Open Letter to Sarnia City Council

It's been a very long time, thanks to work and other obligations, but my goal is to start working on my blog once again, and following issues of interest in the political landscape. On that note, my first updated post welcomes Sarnia's City Council, sworn in on December 1, 2014 with some thoughts on youth citizen engagement.

An Open Letter to Sarnia’s New Council

Congratulations on the beginnings of a new sitting of Sarnia City Council.  To some of you, welcome back. To our three first time Councillors, welcome. 

There was been a lot of conversation during this campaign about how to cope with a decreasing population level/tax base.  There are a wide range of opinions on why it is so difficult to retain young people to the Sarnia community.  Interestingly, to my knowledge, few, if any, young people were actually asked why by the candidates. Councillors, jobs are only one part of the package.  But they are an important part of why we choose to stay in a community or move from it.  

It is unrealistic to excuse the employment problem on simple economics. Part of what citizens expect from their municipalities is a concerted effort to attract and recruit businesses to the community.  There are plenty of young workers willing to work hard. Many young people around Sarnia work two jobs to equal full time work.  For example I work two jobs, one in my field, and one that’s necessary for fiscal prudence such as student loans. I volunteer with an emergency responder organization on call at night because it is the right thing to do, to be involved in my community. I’m not the only one.  Another, a young qualified teacher, works occasional teaching, and holds another part time job at minimum wage.  I have a friend who works minimum wage with a master’s degree.  Many friends I went to school with here have moved back home out of the community, or to other provinces, particularly out west to find work.  They won’t be coming back. What for? They ask. “There’s nothing in Sarnia”.  Still others can’t find work, so they return to school yet again for additional programs hoping this will help employment prospects. Youth have many stories like this.

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You probably wonder what my point is in having this conversation with you.  It is not a sob story, though the cynical may suggest so, but rather, a call for you as leaders of our city to take action beyond rhetoric. It is frustrating, as young people, to see our leaders understand (possibly) that a real problem is there, but offer only generalized phrases and platitudes about working together to reinvigorate our economy repeatedly. Councillors, we want to see you take leadership of the issue with a concrete plan. We cannot fix a stagnant economy without you.  Don’t offer generalized comments. Find out why we leave-Engage young voices at the table. 

There have been many comments made on social media about low voter turnout, particularly among young people.  Conversations on why Sarnia youth are not engaged in voting, seemingly not engaged in the political process. These conversations are healthy to have, even when tempers get hot in the commentary. Sadly, there has been very little conversation between our leaders and our youth about why youth don’t vote.  I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, if you want the younger generations to be involved, younger generations to actively vote- ENGAGE US. 

As Alastair Woods said in his thoughtful Toronto Star opinion piece, Increasing Youth Voter Turnout a Two Way Street :

We may ride bikes, rent apartments well into our 30s and listen to strange music, but I’m sure you’ll find we’re just as thoughtful and articulate and passionate about civic life as anyone else.

Engage us as your constituents. Consider forming community roundtables on topics relevant to council discussion and directly invite young voters to share their ideas. Host regular times for young people to drop in so you can hear what they have to say. Show up at youth driven community events.  Mentor young people interested in the municipal political process. Consider the creation of youth councils, as other, albeit larger, cities have done to stimulate the younger generation. Utilize social media effectively. It may be an uphill road at first, but we are here, and we are listening, waiting, and hoping. 

Welcome to the table.