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The Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group, a division of Southâ€" ern Ontario Community Newspapers) Inc., a division of Southam Publicaâ€" tions, a CanWest Company. \The views of our columnists are their j own and do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. Group Sales Director â€" Retail Sales Manager, 886â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 editorial@waterioochronicle.ca sales@waterloochronicle.ca composing@waterloochronicle.ca WATERLOO CHRONICLE Dwayne Weidendort Ken Bosveld Deborah Crandall Associate Publisher . Editor, Ext. 215 The Waterloo Chronicle welcomes letters to the Editor. They should be signed with name. address and phone number and will be verified for accuracy. No unsigned letters will be published. Submissions may be edited for length. so please be brief Copyright in letters and other mate rials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely repro duce them in print. electronic or other forms. Our mailing address is 75 King St. S., Suite 201:Waterioo N2] IP2, our eâ€"mail address is editorial@waterloochronicle ca. and our fax number is 8B6â€"9383 Andrea Bailey Bob Vrbanac Reporter, Ext. 227. Sports Editor, Ext. 229 .,Sales, Ext. 223 _ Sales, Ext, 222 Deb Duffield _ Karen Dwyer Circulation Circulation Manager, Ext. 225 Assistant 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2 Associate Publisher: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Number Letters Policy Norma Cyca Lymn Bartol Ken Bosveld 905â€"523â€"5800, Ext. 239 Manager Sales, 623â€"6617 Audited circulation: 26,056 ISSN 0832â€"3410 Melissa Hounslow Laurie Ridgway Gerry Mattice On a personal note, I am proud that cityâ€"wide town hall meetings, ward town hall meetings, and public consultation about the future of facilities and programs have now become the way to conduct business. We have held 10 ward meetings this past year. I have sponsored breakfast meetings with indiâ€" 3. Council should create more opportunities and forums for citizens to play a role in the decisionâ€"makâ€" ing process, to allow residents to have a voice and ‘buy into‘ our community‘s future. 4. Council and staff must, more than ever, clearty spell out a longâ€"term vision for Waterloo, to encourâ€" age healthy debate over key issues such as a growth plan; traffic management; library expansion; addiâ€" tional recreation facilities; environmental resources; and tax dollars being put to good use. It is no small task to create a government atmosâ€" phere that gives citizens confidence and comfort. Following is a summary of some initiatives that counâ€" cil took in 2002. Community Consultation I believe that citizens deserve solid and clear comâ€" munication with city hall, because it fosters a good relationship with elected and unelected officials. Clearly, ders. To ensure trustworthiness, I believe: 1. Waterloo should have the lorgnesl conflictâ€"ofâ€" interest rules, to set out clearly what citizens can expect from their politicians and staff. 2 Waterloo should have the most transparent and accessible reporting system to allow citizens to regain their trust in the financial decisions made by council. The shortcomings and legal aspects of the RIM Park financing agreement were a dominant focus from midâ€"2001 and 2002. Waterloo agreed to a on ~mama aik mediated settlement in LYNNE February 2002. That mediâ€" ated agreement restrucâ€" wWOOLSsTENCROFT tured the repayment schedule and reduced the loan‘s cost by approxiâ€" mately $82 million. * Although nobody takes comfort knowing the cost of RIM Park is $33 million more over 31 years than the previous council expected, the current council unanimously supported the mediated settlement. It provided the best foreseeable outcome for the city and means that the council and community can understand the longâ€"term financial obligations and plan for the future. The problems associated with the RIM Park financing should never have happened and have understandably caused many people to question their municipal government‘s decisions. I believe the scrutiny will result in a stronger, more effective govâ€" emment. My numberâ€"one priority is to promote posâ€" itive and productive changes, so that citizens can trust the people who make and implement decisions. Then, in June of 2001, t other financial institutions overtook our agenda, because the city appeared to be legally on the hook for $115 million beyond the previous council‘s Sepâ€" tember 2000 agreement. 