Editor:
Re: Restore respect, June 9 editorial
What happened on May 30 at City Hall was, indeed, an embarrassment.
But before blame is laid, let’s look at the circumstances that led up to the show of utter frustration, from a very large and diverse group of Surrey taxpayers, over the abject failure of Mayor McCallum to show respect for his position and for the city’s residents.
What you refer to in your editorial as an “agitated crowd,” comprised business operators, business owners, construction workers, bankers, hospital workers, educators, senior citizens and many others.
The purpose of the group was to provide support for the three councillors, using privilege, requesting McCallum to step down until after the conclusion of his criminal trial. A reasonable request. He refused.
Previously, the members of the Surrey Police Board, similarly asked him to step down on the same basis. A reasonable request. He refused.
Perhaps some might think that the city received a “black eye” for the raucous events at the council meeting. However, the ongoing antics of McCallum have provided Surrey with a “technical knock-out.”
Most of the protesters were members, or supporters, of “Keep The RCMP In Surrey.” This group, as its name clearly suggests, is devoted to maintaining our current and highly respected police force.
While the reaction to McCallum’s refusal to do the right thing was noisy and disruptive, nobody can claim that there was any fear of violence to council members or to the mayor.
When the meeting was adjourned, eight minutes after commencement, the perpetrators of what you called “the brouhaha” remained in their seats, or in small groups in the auditorium, for approximately an hour until the meeting was officially rescheduled for Wednesday, June 1. These people then left the building quietly and respectfully and, presumably, went home. You quote one city councillor, Linda Annis, as saying “council has hit rock bottom.” Indeed, council has hit rock bottom by the failure of all councillors to demand that McCallum step down from his post until his criminal trial has concluded. It is, unquestionably, the right and proper thing for him to do.
Interestingly, we believe that McCallum instructed a city official to request the RCMP to come to City Hall. Isn’t it ironic that, after about two years of creating and ‘building’ his own Surrey Police Service, it has not yet reached the level of ability to be instructed to handle a relatively peaceful event.
That inability, alone, is a very good reason to “Keep The RCMP In Surrey.”
Peter W. Short, Surrey