Letter: The public deserves to be informed

By Letter to the Editor on January 28, 2021.

Dear editor,

So Mayor Clugston has again decided to take a condescending attitude toward Hatters. He said, in regard to the power plant sale, that “it’s a very complex industry … it would take a long time to get the public up to speed.”

Well he better get to work, because that’s city council’s job! The public deserves to be informed, engaged with and educated about the future of energy in the city.  Would council’s job not be easier if they did so?  

I don’t have blind trust that they will do the right thing and maybe that is why people are upset about this. Selling the power plant came out of the blue and from behind closed doors, even though it is owned by the citizens of Medicine Hat. Hatters are the shareholders and I’m pretty sure council is accountable to us, and not just at election time. 

As a citizen of Medicine Hat, I’m not asking for confidential details, but I do deserve to be included, and for council to share what they know. What experts are advising council? Is it purely on speculation?  What protection, terms, criteria and “strategic alternatives” are city council considering?  What has brought council to this decision?

Coun. Jim Turner stated he would like to see this matter resolved over the next two months! Sure glad they are taking their time and thinking this through. This is our “Medicine Hat Advantage” they are selling out from under our feet, without consultation.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I elect these people hoping they always put the best interest of Hatters and the future of the city first, not for a speedy decision. To me that means consultation, information sharing, listening and educating the public. Hatters are not stupid. It is time to hear the truth about why they want to sell, what their intentions are and how it will impact Medicine Hat in the future.

 

Kathy Bayer

Medicine Hat

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