A letter to all the past city council members of Penticton

[Thinktank]

To:
Ashton, Kimberley, Vassilaki, Litke, Pearce, and all the members of Penticton City Council
of the present and the past,

Why couldn't you do one simple thing - build a Community Center that is free for everyone, with about twenty five
dfferent treadmill, bicycle machine, ski exercise machines THAT IS FREE FOR EVERYONE, including a basketball court, and a walking track that could be used by hundreds of people every day FOR FREE?

Why is it in a rich country like Canada, we spend $millions to build some stupid SOEC Center that loses $2 million each year
and the number of overweight children in our country has doubled since 1980, and in twenty years, 40% of us will be overweight - AND THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO FOR FREE FOR FITNESS? THAT IS INSANE!

What kind of short sighted greedy city council thinks only of MAKING BIG BUCKS, and their big plans backfires, and ends
up losing us big bucks, while there is no place for people to go FOR FREE, for fitness. We can afford it. We can easily afford a Community Center, that would be a benefit to hundreds of people every day, and would probably save us $millions in future health care costs, if only people in Penticton would have a place to go, for free to shoot hoops, or ride the bicycle machine, or just walk on a walking track.


Lake Tahoe has a community Center that is free for everyone. Surely Penticton can afford one.
Hundreds of people use it every day - FOR FREE.
Don't tell me Penticton can't afford one of those.

It pays for itself ten times over in future in healthcare costs.
Why has no one on Penticton council ever thought if such an ingenious idea?
Why are we forking over $millions each year, for a big useless Events Center that only makes hotels and restaurants extra money, but does nothing for the rest of the people in the community?

Why?

[grammafreddy]

I can do it for cheaper - take the i-whatevers out of their hands and push them out the door to play and just be kids. Quit buying their love. Get them a hoop for the driveway, build them a sandbox, give them some garden space and teach them where food comes from, go for a hike or a walk on the many trails around the valley ... there's many, many ways to keep them active and none of them involve millions of government money. Be active with them and there will be fewer fat adults, too.

[twobits]

if only people in Penticton would have a place to go, for free to shoot hoops, or ride the bicycle machine, or just walk on a walking track.

Every school in town has a court you can shoot hoops for free. There is a rubberized track at Pen High where you can walk to your hearts content for free. When the weather is bad, you can go to the big bad SOEC and walk or jog the concourse....for free. Why don't you just buy your own bike instead of the rest of us buying you a stationary machine and go ride the local trails and now plentiful bike lanes......for free. Get some fresh air while you are at it.

Why has no one on Penticton council ever thought if such an ingenious idea?

Because anyone in the past that has run with an ingenious platform such as this failed to get enough votes to become a council member. Go figger?

[Bsuds]

Why couldn't you do one simple thing - build a Community Center that is free for everyone, with about twenty five
dfferent treadmill, bicycle machine, ski exercise machines THAT IS FREE FOR EVERYONE, including a basketball court, and a walking track that could be used by hundreds of people every day FOR FREE?


Why?

Because your next letter would be condemning them as to why you're taxes went through the roof!

Nothing is free!

[Thinktank]

We live in the richest country in the world. we got more oil than Arabia.

In twenty years the costs of healthcare in our aging population are going to go through the roof.

If I want to go exercise at the community center it'll cost me money. I already paid $78 million
for a useless SOEC that benefits the hotesl and restaurants a bit, and the hockey team.
We could eaisly afford a smaller community center that is free for everyone. Twenty treadmill/bicycle exercise
machines @ half hour per person, 14 hours/day would allow 1200 people to improve their health twice a week,
and the walking track and basketball court would be extra. It would pay for itself ten times over
in savings on healthcare costs in the future.

But we live in a disgusting, greedy world where everyone wants the money. I'm sure Ashton, Kimberley, Vassilaki, Litke, Pearce, and all the members of Penticton City Council of the present and the past are more interested
in deals that make the rich people money, instead of building smaller sized community centers that are free for everyone.
Like that stupid hockey dorm that will lise money for all of us, except a few lawyers.

[Thinktank]

With the credit crunch in full swing, people across the UK are cutting back on the non-essentials such as expensive monthly gym memberships.

But for those eager to keep fit in these belt-tightening times the answer could be close at hand.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company has joined together with local councils to provide 14 free outdoor gyms across the country. Four extra are to open by the end of this month and dozens more are planned for 2009.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -free.html

[Bsuds]

But we live in a disgusting, greedy world where everyone wants the money.

And the rest want everything for free!

Those 2 Ladies would get the exact same benefit from going for a fast paced walk. If they can use those exercisers then they are capable of walking too.

[LoneWolf_53]

I already paid $78 million for a useless SOEC that benefits the hotesl and restaurants a bit, and the hockey team.

I think you mean 78 cents.

But we live in a disgusting, greedy world where everyone wants the money.

And the rest want everything for free!

