Nice Trip

[twobits]

http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/ ... t-in-Japan

I would be interested in who paid for this fluff holiday??? Even worse than the UBCM convention.

[Anonymous123]

I would imagine it's paid for by twobits and all the other taxpayers in Penticton. I love the part where it says they were greeted by 15 people.

[XT225]

I would imagine it's paid for by twobits and all the other taxpayers in Penticton. I love the part where it says they were greeted by 15 people.

According to the mayor, they were warmly greeted at the airport by 15 people with banners and signs and then at city hall by 50 people.

The visit concludes Monday as the mayor returns to Penticton, while other members continue visiting other regions of Japan.

I wonder who "they"/ "other members" are? Paid for by our tax dollars, perhaps? The paper states that the mayor was the ONLY member of council to go on the trip. Guess the others are still hoping/wishing/dreaming that they will be re-elected next Fall. Good luck on that.

[southy]

I realize it is probably very difficult for the folks at city hall to quantify the benefits of Mayor Jak's latest junket, Perhaps the amazing marketing department over in the big building on Main can shed some light on this. I guess the optics in the paper are designed to give us all the big warm and fuzzy. Yea right! At what cost!! I for one am not convinced in the value of sister cities. Mayor Jak talks about economic spin-offs ... I don't think international trade is the cities responsibility. What kind of economic spin-off is he speaking of? This is by no means a slight towards Ikeda, I'm sure it is a very beautiful little city with wonderful people. Mayor Jak says ..."There hasn't been a council representative visit Ikeda since 2008 because economic realities from both communities have limited our opportunities for exchanges and visits." I could be wrong, but has the cities economic position improved that much since 2008? Seems to me there is still a very real economic reality thus the increase in taxes this year. I don't know ... just seems to be a lot of money being spent that could have been utilized here at home with more pressing issues.

[Darkre]

Google is your friend...

From the Sister City Society website:
"The City of Ikeda, Japan has extended an open invitation to come to Japan and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Penticton and Ikeda, Japan. The celebration will be held next year (May 15-23, 2017). We estimate the trip should cost around $3,000 to $3,500 per person. This is an informal trip and everyone is responsible for their own flight reservations, travel insurance, and hotel booking. Our Sister City Society directors will be available to advise on travel arrangements and to answer any questions."

[southy]

Google is your friend...

From the Sister City Society website:
"The City of Ikeda, Japan has extended an open invitation to come to Japan and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Penticton and Ikeda, Japan. The celebration will be held next year (May 15-23, 2017). We estimate the trip should cost around $3,000 to $3,500 per person. This is an informal trip and everyone is responsible for their own flight reservations, travel insurance, and hotel booking. Our Sister City Society directors will be available to advise on travel arrangements and to answer any questions."

Good find Darkre - only problem though is this is from the sister city society site. What I'd like to know is did the city pay for Mayor Jak to attend? What about any other individuals? I also suspect that the $3-3500 figure might be a tad off given the increase in fuel and airport taxes. The above is probably 6 months to a year old.

[Darkre]

Actually it is from Penticton's site. http://www.pentictonikeda.org/

The costing is probably accurate as everyone that went would have purchased their tickets long ago to be a part of this.

[southy]

That's exactly what I said Darke - it's from the Sister City Society Website. This tells us about the invitation and possible costing, but it DOESN'T tell us who will be paying what. Mayor Jak agreed to go the trip back in May of 2016. I have no idea when it might have been booked.

[XT225]

That's exactly what I said Darke - it's from the Sister City Society Website. This tells us about the invitation and possible costing, but it DOESN'T tell us who will be paying what. Mayor Jak agreed to go the trip back in May of 2016. I have no idea when it might have been booked.

Read this over carefully folks. This is an informal trip and everyone is responsible for their own flight reservations, travel insurance, and hotel booking.
Nowhere does it state that the flights were not paid for by John Q. Taxpayer. Only that the people made their own RESERVATIONS and hotel BOOKING. Quite a difference between making the arrangments and paying the shot.

[southy]

Soooo ... we wonder, wonder, wonder who actually paid what. Will we ever know?

[XT225]

Soooo ... we wonder, wonder, wonder who actually paid what. Will we ever know?

Watch one of our media put in a F.O.I. request, if the city is not forthcoming with the info on who went and who paid for what.
ETA: why would it be a secret in the first place, of who went on this delegation? Wouldn't these folks be proud of representing Penticton and want their participation noted, publicly?

[OllyV]

Soooo ... we wonder, wonder, wonder who actually paid what. Will we ever know?

Maybe it was paid for with the money embezzled out of the DPA.

[twobits]

Google is your friend...

From the Sister City Society website:
"The City of Ikeda, Japan has extended an open invitation to come to Japan and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Penticton and Ikeda, Japan. The celebration will be held next year (May 15-23, 2017). We estimate the trip should cost around $3,000 to $3,500 per person. This is an informal trip and everyone is responsible for their own flight reservations, travel insurance, and hotel booking. Our Sister City Society directors will be available to advise on travel arrangements and to answer any questions."

Does anyone think that Mayor Jak paid 3000 to 3500 out of his pocket to visit Japan from his arrival thursday to his departure monday? Basically a three day stay book ended by arrival day and departure day? Do I even have to ask that question?
Dare I say "pig at the trough"? Especially insulting is his comments that there has not been a City rep visit since 2008 due to "economic" circumstances.
It seems Penticton is so flush with cash now despite a multi million dollar infrastructure upgrade that our Mayor can go for a three day sushi feed a la taxpayer that has never brought one investment dollar home in a 40 year sister city relationship.