As we shuffle off to the polls in the next few days, I would like us all to remember a few things that we should consider before stepping up to the voting booth.
The first thing is the hockey dorm. Mr. Jakubeit was a council member during this time, and was receptive to a $50,000 downpayment from Mr. Reagan and Mr. Elphicke. John Vassilaki went on record stating he would have asked for $250,000 up front, in which case this project never would have broken ground, saving us $1 million in the end. I was employed by the city at the time, and wrote a letter of disagreement to the editor. I was threatened with termination.
The next thing we need to remember is the Skaha Park fiasco. I don’t think I need to go into detail here. We all know how that turned out. The only city in history to sue itself.
What about the building on Marine Way that we are on the hook for to the tune of $1 million in repairs?
Then there is Kinney Avenue. A somewhat farcical traffic study was done to appease the masses, and the project went ahead anyways despite 700 signatures on a petition.
Taking credit for “the party is over.” Community safety advocates have been after mayor and council for four years to do something about the serious rise in crime across the city, with nothing being done until an election year (shame on you Mr. Jakubeit for taking the credit). I also notice RCMP Supt. Ted de Jager seems to have gone MIA. In a statement issued by our top cop, “We finish many investigations through the relationships we have built with some of the city’s most undesirables; that’s how we solve crime.” To me this translates into the fact that these petty thieves are remaining free because they are being used as informants. This, in my opinion, is absolute BS. Informants should remain free if and only if they cease their criminal activities.
Lack of affordable housing; the buildings erected on Duncan Avenue were supposed to be affordable housing. They are not affordable to our current homeless population and low income earners. The whole point of this project was to help alleviate homelessness.
Downtown revitalization. I am all for it, but the sewer lines either side of Main Street should have been replaced first prior to breaking ground on the main project. Also, much money could have been saved by not raising the intersections and using fancy brick work on the road.
If the aforementioned reasons are not enough to clean house, then I don’t know what is. Vote wisely, ladies and gentlemen, but please get out there and vote. We need change.
Mark Billesberger
Penticton