Re: They have forgotten why we elected them, My View, by Pat Tracy, Burnaby NOW, Feb. 2.
In her February opinion piece, Pat Tracy maligns the professionalism of our staff and the integrity of the volunteer members who serve on the public safety committee.
During my almost 16 years as mayor, I have learned to expect Pat Tracy’s personal insults.
They are usually directed at me and council, so we don’t respond. This time, however, she has gone too far.
Burnaby city council relies on the advice of our highly trained staff. Before coming to council, staff reports are vetted by Burnaby citizens – including seniors, parents, community policing volunteers, and a school trustee – and outside professionals from ICBC, TransLink, the Burnaby Board of Trade, the RCMP and the fire department. These are the people who form our public safety committee.
Pat Tracy says that, prior to the recent crosswalk accidents, council should have made a political decision to distrust staff and ignore the committee members. She suggests that council’s acceptance of their recommendations led to a tragic fatal accident.
It is appalling that in her zeal to criticize council, she sees fit to devalue the advice of professional staff and citizen volunteers.
Council is not willing to stand by when the editor of a local paper attacks the people who serve our community with their best efforts.
Bad things happen, even when good people are doing their best. Pat Tracy’s editorial is clear evidence of why people are losing faith in some journalists.
Derek R. Corrigan is the mayor of the City of Burnaby.
Editor’s note: Mayor’s attempt to misrepresent column doesn’t help prevent a future tragedy
Mayor Derek Corrigan hopes to throw a little sand in the air to misdirect readers and the public.
My column did not blame or attack staff or volunteers. My column argued city politicians are responsible for city processes and should review such processes when they are not working – not simply react with knee-jerk defenses of the status quo.
The process used to determine if more safety measures were needed at this dangerous crosswalk was faulty, and yet the mayor continues to defend it and deflect attention away from it by attacking me personally.
I called for a review of the process (which now puts considerable weight on ICBC stats). This is something the mayor should be doing without my nudging – or anyone else’s for that matter. In fact, one of his own city councillors questioned the criteria used to determine city actions after the fatality.
A life was lost here. An editor and a mayor’s history is pathetically trivial compared to that. Please, just review the process. It could prevent a future tragedy.
Pat Tracy, editor
