Workers aren’t the only expense at City Hall
Usually, I enjoy Elvena Slump’s letters to the editor. I don’t always agree with her opinions but support her right to express them. But lately there seems to be some bias against city employees. She accuses them of being the sole cause of what is wrong at City Hall.
There is no attempt to provide a balanced assessment of the issues. Unlike mayor and council, the union has never expressed a desire to eliminate management, nor to privatize any of their functions. Granted they, along with many other thinking taxpayers, may have a different desire for mayor and council.
One-sided statements always raise questions of motive. She has concerns about the wages of union workers, considering them unmerited. Does this mean that a managerial salary of $140,000 has merit? In addition there is a monthly expense account of between $10,000 and $14,000 Is this merited?
A contract planner hired by council at a salary of $6,000 monthly, lives in Las Vegas. Does this have merit?
The previous CAO, hired by council, lived in Vancouver, had his return airfare between Penticton and home paid by taxpayers, who also provided housing, food and entertainment, a rental car and a generous expense account. This too, must have merit.
An Alberta-based negotiator is hired at taxpayers expense, provided with accommodation, return airfare and all the perks. Too minor to mention? Incidentally, CUPE pays for their own negotiators at a cost to no one but the membership.
Pensions? city managers, the mayor and council have generous pensions funded entirely by taxpayers. Union members contribute substantial amounts to their pensions. Which has merit?
Trays of food delivered to council chambers must cost taxpayers a bundle. The goodies appear at all meetings. Some may consider this an odious practice — but no criticism indicates acceptance and not a waste of taxpayer dollars. Union members have never been invited to partake of these goodies. Why not? Don’t both groups have the same employer?
Many individuals have been dismissed, receiving substantial severance packages. How many have been rehired under contract? How many of those jobs have been reposted and refilled?
Obviously there is little interest in truth: A balanced report displays a willingness to change things for the better. One sidedness indicates that mismanagement and misinformation is supported. Blaming only union workers for everything wrong at City Hall, making no effort to present a balanced of problems facing the city, weakens any argument.
Citizens of Penticton, as in other centres, are concerned about the cost of governance and loss of services, but little effort has been made to present both sides of the story.
H. Williams
Summerland
Town hall travesty
The residents of Twin Lakes, who are greatly concerned about threats to their small and endangered aquifer, and the Heritage Hills/Lakeshore Highlands Homeowners Association who have the monstrously ugly Fortis powerline running through their community, both requested in advance that their communities be put on the agenda for the Feb. 9 RDOS Area D town hall meeting. Area D director Bill Schwarz refused, saying that they could speak at the “open mike” after the meeting. The town hall began at 7 p.m. and worked through the director’s nine Okanagan Falls agenda items, many of them just updates on motherhood issues.
The last published agenda item was the contentious and important issue of a possible provincial jail and remand centre, and by the time that numerous people had spoken for or against a jail it was 9 p.m.
Since director Schwarz’s advertised agenda items were now completed, a Heritage Hills resident attempted to speak about a dangerous derelict house in that community, but Mr. Schwarz would not let him speak. Another Heritage resident attempted to speak about a large apparently illegal dump 100 metres behind her house, but director Schwarz rudely interrupted her and said that she would have to wait until his additional unlisted last-minute agenda items were dealt with. When the microphone was finally given back to her at 9:20 p.m. and she began to speak again about the dump, about 80 per cent of the attendees left en masse. By the time that Deb Thurstan delivered the association’s formal presentation on the Fortis powerline and rate hikes (written by Harry Levant), she was speaking to a largely empty room.
Coral Brown of Twin Lakes, a tireless activist in defence of their threatened aquifer, rose and said that they had been refused an opportunity to speak last year, had not been allowed to be on the agenda this year, and were now faced with almost no audience. Visibly disappointed, she did not continue. Steve Brown then delivered a formal presentation from Twin Lakes. Several other Twin Lakes residents spoke next, and director Schwarz argued with them.
To their credit, RCMP Insp. Haugli and the three senior RDOS staff present were all obviously embarrassed at the travesty that occurred when Twin Lakes and Heritage Hills/Lakeshore Highlands were refused a proper hearing on two of the most important issues in RDOS Area D.
Alan Whitman
Okanagan Falls
Seniors left on sideline
I was quite shocked to hear talk of city delaying plans to open the civic pool when it is expected to be ready by June at latest, which would be a year’s loss of this resource. This is a long time when you are old. It is of course a big loss to young people of the KISU swim club
Last fall I was sorely disappointed to find there were no special activities planned for seniors at all, although we constitute a large part of the population here and pay our exorbitant taxes as well as others. Why is that? I have spoken to Coun. Vassilaki, who told me there is an advisory committee to help with seniors who also have connections with Senior Wellness Society but apparently there has been nothing done about the loss of planned programs for seniors.
All health advice is for seniors to get more active as this will save money for the health system, but many of us live in apartments with no gym facilities or we have problems with transportation as well as money to join private programs.