2002 was a bittersweet year for Waterloo. At the beginning of 2003, I reflect on the numerous changes that have occurred at the city. When I was elected mayor in November 2000, resâ€" idents had made clear they wanted changes at city hall. They applauded the comparatively low property taxes and many aspects of the city‘s operations. citizens wanted more community consultation. At the Inaugural in December 2000, I dedicated myself to meet the community‘s challenges and I set citizen consultation as a high priority. By creating the Brown Bag Breakfasts, a forum was established to informally discuss citizens‘ issues at city hall. After approximately five ipants said that 7 a.m. was business. So we started tc meet. Waterloo â€" our city that responsibility falls squarely on my shoulâ€" nately five of those meetings, particâ€" \a.m. was a brutal time to conduct started to examine other ways to the deal with MFP Continued on page 9 VIEWPOINT and the But This pillar of frugality and foresight opposed the hearings on the grounds they‘d cost in the millions and not reach any conâ€" clusion that a reasonable person over the age of 12 couldn‘t reach. Or perhaps councillors wanted someone to take the responsibility for them in the event (heaven forfend) that they want to take some disciplinary steps. Mayor Lynne Woolstencroft has described the park as "a magnificent facility with so much to offer," and that‘s true enough. Still, I think the park at the original price ($112.9 milâ€" lion) was a bit ambitious finanâ€" cially. That figure soared to $227.7 million under the subsequent holyâ€"cow calculation and then after the preâ€"courthouse dickerâ€" ing was reduced to $145.7 milâ€" lion. . That‘s a lot of clamshells to pay back, and it strikes us that the original tab would have been plenty for Waterloo to tackle. And, as a footnote, the $600,000 estiâ€" mate on the cost of the hearings now figures to go in the neighbourhood of $4 million, and that‘s a plush subdivision indeed. Besides, the day has its own problems: Buy some stuff for next Christmas and you‘ll forget where you stashed it. Of Passing Interest: No such has been held, but if a poll were held for the biggest local news story of 2002, it wdxld ce by all odds be the RIM Park - financial fiasco. ONLO That‘s the supposed holiday that‘s a mix of mass hysteria and consumer madness. It turns an alleged mercantile event into a carâ€" nival of grope, grab, shove, claw and spear. All of which separates the true Boxing Day shoppers from the gentle neophytes with ambition. â€" Yes, brethren, it‘s true. It‘s singularly inapâ€" propriate that a county which joined the ban on land mines permits the carnage of Boxing Day. The bargains, too, are mostly illusory. Sad to say, most of that stuff will be on sale tomorrow. A bargain? Well, it‘s something that‘s only a little overpriced. ay, this is the new year, but it‘s surprisâ€" Singly like the old one. Still, you deserve congratulations for surviving the holiâ€" days, particularly Boxing Day. Boxing Day is mass hysteria % | A. * f mews # â€" m 1 FIGURED. WE LVE N CANADA AND ITS WiINTER ... ME JUST SEEMED MORE LOGICAL THAN A DOG! . Ifs and Butts: Speaking of RD U.S. criticism, the Americans are also steamed about the proâ€" posed loosening of our marijuana legislaâ€" tion. Given that it has some places where enforcement isn‘t that rigid, you have to wonder about it. Blue Plate Special: An American airline is running a test in which passengers pay for their meals. The aim is ostensibly lower prices for passengers. Still, some of the noâ€" frills stuff has gone too far. On one airline just before takeoff, the stewardess goes down the aisle and asks you to fasten your Scotch Tape. For the first time our Commons and the Senate will sit together. Thus it will be a true joint session. Star Border: Canada is taking a miniâ€"beatâ€" ing over five gentlemen who allegedly snuck into the United States across the famous undeâ€" fended border. American critics, in crying havoc, are not â€" repeat, not â€" saying that the quintet had to pass U.S. customs scrutiny to It‘s hard to figure out what George Dubyah is thinking. The last I heard he was fullâ€"time puzzling out why you have to cinch your belt to keep your pants frpm falling Of course, discipline isn‘t in the modern scheme of things. It was different when we were growing up. One fellow we knew was whupped so often that until he was 10 years old he thought he was a dog team. Slippery Motive: There‘s been much speculation about George Dubyah‘s motive in pursuing a war with Iraq. The most popuâ€" lar one seems to be that he‘s making amends for his dad. What‘s surprising is precious little is said of oil, that tiny word which has caused diploâ€" matic doubleâ€"crosses and, yes, wars. If I were an American, I‘d be frightened of anything that‘s under the direction of George Dubyah. To give him his due, he‘s discovered a cure for amneâ€" sia â€" except that he keeps forâ€" getting it. _ gain admission to the land of the The original tips came from Canada, and under U.S. treatâ€" ment they quickly became a mess. That‘s easy to understand because Americans are so frightâ€" ened of a new burst of terrorism.