Taking a stand

Cr Wayne Smith is to be commended for his stand against political bias on Casey council (Resignation Over Council Lib ‘Bias’, Journal/News, 24 November).
Casey CEO Mike Tyler and Casey Mayor Mick Moreland need training to help them better understand the concepts of bias and balance in local government in future.
It is also very disappointing that Lachlan Moorhead’s report fails to mention that no other Casey councillor supported Cr Wayne Smith’s courageous stand on this issue including, it appears, the Four Oaks Ward councillors Crestani and Kaplon.
Some Casey councillors have shown economic incompetence by zealously supporting the East West Link project, especially when the business case and the hidden costs were made not fully transparent to ratepayers.
Stage one of this project has been estimated to cost taxpayers more than $18.5 billion and is less cost-efficient than than Labor’s Metro rail project.
The main winners will be the contractors, not taxpayers.
On the key indices of unemployment and economic growth, in Victoria the Napthine government has failed ratepayers.
Casey councillors and the mayor have also failed ratepayers.
Ratepayers have been hit hard by the austerity policies of both the Federal and State Governments.
John Glazebrook,
Endeavour Hills.