Big Business and "Process"

Dan Mills on Turbine companies and municipal council
Dear Editor:

The die was cast for the so predictable out-come of the new Wind By-Law of
the Municipal Council of the District of Digby the night that Democracy
died. That was back in summer when, after weeks and months of meetings by
the Planning Advisory Committee ( which included 3 councilors and 3
community volunteers) the deputy-warden, a member of the same, proposed
bringing it to Council for approval.

And so they did! The deputy made the motion. And like the Lone Ranger riding
in on the great horse,Silver with a Tonto or two at his side,coming as it
seemed in the name of the new-found God,Economy, the silver bullet was
fired! And down went our Council as in the ancient Jewish parable of the oak
tree and the reed.(Jesus refers to it in Mt.11,7.)

Or another way perhaps more readily understandable to the child in us: Big
Business came in, and it huffed and it puffed and it blew the house down!
The house was made of straw! ( In consultant fees alone, over
Twenty-Thousand Hard-Earned-Tax-Payers-Dollars huffed right into the 4-site
groups pockets for a by-law which didn't take!) And it was there that
democracy died!

Council decided to do it "Their Way" on the advice of outside companies who
said they wouldn't play if the rules didn't change. And so they discounted
the PAC this time, and all the people, and hired 4-Site to do the deed in
its' own image and likeness.Fait accompli! We're just waiting for the bill
for that one!

"It's just money", I suppose the Council Treasury will avow....but it's a
lot more costly than that, isn't it? Time will prove me right.

Daniel Mills
Digby County
Nova Scotia