Most people who visit Penticton would like to live here for a variety of reasons that generally involve our quality of life.
Those who are fortunate enough to move here are able to because they found employment or have imported their income by being sufficiently wealthy or retired and on pensions. Some are even willing to trade off a much better income for a better quality of life to be able to live here.
The quality of our lives is why most of us do live here. City council are the elected representatives who decide the policies that shape the future of our city and thereby are the temporary custodians of our quality of life.
We do not want a council that denies or ignores consultation and with hardly noticeable, but incremental, changes allows the quality of life to be diluted by selling out to commercial interests a vocal minority groups. For these reasons I do not like the new SS Sicamous plan, the Munson Mountain BMX proposal or losing 325 Power St. to a hotel chain.
Max Picton says that he has heard loud and clear that we need more economic advancement in this town. Like the rest of council, he seems to suffer from selective hearing.
It is not difficult to get our council to agree to any new idea just as long as it claims to generate tourism revenue. Tourism dollars, as we all know, are exaggerated claims based on hope.
I challenge council to hold another forum at the Lakeside. A few months ago they were anxious to tell us how wonderful they would be as our representatives. So far, their performance has been disappointing. We could probably call it a performance review.
Bill Smith
Penticton
