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Only in Ottawa would we see a doubling-down of pettiness and petulance as our local government confronts the challenges facing our community. We're a big city with a large footprint and very diverse communities and neighbourhoods. A crisis like this calls for leadership,
for creative problem-solving, for responsiveness to community and for prioritizing the most vulnerable. It calls for leadership - leadership grounded in collaboration, not control and dominance. Leadership that is open to new ideas and creative thinking.
Leadership that listens, that recognizes the stress and strain that we are all under, and looks for ways to help people through a crisis that none of us could have even imagined - that is causing tremendous anxiety. Our communities need reassurance to navigate this uncertainty
We need leaders who can put differences aside, who think outside of their ward & recognize that solutions can be different in different communities. Meeting the needs of specific groups does not necessarily mean that we don't also want to find ways to meet the needs of others.
In a city as diverse as ours, being fair does not mean everyone gets the same thing. Some populations are going to be disproportionately impacted and we need to address those challenges together, as a community.
When we see leaders engage in petty, vindictive politics during a crisis, it undermines the confidence we have in our local government. It heightens anxiety and despair. I have to wonder whether it also means less respect for public health policies and rules meant to keep us safe
It's made worse when we see other cities rise to the challenge, using the moment to rethink what a livable city can be and taking steps to adjust - even making some of these steps permanently, like installing kms and kms of new bike lines and opening pedestrian spaces.
Why can't we have that? Because we are constantly being sent the message to expect less. That change is impossible. Drivers won't slow down. People won't live in more dense communities. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The dynamic at city hall has kept good people from running for office, it's led to a sense of powerlessness among citizens, and eroded faith in our democratic processes.
It's widened division between rural, urban, and suburban dwellers even though we have a shared interest in sustainable, livable communities in every part of our city's footprint. It makes me sad. Ottawa, and everyone who lives here, deserves better.
