To the editor:

To the honorable mayor and council members of the city of Langley, as one of the older retired residents of Langley and a past council member, I wish to speak out in OPPOSITION to the city’s plan to undertake the extensive and expensive water treatment program at this particular time.

Considering the time and the conditions of the world today, it is not prudent, considerate nor warranted to embark on such an undertaking.

The world is in turmoil, trillions are being spent to fill the voids. Jobs, retirement funds and life savings have been lost. Thousands and thousands of homes are being foreclosed upon. New construction is virtually at a standstill. The list grows longer and longer, and one can reasonably wonder how our children or even our grandchildren will pay for it all. These are historically difficult and serious times.

For those of you with jobs, including those on government payroll, it may not seem so dire. But in a setting such as this, it seems to me that responsible men and women would think LONG and HARD before committing the people, whom they represent, to additional burdens and worry. This is a time for us to be prudent men and women. We need to be thinking more about belt tightening and we need to be thinking about reconsideration of this project as a current priority.

I implore you to vote no. We do not want additional financial burdens on the taxpayer at this time.

What seems a far greater concern to our future is the exodus of commerce from Langley, and the resultant lack of everyday goods and services our families need from our downtown core. A continued trend in this direction threatens our very existence as a livable, walkable, inviting and attractive place to live or visit.

This is a greater risk to us all and should be of a more primary concern. Your efforts should be focused there — and not focused on adding to our current burdens.

Edward C. Parr

Langley