Dear Editor:
I was very disappointed to discover that the City of North Vancouver civic candidates Morris, Bookham, Clark and Nichol chose to lock bicycles to municipal bike stands between 15th and 19th streets on Lonsdale. The bicycles were piled with the aforementioned's election advertising placards. Common sense dictates that this is a blatant misuse of a convenience intended for the public's use.
Are Morris, Bookham, Clark and Nichol oblivious to the fact that these cluttered bikes, displaying multiple candidates' signs, are an eyesore? The fact that the attached signs render the bikes unrideable is a further affront to common sense.
As a resident of the city for over 20 years I was compelled to contact each candidate and pose the questions: Do you agree that securing public advertising space through such questionable means is a sound idea? Do your actions enhance our city? Is this the sensibility that, if you are elected, you would bring to our municipal forum? Do you support other businesses invoking similar guerrilla advertising tactics in our city? I was able to personally speak with Rod Clark and Pam Bookham.
Rod Clark stated that he "sees nothing wrong with this." Clark had the audacity to tell me, "We had no choice." Really? What other decisions on behalf of city constituents will he make using the same rationale? They all had a choice.
They just chose to make a bad one.
Pam Bookham told me that people are concerned Darrell Mussatto has paid advertising (on the bike stands) while Kerry Morris was unable to secure similar advertising.
I'm certain residents of the city don't care who pays for advertising on bike stands as long as it's tasteful and within the confines of common sense. Let's focus on bigger issues.
This is a poorly executed and shortsighted electioneering strategy, in which the rationale for bad behaviour is because everyone is complicit, no one is accountable.
As a parent of two teens I have never accepted this type of behaviour; I certainly don't accept it from adults vying for the responsibility of governing my community.
Pamela Roskell
North Vancouver
