Proposal for prison should be put to a vote
How can we be working together on this prison proposal when “there will be no referendum process,” (Dan Ashton, Feb 18, Western News).
As citizens of Penticton, we are concerned that local politicians are pushing through a regional prison complex without hard information nor providing an opportunity through a referendum to democratically decide on this development.
In response to the article on Feb 18 in the Western we sense a certain inevitability that a process is moving forward using fear mongering, pressure tactics and empty platitudes. There is no hard evidence that this venture will improve or benefit our community. We would like to bring forward the following issues and points:
Lack of information: Is there hard information on precedents, details on prison management from a community perspective and researched data on the impact medium-security prisons have on local communities available for review by citizens at City Hall?
Why did the Okanagan Indian Band in Lake Country not support this venture after 15 years of consultation? Is this information available?
Where will discharged inmates go upon release and what supports will there be in place to help them transition into the community? Does our community have the funding and capacity to provide these services? (Penticton does not have a transitional housing program or rehab centre.)
How will our community services be able to support the families of inmates who move here to be close to their loved ones?
The impact on our status as a tourist destination: As other citizens have pointed out, this venture will have reverse negative economic spin on our tourism industry. Instead of investing in modernizing and developing new tourism ventures, our politicians are focused on a perceived “cash cow” without properly considering its impact.
In our region we do have the benefit of a internationally recognized tourism management degree program at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Have we consulted them or requested an impact study be conducted?
Alternative strategic considerations for our community: We may be better served if our community developed drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities that promote wellness and recovery amongst the population that typically populates the prison systems.
Presently the waiting list for access to drug and alcohol services can be up to six months. This leaves people with serious addictions without rehabilitation support and vulnerable to a life of crime and eventual imprisonment.
Instead of rushing blindly into this proposal we believe that a local advisory committee of professionals in the field be struck to provide hard information about this development and its impact on local communities. This process must be followed by a referendum reflecting principles of democracy.
Edward and Lise Ecclestone
Penticton
Locations should be public
We have all been eagerly anticipating the location question regarding the proposed prison (although I am of the opinion that as the largest community of the South Okanagan — and this is borne out by research — Penticton would serve as a magnet for inmates’ families and released prisoners, wherever in the South Okanagan the prison is located). Council has now announced that potential locations will be divulged at a public meeting, where we will have an opportunity to give feedback.
By waiting until the meetings to disclose to the public the potential locations, we are denied the opportunity to inform ourselves about those locations, read up on them, drive by them and form an opinion. This opportunity is being given to ministry officials. That puts the public at an unfair disadvantage in forming and formulating their opinions, for or against.
The locations under consideration should be disclosed a few days before the meetings, so that we can have the facts at hand when we attend. I urge mayor and council to disclose the locations before, and not at the meeting. I think they have nothing to lose and stand only to gain from a discussion with an informed crowd.
Planning for a prison in Penticton stems from short-term thinking by our elected officials. A prison will prevent long-term economic growth, while it is speculative that it will create even short-term benefits.
Direct jobs in the prison service will be filled by trained professionals from outside the region. Union members working at other prisons, like Prince George, who would like to relocate to Penticton will be given preferential treatment. For most positions a rigid entrance screening and psychological test, followed by lengthy training will be required. Positions for locals will mostly be limited to low-pay casual positions in cleaning and non-skilled labour. And then we can only hope that those jobs will outnumber the ones lost because of the work performed by prisoners doing roadside clearing, park enhancement, fire suppression and other work currently performed by paid city and district staff.
Procurement of food and supplies is performed centrally for the entire province, so local benefits will be minimal. There would of course be some opportunity for social workers, counsellors and rehabilitation officers to service the inmates that would stay in Penticton after their release. Because although offenders will be offered a bus ticket, they are under no obligation to use it. Many of these offenders — convicted of assault, home invasions, car theft, burglary etc. — have limited ties to any specific place. Since Penticton is one of the more agreeable areas in the province, it is likely that a significant number of them will decide to stay here. Experience in other prison towns has shown that even in places with less natural attraction than Penticton, inmates with nowhere else to go stick around.
But then of course there is at least the increase to the tax base. Or is there? The province does not pay taxes. At its own discretion it may pay grants in lieu of taxes to municipalities with prisons. If a 20-acre site suitable for a prison can be found in our area, we could instead choose to build homes there, or a business park, which could generate hundreds of jobs and a solid tax base, controlled for the long term by the city or RDOS.
As one speaker said at the public forum: if this is the best our economic development officers can come up with for our young people, they have failed Penticton’s youth. Dismally, I would add.
Tom Bijvoet
Penticton
Standing guard against prison
So, now we have the interesting and uncomfortable sight of our local politicians in the South Okanagan rubbing their hands with glee, greed and/or desperation over the prospect of establishing a penitentiary in the area.
