Statement by council candidate Mervyn Brown

 

1./2. Why are you running for council and what part of your background prepares you to serve on council? 

I hope this won’t be too long. I will try to be brief. My following comments apply to the first two questions.  

 Because at the core of our essence I believe that most of us know the difference between right and wrong. We know when we are being cheated, exploited or deceived by our elected leaders regardless of whether they are in municipal, provincial or federal government. Unfortunately, most of us can do nothing about specious promises and empty rhetoric and so we are destined to be at the mercy of those who have no mercy.  

 I care about others and have devoted my life to creating awareness and exerting change - no matter what country I have been a resident in - and tried to stay out of court in the process. Unfortunately, legal precedent is the yardstick that controls our government and it is what our democratic society deems as justice. Most of us are aware of the disparity between court rulings and fairness but we can do little about it.  

 Wednesday, at a Seniors’ Meet & Greet, held in Tahsis, one of our current councillors challenged me with a question about how many times I have been in court. I believe it was aimed as a derogatory question for the purpose of insinuating that I was “sue happy”.  It appeared to be another attempt to smear a potential candidate running in our Tahsis election.  I told the councillor to check out the internet. However, unfortunately, we have censorship at the highest levels and even if one undertook a diligent investigation, it would probably be difficult discovering the truth.  Which is that I have been a party in so many lawsuits that at the moment I have lost track. (Only two relating to any matters here in Tahsis.) But the question was put to me with an obvious slant of attempted disinformation. I am proud to say that every case I have been involved in or a been participant of, has been fought in the name of civil rights and undertaken for those who cannot fight back.    

  This is a damning statement about our department of justice when the reality is that I have fought at every level of court in both Canada and the United States. The issues have always revolved around the civil rights of all of us instead of empty rhetoric based on egotistical propaganda. (Meaning it is never about the money but rather about change.) For good or for bad - depending on what side you are on - I persevere no matter what it takes.  My steadfast stupidity or dogged tenacity does not relent - no matter how difficult the task. And so I get results. If this is the place to blow ones horn then I would hazard a guess that I probably hold the track record as being the one individual in North America who has managed to bury the most number of defendant corpses in the graveyards of insurance companies, banks and governments that have attempted to bury the truth.  But you won’t find these interesting facts on the internet.   

  This blog is probably not the place to go into such detail. If you really want to know then maybe you should buy my next book. It will expose shocking facts behind court records in many cases I have participated in.  I would hazard a guess that I am the only person who has fought in the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, almost simultaneously - about the same issue - censorship and the right to a fair trial.   

  The Canadian government is probably embarrassed that I managed to assist in facilitating a precedent against them in deportation hearings - because of a government smear campaign against defendants during the Gustafsen Lake standoff. I am just beginning in our fight to create a truly fair and democratic government run by and for the people of Tahsis. It will happen regardless of whether or not the residents elect our experienced and dedicated team. Why? Because I do not relent and it is the right and necessary thing to do for the benefit of everyone - whether they realize it or not.  But I do hope that you will elect and support us so we can go about doing this together.  

  

3. What is the one thing Council could do to improve Tahsis the most?  

There are so many troubling issues with our current local government that I don’t know where to begin or how to prioritize under “one thing”. Here we go: the “road”; resurrecting and completing the Unity Trail fiasco to connect with Zeballos; repairing, stabilizing and taking responsibility for our sinking yards and failing infrastructure; full disclosure and responsible management; creative, open and honest accounting; stopping the government dependant “welfare” state mentality … ad infinitum. A good place to start, and what we intent to change, is our local government. And why are we doing this?  Primarily because of appalling incompetence and mismanagement that has facilitated the annual evaporation of our hard earned tax dollars.  

Additional comments:

To show our commitment we are vowing to volunteer our time as mayor and councillors - without salary or payment. Instead, we plan to place these funds in a charitable trust to finance community projects that are much needed in Tahsis, benefiting all who live and visit here. This translates to an amount in excess of $100,000 over their combined four-year term in office.  “By putting this money back into our community, we show how much we believe in and are serious about improving our town.”

My teammates have created a Facebook Page where they have posted all our campaign information. Please visit All for Tahsis. Thursday and Friday we will be out again going door-to-door. Please feel welcome to approach us with any questions.