Attacks on Rajko Dodic over bike lanes went too far

When councillor Rajko Dodic on Tuesday was making his case for an official business motion on bike lane construction and possible removal, I doubt anyone expected him to tell his fellow civic politicians - and the public some of the insults he had to endure after that OBM was put on the agenda.

Politicians - in fact, all public figures - know they’re going to face attacks on social media and all media during their careers.

The abuse Dodic detailed was a prime example.

Most of us, I’m guessing, have seen or heard the attacks made on our political leaders from Rachael Thomas and Nathan Neudorf to Blaine Hyggen, John Middleton-Hope, Belinda Crowson and Jenn Schmidt-Rempel on city council to Shannon Phillips and Rachel Notley. Phillips, Thomas, Hyggen and Middleton-Hope especially seem to be targets of some of the most demeaning attacks. And like them or not, they’re all passionate community leaders who have taken the initiative to work on the public’s behalf. They’re warriors who stand up for their constituents and do it face to face every day. And take a lot of abuse for it.

While everyone is entitled to be critical, some attacks are downright vicious including the ones made on Dodic who simply on Tuesday was doing his job as an elected representative by bringing to the attention of council and the public issues he knows residents and businesses have with the bike lanes downtown.

He’s done his homework and understands the concerns and the conflicts regarding those lanes.

We’ve done stories here on the bike lanes and the frustrations businesses and the public have so we know what he’s talking about.

Doing what he’s paid to do, Dodic wanted a dialogue about the bike lanes, including safety issues with the narrowed roadway on 4 Avenue and the problems people with disabilities have reaching the sidewalks on 7 Street.

And as he told administration, if he’d had information regarding the timeline to use a federal grant and the contract for the last stretch which is slated to start in front of our building in April, he could have modified his original motion.

In the end of a long discussion, which was interrupted by a brief break for council to talk privately, a compromise was reached in that the public would get more chances to provide their input - first at the next Community Conversation slated for April and again in front of the Assets and Infrastructures Standing Policy Committee of city council on May 2.

That SPC consists of chair and deputy mayor Mark Campbell, vice-chair Nick Paladino as well as Jeff Carlson and Ryan Parker. But as the public heard, all members of council can sit in on the meeting and all members of the public are welcome to attend.

At the Community Conversation and the SPC, the public will have a chance to voice their opinions pro and con - about bike lanes thanks to the motion by Dodic, who expressed concerns Tuesday about the amount of public engagement that had been done prior to construction of the bike lanes being approved.

And how do some react to his efforts to get all information and public sentiment in front of council so they can make an informed decision? By hurling disgusting nicknames at him.

Dodic is a long-time veteran of civic politics so

I’m sure he’s got a thick skin but the few examples of contempt for him that he shared Tuesday have to hurt. And they’re beyond inappropriate. I’m guessing there were more that we didn’t hear, too.

It’s one thing to disagree with a viewpoint but to hurl childish insults really makes one wonder about the integrity and humanity of the person at the keyboard. Would these people say to his face - or that of Shannon, Blaine, John, Nathan, Rachael or any other politician - what they write about them on social media?

My guess is no because they wouldn’t have the guts to go face to face with them.

Regardless of what people think of our elected officials and their political leanings or views, we have some truly dedicated representing us.

Most are fighters who aren’t content to just go with popular opinion to keep their seats and pay cheques. They stand up for what they believe and they take the heat for it.

But sometimes that heat is on too high. And in the case of those whose insults Dodic addressed, that heat has burned their credibility.