Wednesday 1 October 2008

Moderation

I started this blog quite some time ago to help build a positive reputation for Crowsnest Pass and to showcase and highlight at least some of the unlimited positive aspects of what our small area can offer to those whom would consider making our home their home. I enjoyed doing it. I had fun getting out taking pictures, preparing them, and presenting them here. I enjoyed writing my thoughts about our community, our municipality, or other things I feel passionate about but as many have noted there has not been a whole lot of blogging from me in the past number of months. It is extremely difficult to be positive in a sphere of negativity. It was hard not to get sucked into what others have started so I left the blog alone. Many of the thoughts I wanted to write down remained unsaid and for the most part that was a good thing. My father would tell me again and again "If you have nothing good to say, say nothing". It is too bad I learned way to late that almost all of my father's advice was damn good advice and I should of been heeding it since I was a teen. Ah well, anyway, here we are.

I am surprised at the number of comments left at my last post. Many from anonymous posters. When the first couple showed up I almost deleted them, thinking if person has to hide behind the title of anonymity he should not get a forum here to express his or her views and thought that may be a bit cowardly should someone want to condemn me for my beliefs or actions. Now I see Randall Whiteside would like me to delete the whole bunch of them. I won't do that. What one sees in these comments is what negativity and the politics of polarization spawns. No, I will not delete them. They will be left here for those who want to foster the polarization of our community to see how ugly negativity and polarization is and hopefully it will remind them that no good has come from the atmosphere that was created this past year over our community centre. I will however delete any comments left in that thread from here on out. In the future I will moderate all comments that condemn private individuals for their beliefs.

4 comments:

  1. An option is to turn off Anonymous comments on your blog (under settings/comments header on the blogger dashboard).

    The downside of that is that you need to have a blogger/google/openID account to leave comments.

    It's an option.....

    if there was a way to include the IP address with anonymous posts, it'll make people less likely to leave defamatory comments.

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  2. I must say Gary, that you have on your hands a chance to use those eye muscles of yours, because they must constantly be rolling. Only being here for a few years, and understanding, or for that matter, even caring as little as I do about local politics (just to the extent that I'd better have low taxes...), that even I understand that the changes to the EDO board are no where near what your opposing council suggests even relivant. And their make-believe choice is interesting as well... Please gather a group together and make sure that all the folks in this area understand how the system works before we are forced to suffer through any more of this blatant ignorance that is running rampant. Laughing my a** off, Dan Stoddart

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  3. Hello

    What is council thinking with respect to taxing "weekenders" more than permanent residents of the Pass? Do they think this will encourage people to buy here?

    I am a "Nasty Weekender"- actually far from it. I live here part time, contribute to my community, maintain my yard in summer and winter, pay taxes, participate with my neighbours etc.etc.etc. I love it here and plan to retire here full time in the future.

    However, with council tossing around the idea of increasing my taxes because this is not my full-time home is a real slap in the face. In fact, I would almost have to argue that my taxes are already higher than my full-time neighbours because the municipality "jacked" it when they found my mailing address to be in Calgary. Do they think I am wealthy? Far from it! I am carrying two mortgages, paying double gas/electricity/taxes/phone etc. for this investment.

    What's next? Will "weekenders" have to wear an arm band indicating their status just like the Jews?

    The Crowsnest Pass is not in a position to exclude part-time residents- we contribute to the tax base and to the community. There are economic woes here, and the message is out that the Crowsnest Pass does not welcome families from Calgary to live here part-time. Wake up!!!

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  4. Hello anonymous. The fact is council is not thinking of setting a differant tax rate for "weekenders". Further I for one do not think of and have never thought of weekenders as nasty. Take a look through my blog and I am sure you will get a better picture of that.

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