Nanaimo Run By Special Interest Groups??

Does Anyone Represent The Silent Majority?
Do The Majority Of Nanaimo Taxpayers Have Council's Ear?
"It's hard for an ear to hear, what is not said"

The recent example of six city councilors deciding to take the first step towards spending $925,000 on the church turned theatre at 25 Victoria Rd. shows the effectiveness of a well organized and funded (with your money) special interest group.

When you see councillors do 180 degree about faces after being pressured by the arts and culture posse you realize just how little concern some councillors have for the overall good when compared to pandering for the block of votes this group can bring come election day.

Make no mistake even a few hundred votes can make the difference between the joy of winning or the agony of defeat come election night. Remember, everyone on this council are there with anywhere from less than 10% to no more than 15% of the total number of eligible votes, so a few hundred from this group really matters if being elected is more important than making decisions based on the total community interest. That is why the best interest of the 85% that did not vote for you can be set aside if you want to please a group that does vote for you. That logic isn't rocket science even for someone with my limited intellect.


Who Really Influences The Decisions On City Council?

Make no mistake the biggest single influence on how city council votes comes from the input of city staff, led by city manager Mr. Kenning. You may recall that Kenning, was recently recognized by the local daily as the most powerful man in town. That is actually kind of scary when you think he is not responsible to city voters.

From my observations over the past number of years I have come to the unscientific opinion that there are four many influence peddlers at city hall who definitely will decide how YOUR tax dollar will get spent.

There is an arts and culture group, who themselves are broken into sub-groups each of which jockey with each other for favour at city hall. Then there is the sports group whose interest includes everything from pee wee support to multi-million dollar multiplexes. Of course there is the obvious business community who are represented by several power brokers ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to the home builders association, this group can benefit from favourable tax reductions to fees and  charges that do not fairly reflect the cost of development etc. There is of course the well organized, and well funded labour lobby who peddle considerable interest with city council. Several councilors receive large cash contributions come election time. I would expect that being opposed to core service reviews intended to find tax dollar savings would be a hallmark of someone organized labour would like to support.

I have often pondered if city council would ever actually make a decision that would be best for the community, if it meant losing the support of one of these little special interest groups?

At the end of the day, if we don't like what goes on with City Council and at City Hall, but are willing to just shrug and ignore them, or bitch and complain a little, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when our tax dollars keep getting removed from our pockets to line someone else's.

You CAN make a difference, take the few moments it takes to send an email to the Mayor and City Council telling them exactly what you think about some of their decisions. They can all be reached from one address mayor&council@nanaimo.ca You can also phone them, their numbers are listed on this website in the right hand column. Send a letter to the editor expressing your opinion. Stay informed and engaged and discuss what your elected and non-elected officials are doing with YOUR city with everyone you meet.

YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD ---------- BUT NOT IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING!