Democracy is a JOKE!! (Warning: MAJOR Rant)

AAARRRRGH!!!! Democracy in Canada is such a JOKE!! I mean, we elect our representatives, then find out they can't DO anything because the non-elected bureaucrats paint them into a corner! Oh, I guess I should let you all know why I'm ranting on this subject!

About this time last year, we found out that the house right behind our property has been illegally used as a half-way house for over 2 years! We only found out because someone complained to the city about some strange goings on there(which we didn't see) and the city eventually decided to investigate. (It turns out that in one year, over 87 intransient males lived in this house, some sent there by our court system, some sent by addiction treatment programs and some sent by the local mental health association!! Some of these "residents" have since been arrested breaking into homes to support various drug habits!!) The city then informed the operator of this illegal half-way house, that they didn't have the proper zoning on the property to do so, and then proceeded to tell them how to get the proper zoning!!! What ever happened to crime and punishment? Oh, yeah, I remember, that's ONLY for the average citizen, not for corporations!!! How silly of me!!! Anyway, the city graciously informed the neighbourhood that we could have input to the zoning change application process, so we jumped into action and formed a committee and began collecting evidence and facts and questions for the BIG City Council meeting a few months down the road.

We should have known better! Despite all the overwhelming evidence that we gave proving that the company was operating illegally for over two years, had no intention of applying for the proper zoning and licenses until they were caught, and was putting the entire neighbourhood at unnecessary risk; the City Planning department ignored it all! They went to Council recommending approval! THEN they told the councilors that Council had no choice but to approve it because there was "no legal grounds" for the application to be denied, and that the company would sue and win if the application was denied! The meeting started with over 11 of the 13 councilors ready to vote down the application, and by the time the City Planner finished his report, more than half of those councilors had changed their position! It didn't matter that after the City Planner's report it was the turn of the citizens... mothers in tears and fathers enraged, afraid for the safety of their kids! That meeting ended with the Council referring the matter back to the Planning Department to try to find some way of satisfying the neighbourhood concerns. That was late September... now for the reason I'm so angry about it today...

This morning I received an email from my local councilor, informing me that the issue is up for consideration again at Monday's meeting. She told me that the City Planning Department had once again recommended (read "ordered") unconditional approval, and she didn't think that council would argue at all this time!! So... we elected a city council that is powerless to do it's job... which is to represent the people who voted them into office! Now you know why I think democracy is a joke! Oh, by the way, our Provincial and Federal governments are just as powerless it seems... Canada is now run by "Special Interest Groups", Corporate CEOs and their lawyers!

Ok, I'll carefully climb down off this soapbox tower I've erected and hope against hope that SOMETHING good comes out of this!!! Does anyone know of an uncharted island I can take over and run MY way??