Province right to put checks on councils

Re: Trust has to be part of new OMB review, Oct. 19

The editorial asks, “why doesn’t the province trust local councils to make the right land-use, planning decisions?

Because councils can be persuaded to make asinine decisions like protecting industry from competition for labour. That keeps wages below par and ensures higher than average unemployment and Social Assistance rates. Because councils can be convinced to protect retail property and business owners from competition for business.

That keeps prices above average. Because they can forget that they are paid to represent the people in the wards they elected to represent and councillors can be convinced to represent wards that did not elect them. Bob James Barnardo Ave.