Mayor Jak to seek re-election

[southy]

*removed*

[fluffy]

Listen, Penticton is a 100 million dollar plus per yr business. That is an undeniable fact. The other undeniable fact is that to be at the top of such a business, and in a position that can actually dictate to the CAO, requires someone with some business acumen. Now seriously ask yourselves if you think a guy like Jak has a resume and business history that warrants being the head of a corp with a 100 million plus budget?

A job like mayor doesn't demand comprehensive knowledge of all the minutia involved in the running of the city. General knowledge combined with quality staff is what's required. He has to be smart enough to know the limits of his own knowledge, and know where to turn to get the answers he doesn't have.

We're seeing parallel arguments at all levels of government right now, right vs. left in political philosophy and policy, when to spend and when to save and so on. I've said it before, council after council has attempted to add diversity to Penticton's economy and all have met the same brick wall. We have tourism and we have the retirement community, why wouldn't we support those sectors in the absence of alternatives? The trouble that council experiences largely comes from the fact that those two sectors are often at odds with each other.

[southy]

I'm not sure about your point that both sides are odds with each other. I think both sides have had and continue to have issues with this present mayor and council. And no, I'm not about to get into rehashing all the dysfunctional moves that have been made to bring discourse on from both sides.

Further, your comment about the mayor's position doesn't demand comprehensive knowledge of all the minutiae (for those who don't know the meaning of - minutia (plural noun) - the small, precise, or trivial details of something). I honestly believe this has been proven over and over the past three years. You say he needs to be smart enough to know his own limits with regard to knowledge and know where to turn. It's that "where to turn" the cause me to ask ... just where and to whom does he turn???

I for one in my opinion simply cannot buy your argument about this mayor and council. I also suspect there are issues going on above mayor and council as well. Time will tell - time will tell!!

[fluffy]

I for one in my opinion simply cannot buy your argument about this mayor and council.

I wouldn't expect you to southy, you have made your feelings toward current council plain many times. I simply want it understood that I do not share your prejudices, and suspect I am representative of a significant portion of Penticton's populace.

[JagXKR]

Although weedlover's comments were removed one point he made was true. Vas owns the property in the Castanet story.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... owner-sued

Documents prove it.

http://www.penticton.ca/assets/City~Hal ... silaki.pdf

Complete disclosure for any politician is paramount. Vas did disclose his businesses but how many would know that his business dealings involved marijuana before it is legalized. If he runs again I'm sure questions regarding this business will be forefront for many.

[twobits]

A job like mayor doesn't demand comprehensive knowledge of all the minutia involved in the running of the city. General knowledge combined with quality staff is what's required. He has to be smart enough to know the limits of his own knowledge, and know where to turn to get the answers he doesn't have.

I could write several paragraphs of rebuttal here Fluff, but will keep it brief. No one expects the Mayor to have "minutia" knowledge of all the runnings of the City business. The President of any company with a 100 million dollar budget company doesn't worry about it either. He/she also relies on the staff under them.
But they also control and direct staff. Be honest here....staff recommends and council decides. And staff recommends on the directives that Mayor and Council ask them to investigate. Staff mandate is clearly set by the Mayor and Council.
So, does Mayor and Council get a pass on buffoon directives to staff or should we just be electing CAO's that are paid 200k a yr and know how to run a business without having to listen to and take directions from business incompetents like bankrupt used record store owners and retired bartenders that still live in their parents basement.

[fluffy]

If he runs again I'm sure questions regarding this business will be forefront for many.

That's only fair. Mayor Jak's detractors are always quick to bring his business practices into the limelight, why should any of his political opponents be free from scrutiny in that area?

[twobits]

Although weedlover's comments were removed one point he made was true. Vas owns the property in the Castanet story.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... owner-sued

Documents prove it.

http://www.penticton.ca/assets/City~Hal ... silaki.pdf

Complete disclosure for any politician is paramount. Vas did disclose his businesses but how many would know that his business dealings involved marijuana before it is legalized. If he runs again I'm sure questions regarding this business will be forefront for many.

Nothing untrue here. But I would ask, why is the lessor of a property guilty for an illegal activity of the lessee? Following that logic, anyone who grew weed or sold weed out of a rented home, makes the owner of that home guilty of cultivation or trafficking? Get a grip for lord's sake. It's not up to the owner to decide what is legal or not. It seems the general population thinks in majority that it is ok? And our own Mayor and Council saw fit to muddy the waters further by granting some business licenses for operations of selling weed despite it being an illegal product still. And you want to hang Vaz out for renting a space for a business use that the City has already granted business licenses to do the same thing!!
People have rented mini storage units and set up grow ops in the past. Shall we condemn the mini storage owners as promoters of illegal activity as well?
You can go pound salt with that trail of supposed culpability. Instead, you should be asking Jak why he and Council ever allowed licensing for a business conducting a clearly illegal activity shouldn't you? Then you have the stones to suggest that questions will arise regarding this business if he runs against the Mayor that has legitimized the businesses by granting licenses????? You might want to reconsider your conclusion in your post.

[XT225]

My biggest complaint about our present mayor (and some on council) is their inability to stop the taxpayer funded drunken sailor spending spree. If any of council started to start showing more fiscal responsibility, they might have a chance (slim) of getting re-elected. Of course the few supporters on here will state that you have spend money to make money; true in some cases, however you also must have priorities in place; these folks just do not get it. Take a drive on some of the major streets in town and see what a complete mess they are in; potholes everywhere; and on main drags; not just side streets. Some deep enough to cause serious damage to vehicles. Fix what needs to be fixed before putting any more "lipstick on the downtown pig" as twobits quotes so wonderfully. Property taxes going up 3.4% and higher utility charges coming; things are just bloomin well out of control.

