Wit And Wisdom..........Stupidity and Corruption.

"The reason Politicians try so hard to get re-elected is that they would 'hate' to have to make a living under the laws they've passed"

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The presentation from the region at Tuesday's council meeting,about identifiable risks to the water supply is only the first part of a larger exercise.

It establishes road salt is not a risk. Dry cleaning fluids and other chemicals used in business are. In-ground heating fuel tanks are also a potential problem.

Next steps are for municipalities to amend official plans and zoning bylaws to prohibit or make subject to permit application, the use of the identified substances.

It would be sensible to deduce fertilisers will also be banned or controlled by bureaucrats in planning cubicles throughout the province.

All because under "the common sense revolution" of former Premier Mike Harris of Conservative persuasion. the government decided the Ontario Water Resources Commission which kept our water safe, could be done away with to save money.

Resulting in the deaths of nine people in the Town of Walkerton.

That the deaths were needless is undeniable. That there was honest error is neither valid nor acceptab;e.

That the catastrophe was inevitable under the circumstances is unquestionable.

That it was the result of shallow and terribly unintelligent political decision-making is equally without question.

Did we ever hear the points made in political debate? I don't think so.

Were there well-informed opinion pieces in the press>? I don't recall any.

I am reminded of an advice poster on the wall of a former York Region Medical Officer of Health.

"It's not corruption you have to worry about. It's stupidity"

Now we have a ring-side seat to watch the consequences and cost of that initial act of stupidity and irresponsibility.

All the busy beaver bureaucrats working overtime on the public payroll,clicking furiously on computers to determine where this and that is happening.

Has been happening without consequence for decades.

Must be stopped from happening because of course it's the obvious way to prevent another Walkerton .

The government which took over from the Honourable Mike Harris hasn't thought to restore the Ontario Water Resources Commission and the protection it provided to Ontario residents.

That would be too simple.

It might also acknowledge Provincial responsibility for needless deaths of nine Walkerton residents and misery to countless others.

And we must all rally round do busy work to distract attention from the real problem and "save the government harmless"

And I suspect, watch rates charged by the region for the best quality and supply of water in the province,increase annually for six years to pay for an exercise in phenomenal inconsequentiality.