As the great wheel of our democracy rolls forward, I think it’s important to take a moment and remember a forgotten hero. A man who so loved his country, he was willing to put on a suit purchased by a personal shopper, stand on a Minneapolis stage in front of a national audience and fake being happy about his impending shotgun wedding. Then, because he is a true patriot, he voluntarily ceased to exist for the next eight weeks. Of course I’m talking about Levi Johnston. Well, Levi, if you’re reading this, know that you’ve served your country well and you’re free now. Go! Run! Live your life! Or, you could acquiesce to marriage (look up acquiesce, you’ll get a kick out of it), in exchange for a plum job fighting crime in the frozen wilderness. Who knows, maybe there’s a TV show in your life and you’ll be famous again. I’m thinking we could call it, Tundra Heat, or, Permafrost Flatfoot, or, Glacier Gumshoe, or, Dude, I Forgot the Condoms. Oh, I so smell an Emmy.

- Chuck Lorre

Another federal election is over in Canada and the folks of Orleans decided to ignore the local issues and candidates and vote for or against the national party leaders. I understand that a lot of my neighbours couldn’t get around the fact of having Mr. Dion in the position of Prime Minister. I can see their perspective and I would have to say I shared that viewpoint. However, what I didn’t do is drop my principals and vote for a local candidate that does not have the interests of Orleans on the front burner. He has been noticeably absent since the election. I really hope he is off working on a new agenda for our community and is about to jump out from behind a curtain and yell….”HERE’S MY PLAN !!!!!” But alas…no…he’ll probably show up at the Festival of Lights parade and lurch around waving at the unsuspecting victims of his uncommitted reign, all the while repeating, “I am your servant…I am here to serve you…..I am humbled”.Well….since you are here and you are my servant….get me a drink because I think I’ll need it. A neat 15 year old Scotch would work!!! Oh what the hell, make it a double…we’re going to have a few years together.

It’s time Orleans really started to care about who we elect at all levels of government. Make them do something! Make them deliver something!! Make them accountable to all of us!! Look around the City of Ottawa and doesn’t take long to figure out that Orleans has always drawn the short straw when development opportunities and infrastructure was being assigned. Our future has always been sold up the river and in return we got their sewage.

As a general concept, I suspect that the folks we call neighbours and friends are not in favour of being taken for granted. We pay the same taxes as Kanata and Barhaven yet we see little in the way of comparable benefits. We get a little sidewalk replacement on Tenth Line while they get an entire road widened to four lanes….it’s typical of the distribution.

Let’s take a different approach to this….a new concept perhaps…..let’s say…..Have our elected officials represent the people of Orleans to the Government instead of what we have now where they represent the Government to the people of Orleans. When this is achieved, make them accountable and if they don’t deliver, kick their sorry ass out. Maybe then and only then will they actually get off their butt and do their job as it was intended to be done.

If that isn’t what you want and you’re happy with the status quo, let someone else decide your future, run your life and wallow in apathy…..turn out the lights when you leave.