With the civic election exactly one month away, it's officially time for candidates to begin declaring that municipal hall must listen to the people.
OK, so some haven't waited for the campaign to formally get underway to utter that familiar refrain, which has amazing staying power regardless of the political stripe of those running the hall at any given time.
The first time I saw it in action locally was back in 1990 when the upstart IDEA party was looking to wrest control of municipal hall from Doug Husband and his slate. "You shouldn't have to fight city hall," declared IDEA's ads, which urged voters to elect a mayor and council that would work for you.
Nine years later the tables were turned on IDEA when the Lois Jackson-led TriDelta slate used a similar campaign push. This time voters were implored to: "Put your voice on Delta council."
In more recent elections, Jackson's group, which now operates under the Delta Independent Voters' Association banner, has been on the other end of such messaging. Several challengers have already gone down that road this year, including independent Peter Mattoo, who, when declaring his candidacy for a council seat, said he would stand up for those not being listened to at municipal hall.
Delta is by no means unique in this regard as it doesn't matter the level of government or the party in power, the theme endures because there's validity to it. Before politicians are elected, they are one of us, but the longer they're in office, the more they become one of them. It can't be helped; it's human nature.
If anything, the current administration is defying the odds in term of longevity, which is a credit to Jackson, who knows a thing or two about the way political winds blow after spending four decades on Delta council.
Having said that, you can still see differences. Would the Lois Jackson of 1999 limited speakers at the Southlands hearing to five minutes each or suspended the hearing with people still waiting to be heard? I don't think so. At the same, would Jackson circa 2013 have heard anything new from speaker No. 500 or come to a different conclusion if the hearing had dragged on for several more days? Not likely.
Governing is a delicate balancing act of leading and following, so straying too far in either direction can be problematic. Politicians must listen to their constituents, but ultimately they have to make decisions they think are best for the municipality as a whole.
