Editor:
Delta-Richmond East MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay announced last week she would represent her constituents at the upcoming Whatcom County hearing regarding the relocation of the KRPI radio transmitters to Point Roberts.
I suggest that we should acknowledge and thank Findlay for her decision to personally intervene. Presentations against the towers from all three levels of government from Canada will be influential.
I note this is a major change of position for Findlay. In a meeting with me and another member of the Cross Border Coalition Against the Towers in May, Findlay said that a federal representative would not appear at the hearing, and the federal government would not provide financial support to the coalition.
While no reason was given then, we have learned the owners of BBC Broadcasting (KRPI) are Conservative Party supporters who are influential in the Indo-Canadian community. It appears Findlay was trying to walk a fine line between representing her constituents and not antagonizing a group being courted by the Conservative Party.
However, I suspect Optimist editor Ted Murphy was right - the coalition's petition was the key. I surmise that the 3,500 signatures gave Findlay the courage to break with the party on this local issue and decide to openly support her constituents.
So, albeit belatedly, our MP is now onside, which is great. We have to give credit where it is due.
The next step is to ask Findlay what she's going to say to the hearing. The last time I spoke with her staff her reported position was that the radio towers pose no threat to nearby Tsawwassen (an almost identical argument to that espoused by BBC's agent Andrew Skotdal, notwithstanding that it has been refuted by Jerry Cutler in the Optimist).
It would be helpful to know if her assessment of the potential risk posed by this project to Tsawwassen has changed, and if her presentation at Bellingham will reflect this.
Steve Graham
