WMA must stand on serious issues

It is unfortunate membership in the Westmount Municipal Association has plummeted from about 6,000 at one time to just a few hundred ('Picard elected new WMA president,' The Examiner, Aug 20).

Unfortunate, given the area's civic-minded residents and many recent newcomers.

Through my experience, permit me to offer an opinion why the WMA is not attracting new faces.

Since moving to Westmount almost nine years ago, I've made a point of reading letters to the editor in both local papers. Time and again, a resident's particular concern leaves me asking: where is the WMA on this? Why is it that residents with local or systemic concerns (dog leashes, parking, public cleanliness and hygiene) are often having to go it alone confronting these problems, either at City Hall or single-handedly raising public awareness about them?

The reason, I've concluded, is that the WMA is avoiding 'messy' issues: it will deal with motherhood and apple pie stuff like bike helmet safety or how City Hall uses the Internet to communicate with residents, because this kind of thing offends no one. But when it comes to certain issues that aren't so pleasant — like my pet peeve about the lack of enforcement regarding residential garbage that's put out early — where is the WMA to roll up its sleeves and wade in?

Case in point: twice in three years I approached two WMA presidents for help on the garbage front. I patiently explained the situation each time — although anyone who walks the streets of lower Westmount can see what I see — and asked for help. After the first time, I was assured I'd hear back after demerger. I never did. The second time I was offered some support if I went to Council.

On its website, the WMA's Mission Statement says it is an organization..."devoted to promoting good, responsive local government." Many taxpayers are savvy about a lot of things, but civic government is not always among them. It can be daunting for someone to get up in public at a Council meeting or frustrating to have City Hall on speed dial about a consistent problem.

Taxpayers who take the time to complain are rarely frivolous or without merit. That said, how many times can or should one person have to complain about something to bring about change? Would certain problems be resolved more quickly if the WMA was involved? Does the WMA not see that many issues upsetting people are related to municipal bylaws that need updating?

I, for one, would join the WMA and be an active participant if I felt the organization was willing to get behind what concerns Westmounters in their homes, on their streets and in their neighbourhoods.

In that spirit, would anyone from the WMA's leadership care to join me on a walk?

Dorothy Lipovenko

York Street