St. Lazare is run by crooks

It seems that in the city of St. Lazare if you are not in "cahoots" with the right people, or giving Mayor Carzoli a real estate kick-back, they can come down on you like a ton of bricks with no truly "just cause". They are taking extraodinary liberties with their supposed municipal by-laws to harass citizens and create chaos where none should exits.

I heard today of a single mother who is doing her best to make ends meet and guarantee a good life for her two daughters. Apparently, a "city inspector" was alerted to "whatever" and told her that she has to make one bedroom out of her daughter's two bedrooms, because of the size of her sceptic tank.

Can someone please explain to me what one has to do with the other? I can understand if she had 14 bathrooms in her house, but are her kids defecating in their rooms? If they are, then some other organization should be called, not the ineffectual arm of the St. Lazare municipal goverment.

It seems that the St. Lazare City Council is known by all the be crooked, slanted and cock-eyed. There are major real estate deals happening within the ranks, and if citizens want to have peace, they had better play the game. Why, may I ask, isn't anyone doing anything to stop them?

As a small farm owner, I have to say that I have never gotten a warm fuzzy feeling from either the municipality or my non-rural neighbours. You know who you are: you come from the suburbs or the city, wanting to move to "the country" but then when "country" isn't what you bargained for, you want to saintLazare into a new-suburban development with the almighty dollar always in sight. So many of you are complaining about the stupidest things! For example...the SMELL of horse manure. Hello...look at the map. If you can't accept the natural consequences of being in the country, I beg of you to move back to the city where you OBVIOUSLY belong. The farm owners laugh at your fickleness. Your complaints are not welcome here. Even the city inspectors are tired of you and think you are ridiculous. For once...we would agree.

So someone please tell me; who do I have to sleep with to make the city stop invading my life? Whose ass do I have to kiss to make the city stop evaluating arial photos of my property? Who is it that needs to be strongly reminded that this is an equestrian community, whose first concern is with the care and well being of the horses and not the valuation of our properties. I only know of one council member that understands this. The rest of you need to get to work and do some research.

Today I was threatened with potential sanctions if I took in abused, neglected and abandoned horses (which I do often!) because this was not commercial property and I was not allowed to "sell horses". Are you INSANE? I do not sell Refuge or any other kind of horse. I volunteer my time, energy and resources (as do MANY other GOOD St. Lazare residents) to make up for the fact that at NO LEVEL of government (Federal, Provincial or Municipal) do we see any kind of advocacy or support for these noble creatures. Of COURSE you wouldn't advocate for horses...there's no profit in it!

But not all of us in St. Lazare are so concerned with profit and money making. Some of us believe that there is more to life then lining our pockets and surrounding ourselves with ugly enormous grey cement houses. Some of us believe that at the end of the day, if you do it right, you will be happy.

Let me tell you that right now I am NOT happy.

When is it that we all became so apathetic that we have allowed our governments to run roughshod over our fundamental rights and freedoms? My freedom to LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (the basis for democracy as illustrated by John Locke). But are we living in a democracy?

1) Is it democratic that an uninvited person can come to my house, within working hours, take pictures and take stock of what I do with my life at my home?

2) Is it democratic that the laws that govern a society can be enacted only when convenient or profitable for the law makers?

3) Is it democratic when the laws in question do not represent the intention of the citizens under their rule?

4) Is it democratic when a citizen cannot readily obtain a copy of these laws because there are "too many laws".

NO. It is not.

And so I conclude with this brief open letter to the councillors of St. Lazare (with the exception of those who follow democratic tenents) :


Dear Councillors of St. Lazare/Mayor Carzolli:

You are self serving, self seeking egomaniacal individuals who have fallen off the path of your original intentions. I am assuiming that once upon a time you intended to do something good with your life? Now you are game players who do not advocate for the citizens of this community. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

I beg of you...
Please change jobs. Please have the decency to step down and allow fresh views to come into play. Your interests in keeping the real estate values high so that you can make a bigger profit is very simply morally reprehensible. Especially for those of you who are working directly IN real estate while at the same time claiming to be representing your constituency. You have failed.

You have annoyed me and countless others. And now, I will come after you. I will fight to have you unseated. I will attend your city Council Meetings. I will inundate you with questions paperwork and bureaucracy in which you will have to JUSTIFY each and every regulation that disallows me as a private citizen from continuing my life as it was.

Your very lucky that I believe the pen IS mightier than the sword.

Oh and by the way, I am not alone.

Regards,

Night Mare