Citizen Letters reprinted with permission

From: address removed for privacy
To: clerks@oshawa.ca
Subject: Fw: Council Meeting - Ward System
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 10:27:05 -0400


Subject: Fw: Council Meeting - Ward System


I am not sure you received this e-mail at your council meeting last night as there were no minutes from the April 19th Special meeting for everyone to read.

It was mentioned that there were two meetings held on this question prior to the election. When were they and were they printed in our Oshawa "paper" in a prominent spot?

The meeting being a "Charade" and a "Mockery" were very appropriate terms used and express my feelings as I took the time out to come and speak, when in fact you had no intention of even using the comments to come to some other resolution that would meet all the citizens half-way on this issue. The point was made that very few people showed up, not the "thousands" you expected. Well maybe those thousands had previouosly attended special meetings where their voices only went into the wind and council were just placating them. They were the smart ones and went about important things in their life and not foolish like me. To add even more insult you phone me and ask me to e-mail, write or even attend the council meeting to again be made a fool of.

Your concern for the people who voted "yes" not coming out to vote in another election if their vote was not followed should also include those who have expressed their opinions in opposition to this change. We also may or maynot be voting next time around so that voter number may very well drop. After this "Charade" of asking my opinion why should I believe anthing ANY council member says?

Sincerely
Josie P




From: Address removed for privacy
To: clerks@oshawa.ca
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 12:33 PM
Subject: Council Meeting - Ward System


Mayor and Councillors

Myself and my family are not in favor of a Genreal Vote.

Our concerns are mostly that there was not very much information given to this VERY IMPORTANT issue prior to the elections. All the residents should have been given both the pros and cons of each system well in advance of the election, and not just in our local "paper". No candidate in our area ever mentioned this topic, asking our opinion, and our councillors elected have not asked us since. I know others who have discussed this with their constituents to get their feedback.

If this question was better known by all the citizens of Oshawa, I'm sure the voter turnout would have been a lot higher.

Such an important decision should not be made when it is a very well known fact that voter turnout is always in the 25% range. It would be even slightly more acceptible if EVERY ONE of the voters said yes to the question as then you might be able to say it was a "quorum". The 60% does not account for at least half of the population of Oshawa, it basically accounts for all the friends and family of the Councillors who wanted this issue brought forward in the first place.

The vote to have a Ward system was well disussed for many years prior to the decision. I did not hear of any complaints about it so why was it even brought up in the first place?

I truly hope that all of the councillors take their constituents interests to heart this time and vote on their behalf as they were elected to do.

Thank you for reading this letter.

Sincerely yours,
Josie P