Editor:
Re: Political posturing, Sept. 29 letters.
In your online poll, Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, you asked: “Are you confident that officials will get a handle on the ongoing shootings throughout Surrey?”
This is a revealing poll regarding the confidence of the local population in their elected officials.
Having lived here for 10 years, I am of the opinion that officials simply hang onto the easy statements to placate the public. Statements like “tough on crime” and “boots on the ground,” coupled with professed outrage from some, carries no weight.
Just a couple of years ago, when the situation was assessed as a crisis, the easy answer was that 100 additional law-enforcement officers was the panacea. Now that can be reviewed as having not achieved the required results, and with more shootings there is discussion that another 20 or 30 more officers is the answer.
I am reminded of comment commonly attributed to Einstein that “repeating the same behaviour but expecting a different result is a reasonable definition of insanity.”
I also echo the perspective of two letter-writers that political manoeuvring by a local politician, Dianne Watts, in the municipal, currently federal system and potentially in the provincial arena appears little more than for personal gain.
After elected terms as mayor followed by two years as my MP in Ottawa, I am thinking this is akin to changing deck chairs on the RMS Titanic.
Expect no change.
David Hutchinson, Surrey
• • •
Re: Watts criticism goes deeper, Oct. 4 letters.
Chris Wright wants us to believe that those who don’t want Dianne Watts as leader of the BC Liberal party are sexist.
Now where have we all heard that before? Perhaps the Russians are hacking into her emails as we speak, looking for a reason to discredit her.
She reminds me of a past politician who went back-and-forth like a piece of driftwood in attempt to get to the top. Watts went from city mayor to federal politics as a Conservative and now vies to be leader of the provincial BC Liberal party.
To Wright, she may be the creme de la creme, but the letter-writer should note what else floats on top.
W. Al Riede, Surrey