EDITOR,
I am writing in response to Joe Rommel's Letter to the Editor in the Chief newspaper ("Travel tales fail to inspire," Sept. 9). Mr. Rommel said it was not his intention to criticize our mayor and then his letter unfolded like a Letterman top 10 list of judgments and jealousy. Mr. Rommel laid out the fact that he did not follow local politics "much" and that was clear as his criticisms seemed petty and personal and did not, in my view, reflect our mayor's accomplishments. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and so I would like to give the mayor and our community mine.
First of all, when I saw the picture of the mayor sliding down the slide, hands in the air, smile on his face, I thought how phenomenal it is that we have a mayor who is capable of relating to our youngest citizens as well as he relates to adults, seniors, Sikhs, First Nations, developers, dignitaries and more. This man simply relates to people.
Regarding the grad speech, once again I believe the mayor was trying to relate to the students in his address by sharing his honest struggle towards adulthood. I have not had the opportunity to learn from travel as much as I would have liked but I have seen the growth in others who have done so. Encouraging students to travel is in my opinion a wonderful idea, but the mayor did more than that. Allowing us insight into his personal life experiences, he stood before the grad class and the community as an example of possibilities. According to his website he has traveled, attained two degrees, enjoyed a successful law career and then he chose our community to start a business in. (Thank you, Greg, for choosing Squamish). He could have invested in any community and he chose ours. If that is not inspiration and motivation for our children, I don't know what is.
In my opinion, Squamish has been fortunate to have the talents of Mayor Gardner focused on our community. He is the epitome of dignity, class, honesty, and hard work. He has been firm with tough issues but also a gentle man who has led this council to make good long-term decisions (dykes/sewers/roads) that have nothing to do with popularity or garnering votes.
Unlike Mr. Rommel, I see taxes being reduced. I see respectful debate and discussion in council chambers. I see tax dollars funding much-needed infrastructure. I see a mayor who relates to the community he lives in, and frankly, although I don't know the brand of his suits, I see a mayor who always looks professional. I am proud that Greg Gardner is our mayor and sad that it will only be for a single term, but I wish him the best in life after this excellent stint in public service.
It never ceases to amaze me how the public expects good people to stand up and engage in public service knowing that every aspect of their person will be publicly judged, criticized and attacked. If we truly want good people to put their names forward, we the people cannot be as disrespectful as we have got into a habit of being.
I look forward to seeing Mr. Rommel's name on the list of council candidates running in the upcoming election so he can truly understand how difficult it is to be all things to all people. Based on this letter, it is unlikely that he will receive my vote. Heidi HeidenreichSquamish
