It’s a new year now, and we offer advice to folks, as some may have already broken their New Year’s Resolutions.
For starters, don’t make resolutions, especially impossible-to-keep drastic life changers.
Make realistic pledges to improve your life and the lives of others around you.
To our new municipal council, we urge them to pledge to put the people of Chatham-Kent first in all their decision-making.
This is no simple pledge. It could mean council goes against the wishes of administration, choosing a route to pursue that benefits the ratepayers rather than the civil servants that feed council its steady diet of reports and what they wish council to do.
But it could also mean making a difficult decision that will be unpopular with the ratepayers now, but beneficial in the long run.
At budget time, which is fast approaching, that could mean dealing with an issue now rather than pushing the problem onto the next generation.
This will be your first budget. You have three more before the voters return to the polls to truly judge how you have served them. Start off on a strong foot.
To the people of Chatham-Kent in general, we ask that you adopt the credo to Buy Local, Shop Local.
Yes, they are your hard-earned dollars and you have every right to spend them how you please, but consider the impact you can have on your local economy. Every dollar spent here in Chatham-Kent has a real impact on our economy. That could mean additional jobs, or it could help a local business survive and ultimately thrive.
All of that contributes to our tax base, and the healthier that is, the better it is for everyone.
Spending money in Windsor, London, or across the border does nothing to help Chatham-Kent’s economy. There is nothing wrong with a fun shopping trip out of town, especially to find items you just can’t buy here, but think about it for a second. If you are purchasing everyday items out of town ostensibly to save a few bucks, if that cash was spent here, perhaps the shops could expand inventory and provide more inventory. Or a healthier local retail economy could attract outside businesses to locate here.
If we all change just a little, chances are we can all help each other.
