March 27, 2008

To: Editors, Kingston Whig-Standard

Why in the world does the city persist in ticketing cars parked on local streets overnight when there is no threat of a big storm, no evidence that the cars are getting in the way of snow removal and no evidence that the city is removing any snow or ice from sidewalks?

The bylaw banning overnight parking on city streets in winter is a travesty. It can only be read as a suggestion that we should think that the city is going to remove snow from sidewalks and side streets.

While the mayor and city council fiddle over large-venue entertainment centres and a lousy hockey team and cancelled shows at the entertainment centre, the rest of us trip, fall, collapse and shout out, "Deliver us from this winter hell."

The most recent indignity occurred when a sidewalk snowplow operator took out my front gate garden and deposited all the snow and ice that could possibly be deposited on the sidewalk and front of this and other houses.

I think the next mayor should not have an "edifice complex" and instead should think about sensible ways to administer city needs.

Geoff Smith