LETTER – Singh’s comments highlight why public trust in govt has dropped

In response to Mr. A. Singh, I am a former elected council representative, a counter argument to his story is that it unintentionally highlights exactly why public trust in government can erode.

The issue was never the sandwiches or the reception itself. It was the mindset that public office comes with quiet perks that should simply be accepted because “that’s the way it’s done.” Taxpayers don’t elect councillors to enjoy catered lunches, lavish receptions, or insider customs. They elect them to exercise judgment, restraint, and respect for public money.

Being criticized as “pigs at the trough” may have felt harsh, but blunt language often appears when citizens feel ignored. The real lesson should not have been to start eating the free lunch next time. It should have been to ask whether those traditions were necessary in the first place.

There is also something revealing in the colleague’s “joke.” If another councillor felt comfortable mocking the practice privately, then clearly concerns about entitlement already existed inside council chambers. That suggests the criticism was not random cruelty it reflected a genuine discomfort with a culture of casual privilege.

Many residents pack their own lunches, skip meals at work, and watch every household dollar. They expect elected officials to show the same discipline with public funds. Leadership is often demonstrated in small symbolic choices: declining unnecessary extras, questioning old habits, and remembering whose money pays for them.

Public trust is built not through receptions and sandwiches, but through humility, accountability, and visible respect for taxpayers.

Sincerely,