Back last year when the local paper decided to not replace the editor when he moved on but to go with using the editor from a nearby town. I let anyone who would listen know my feelings: I was not impressed and felt our town was being short-changed and treated shabbily.
Well now I can say I have personally experienced the fallout from their decision.
Last Friday the opponents of the residential water metering program gathered in Gyro Park. I was there and covered it. And before the meeting actually started I saw city councilor Neil Krog talking with a group of people. So I shot a bit of B-Roll and listened in. Unfortunately I feel the need to point out misinformation, wrong headed thinking and paranoid fantasies for what they are. And this was one of those times when I felt there was a scary rumour with no basis in reality added to the mix of things that are being thrown at council in an effort to get them to stop the water meter program. So I spoke up …
Some background is needed here for the irony so please bear with me:
For those who do not know, I used to the work at the Boundary Museum when it was located downtown in Gyro Park. On the very spot where this gathering took place. I no longer work there because the museum society and city hall got into a fight. City hall closed the doors and shut the society, my employer, out of the building. Within a few months there were no longer any employees – I was the last one to go. But I stood with the rest of the museum people against the city. I was collateral damage in the fight between the Mayor, who was Neil Krog, and the society president, Rick Docksteader.
So last Friday I found myself in the ironic position of standing shoulder to shoulder with the former Mayor, Neil Krog, on the ‘grave’ of the last place I was employed in this town trying to put some facts and reality in the discussion.
In no published articles have I come out and stated my position on the Residential Water Meter program. Of course as a resident I have a position but as a media outlet reporting on these issues I’ve tried to maintain some semblance of impartiality. The only stances I’ve taken is to exhort the public to pay more attention to more issues with city hall than just this. And I’ve tried to point out issues that do not have bearing on the matter at hand or lack a basis in reality.
At the gathering in Gyro Park the Gazette had a photographer.
One of the shots he took had me and Mr. Krog facing the crowd. They got my name correct however they state in the caption that ‘Les Johnson, middle, and others spoke at the gathering against the implementation of the program.’
That is not actually correct. I did speak, true. I did not speak for or against and the wording of the caption makes it easy to think I spoke against the program which is a mistake. And if the Editor lived and worked in this town full time he or she would know that.
And I would point out that I am still not publicly declaring my position on this issue. My position should not be the point of any news topic unless that IS the topic.
Well said, Les. I appreciated the fact that you pointed out that some comments made at that rally were rife with unsubstantiated conspiracy theories currently popular with such organizations such as the Tea Party in the US. That really was too bad because the majority of the speakers presented rational arguments and were sensible in their approach. The fact that I personally support the installation of water meters did not take away my appreciation for the professional organization of the rally. I watched your video and you did not make any statements for or against water meters.
Well now your other comment makes sense Les. I remember when we had two newspapers and I wrote a column for the Boundary Sentinel. The Gazette got a shock that people were interested about local issues and that they were losing subscribers. anyway here is another local issue and Mr Krog certainly stated councils position in the article. The problem that I see is that the Gazette is part of a chain of papers and has a chain form mentality. I have yet to see any in depth stories by their reporters from either side of this question, nor any constructive solutions to what is a problem of economy ( the cost of providing water) in a city that has two river running through it. Water shortage issues have been an issue for the 43 years I have lived here in the Boundary and now meters has become the solution. I do not know one way or the other if this type of device to monitor water use is or is not a health issue. Seems this is something a local paper might want to cover. This week their local columnist covered the subject of GMO, which is like preaching to the choir in my opinion. Personally my feeling is this solution city is embracing is too short sighted and a project that saved water in spring time so that it could be used in summer time might be a more progressive long term solution. This of course would require a dam and all the awful things that come with a dam, like electrical production and sale of electricity, a lake and the awful tourist implication that would bring. Lastly a fishery, god forbid could be established. The reason none of this will ever happen is that it would benefit people and that seems to be an issue in the Boundary political world. By the way the river that suits a dam is the Granby and the dam is not positioned at the site of the former dam.
Dennis, your tongue in cheek comments about the potential benefits of a dam are very much appreciated.