So then I spoke with Mr. Pope, who manages recreation programs, but he has nothing planned for seniors until next fall. That is over a year that seniors will have had to manage without the aid of the pool and the valuable Re-Act program, which is such a benefit to those recovering from stroke as well as other ailments causing disabilities.
And there is talk of contracting out services, which will not only cost us all more but we will lose the help of experienced and caring workers who help so much in recovery. I say there is very poor management in the city if this is the best that can be done for the health of seniors.
Rae Fowler
Penticton
Safety a burning concern
I think that every preschool child in Penticton visited the downtown fire hall on Feb. 10. As a way to promote greater fire safety and burn prevention awareness the Penticton Fire Department hosted an open house for families, daycares and preschools. The fire hall was packed with children happy to see Sparky the fire dog, sit in the fire trucks and talk to the firefighters.
The open house was part of Burn Awareness Week which is an initiative of the B.C. Burn Fund and supported by fire departments and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
I especially want to thank Lynda Fraser from Starbucks for her energy and involvement. Lynda was in an apartment fire 27 years ago and rescued her young son. She sustained serious burn injuries. Lynda is passionate about spreading the fire safety message to children and adults. We think that it could not happen to our families, but Lynda and the fire department want to remind everyone about taking steps to help prevent burn and scald injuries.
Our message includes:
Test your smoke alarm once a month. Replace smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old.
Test your hot water. If the hot water coming out of your taps is higher than 49 C please lower the temperature of your hot water heater.
Be aware that hot coffee, tea, soup and other hot food are the most common causes of scalds to young children.
Keep lighters, barbecue lighters and matches put away properly. Young children cannot be relied on not to touch them.
The Penticton Fire Department greatly appreciates the wonderful community support and involvement we receive to continue to promote fire and life safety.
Liz Wilson, operations assistant
Penticton Fire Department
Good sports
South Okanagan Minor Baseball would like to thank Collin Powel and all the staff at the IGA Market Place in Penticton for the continued support they give us throughout the year.
SOMBA operates a year round program, which provides the boys and girls aged 13-18 years with the best baseball development possible. It is people in our community like Collin and his staff that make this possible for us. Thank you so much.
Debbie Harvey
SOMBA President
Mud-slinging vehicles
Lately I had to travel to Vancouver a few times. I was struck by the absence of mud flaps on many cars, but mostly on SUVs and pickup trucks.
I cannot understand why mud flaps are not required on all vehicles. In heavy rain and under slushy road conditions, passing or oncoming SUVs and trucks completely cover your windshield with the spray from their wheels, obliterating all your view.
This is extremely dangerous and I am sure it costs ICBC millions to replace windshields broken by flying rocks, and to pay for accidents caused by drivers who cannot see through the muck flung on their windshields. It is high time to make mud flaps mandatory on all vehicles that travel our highways.
Norbert Ricker
Penticton
Genetic engineering brings risk
Thanks to our B.C. Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko, for the first time in Canada’s 15-year history with genetically engineered (GE) crops, Parliament did engage in a real debate over the issue.
Atamanenko’s Bill C-474 would have required “an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.”
On Feb. 9, C-474 failed in a 178 to 98 vote in Canada’s House of Commons.
Disappointing for sure as a very tough time is upon us, and it is all for the sake of corporate profit and big money’s moves to own and control the world’s food supply.
Again, we see that Canadians cannot be confident that parliamentary government will be at once both democratic and responsible. Ottawa proves again and again that we really have only ‘the best government that money can buy’.
Our government is a shill for corporations driven solely by the appetite of their shareholders for greater quarterly profit. Over and over again these corporations purchase slack from Canada’s Conservative and Liberal parties.
Canada’s National Farmers Union noted that instead of being at the C-474 vote in Ottawa, most agriculture committee members are actually in Guelph listening to the president of Monsanto Canada. Monsanto is the leading proponent of genetically modified seed. Monsanto had lobbied to prevent the Commons debate from even occurring.
Genetically engineered food has won significant global market share through the ‘buy in’ of massive scale industrial agriculture and laxness of governments. Although very profitable to Monsanto and a few others, GE interference fails in the goal of increasing crop yield.
GE’s promise of better crop yield was to save the world from starvation, but The Union of Concerned Scientists says that in a nearly 20-year record, genetically engineered crops have not increased U.S. yields substantially.
Genetically engineered agriculture allows for our reckless abuse of air, water and soil resources and tries to surmount our bad practices through costly technological tinkering. Such genetic engineering methods and products are patented for profit.
A better and greener future in agriculture will be found in continued diversity.
Diversity in agriculture means multitudes of local small-scale farms cultivating many varieties of seed. This is a healthy and sustainable agriculture that works with nature’s nutrient and water cycles and not against them.
Thanks again to MP Alex Atamanenko for a very good try. This is a very tough row to hoe.
