Liberty is a right through Canada’s charter, it means to have freedom from arbitrary government control; arbitrary meaning not from a personal whim. We can’t easily change all the legislation we’re bombarded with but can influence not being increasingly buried under more.
Remember the election 2017 and our mayor stating, “we have to make sure that our decisions reflect the wishes of those who put us in office” The type of ‘sell the sizzle, not the steak’ sales pitch to persuade our vote. Now that the sizzle stopped, there’s indication that some of the steak is more akin to shoe leather.
With the glad-handing behind us, the façade of appearing to do the right things, is becoming more transparent. Most evidently, from the recent cannabis by-law that is about to be imposed on us all. The one that we were asked about and then our answers ignored in its drafting.
Specifically on the question of whether a licensing program for those who would follow federal guidelines on growing 4 plants privately, over 60% of the respondents were clear – NO, the tradeoff of freedom for government control wasn’t wanted.
So the draft of the bylaw comes out and states that YES, these households will need to pay the city, they will have their names forwarded to the RCMP like pedophiles, and their residences will be branded for future buyers. Additionally, council wants a say on electrical devices and inspections – in other words they want the keys to enter your home, whether you have this plant or not, without a warrant and based on a bylaw, through a ‘complaint’, like the police are our mayor.
Council’s deafness is explained through statistically insignificance but the hypocrisy of this is embarrassing. As per Chestermere’s website, Mr. Marshall was elected with less than 54% of those who voted; 4,878 residents. Demographics show more than 70% of Chestermere citizens old enough to vote; meaning that our mayor was elected with only 18% of the available vote – this, though, was statistically valid enough to take office, yet a vote of over 60% NO, isn’t!
Arguments too, that only 250 residents were interested enough to take the time and have a say, or perhaps that’s the remnant who have any confidence in the political system not just being self-serving. Again touted as being not statistically significant. I’d be curious if Ritesh Narayan agrees, after all, Mr. Narayan took the seat from Blaine Funk by 208 votes – seemed valid enough at the time the sizzle was being sold, as Ritesh now too sits on council.
Why all the issue anyway? Is there a problem here that the residents of Chestermere are focused on and feel that it’s better to forfeit more freedom and needs government intervention? Has there been some issue in the community that has created a crisis for measures such as licensing and creating shaming lists for growing a legal plant,? None at all; a cannaphobic council with personal whims though……..
N. Neufeld
