Real Connections Matter

By Dale Jodoin Let the Trend Die: City Hall, Talk to the People! Welcome to the new trends of city halls and regions from Canada to the United States. City officials have built virtual walls with the internet, encouraging people to email them instead of engaging face-to-face. This approach might be convenient, but it fails to truly connect with the community. Politicians and city workers ask for opinions online, but 80% of the feedback comes from people outside our city. They claim this is what the people want, but is it really? This reliance on online communication creates lazy politicians. The voices that dominate are often whiners and trolls who do not represent the majority. These non-residents cannot vote, yet their opinions shape decisions. Our city officials avoid in-person interactions, pushing for online voting and decision-making. This shift has led to the lowest voter turnouts in history across Canada and the United States. People feel disconnected from their communities because the only ones who seem to care are online trolls. City leaders claim events are successful, even when attendance is low. When clubs struggle to attract members, they start to fade away. Instead of fostering genuine connections, the city should focus on representing everyone, like Oshawa, with its diverse ethnic groups. We need a new kind of celebration, one that includes all voices, not just a select few. This is not about being woke; it's about ordinary people from different walks of life working together. Yet, politicians and their media supporters pat themselves on the back without questioning the reality. Our city loses out because politicians hide behind their screens. More politicians push for online voting, relying on their inner circle, leading to increased voter apathy and isolation. The only way to change this is for politicians to get off their chairs and engage with the people directly. If they could do it before the internet, they can do it now. Lazy politicians need to reconnect with the community. To change your city, go out and give politicians a piece of your mind. Don’t let internet trolls decide your town’s future. This observation comes from watching the world and the actions of today’s politicians. Let’s make it clear: we need real connections, not virtual walls. Our city recently held a fiesta—a celebration meant to bring together the different ethnic groups in our community. However, the reality is far from what it used to be. By 10:00 a.m., more people were at the lake than at the celebration. Our leaders must step out from behind their screens and engage directly with the community. Only by doing this can we genuinely celebrate our diversity and create a more united, vibrant city.