Let us take a look at the values of this endeavour first: they are proposing that it would be very astute of us to benefit economically on the misfortunes of the poor, the unfortunate and those who commit crimes. All while saying that there are no downsides to such a facility.
Now let us look at the actuality of having a penitentiary in your community, and what the jobs are like there. I lived in Kamloops for many years, where there are three prison facilities, and was closely involved in the justice system, working in a legal centre, serving on the local justice council and working in the difficult field of rehabilitation of ex-criminals. So I have seen the system up close, including being inside penitentiaries. This is not a pretty business.
You can be sure that it will attract the families and friends of those in prison (wouldn‘t you want to visit your loved one?). That will absolutely increase the welfare roles, because these people will not have jobs here and they will be unlikely to find employment. It will also attract a range of other fairly undesirable people to the area, such as drug dealers, prostitutes, addicts, bikers (that is, more than we already have). Homelessness will increase.
What of the people who work in penitentiaries? It is a thankless, dangerous and depressing job. Ask yourself, who would want to be a prison guard? Do you think your children would want to grow up to be prison guards? I knew a correctional officer once who said to me “I don’t know anymore if I am the jailor or the jailed.” They interact day in and day out with the worst five per cent of the population, and it changes them for the worse. Police officers have it much better, because they interact with the other 95 per cent of us as well.
And consider that at present there are serious discussions going on between the province and the federal government about changing the prison system so that anyone serving over six months will be put into a federal penitentiary, and there meet up with the really serious offenders, where they too can learn how to be really serious offenders. That means that the facility which is built could be changed into a long-term one, at any time, with those serving longer than two years being housed in the local facility. There are absolutely no guarantees that this will remain a provincial facility housing less dangerous prisoners.
Do you not think that we would be wise to look elsewhere for economic opportunities for our communities? I unequivocally do.
Sharry Schneider
Summerland
Prison will open doors
My letter is in response to letter from Mr. and Mrs. Butler of Summerland. In so much as Mr. Butler is obviously anti-prison, I first would like to make it evident that I am not pro-prison but pro-Summerland.
First, your comment of “this beautiful area could have its reputation forever destroyed by being known as a prison town.”
The first 60 years of my life was living in the Vancouver area, and never once did I hear New Westminster, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, etc. referred to as prison towns. And there is a good chance I interacted with virtually every type of working person from billionaire to street person.
You mention a young friend who is keen to move here for business purposes. This is one main reason I am not against the prison. Summerland just lost three manufacturing-type businesses this year. Possibly up to 200 good people lost their jobs. Our taxes are on another increase this year to cover expenditures as well as to cover the now non-existent taxes we would have received from these companies.
The construction of the prison will open doors to manufacturing and construction workers for possibly two years (more badly needed taxes).
After completion of the prison, a constant, well-paid staff for many years will be again, paying taxes, along with the development itself. This is not short-term economics.
Personally, I do not agree with you for a second that working for this country’s legal/criminal system is below the wants of high school grads. Did you know that over 80 per cent of all Vancouver police officers have college or university education? They also work for the same system.
I want to see Summerland as a hometown, that I and others can afford, and to live a good life in.
The Vancouver Sun had a recent front-page article showing the areas in B.C. that released prisoners go to after release. This article may relax another concern you may have.
Terry McHardy
Summerland
Inmates running the asylum
Penticton might get a prison? Great, more people who aren’t here for the work, they are the work. Certainly fits with the no federal or provincial handout we won’t accept model that has us headed for a labour war.
Shouldn’t be hard to find a location though, all we have to do is reno a gated community. Actually building a fence around people other municipalities don’t want might be an improvement.
The province has long been busing people to the interior to get them away from their negative peer groups at the coast, they might as well pay us. Still I can’t help but think a greater focus on a more natural economy based on tourism and agriculture would make for a stronger community: Which doesn’t mean paying a company to hold a race so we can sell them bananas, but it might involve people paying us to put some quality architecture on the beach instead of the city spending money on a lawn.
Maybe a prison is the only way forward, but if it is we’ve failed to manage the best place on the planet. I just hope the inmates cut the grass.
Scott Robinson
Penticton
City manager sets record straight on expenses
In reviewing the letter to the editor by H. Williams of Summerland published in the Feb. 21 Western News, I noted a number of gross factual inaccuracies that need to be addressed, namely:
Comment: The writer refers to a monthly expense account of between $10,000 and $14,000 for management staff. Fact: No staff, including all management staff, has an expense account.
Comment: The writer refers to a contract planner hired by council at a salary of $6,000 monthly, who lives in Las Vegas. Fact: When the manager of planning resigned and moved to Las Vegas the city retained his services for a short period until a suitable candidate was found to fill his position.
