Nanaimo's Cable Bay Process 'Fair and Balanced'? NOT!!!

I submitted the following 'Letter to the Editor' of the Nanaimo Daily News in response to an editorial which they had published (as cited). Although their editorial was about 750 words in length, they declined to publish my letter on the basis that, at about 650 words, it was longer than their 300 word guideline. Sometimes, specific issues and events just require longer submissions to adequately deal with the topic at-hand. I don't believe the Daily News recognizes this fact.

Dear Editor,
RE: Cable Bay annexation is fair and balanced, (Editorial, Daily News, July 10)

The characterization of 'fair and balanced' must certainly depend on one's perspective and level of knowledge. I don't believe that the volunteers who are working very hard to obtain the requisite 5,815 Nanaimo voter signatures, on their own time and with their own resources, and at the height of the summer vacation period, see it that way.
From your perspective of self-interest and limited knowledge, where your newspaper can expect to see increased ad revenue from the proposed resort, spa and golf course, I suppose you might feel justified in your position. Just out of curiosity, has this paper ever been opposed to a development related initiative in Nanaimo? I also doubt very much that the 6,800 residents of Cedar feel that the process is fair in as much as they don't get asked if they want to lose the land.
Let's do a little math. Assuming a 2/3 success rate (i.e., 2 out of every three people approached complete an Elector Response Form [not a petition - one form, one signature!] and each contact takes, on average, 7 minutes to explain the issue and answer any questions (this, of course, assumes that the local media has been doing a good job of informing the community since the only requirement on the City is to post two notices in "a newspaper" - otherwise the contact could take longer). That means it will take 1,017 hours to gather the necessary signatures.
If we further assume that there are 30 volunteers who are able to take the time to contact their neighbours, man a 'booth' in prominent areas within the city during events and, if they still have any time or energy left, hit some of the larger residential subdivisions, that means that each volunteer would have to devote almost 34 hours to the task. So, on what basis, do you believe that "gathering the required number of signatures is not that difficult"?
To put all this in context, Mayor Korpan was the only one of 8 candidates for Mayor who exceeded the required number of signatures in votes (6,330) in the last municipal election.
The Ministry of Community Development, on their website, state that "some electors may be critical of the alternative approval process because, in larger communities, it may be more difficult to obtain elector response forms from 10% of the electors". In some U. S. states, the threshold is set relative to the percentage of voters who normally take an interest in their community and come out and vote. So, if voter turnout is usually 35% (like Nanaimo), the threshold would be set at 10 - 15% of that, or 3.5 to 5.25%.
Although you state that "the process is crystal clear", I sincerely doubt that you have taken the time to delve into the 'Municipal Boundary Extension Criteria' or the RDN's UCBFAMIA (don't know what that is? - look it up). "All the necessary information is available" - even if one assumes that is true, 'availability' and 'accessibility' are two entirely different things! Also, a "fact of the matter" can't "appear to be"!
I am speaking from personal experience here since, over the past 12 years or so, I have objected to the City taking 3 pieces of land from Lantzville (when it was still part of Area 'D'). In that time, I have seen important meetings held at the height of summer, proponents paying extra to have meetings held a few days before Christmas, notification signs taken down before the public meeting to which they pertain has occured and the entire process turned upside down so that the City (and the province) could get what they want.
So, 'fair and balanced' - I hardly think so! So how can Nanaimo voters demand some democracy? Get informed about the issue, obtain and complete an Elector Response Form (at City Hall or nanaimo.ca) and make sure that it is delivered to City Hall by 16:30 on Aug. 5th.