Rose vs Baker: $1 million wasted

[EZGuy]

The little hamlet community of Winfield deserves fresh young blood as their representative, one with experience on council to boot.
What they do not need is an old staff member with a grudge.
Rose is singing the same old song about the Mayor that he did when Baker first stepped up and threw his hat in to give of his time for the constituents of Lake Country.
I really thought he would have tried for Mayor and not a ward council member. I just hope the voters realize that it is their tax dollars that have contributed to this persons pension and now he wants more by trying for a paid position on council, with benefits!
It is also interesting to note who nominates candidates.... nomination papers posted here https://lakecountry.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=39978 often taking a look at the behind the scenes support tells a story.

Old or young isn't relevant, experience and ability is more important. The current council and their hand picked administrator are responsible for the conflicts, legal actions and crazy costs distracting the District's proper agenda. Pick those for council who will listen to the majority and will spend our tax dollars more effectively.

If someone has a pension and they get a part time job in retirement I see nothing wrong with that. Ask yourself if Rose has the right agenda when you vote. He should have run for mayor but remember that post is paid much more than councilor.

Like other stuff at "the hall" the link doesn't work for me.

[omisimaw]

Maybe try changing your browser.

As to the current council and their hand picked CAO that is just nonsense. At one time Rose was a hand pick, based on the money available they took what they could. Maybe look at his background a little more deeply.

Rose was the type who never let anything come before council unless it had his personal rubber stamp. He did everything he could to divert issues away ... just look at the posts from others that detail their dealings with the corner office, or speak to a few old time councilors or maybe a former mayor or two and then you may just come away with a much different picture ...

Rose plain and simple has a grudge against his replacement and the changes that have been made to his once empire... and that makes for a very bad electoral platform to stand on...

Again asked how did the other Winfield candidate do?

[Myrna]

.....and did you hear MR.Roses opening statement last night?
Sounds like a grudge match between him and Baker.
If RR gets in, my intuition drives me to believe there will be much animosity in the chambers.
I believe RR will find it hard to live in the present, and stay in the past, which will drag council down, like birds with wet feathers..fresh blood is imperative in the soon to be new council.
I hope the folks that were there last night will realize this.
I'm going to be ready for this vote. The writing is on the wall!!

[omisimaw]

I doubt you will find there has ever been any love between the two.
And I am sure things changed greatly on his departure ... it becomes very tense and stressful for all when there is a constant grinding sort of power struggle between a CAO and a Mayor.
Bringing it back with a different coat is not going to work and it makes you wonder what kind of togetherness there is between McCarthy and his old friend Rose.... it would be interesting to go back and see where Rose sat on McCarthy's Wood Lake Development proposal and other things that McCarthy was involved in when he was on council and Rose was in that corner office.
Baker may be under a lot of peoples skin but ..... maybe if they stood back and took a real look at things they would realize that Baker is but one vote on a council... oh sure the deciding vote, but did any of the things folks are upset about come about being decided by the mayor pulling the deciding vote....
Problem with DLC is that they can not seem to attract enough of a choice of people running, most seem to be making it a lifes vocation as a result and then there is the huge problem of voter apathy.
Getting people interested to actually get out and vote... but then when you look at who to chose from ... well not much different when it is always same old same old just mixed up by a few absences and now a former staffer trying a comeback....
Is that the best the voters could come up with? Still not much choice is there.

[Myrna]

If you look at the statistics, kelowna has ten times the population, and probably 10 times the nominees, right?
So it may be relative considering population base, that there are only a dozen nominees here in Lake country.

[omisimaw]

In 2011 the tax base for lake country had grown to over 11,000 individuals. This was a 22% jump over the 2009 stats. Things being what they are and the obvious growth since then would certainly suggest the figure has grown since then.
Lake Country is not a sleepy little bedroom regional district community any longer.
Election apathy is alive and well in the valley and other areas. People just do no stand tall and step out to take public office these days.
There is no choice in the end of who one votes for or at least minimal choice.
In this case the choice is to have the current mayor return or vote for a real estate developer with a history and desire to pursue his development business options in the district.
Sometimes staying the course is not a bad thing! It may not be the best thing but when it is the only choice that seems logical then you go with it.
Here are the results from the last election
http://www.elections.civicinfo.bc.ca/2011/reports/electionResults.asp?localgovernmentid=58
McCarthy lost to Baker however there were also 2 others running for Mayor.

The last election saw 2686 votes cast for mayor... on a percentage basis this shows to be less than 23% of the total population and quite probably less than 10% of the voting aged population...

Pretty sad really

[Myrna]

My opinion is that Lake country is still a bedroom community, and will always be one.
It may not be so sleepy anymore, but let's face it, many folks in this area head to kelowna to work, and others to Vernon. Where are all these people in the Lakes and soon, Lakestone gonna be working, does one think their pulling into winfield to work-nope!
Their heading north or south, or have leveraged incomes, and many work up north, or Alberta.
This valley and many others in BC are working out of town. My husband is off to north of Fort Mac tomorrow. He is an expert ticketed tradesmen who has had enough of the disrespect and low wages here in the Okanagan. Families move here and husbands work somewhere else to support the family.i believe that is the trend, don't you?
Vehicle traffic drives straight through this town, to go to where the action and competitive prices are... Kelowna.
The more drive thru's we allow on our portion of the highway, the more incentive for car traffic to eat and run, never step foot out of the car. Lake country is a corridor to kelowna, in my mind, and will continue to be a drive through town.
With the price of square footage for retail, source deductions for employees, and the ability to have a sound business plan, and pay taxes on new buildings, I foresee chain and big boxes, as usual.

