LTC seems intent on unseating an elected government

By Letter to the Editor on June 17, 2021.

Editor:
We keep seeing letters from the “Lethbridge Transparency Council” which seems to be a right-wing political action group intent on unseating what they obviously perceive to be an overly progressive or left-wing municipal council.
Firstly, a “council” is defined as “an advisory, deliberative, or administrative body of people formally constituted,” or “the elected administrative body of a municipality” or “a body of persons chosen as advisors.”
So this group is in fact both self-appointed and self-important in the way that only conservatives have shown themselves to so relentlessly be – the self-proclaimed “grassroots” and true believers among us, the only ones honest enough to be transparent.
In their minds, only they truly represent Canadians, or in this case, the citizens of Lethbridge, assuming their “tribe” to be the common-sense majority despite electoral results or any other evidence to the contrary.
Consider where this arrogant attitude has fully manifested – in the solid right-wing origins of “the big lie” currently ripping the U.S. apart, threatening democracy itself.
Such certainty and keen righteousness reveals why we never talk about a conservative democracy, only a liberal one.
Because conservatives are “mansplainers” all, and fundamentally not “sharers.” Imagine if they had been in charge during this pandemic.
The UCP has provided what support they have entirely under duress, proving the adage consistently, like all conservatives, that “cheap runs deep.”
Money is about values after all; liberals quite simply value people more.
This group’s chosen name also implies that the current Lethbridge council has not only not been as transparent as they and their ilk would be, but has actually been deceitful enough to warrant organizing against them with a fervor reminiscent of “draining the swamp,” avidity that would be more usefully directed toward their cutting and destructive provincial cohort.
As a liberal, I can appreciate the inherent, often herculean difficulties of democracy and governance, especially lately, and perceive the current duly elected municipal council to be hardworking, open-minded and fair.
Patricia Pargeter
Lethbridge