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editorial

irony (i´ra nee) n.

irony (i´ra nee) n. the contrast, as in a play, between what a character thinks the truth is, as revealed in a speech or action, and what an audience or reader knows the truth to be: often dramatic irony – Websters NewWorld Dictionary There seems to be some sort of ironic convergence that takes place at the end of April-beginning of May, some force that brings two concepts together when they have no reason to be in the same room. Perhaps its Mother Nature herself, juxtaposing winter at the top of the mountains with summer in the valley at this time of year. Maybe it’s just that these contrasts become more apparent after the snow melts. Whatever it is, this week has seen its share of irony. On Monday Finance Minister Joy MacPhail and Small Business Minister Ian Waddell announced they wanted to cut bureaucracy, in order to reduce the cost of doing business in B.C. — so they formed a committee. Actually, the finance minister and the small minister call it a task force. Regardless, the committee’s task is to make recommendations on where the red tape can be reduced — after nearly seven years of NDP governments adding new regulations and procedures to doing business. Also on Monday, the International Olympic Committee announced marijuana and other "recreational drugs" will be declared banned substances. That means snowboarders and other athletes will be kicked out of the Games if any amount of marijuana is found in their systems. Today (May 1) the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Bid Society is holding a press conference in Vancouver. Presumably it won’t be to announce that Whistler has been dropped from the ticket because of the IOC’s new position on recreational drugs, but the bid society’s slogan, Can You Imagine, is open to all kinds of interpretations. In Alpine Meadows, the New Alta Lake Ratepayers Association has been distributing leaflets outlining plans for a legal challenge to the 19 Mile Creek employee housing project. The irony here is that a council elected by the people of Whistler to make decisions on their behalf could have its authority usurped by a court just because a group of Whistler residents are unhappy with one of that council’s decisions. And that group of unhappy residents takes its name from the original Alta Lake Ratepayers Association, whose goals back in the early ’70s included achieving municipal status so that decisions could be made in Whistler by a local government. Letter in reaction to Leanne Neiwerth