[Rwede]

My opinion is that Lake country is still a bedroom community, and will always be one.
It may not be so sleepy anymore, but let's face it, many folks in this area head to kelowna to work, and others to Vernon. Where are all these people in the Lakes and soon, Lakestone gonna be working, does one think their pulling into winfield to work-nope!

Therein lies the problem: DLC has been unable to attract the industrial base that allows families to live and work in the community. It also means that the tax base is concentrated on individuals, with no industry contributing to infrastructure and services.

Current mayor and council have not been able to get that industrial tax base that pays such a large portion of the bills for cities. Families get split up as so many breadwinners are forced to work out of town to make ends meet, and to meet the large municipal tax roll that is borne solely by individuals.

Jayson McCarthy wants to get the industrial land bank (for light industry) dusted off and back out there to attract light industry and jobs to the community, as it was left to collect dust in 2005/6 as the current mayor and much of the council let it slide.

I see this move as a positive for DLC. I also see the current leadership as having failed dismally for letting this plan of arrangement sit stagnant for nearly 10 years.

[metallica]

My husband is off to north of Fort Mac tomorrow. He is an expert ticketed tradesmen who has had enough of the disrespect and low wages here in the Okanagan. Families move here and husbands work somewhere else to support the family.i believe that is the trend, don't you?

I moved here in 83 and have been in the area alot longer 1963. My Old man was a miner in Flin Flon and moved to Oliver to make more money and for his health. Anyways, when we moved back here I paved all over BC for 15 years to pay bills, mortgage and put money in the bank for our retirement. When we thought it was close enough I got a job locally for 21 years.
This going away to make more money has been going on since the Gold Rush and then some get used to it.

[Rwede]

My husband is off to north of Fort Mac tomorrow. He is an expert ticketed tradesmen who has had enough of the disrespect and low wages here in the Okanagan. Families move here and husbands work somewhere else to support the family.i believe that is the trend, don't you?

Funny that you support an administration that forces your husband to work out of town because they can't attract industry here.

You should support a change in mayor and council, a change to people with plans and ideas to attract employers to Lake Country.

Unless, of course, you enjoy having your husband away from home for extended periods of time. I know the majority of families don't like that one bit.

[Myrna]

Not sure- if guru was talking to me about how i support this towns administration, as I have not revealed supporting anything the district does...
Too much complacency and not enough shakers and movers.
My votes will be mixing things up and darn it, I wish folks would vote for change.
Four years is a long time ....do we want some of these same people for four more years?

[omisimaw]

Therein lies the problem: DLC has been unable to attract the industrial base that allows families to live and work in the community. It also means that the tax base is concentrated on individuals, with no industry contributing to infrastructure and services.

Current mayor and council have not been able to get that industrial tax base that pays such a large portion of the bills for cities. Families get split up as so many breadwinners are forced to work out of town to make ends meet, and to meet the large municipal tax roll that is borne solely by individuals.

Jayson McCarthy wants to get the industrial land bank (for light industry) dusted off and back out there to attract light industry and jobs to the community, as it was left to collect dust in 2005/6 as the current mayor and much of the council let it slide.

I see this move as a positive for DLC. I also see the current leadership as having failed dismally for letting this plan of arrangement sit stagnant for nearly 10 years.

Oh please, no former Mayor and Council has ever been able to encourage the industrial tax base, and Jayson was on many of those losing teams.
In fact during his tenure as a councilor there were more small business, home based businesses, quashed and put out of business after some had been in operation for over 20 years....
McCarthy is a real estate developer so that in itself is a scary thought for many... wonder if he ever got a DLC business permit? And if so what category.... might be interesting to call the hall and ask as it is public knowledge but definitely something that if a person were looking at the candidate they might want to know before they vote.

[omisimaw]

Not sure- if guru was talking to me about how i support this towns administration, as I have not revealed supporting anything the district does...
Too much complacency and not enough shakers and movers.
My votes will be mixing things up and darn it, I wish folks would vote for change.
Four years is a long time ....do we want some of these same people for four more years?

Or better yet, do you want a bunch of outsiders running your town!

[omisimaw]

My husband is off to north of Fort Mac tomorrow. He is an expert ticketed tradesmen who has had enough of the disrespect and low wages here in the Okanagan. Families move here and husbands work somewhere else to support the family.i believe that is the trend, don't you?

Funny that you support an administration that forces your husband to work out of town because they can't attract industry here.

You should support a change in mayor and council, a change to people with plans and ideas to attract employers to Lake Country.

Unless, of course, you enjoy having your husband away from home for extended periods of time. I know the majority of families don't like that one bit.

This is not one of my statements.... incorrect quote

But as far as my opinion of the out of town workers go.... well simply put it is for the money, lots and lots of money, and it is loved by more than you think....

Oh sure there are some whining ones left at home, and there always will be... but on the overall picture of work in the tar sands and soon to be LNG projects it is the way it is in this day and age.

There will never be anything in DLC that will provide as great a living at such a large scale.... no matter who is in Council

[Rwede]

McCarthy developed the light industrial land bank in 2005 while on council. Baker let it die.

Maybe you don't like having your husband around the house and would rather he work up north, and that's fine. The majority of people want to keep their families together, and that's why the support for change is so strong.