Take the time and write to your municipal, provincial, and federal representatives what you want done concerning the 5.1 million balance sheet mistake.
You have a voice…use it.
The internet is every politcians nightmare.
I think that you have a great idea. It is time that city council is made accountable for their mistakes. I think it is time for us all to reflect back on some of the decisions they have made, and will probably end up costing more than just an increase in residential taxes such as water, sewer and road infrastructure falling further behind necessary upgrading.
[quote=“P.LAO”]The internet is every politcians nightmare.
[/quote]
YouTube… must use…
lets also add the disaster with the skateboard park.
That Kin Hut was a neat place. little outside theater/park
and a hut…
now look at it… what an eye sore… what a waste of a nice place.
look at the actual hut… its just such a stupid waste…
that skatepark should of been made somewhere eles… with a undercover area…
Rupert is the wettest place in CANADA!
Yeah for as long as I can remember a skate board park was going to be made in Rupert.
It was talked about for a great many years… Then when they finally did it, I felt so bad for the skate boarders. Now I just feel bad period, as it is such an eyesore.
There was an account set up at the Credit Union were people could donate for a park. I wonder if any of that cash was ever used for the park we got? Does anyone know??
There were so many other ideas/ options and I doubt that the youth wanting the park ever got any input. I still see kids at the Ocean Center and other places skate boarding.
I feel for you all, as you should of had a decent place to go.
I agree that the written word can have an influence on a politician.
Mr. Pond carried the last election with 80% of the popular vote. If the town starts to pick up with the container port and other businesses he will be difficult to beat should he decide to run again. Mr. Pond is a very shrewd politician who is aware of public opinion.
The only thing he really needs to fear is the ballot box. I bet that he’s hoping the 5 million dollar mistake will just quietly die out in the minds of voters. I supported Mr. Pond in the last election; I’m undecided at the present moment ( I want to see how he deals with this blunder). I will not support Mr. Pond should he run as a Liberal in the upcoming provincial election in 09. Mr. Coons will get my vote.
Oh I agree I could never support Herb or anyone for that matter of the BC Liberals.
If Herb runs for Mayor I am also undecided. We will see what happens.
The 5 million thing and the data boy thing ( youth vandalism issue) are making me undecided.
If the town starts to pick up with the container port and other businesses he will be difficult to beat should he decide to run again. Mr. Pond is a very shrewd politician who is aware of public opinion.
Do you or do you not agree that we are still months away from any real sign of change due to the opening of the container port! Besides, what does the container port or new business development have to do with Herb. People in Prince Rupert need to realize that we didn’t get the port because of Herb or Don Krusel for the manner, we got the port because we are: closer to the Asian market and the Vancouver Port is too congested. Either government would have invested millions of dollars into a little community like Prince Rupert if they didn’t know that it was good for their coffers.
Yes. I agree that we are months away from any real economic improvement in PR. And yes, I know that Mr. Pond can not claim the port as his achievement. But, in politics perception is everything. Come election time if things have improved in town the voters will be less likely to unseat an incumbent politician. The voters will look around, assess the town’s economic health, and re-elect Pond…even if he had zero to do with the port. Mr. Pond is masterful at spinning things to his advantage.
But interestingly enough, lets say that the overall economic situation in Prince Rupert does not turn around, I bet you that somehow Mr. Pond will be solely responsible for all of our woes.
Sounds like a pretty shitty job to me.
What are you talking about? That’s what makes it the perfect job: no matter what happens, he gets credit or blame for it so it doesn’t matter what he does! How do you screw that up?
Agreed. A shitty job, indeed!
Well it may be a shitty job, but Herb must enjoy it enough not to get a real job. Maybe he will do us all the honour and run for the MLA where we all pretty much predict he will get defeated.
I think you have a personal vendetta with Herb. I think he has been a great embassador for this town. He has worked hard and sold the Rupert Way across the globe. Has it cost us in travel? Absolutly. Is he slick? Very much so.
Thats a politician people. Have you called him to address a concern? I have and he was always up for discussion.
We should focus on the council persons to be accountable.
Which one is accountable for the fact that we pay more than twice as much for property taxes and fees than Terrace or Kitimat, but get a lot less service. Let me know which one is responsible for that, ok? So I won’t make the mistake of voting for him or her again.