Dave Cursons
Cawston
Demands must be realistic
As a former member of a strong but past psychiatric nurses union, a profession was lost due to unrealistic wage and benefit demands by that union.
I would caution the membership of CUPE 608 not to be brainwashed by your leadership into losing your jobs. It is not in your interest to berate council and make personal attacks on the mayor. We all know the city is in serious financial trouble, there is no money. It is a reality, face it.
These problems did not commence with just this mayor, it goes back to mayors Kimberley and Perry. We must all start to live within our means. The free lunch is over. It doesn’t matter who was and is to blame, it is time to correct the excesses of us all. This means the union and the city.
I suggest that threats of strikes, scalding and other non-productive letters will not endear you to the already beleaguered taxpayers. Settle the damned thing.
Angela Dowling
Penticton
Canada’s military spending is over the top
The Harper government recently made a decision to spend about $18 billion on a new fleet of fighter jets for our already extravagant military. That’s about $500 per man, woman and child in Canada. And that, of course, is just a small portion of the amount of money that Canadians spend on all our armed forces.
Meanwhile, people are waiting months, sometimes years for needed operations to improve their health. Exorbitant fees are being charged at universities that should be free to all qualifying students. Child care should be free in all provinces for parents that need to work.
Not only will this military extravagance cost excessive increases in our taxes, it will only help to fill the coffers of the American companies who rely on the production of war machines.
Here is what Lester R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute said in his latest book, World on Edge:
“… the United States continues to focus its fiscal resources on building an ever-stronger military, largely ignoring the threats posed by continuing environmental deterioration, poverty and population growth. Its 2009 military expenditures accounted for 43 per cent of the global total of $1.5 trillion. Other leading spenders included China ($100 billion), France ($64 billion). The United Kingdom ($58 billion) and Russia ($53 billion).
“For less than $200 billion of additional funding per year world wide, we can get rid of hunger, illiteracy, disease and poverty, and we can restore the earth’s soils, forests and fisheries. We can build a global community where the basic needs of all people are satisfied — a world that will allow us to think of ourselves as civilized.”
We should take Lester R. Brown very seriously. He was considered for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the United Nations Environmental Prize, Japan’s Blue Planet Prize and 25 honorary degrees. I’m suggesting he is much more clever than any of our politicians in Ottawa or our military people who are spending our money so freely for their own egotistical endeavours.
We really must start changing our direction, moving our country and the world in a new path towards social, economic and environmental sustainability — where equality of people can be established. And we can’t do it by wasting our resources in attempting to establish Canada as a military might with an already obsolete set of planes.
Frank Martens
Summerland
Putting safety on hold
There has been much ado about the use of cell phones while driving including the introduction of new legislation. In fact, the last week of January brought forth a monumental announcement of up-scaling the traffic campaign with regard to seatbelt violations, speeding infractions, drinking and driving infractions and of course, the use of cell phones while driving.
The police agencies have stated that they are going to step up the enforcement of these issues. They also said that they have issued 32,000 tickets to drivers using cell phones while driving. Can you imagine 32,000 tickets issued for driving while using a cell phone. Considering that there are about four million people in the province — there must be about 38 per cent that are licensed drivers or about 1.5 million — that 32,000 represents a whopping two per cent of drivers. Can you imagine?
I realize that the new cell phone while driving legislation is very necessary. I also realize, like the bicycle helmet law, this phone law is almost impossible to fully enforce. Drivers are becoming more aware of the police agency blitzes. However, these law enforcement officers, with the main duties and responsibilities that they have, cannot possibly do justice to the cell phone legislation as it now stands as there are too many other issues that they need to address.
I notice that many of the city trucks have a decal on them that says, “Need help. We have radios”. This is a really great feature to have in place for city dwellers and visitors alike. The radio fact being said, why is it that on Feb. 4, I saw four different city vehicles in transit and each of their drivers talking on a cell phone? This is right within the city limits, actually in the downtown area. They have radios on board. Were they afraid that someone might listen in if they used them? I don’t believe that the radios were malfunctioning. However, they had their cell phones plastered to their ears as they drove, which contravenes provincial law. Is the city and its employees exempt from the cell phone law? It would seem that this is so. Having said that, in no way am I implying that the city workers are the only violators of the cell phone legislation. In a given day, as a school bus driver, while in transit, I have witnessed as many as 15 people talking on cell phones while driving. These include: moms with children in their vehicles, contractors, cab drivers, city workers and, yes, surprisingly enough, even the occasional law enforcement officer.
For the record, I don’t want to create the impression that I am without blemish. However, when it comes to the cell phone, at least, I employ a hands-free device to receive calls or to make a call that I need to make while in transit. Otherwise, I pull over to do my phoning.
How about you? Are you an in-transit cell phone violator? Remember, playing by the rules may possibly save a life. It might be yours; it might be someone else’s.
Don’t gamble as “Life is a limited time offer.”
Ron Barillaro
Penticton
