Do they have something to hide?

RE: CASLIN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND GOVERNMENT: SENDZIK, SEPT. 20, AND REGIONAL SURVEY CRITICAL OF D’ANGELO BURIED, SEPT. 21

In recent newspaper articles I note, with serious concern, the lack of response from various people to interview requests from the media.

The story concerning the hiring of CAO Carmen D’Angelo at Niagara Region concludes with a statement that other members of the hiring committee (Regional Chair Alan Caslin, Couns. Tony Quirk and Bob Gale) did not respond to interview requests. These people, who are currently seeking re-election, won’t talk to the press? Apparently they don’t understand that politicians answer to the public through the media.

Further to this, the reporting of Caslin’s recent appearance on TVO’s “The Agenda” revealed he made more than one error in his comments. As expected, there was a media request for a followup interview … he only responded through an email. Really?

An election on the horizon, free newspaper coverage and publicity and you decline?

This refusal to speak to the media, so we know what is going on, seems to have spread to regional staff. In the “buried survey” story, for the umpteenth time, D’Angelo “did not respond to an interview request” and Niagara’s director of communications Jason Tamming, also declined to be interviewed.

Some politicians may think they are answerable to us only every four years. In reality, they are answerable to us every day through our agents, the media.

Some of us may think if you refuse to explain your actions through the media, you might be hiding something you don’t want us to know.

Sharon Hay

Niagara Falls