[twobits]

The biggest problem I have is the current Mayor and Council trying to justify 3 plus percentage rate increases in tax rates on past Council's austerity. Those austerity Council's were just trying to correct the out of control spending created by the Kimberly and Perry tenures. And now we have to pay the piper for years of 0% tax increases. Bullchit. The problem was created by union oriented Mayors that so bloated the payroll and expenses that we had to lease the building across the street from City Hall to house employees. Pearce and Ashton tried to reign things into reality but then came bankrupt Jak as the leader.
The proof is right here.......read the numbers and weep as to what Penticton property homeowners pay in taxes per 100k in assesses value.

Using taxes paid per 100,000 in assessed value for the Okanagan is as follows: Kelowna, $364; Lake Country, $315; Oliver, $164; Osoyoos, $231; Peachland, $340; [b]Penticton, $433; Summerland, $331; Vernon, $378.
[/b]
Now please tell me how anyone can justify the spending and taxation policy of our civic leaders when we have the highest taxation rate over any community, from the border town of Osyoos with 6k population, right thru to Vernon by a huge dollar number.
We might not actually have an infratructure deficit if we didn't have drunken sailors spending someone else's money assuming they could just get more by blaming the admin before them.

[onestop67]

Drove through Penticton the other day. Noticed the liquor store at the Cherry Lane shopping centre is called JAKS Beer Wine and Spirits. Is that owned by the mayor?

Never noticed the name on the building before now. Perhaps he has bought into the business, knowing full well that he will likely be "out of office" next November.

Oh geez. GOOGLE is your friend. JAKS Beer Stores are a franchise based out the lower mainland. They bought out Cherry Lane Liquor Store. They have many locations. "JAKS" is a coincidence.

[JagXKR]

Nothing untrue here. But I would ask, why is the lessor of a property guilty for an illegal activity of the lessee? Following that logic, anyone who grew weed or sold weed out of a rented home, makes the owner of that home guilty of cultivation or trafficking? Get a grip for lord's sake. It's not up to the owner to decide what is legal or not. It seems the general population thinks in majority that it is ok? And our own Mayor and Council saw fit to muddy the waters further by granting some business licenses for operations of selling weed despite it being an illegal product still. And you want to hang Vaz out for renting a space for a business use that the City has already granted business licenses to do the same thing!!
People have rented mini storage units and set up grow ops in the past. Shall we condemn the mini storage owners as promoters of illegal activity as well?
You can go pound salt with that trail of supposed culpability. Instead, you should be asking Jak why he and Council ever allowed licensing for a business conducting a clearly illegal activity shouldn't you? Then you have the stones to suggest that questions will arise regarding this business if he runs against the Mayor that has legitimized the businesses by granting licenses????? You might want to reconsider your conclusion in your post.

How would you not know what the lessee is doing with the business? If the lessee opened an illegal business, and I'm not saying it's illegal, then would you not cancel the lease right away? Seems to me if he did not cancel it immediately then by not doing so is he condoning the business? Then again those are the questions that will be asked and rightfully so in the event he runs again. I have not convicted him but it will come up and it will be asked what he knew about it. Not making any other judgements but I'm surely not being a blind koolaid drinker that does not ask questions about something that does not seem to pass the smell test.
I have never said I support Jak. I have never said I support Vas. I support neither. As bad as Jak seems to be to some people I wonder if Vas would have been better. Since they're the only 2 that had a chance at winning it does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling to think what "might" have been.
The big picture though is Jak does not run the city alone and the council is just as culpable in all decisions that have been made. The group together will have to answer for everything and if there are better candidates I will vote for them.
As for my conclusion...huh? Questions will be asked? Damn right they will be and the answers will let us know what happened. Don't read a judgement in my conclusion just because I don't defend him.

[Anonymous123]

Oh geez. GOOGLE is your friend. JAKS Beer Stores are a franchise based out the lower mainland. They bought out Cherry Lane Liquor Store. They have many locations. "JAKS" is a coincidence.

Thanks for the clarification.

[seewood]

Using taxes paid per 100,000 in assessed value for the Okanagan is as follows: Kelowna, $364; Lake Country, $315; Oliver, $164; Osoyoos, $231; Peachland, $340; [b]Penticton, $433; Summerland, $331; Vernon, $378.

Believe me I'm not going to try and justify the differences, but some jurisdictions do have more industrial tax base at perhaps 1.5 times residential multiplier than Penticton. Some jurisdictions don't have a full time/career fire dept or have a small full time staff in the Fire dept.
Penticton seems to grant every non profit the requested grant money.

Wonder what Jak thinks of Elvira Slump's desire to turn Penticton into an us and them jurisdiction?

[twobits]

Seems to me if he did not cancel it immediately then by not doing so is he condoning the business?

And it "seems" to me that City Council itself, with it's sketchy approval process, chose to legitimize the business activity itself by granting business licenses for a few for a clearly illegal activity. You now want to ask the "hard" questions to Vaz when he is just a businessman leasing space. Jak has made his intentions clear that he is running for re election. Should your "hard" questions not be directed at the incumbent that legitimized the sale of an illegal product by granting business licenses to do so or to an owner of property who rents a premise to someone that could apply for and receive a business license as the City has set parameters to qualify for?
It seems clear to me that you have no concept of commercial law and leases. It is not the responsibility of the lessor to determine if the business activity of the lessee can obtain a business license for their activity. That is the jurisdiction of the City. And since they have provided licenses for the same activity.....why would Vaz not rent a vacant spot to someone wishing to get a license that the City has clearly by precedence, already granted?