Those 2 Ladies would get the exact same benefit from going for a fast paced walk. If they can use those exercisers then they are capable of walking too.

The only question this thread brought to my mind was, I wonder how much free stuff Thinktank provides for the community?

Does he give away fruit for free, I mean after all we are in a "rich" country?

Does he go around helping the less fortunate for free, by repairing their dwellings, planting their gardens, or taking them to doctors appointments?

I mean given the endless ranting, it would appear that the time to do those things, is certainly available.

[Thinktank]

I never saw the Jehovah's Witnesses give anything for free,
except Awake magazines, which are worthless anyway.

We already know 40% of us will be overweight in twenty years. A community Center
that is free for everyopne would save us $millions in healthcare costs, which are going to be
extremely high as the population ages. It's like the library - which is free - best investment ever.

Look how much the geniuses at Penticton city Council are losing on the SOEC and the hockey dorm fiasco.

We pay $1 million to send stephen Harper's car to India for a day. Surely Canada can afford free community centers - to improve the health of everyone, not just the rich.

[grammafreddy]

Think tank ... here is a book you may be interested in ...

http://www.amazon.com/Community-Dreams- ... ity+dreams

Libraries are not free - we are all paying for them.

At the library there is a book of philanthropy grants available - millions of dollars every year that are not applied for so they just sit there waiting for a good cause and a nfp society to submit a proposal requesting funding. Try finding that book and seeing if you can access that funding. Better than using government money.

[LoneWolf_53]

We already know 40% of us will be overweight in twenty years. A community Center
that is free for everyopne would save us $millions in healthcare costs, which are going to be
extremely high as the population ages. It's like the library - which is free - best investment ever.

Stop eating twinkies, park the car opting instead to walk places, and you can kill three birds with one stone.

No worries about being overweight, good health, and get to save all your money in the process.

Of course that would entail stepping away from the computer, and actually addressing the concerns, so passionately, not to mention endlessly, posted about.

Ball's in your court!

[sale4u]

This hurts me...but....really? Im pretty sure this is a setup.. because no-one on their correct meds ..would start this conversation. Not knowing ages? But... im pretty sure ThinkTank isn't 20-35? So...the savings in the future? We should pay now? Did you consider that when you started your "work" life? Because I'm pretty sure that if you had...you would be more than willing to give the money you saved for the future to ,,,wait,,,wait,,, buy memberships for you and the whole community! When I was a kid, we just went outside and ran around, made up games and SHOCKINGLY got exercise as a bonus. As an adult, I realize that besides the people that have mobility problems...I can still walk a street, go to a local school and shoot hoops, grab some friends and kick a soccer ball around in the nearest field. wanna swim?....well living up north...that was a luxury...here at least a person can swim for FREE 3 months of the year (if your a wuss). I really don't need a "community centre" to help me get exercise! Just say'in!!!
All this said...I want to add...that, as a VERY proud pentictonite...and loving my community, and have been blessed, I would offer to you... ThinkTank...to pay for your general membership to our amazing community centre for as long as you want to be a member! One condition though...you give 4 hours of community service a week, back. Your choice of where those hours go. Private Message me!
Addendum to this! ...I just tried to figure out what a "membership" would cost, and...I don't see a price for general admission ! ??
As I'm understanding....you have to pay for EACH activity you want. WHAT? It's been a long time since I signed up for any kind of "membership" but ny belief was that for a nominal fee you could use the facilities during "public" hours" . We'll figure this out...and ThinkTank I'll honour my commitment ... But....*bleep*? Lol

[ToddT]

How about making the community centre "free" for those who can't afford it? Say you earn below the poverty line or you are a single parent? Maybe it is already? I doubt it.

The community centre certainly is an affordable place for most people, but I agree that everyone should be able to use it.

[applebee]

Yes, free would be wonderful!!!! But I would guess that only a very few folks NOT using these facilities today would take advantage. If they really felt that exercise was the best, as many said, lots of outdoor and indoor activities are free already. Also, if you need an exercise bike, you can drive around in the spring and see how many exercise bits of equipment are sitting out waiting for someone to adopt them. And the service would not be "free" to all the taxpayers in the town as their taxes would go up. Sorry, free is not always the answer.

[matai]

With the credit crunch in full swing, people across the UK are cutting back on the non-essentials such as expensive monthly gym memberships.

But for those eager to keep fit in these belt-tightening times the answer could be close at hand.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company has joined together with local councils to provide 14 free outdoor gyms across the country. Four extra are to open by the end of this month and dozens more are planned for 2009.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -free.html

$35,000 was invested in Peachland for something like that and so far, I've rarely seen people using them when I drive on the highway... But the skatepark on another hand is always being used and I even saw the kids shovel the snow away so they could use it in the winter!

Otherwise you can always invest in a gym membership, it's like $30 a month or two bottles of wine. Or you can go for a hike... we have plenty of mountains around for everyone to climb - for free - and lose that extra pad of comfortability on the front and rear end.