ltr to Rmd Review:editor

Hey Bhreandain,

As a mother of three boys, (two with special needs) and as an artist living and working in Steveston, I am saddened to hear that the consultation process for the purchase of large-scale works of Art is viewed as a luxury or financially irresponsible.

I sense a disparity between those who desire to see Richmond culturally rich and those who are not prepared to pay for 'cultural exports' and contributions of artwork from other countries or even from their artists.

Richmond is a young city yet is progressive and ambitious as stated in the mission statement.

"....to be the most appealing, livable, and well-managed community in Canada"

What does 'appealing, livable and well-managed mean' to the people of Richmond? How do we define and come to a common understanding of these ideas?

It is good to note that we live in one of the wealthiest regions of Canada. Collectively, we have the opportunity, money and time to come up with creative solutions to poverty, land reserves, public transportation and issues of 'living a good life'.

Creating a bold mission statement means taking bold steps. It is not a bad thing to recognize that to live out a mission statement risks will need to be taken while we measure the success of our management of resources. I hope that the sign of the dollar will not have the final word.

Voices from the community living movement, and the poor who are with us daily, attest to the need for imaginative solutions and processes from Artists, Engineers, Health Care Professionals and Politicians alike.

Before any quick decisions are made whether, from a place of fear or fiscal restraint, we can give time to thinking about what it means "....to be the most appealing, livable, and well-managed community in Canada" and further what our contribution might be to 'living a good life'.

Erika Koenig-Workman