SUBMITTED BY BOB BADER.
OPINION

Dear Editor,

Contrary to Mr. Marotta’s framing of the election as a SORE event, in fact a record number of voters in Niagara-on-the-Lake (and for that matter across the Niagara Region) showed up and voiced their displeasure with the bullying tactics of the developers and their enablers in the municipal and regional governments by voting in a new regime.

It may cost a few dollars in legal fees at the Regional level to protect the public purse from the Caslin, D’angelo fiasco lawsuits, but better to stand up for what is right than simply give in and pay out those extortionate claims. Similarly it cost a few dollars to reclaim the NPCA from the cabal so clearly exposed by the provincial auditor’s report. I’m hoping the new board at the NPCA will spend a few more dollars on legal fees and try to recover the money wasted by the previous one.

Here in NOTL we elected a lord mayor and council committed to finally regaining control of our future through passing a new Official Plan and reigning in the bully tactics of some developers.

Even if it costs “a fortune” it will be worth every penny to control our own destiny and approve appropriate development sensitive to our heritage culture that meets the needs of the citizenry and not just the greed of some wealthy developers. I for one would be happy to donate to support the town should it decide it needed to establish some form of Legal Defense Fund, and from the people I have talked with there are hundreds who would support such a fund. Your editorial suggests we should simply roll over in the face of the legal bullying tactics and let Mr. Marotta have his way. Did you ever stop to think that maybe it will be Mr. Marotta on the hook for “a fortune” in legal fees when he loses?