The Net: Politicians Behaving Badly; Langley Township’s Mayor Rick Green

Posted by on August 11, 2010

We’ve been accused of being too hard on our local politicians and sometimes even of comparing them to those in other jurisdictions who seem to know what they’re doing. Here’s a sample of politicians behaving badly in Langley Township.

From The Langley Record

The Priviledged?
The phone lines of our Editorial Board was abuzz the past few days with news of yet another insight into Mayor Rick Green’s ego. We first tried to ignore this one, as we did not want it to be seen as just some personal attack on Rick Green. We often beat out the mainstream press on the story, if they report these things at all. But, Langley Advance Editor Bob Groeneveld was significantly offended with Mayor Green at this past week’s BC Summer Games, that he wrote what we had received a ton of calls about:

“Because the food service was running behind, we were herded into reasonably comfortable quarters at Christian Life Assembly, where we cooled our heels for about 45 minutes, and then were ushered into the now-rapidly-dwindling line of kids — who had been waiting that same amount of time, but out in the hot sun.

Langley Township Mayor Rick Green

Then an amazing thing happened. Instead of waiting in line, His Worship Mayor Rick Green managed to wangle a spot ahead of the last batch of kids.

We ”VIPs” were all invited to join him ahead of the kids. All but a very few declined. I was NOT going to eat while those kids – most of whom had come great distances to experience Langley’s hospitality — continued to wait for their supper. In the end, when we got our food, after the kids had had theirs, I found (and others concurred) that it was worth the wait.

I wonder if Green and the handful of bigshots who joined him — while some of the kids were still waiting to be fed — enjoyed their meals as much as we did.

Just wondering, that’s all. Since it’s really supposed to be all about the kids, that is.”

– Bob Groeneveld

The BC Summer Games are all about the kids. Groeneveld and many others in our community understood that clearly. Apparently Mayor Rick Green did not. Back in April of this year we reported on the Township’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. Mayor Green was co-MC with a very well spoken high school gal. At one point during the program this young girl apparently started speaking a paragraph that was meant to be read by Mayor Green. It was nothing noteworthy or earth shattering, but Mayor Green quickly started to speak and boom loudly over this poor your girl. In shock, this young girl stepped back from the microphone and gasped. The audience of several hundred people did much the same and looked at each other in amazement.

These events give clear insight into the mindset and ego of Mayor Rick Green. We are extremely pleased that the mainstream media is starting to catch on. Apparently Green and his buddies feel a sense of “entitlement” and this entitlement allows them to trample on our youth if required. Are they insignificant in comparison to His Worship? Apparently Editor Bob Groeneveld is wondering the very same thing.

By The Editor of The Langley Record

To read more of The Langley Record use the link in our guide to good websites in our section called ‘The Net’ or simply Click Here.

About Editor

Mike spent 20 years in the newspaper business as a journalist, editor, sales manager and publisher before moving into public relations and business consulting. In 2008 he became founding editor of the Abbotsford Post and he is co-owner of Today Media Group. Mike graduated from the University of Alberta in 1970 with a BA in Political Science and Economics and has since pursued graduate studies in both Federalism and Journalism. He has a Diploma in Web Design from Academy of Learning.