Editor;

The Owen Sound Harbour has come back into the news with a recent meeting. For 25 dollars, those attending got to hear MP Larry Miller tell us what he has always said, that there may be some private corporation ready to take ownership of this public property which the federal government wishes to sell. Larry talks of helping to create a harbour sale which will lead to dredging for shipping.

This all sounds supportive until you start looking at other harbours with similar issues. I was a bit shocked when I learned that the City of Sarnia was having a similar harbour issue but was actually being offered up to $5.4 million dollars from the feds for taking control of their harbour. Not only were millions being offered to their city but Sarnia is now saying, "Make it $8.56 million and we'll talk."

So where was Larry when Owen Sound was contemplating our harbour issue? Was he suggesting that Owen Sound should request funds, or was he still blaming the "bureaucrats" for our misfortune? Sarnia's Conservative federal MP Pat Davidson has been praised for, "bringing federal support and dollars into the community, and has represented Sarnia-Lambton's concerns to Ottawa with a voice that is well respected in the House." While MP Pat Davison has decided not to run again, I'm guessing MP Miller has. Too bad Miller didn't give our city the advice that Sarnia apparently got from their MP. I'm starting to think that MP Miller only knows how to get angry at the government departments he manages and as a result only talks to people who understandably, get angry back at him, with little interest in cooperating.

Rather than a having a "tough" male MP, maybe we need a smart female MP like the one in Sarnia, who would spend less time getting "pissed" as MP Miller says he does, and would have a more cooperative stance in helping to get funds for our community. Yes, too bad for all of us.

Robert Hope

Owen Sound