Much has been said about democracy.
From the time that we are old enough to engage in conversation, we have had democracy drummed into our heads. We hear a myriad of stories relating to the privilege that so many made sacrifices for so that we might enjoy the freedoms that we currently have. Enough said here.
Let’s go back to basics. Let’s analyze and simplify the basics of democracy in layman terms.
Principles of Democracy 101: Citizen participation. One of the most basic signposts of a democracy is citizen participation in government. Equality. Democratic societies emphasize the principle that all people are equal. Political tolerance. Accountability. Transparency. Regular, free and fair elections. Economic freedom. Control of the abuse of power.
Reads simple enough, doesn’t it? Not much explanation needed.
Principles are stated in plain and simple language. Nothing new or novel. It seems that skill testing question here might be, in which of these principles do mayor and council need remediation? Simple answer — all.
They appear to have missed the democracy boat in key areas (above) after the election. It seems that the roadmap to democracy was lost, scrapped or not understood. The jury is still out on this.
It seems that mayor and council want to play a David and Goliath game, so to speak. What they fail to realize is that the proper sized stone for the slingshot has not yet been found. However, folks, stay tuned, it may not be much longer. Time will tell.
Ron Barillaro
Penticton