Columnists
Ho ho ho and Bah
A friend recently told me I wasn’t as edgy as I used to be. He told me he liked my old columns where I took issue with something and shook the daylights out of it. I suppose he’s probably right. I don’t rant and rave like I used to. I’ve got a smidge more internal dialogue, which may or may not be a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, I do have huge opinions on oodles of matters. Right now, like a lot of all y’all, I’m not thrilled with the prospect of facing even higher water bills in 2016. At our house, we’ve cut our consumption down to the barest of bare bones. We tell everyone the timer in the big bathroom is for anyone showering. We expect everyone, and we mean everyone, to set the timer for three minutes and stick to it. We have a high-efficiency washing machine and low-flow toilets. We ascribe to the Girl Guide approach to toilet flushing. And no one would dare let a tap run while brushing their teeth, if they know what’s good for them.
Essentially, we’ve been told County residents have been so good at lowering their water consumption that revenues aren’t exactly flowing into the municipal coffers like they used to. It’s more like a drippy faucet. Apparently, the bill for the new water treatment plant will never get paid unless the consumption rates go up. Personally, I like to blame mayors and councillors of administrations long past for our abysmal infrastructure problems. I shake my finger at all of those people who bought County votes with the promise of low taxes and, consequently, no mind for upkeep of our frail infrastructure. And, if it ain’t bad enough we’ll pay more for water than for gasoline, the County roads we drive on are like driving through ploughed fields—without reaping any benefits, such as a load of seed corn or a pile of soybeans. The Scrooges of our past councils are making us pay for the crumbling and erosion of our future. And please don’t get me started about the size of council. Okay, now that I’ve mentioned it, it isn’t a money saving thing.
Who cares about the size of council? Seriously, a few people might care, but I speak with a whole lot of people every single day. Most of those encounters and discussions aren’t about how many people sit in our council chambers. Nope. Not even a little bit. If I try to steer things in that direction, my friends and acquaintances, I get a look. A look that says, “Fifteen councillors or 13 councillors or 10 councillors, if they can’t make a decision, what difference does it make how many?” Indeed. Let it go. If it’s about saving money, just stop. If we want to change things up, why the H E double hockey sticks do we still have a ward system? There. I said it. Let’s start thinking “Councillors at large”. Oh, wait a minute, it’s been mentioned before and no one listened.
I get it. Not very seasonal of me. I apologize. Ho Ho Ho and Bah Humbug. You’re expecting me to be seasonal. Thank goodness I’m not in the mood to talk about alternative energy choices at a time when most of us are afraid to turn on a light or turn up the heat. I see a future where the Fire Department will get one hell of a workout because people start burning candles for light or laying a fire in a fireplace that hasn’t been used for eons. Yep, I can feel a real rant boiling up in my plum pudding area.
Next up? Let’s talk about Christmas present. You bet. Next week, for sure.
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