MORE "MEANINGFUL" GOBBLEDYGOOK & OTHER POLITICAL LANGUAGE

My title above does not pertain to all the responses from regional councillors, merely some. Words are important but actions speak so much louder and the actions to date from our Police Services Board, regional councillors and Waterloo Region Police Service have not been adequate, equitable or what should be expected from a modern police force. It is my opinion that there will always be a few bad apples but they should not be repeat offenders. Minor infractions deserve minor discipline but serious infractions, oh lets say firing a handgun six times at the back of a fleeing unarmed suspect (Sgt. Richard Dorling), deserves serious discipline including criminal charges and dismissal. Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record carried responses to defunding from our regional councillors in an article titled "Regional councillors share views on police defunding".

I found some of the councillors' responses very bland to the point of milk and apple pie such as Mayor Shantz, Karl Kiefer, Helen Jowett, Kathryn McGarry and to the extreme Geoff Lorentz who used the occasion to praise the Police services Board, Chief Larkin and Regional Chair Redman. Joe Nowak sounds totally regressive as does Mayor Armstrong, Mayor Jaworsky is a tad defensive, Jim Erb in no hurry for immediate change/improvement.

Less offensive are the comments from Chair Redman, Elizabeth Clarke, Sue Foxton, Tom Galloway, Sean Strickland, and Mayor Vrbanovic. First prize goes to Tom Galloway for his comments regarding reallocating resources and for his honest comments about our "expensive and ineffective courts and corrections system". The problem: Mr. Galloway was Chair of our woefully ineffective Police Services Board for many years. Go figure.