MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in regards to the upcoming municipal election.
Dear Editor,
I think many newcomers to council may be in for a shock. The reason I say that is that Sept. 21 I sent a question to all the candidates for Town of Midland council with a plan to post the responses on Oct. 7.
I received eight answers. The other 13 candidates have not yet responded.
At the meet and greet at Cellarman's last Friday, I thanked those that had responded, and prompted those who had not (and I was able to talk to) as to why and answer was uniformly that they had had a deluge of emails and it had slipped through the cracks and a promise to send a response.
The newcomers were all surprised by the amount of email, and I don't think they realize this will happen a lot during their term. Given the number of newcomers who have promised to 'listen better', I think this is the beginning of a rude awakening.
Here is the question I posed that I doubt anyone else has asked.
Given the importance to economic development to Midland, and the large number of people with disabilities (whether physical or mental health) and seniors (many who also have age-related health challenges) who would rather be working than living in poverty, what efforts, tools and techniques would you support at the town and county levels in order to support us in achieving meaningful employment that uses our skills and talents so that we may fully participate in the economic and social life of the town?
As a bonus question: To the extent you have provincial and/or federal contacts and involvement, what are the effort and means to support our participation would you advocate for at those levels?
I look forward to your answers, and hope for your support on this matter.
Daniel Dickinson
Midland