Your qualities of note in a politician leave a lot to be desired…
Slick? Ambassador?
What about dedicated to the job at hand?
And what the hell is the Rupert Way anyways and who defines it for us?
While I have no particular personal axe to grind with the Mayor, I think he’s tended to take his eye off the ball as far as local governance goes, letting too many things slide locally, while he’s been wandering near and far.
If he wants to be an ambassador or a Wal Mart Greeter for that matter, that’s well and good, but that’s not really the job of a Mayor.
It seems to me that there’s more than enough issues percolating around town to keep even the most adventerous of politicans a little closer to home. I’d be more interested in seeing a Mayor to be involved in what’s happening in the backyard, rather than running down the road or across the continent to brag about what may or may not be happening back home…
I don’t doubt his work ethic for a minute, though I don’t always think that his interests and that of the tax payers and residents are on the same page…
Do you know many policticians that arent slick? Or that are not embassadors for their constituents? Thats the job Spodunk!!! Like it or not. You need to be well spoken, need to rep your people and be able to build alliances with other politicians across the world.
The dog barking, jay walking issues I thinkyour refferring to are small on the scale spodunk.
You need to start thinking on a global scale.
As for taxes…you can thanks the skeena cell fuck up on that.
I for one would never compare us to the redneck backward communities of terrace and Kitimat.
We live in a far batter place. We dont have the big tax base as eurocan alcan methanex. No saw mill…no big box stores…YET, but we enjoy a great community. The roads, sewers need major revamping…I dont mind paying a little more to have the services I have. Hey Pt Ed and Terrace are really not that far away. I know people in the lower mainland that commute that difference ona daily basis.
Lighten up
MCSASH quite being an apologist for the old guard. You must not have much faith in the system when the ideal politico is slick. Perhaps he’s worked hard, but so does my microwave oven. The only people he’s sold anything too are his advocates. Sold Rupert across the globe…gimme a break. What about taking care of local issues?
You’ve fallen for an old Jedi mind trick…again.
MCSASH says:
"I for one would never compare us to the redneck backward communities of terrace and Kitimat.
I say:
You’ve spent too much time dreaming in the backwaters dude. If my work was could be in Terrace, I’d move in heartbeat. Imagine sun and four seasons. Imagine services.
MCSASH says: “The dog barking, jay walking issues”
I say:
Don’t oversimplify things. There are many serious issues that arne’t being addressed seriously by His Worship or his minions.
MCSASH says:
“As for taxes…you can thanks the skeena cell fuck up on that”
I say:
You’re nearly right. But it’s the global scale you admire and we must thank for the shut down. And Herb’s done great on the global stage, just ask Sunwave.
Wake up…it’s time to play
Terrace and Kitimat don’t even RATE on the redneck scale.
Movie Gallery files Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy under “Documentaries” here in the Fort…
What’s a Spodunk?
Anyways, not particularly concerned about barking dogs or jaywalking, was thinking more along the lines of a lack of industrial development and jobs for the locals, the ever increasing taxes and higher tax rate, all without any particular accountability, a perceived crime problem that won’t be addressed, crumbling roads and sewers, city owned entities that seem to want to rewrite their rules of order without any kind of reason why, just the little things I guess…
Yes a mayor needs to be well spoken, it also doesn’t hurt to have a few ideas as to where the city should be going as far as long term planning and infrastructure. Count the number of jobs that have left town in the last five years compared to the ones being created, compare the salaries.
Unless there is an industrial base there will be few tax payers to shoulder the load.
It would be nice if we could see some progress there, which is really where the duties of City Hall should be, attracting industry, making it possible for the local economy to expand.
Just saying that things are getting better isn’t quite the same as actually showing the fruits of your labor…
The tourist industry jobs created and trumpted by the city, have been nice, but they don’t create a lot of spin off wealth in the community, nor do they result in a healthy tax base for the city to collect money from. The season is just too short.
A Mayor may want to build alliances around the world, but in the end, if the local taxpayer can’t get his/her attention on a mundane issue such as vanadalism, economic development, taxes or crime, well he or she had best hope that those alliances can help find them a job after an election…