Some hard news on the front page of the PRDN last night.
‘Health Advisory Committee Disbanded’.
My first reaction was why? It provided input from the community into probably the most important parts of life here!
The article was short on detail, but the quote form our mayor kind of steamed me!
He mentioned items like the lack of doctors, seniors care, etc. but said “These are all valid issues, but right now we’ve got enough issues to take care of”. Now with no local input from the public are we now just going to be pulled by the noses to ‘regional care’ in Terrace or some other place? Taking that quote on its own, it seems like the height of arrogance!
We need more information on this story!
Aren’t those issues the ones that we should all be most concerned with aside from, oh let’s see, teenage prostitution, drug and alcohol addiction problems, lack of employment, high welfare rolls, lack of affordable housing and so on…I sit here sometimes and wonder just what the hell is city council doing regarding any of these issues, if anything…Oh wait, there can always be another one of these “meetings” by other Boards and groups in town that the public never hears feedback from…It is sickening and this town deserves better :evil: Dammit !! What next? I don’t know that I really want to find out…
They like to keep our roads nice n pretty.
Put new paint for crosswalks close to the library. 
That’s about it Codybear.
I listened to the recording of the last council meeting yesterday. The council seems to be in a time zone where the social issues that you and codybear mention do not exist. The most vigorous debate in quite some time concerned whether there should be 2 hours free parking at Cow Bay (machines have been purchased and installed based on other assumptions). I only listen to some meetings, but social issues do not seem to be of much interest. Perhaps those issues are discussed in closed meetings of which there are as many as before under Jacko’s stewardship.
No the reality of it all is they only seem to play or be a factor is during election time it seems. I have been fighting with the local government for years now about social issues and to no avail. I am shocked about Mayor Jack’s comments in regards to the Northern Health Committee, it is like well done now go away please. It does not cost the city anything and they have tried to address many good issues through the years and that is the thanks they get. I was just driving home a few moments ago and went down a back alley where I found five males pissed drunk, where are the D&A workers to deal with their addiction of choice. Right there is no need for a rehab facility in this here town. I had just left a meeting with a mother concerning her daughter who is experimenting with drugs, where does she or her daughter go? We are facing a serious addiction problem in this town and we will be getting worse as time rolls on. We as citizens need to deliver questions to mayor and council and demand answers.
But what if the NDP had raised the price of beer by $3. Aren’t you concerned? That was a close one.
Keep BC Strong!
Most of these individuals who drink in the back alley or behind building drink real cheap poison which eventually kills their system, we have seen many young adults go down from this Cheap Poison which I think is Sherry. I don’t really care if it is NDP or Libs. because I believe we are all responsible for this mess. I think Mayor and council should get with the times and understand there is no Boom but watch and see the social issues get much worse.
I do not mean to make a bad pun, but there seems to be an “I’m alright Jack” attitude on council. By and large they personally seem to be doing quite well, but they come across as being out of touch with many constituents who are just getting by or not doing well at all.
yeah I know, Justin.
My point was that more time (a health advisory committee) and money (provincial health ministry) needs to be invested, which is why I was concerned about the whole $3 beer increase issue during the election. It seemed to me that our elected officials, and those who wish to be elected, sometimes confuse our true needs (addiction services) with our truest desires (cheaper addictions).
I didn’t read the PRDN yesterday so I’m not sure which Committee this one is. Is it the one with Dorothy McLean et al?
It’s the one with Tony Briglio, here’s a link for the story from yesterday’s paper…
QFT
Well put, BakerWriter. While nobody (least of all an addict) likes to be told “this is for your own good” - it is what we need…that is, until we are able to recognize the difference between “need” and “want”.
Dorthy who? is that for real, I heard she ran for school trustee. Don’t get me started and lets stick to the issue at hand in regards to Mayor and council now that is total crap. There has been some very good people who have sat on that one and worked very hard for the community.
I can quit any time I want.
I just don’t want to.
Went back and re-read the article…Just what is our Mayors dogma ? “When I want your advice, I’ll GIVE it to you…” What an arrogant ass and the fact that these people on the committee were volunteers and working for the good of our community is just a slap in the face and he and council ought to be ashamed of what they have done. It seems he is more concerned with the almighty cruiseship passengers than he is with his own constituents. So, if I am correct, in the last couple of months, the Parks and Roads budget has been cut, the taxes are proposed to be increased by 3%(approx.), Planet Youth is gone and Street Spirit is being relocated to a not so desireable locale for the kids and now this bullshit…And yet, the workers were out prettifying our flowers and such today. Oh, that was cut also, the budget for the Civic Pride group, also a dedicated group of volunteers…Please correct me if I am wrong, I am sure I have some facts out of sequence but you get the jest…We can all be happy though, the market will be up and running again for the cruiseship GODS… Then people wll complain that folks from Terrace travelled here with their wares, it just never ends… Dammit, I need a drink 
Nah you dont drink do you, my girlfriends and I were betting on that one. Now this whole mess is messing you up.Please do not give up we like you in the food bank.
I get the gist, but I don’t think it’s very funny … 
Wasn’t meant to be funny but thanks for the correction… 
Simply put, Jack does not like advisory boards. This won’t be the last one to go.
Perhaps another way of putting this is Jack does not like transparency as much as he professes.
Under the Community Charter committees and boards etc are, like the council itself, required to meet in public with some narrow exceptions, eg where personal information is discussed. In practical terms the requirement for openness may not make a huge difference - citizens may seldom drop in on meetings - but I think that it influences expectations about how public bodies operate. They are not supposed to be like secret societies.
Turning the health committee issues over to city staff is a different manner entirely. Their inquiries and deliberations are conducted behind closed doors until they are prepared to make recommendations to the council. Even then, there is a well established practice, which has not abated at all under Jack’s stewardship, of making recommendations at closed meetings. The rules are pushed to the n’th degree to avoid public scrutiny. Perhaps as a former city employee and an itinerant consultant who worked for many municipal governments far and wide, Jack is more comfortable with that back rooms style of doing business.
This leaves aside, of course, the greater issue of what first hand insights or expertise staff would bring to the closed door meetings? These issues are not really their strong suit or skill set I suspect.