come by.
Money we pay in taxes to the regional district, the city, the province and the federal government. It is our money and we have every right to expect it to be spent wisely and timely.
If we are in difficult economic times, as we are now, spend what needs to be spent to insure our infrastructure is maintained, not some large projects such as the Lewis Centre, which will require more staff and higher operational costs that are not included in the $5.4 million.
It is this cavalier attitude of Jon Ambler and other members of the council that has turned many voters against the last mayor and council. I think if this statement was made before the election, he might not have been re-elected.
We have every right to expect to have a say in the financing of such spending. When you have to go to city hall to pick up a form that you must fill out and return to city hall to protest against the project, very few people will do it.
I think this is the reason councillors such as Jon Ambler are in favour of it. If it was a referendum on the ballot during elections many more people would have a say.
I am disgusted when people say it's federal money or provincial money, as if it miraculously came from heaven. It is our money and we have every right in saying how it is spent.
Bernie Guyader,
Courtenay