Opinion

Education as we know it needs a change in direction to meet 21st century educational needs. Because of a global awakening and technological advancement, the old style of education that many of today’s parents and grandparents experienced, isn’t enough now. There needs to be a realization that we no longer live the way that we used to. Our educational philosophy may be outdated. We should no longer teach the way that we may have been taught.

As my past correspondence has so often indicated, I do not agree with all decisions made by our elected officials, at all levels of government. I make up my own mind on issues and I try to be objective and fair.

I was at the Jan 6 open house on the city’s budget discussions and questioned the $200,000 increase to Penticton and its transit system.

Bravo to the cast and crew of this season’s Soundstage production of Chess.

In explaining council’s decision to fund upgrades for the Columbia Heights and Upper Carmi area water system from “water reserves” rather than through borrowing, Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton noted that city council has done “a terrible job” of explaining the plan.

As a resident of Penticton since 2006, a year or so prior to the economic downturn, I have sadly been witness to many small businesses closing their doors, with no intention of reopening again.

Just how desperate is the city for tax dollars that they would even consider a prison in or near Penticton?

Penticton residents, and the City of Penticton were surprised to hear FortisBC will raise the base rate for electricity it sells to the City of Penticton by nearly 12 per cent. This follows a six per cent increase imposed by the BC Utilities Commission in 2009. That’s 18 per cent in two years. For the record, the consumer price index for the same period was steady at two per cent annually.

The rusty machination that serves as this country’s woeful freedom of information system isn’t issue enough to get Canadians rushing to the polls. But voters will turn out if they get a sense government is being dishonest with the public.