To the Editor,
Life in the Alberni-Clayquot Regional District (ACRD) is changing rapidly due to globalization. Forces from far away are making decisions (corporations and foreign governments) that greatly affect the people and environment of the ACRD.
Yet, these decisions are being made by individuals who are not democratically elected and by individuals who have no real interest or concern for the people who reside in our regional district.
The citizens of the ACRD warrant a democratic government which respects and preserves our inalienable rights and freedoms. In the spirit of “true democracy”, I petition the Directors of the ACRD to include the following referendum questions of great importance in the daily lives of ACRD residents on the upcoming 2014 ACRD election ballot:
Do you want the Directors of the Port Alberni Port Authority to be democratically elected by the residents of the ACRD? Yes or No
Do you want Port Alberni and the Alberni Inlet to become a port for the export of coal? Yes or No
Do you want LNG to be stored and transported in the Alberni Inlet? Yes or No
Do you want an independent, “robust” Environmental Assessment done regarding the short sea shipping port proposed for the mouth of the Alberni Inlet? Yes or No
Do you want Catalyst to stop burning tires as fuel? Yes or No
Do you want Catalyst to abide by City of Port Alberni noise by-laws? Yes or No
Do you want a state-of-the-art air monitoring system for all Criteria Air Contaminants established in the Alberni Airshed? Yes or No
Do you want GMOs and Round-Up banned from the ACRD? Yes or No
In closing, I leave you with this quote by Voltaire. “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it. “.
Ellen Chambers,
Port Alberni