Comment: The writer refers to the previous CAO, hired by council, who lived in Vancouver, had his return airfare between Penticton and home paid by taxpayers and that he was also provided housing, food and entertainment, a rental car and a generous expense account. Fact: The city did hire a CAO, on contract, who lived in Vancouver. The city did pay for his expenses to and from Vancouver. However, it did not pay for a rental car, nor did he have an expense account. He stayed locally with family, and was not provided a living allowance.
Comment: The writer states that an Alberta-based negotiator is hired at taxpayers’ expense, provided with accommodation, return airfare and all the perks — too minor to mention? Fact: The city negotiator does reside in Calgary. However, he is employed by a Vancouver-based firm. He owns a home in Kelowna and stays there when he is working for the city. No allowance is provided for accommodation. There are no perks. The city does pay for his airfare and provides a per diem of $55 for meals. It should also be noted that the city also pays for three of the CUPE members at the table including their full wages and benefits while in negotiations.
Comment: Pensions? City managers, the mayor and council have generous pensions funded entirely by taxpayers. Union members contribute substantial amounts to their pensions. Fact: All employees including CUPE, IAFF, IBEW, management and exempt contribute the same amount to the pension plan. Employees contribute 6.99 per cent and the city contributes 9.37 per cent on their behalf. Mayor and council do not participate in the pension plan.
Comment: The writer mentions food delivered to meetings: 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. Fact: Food is only delivered when there is no opportunity to have dinner prior to a council meeting. Anyone, including union members attending the meetings, is welcome to partake in the food.
Comment: The writer claims that many individuals have been dismissed, receiving substantial severance packages. Asking: How many have been rehired under contract? How many of those jobs have been reposted and refilled? Fact: Two individuals have been dismissed and as required by common law, given severance packages. The city has not filled any other positions with contractors. There has been one position (deputy city clerk) filled since 10 management/exempt positions were eliminated last year.
Comment: The writer finishes by saying: 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 balance of problems facing the city, weakens any argument. Fact: When you look at the actual positions eliminated in management over the past two years, there have been a greater percentage of management (30 per cent) positions eliminated than positions staffed by CUPE members, which is around six per cent.
Annette Antoniak, city manager
Penticton
Good government hard to find
Feb. 11, 2011 marked a milestone in the struggle of the Egyptian people and may prove to be a worthy example of the power of non-violent resistance.
On the same day, Lawrence Cannon, the foreign affairs minister for our Conservative government in Ottawa, declined to comment on President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation.
Cannon had endorsed Mubarak’s so-called “transition plan” to extend his regime to September. Our government in Ottawa trundles helplessly behind events it is unwilling to or incapable of comprehending.
For years, successive Liberal and Conservative governments have backed the Mubarak dictatorship in Egypt and supported its policy of enforcing the Israeli-led siege against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Our Conservative Party of Canada government has fretted aloud about what changes in Egypt will mean for the Israeli government and its occupation and siege.
Egypt, and before that Tunisia, has shown that people power can overcome dictators backed by foreign powers. And they have shown that democracy and liberation come from struggle from below, never from U.S.-led wars and occupations.
The leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada in government has shown itself to be uncomfortable with democracy at home and a pliable tool of American imperialism abroad.
The Conservative Party of Canada, the prime minister and his cabinet maintain support for the corrupt regime in Afghanistan.
As our successive governments in Ottawa and their security apparatus continues with policies and behaviours that widen the gap between them and the people, who knows how soon Canadians will find themselves ready to challenge the status quo as Egyptians have done.
I very much doubt that the struggle of Egyptians for better government ends with today’s success. Everywhere, such struggles need to be persistent and ongoing.
Dave Cursons
Cawston
Celebrate our differences
Lois Linds, your letter in the Feb 18 Western New, is what more people need to say. I do have to ask Joy Lang what is so offensive about a message of love, hope, peace, joy, kindness and so on. It’s baffling on how that is offensive.
Why aren’t Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and the other events and holidays offensive? Halloween to me is a stupid event to celebrate, but I won’t block it or protest against it. Those that want to celebrate it, let them do so. If we can put Happy Halloween on our store windows, then we sure as heck can paint Merry Christmas on them too.
I have talked to many atheists, and they all like to say the same things. In a much earlier letter. Joy blamed Christianity for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and residential schools. All those and many more have been done by corrupt organizations and are the ambitions of man who hide behind a belief.
Stalin and other leaders of the past have been responsible for the murder of tens of millions of people in the last hundred years. They were atheists, so are all atheists like this? Can all atheists be labeled because the actions of some? Atheists have no problem in blaming religion for problems and issues in the world while ignoring the many issues and problems that atheism causes.
The pope is not the church nor is some corrupt TV evangelist. What Christ taught and what many of these others are doing are two different things. God is real and undeniable, just because you have never experienced these facts, does not make them any less. To assume that it’s all emotion is simple mindedness.
There is more out there to read then Hitchens and Dawkins.
David Mercier
Penticton
Fear can be a weapon
Are we sovereign? Does Canada represent itself and the best interest of its citizens? I have to conclude that it currently does not.
Do I have evidence of this? It’s evident if you look at all the new laws that are being passed in our names. I was just watching Bill C-17 being debated when I heard the reason for its creation. The United Nations suggested that we look at our terrorism laws and revise them to meet the current “threat”. Do we take our orders from the United Nations? Well, they said jump and we said how high, but who else is jumping? America, Britain, Germany, France and plenty of others are all on board. All of this because of the events of 9/11 and the new “threat” it represents.
Well, just what kind of threat does it represent? George Bush said, “They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.”
So if they hate and want to threaten our “freedoms” shouldn’t we cling to and defend those freedoms? Why do we accept governments repeatedly and purposefully taking away those freedoms? We’ve already lost our right to choose. We must pay for health care which only covers government-sponsored programs. We have been forced to accept a light bulb which pollutes landfills and quite potentially your body.
Our access to non-GMO food, supplements, vitamins and real food is evaporating before our eyes. Which brings me back to C-17. It was Franklin Roosevelt who said,” We have nothing to fear, but fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” I believe this to be true and exactly what is happening.
I am not afraid of Islamic terrorists. I fear the use of false flag attacks. I fear that we are retreating into the shadows when we should be advancing towards the light. I fear that too many people form opinions on issues without looking at all the facts. I fear that we can always be provided with enemies who are unknown and different from us, therefore keeping war perpetual. I fear that soon these new powers will be turned internally like they are beginning to do in America. But what I fear most is that as we move further into the shadows we will be consumed by them.
I know I am not alone in saying that we were meant to live in the light, but please be aware of who is providing the light bulb and remember that you always have a choice.
Matthew Lindsay
Penticton
Under the gun
Just recently, I talked to a police officer who was handing out tickets to inattentive drivers, driving through an intersection on red lights. I was telling him that he was in principle doing the same thing as highway robbers in older times, robbing the stagecoaches at night in the dark forest. Of course, he did not agree with me, as one can imagine. Even so, the officer was standing sneakily behind a corner; outsmarting the drivers like a cat catching a mouse, where a driver could not see the officer.
He insisted that he was enforcing the law and believes he was doing a good deed and preventing accidents. I thought if he wants to prevent an accident, the officer should stand on the entrance to the intersection and not after the driver could have caused an accident.
I said to him that it was not his fault, because he only is doing his job, but those on the top of the food chain knew exactly what they were doing when tinkering around with the law. Those who are collecting, handling and profiteering from the proceeds of this robbery, are also those who convince our politicians with prepared changes to the laws, which allow the theft from unsuspecting victims.
Then I gave the officer another example of legalizing drugs. He asked if all drugs should be legal, and I replied certainly. If a drug addict would have the choice of buying his drug for five bucks instead of five hundred, the addict would of course buy them legally in a store for five dollars. This means that dealers, who create the addicts, would be out of business in no time flat.
I said that all drugs be made available by prescription. In this way, each consecutive prescription could be at a reduced strength. Doing this, within one year all addicts would be drug free and only take placebos.
When the officer had to collect some more money from the next victim, I tried to continue my conversation with his partner. This individual, however, wanted to appear miserable and he told me, in convincing terms, to get lost. Therefore, I thought I’d better quit while I am ahead, and left the scene of the robbery.
Otto Sturhahn
Penticton
Community needs facilities
After residing in Okanagan Falls for a time, it has come to my attention we do not have a community centre, a Safeway grocery store and an official town office building for Okanagan Falls regional development and other town administration and modern medical offices.
What with the rising cost of vehicle fuel to travel to and from Penticton or Oliver, it would seem to me residents of Okanagan Falls do not have relevant facilities to provide for the health of their young people and future citizens.
I highly recommend private investment initiatives and supportive provincial and federal government support for this community, soon.
G.G. Schramm
Okanagan Falls
Mirror images
Paul Crossley, read yourself, you’re the pot calling the kettle black by referring to Barry O’Neil as “some pointy-headed head honcho for the chosen unruly public erratum otherwise known as CUPE” (Western News, Feb. 11).
O’Neil’s comments are deemed “inflammatory and callous,” and so nothing to help the situation according to Crossley. I say Crossley and O’Neil mirror each other in the field of inflammatory and unhelpful comments.
Joy Lang
Penticton
