Jason Rock - Council Candidate

[Jo]

This thread is for Jason Rock, council candidate.

[jason_rock]

I believe you should choose who you vote for by determining which candidates have a similar vision for Kelowna and what their deliverables are in order to meet the vision. Here are my deliverables:

Support CD-21 with a max of 14 stories if possible
Push out crime and drugs
Support organizations that support people who want to help themselves
Complete civic transparency
Green-space requirements for all developments
Attract highly skilled and good paying businesses
No high density development in low density neighbourhoods
Create a "Citizens Input" web-site with polling capabilities
Revitalize our two "Downtowns"; Rutland and City Centre
Reduce property taxes by eliminating wasteful spending
More sports and recreation parks for everyone including our pets
Cycling paths as a requirement when any new road is built
Affordable Single Parent Housing (our children need a voice now)
Relocation of all nuisance wildlife
Begin lobbying the Provincial and Federal government for a second crossing
Zero tolerance noise pollution crackdown (autos, motorcycles, boats)

In order to preserve our city's beautiful greenspace, parks, orchards, and farms, urban sprawl must be curtailed. In order to improve the downtown's image and make it a vibrant community again where one can safely Live, Work, and Play, downtown density needs to be increased while increasing park space. In order to achieve this, the CD-21 Zone needs to be passed. However if there is a way to amend the current proposal without starting over, I would like to see the maximum building height at 14 stories. If this requirement truly will not allow the rezoning to be passed, then I would accept the proposed building heights.

More details at http://www.jason-rock.com

Thanks.

[nellietheelephant]

I believe you should choose who you vote for by determining which candidates have a similar vision for Kelowna and what their deliverables are in order to meet the vision. Here are my deliverables:

Support CD-21 with a max of 14 stories if possible
Push out crime and drugs
Support organizations that support people who want to help themselves
Complete civic transparency
Green-space requirements for all developments
Attract highly skilled and good paying businesses
No high density development in low density neighbourhoods
Create a "Citizens Input" web-site with polling capabilities
Revitalize our two "Downtowns"; Rutland and City Centre
Reduce property taxes by eliminating wasteful spending
More sports and recreation parks for everyone including our pets
Cycling paths as a requirement when any new road is built
Affordable Single Parent Housing (our children need a voice now)
Relocation of all nuisance wildlife
Begin lobbying the Provincial and Federal government for a second crossing
Zero tolerance noise pollution crackdown (autos, motorcycles, boats)

In order to preserve our city's beautiful greenspace, parks, orchards, and farms, urban sprawl must be curtailed. In order to improve the downtown's image and make it a vibrant community again where one can safely Live, Work, and Play, downtown density needs to be increased while increasing park space. In order to achieve this, the CD-21 Zone needs to be passed. However if there is a way to amend the current proposal without starting over, I would like to see the maximum building height at 14 stories. If this requirement truly will not allow the rezoning to be passed, then I would accept the proposed building heights.

More details at http://www.jason-rock.com

Thanks.

Hey Jason

They're not deliverables - that's just a list of what you think we want to hear.

Now stretch yourself -

Don't tell us what we want to hear - tell us what you would guarantee to achieve in your first four weeks.

Nellie

[jason_rock]

Hi Nellie

Thank you for your thoughts. I will admit two of these items in my list may be better tagged as "positions" while the others are true "deliverables" however, the purpose of the list is to communicate what I believe in. I am not running to get a job. I am running to help shape Kelowna into a place where me and my family, as well as all walks of life, can Live Work Play. Only career politicians use statistics to find out what people want to hear and run with it. And since council pays very little, I doubt anyone running for council is doing it for the money.

Regards
Jason Rock
www.jason-rock.com

[justice4U]

Jason,

On your website you state "Crime is on the rise." What? Where do you live?

C'mon...you need to get better informed before you run for public office. You may have missed the front page of Daily Courier from May 27, 2008. The headline is "CRIME IS SO DOWN, SAYS TOP COP".

Supt. Bill McKinnon says "It's a false perception that our parks and downtown core are not safe places to visit or live in. We have to change the perception."

McKinnon produced a report that showed a 40 per cent reduction in crime in the U.K., "but the public in general still believes that crime has never been worse (there)."

He said "crime is down in Canada over the past 15 years, but 80 per cent of the population still believe it's unchanged or worse. Drug dealing in public influences people's perception that crime is worse even though it isn't."

So rather than add to the campaign of misinformation, you may want to focus on the facts.

Wade Jenson

[jason_rock]

Hi Wade
Pleased to have you comment on my statements. On my website, I have the letter with statistics from our own police superintendent W.A. McKinnon stating this to council:

http://www.jason-rock.com/statistics.htm

Please review my link with summary and link to actual letter written. If I am wrong, I am willing to retract the statement but I am just going with facts, not letters and soundbytes in the media.

Regards
Jason Rock

[leroibrown]

Don't believe what Bill McKinnon says. He obviously doesn't think rape, drug dealing, bank robberies and beatings in the street are crime. I think in a city with over 1000 grow ops you would hear of one getting shut down everyday, not to mention the meth labs. There may be less reported crime and the police may be catching fewer criminals, but that in no way means the crime rate is lessening. My car was broken into twice this year and when I called the first time I was frustrated by the fact that the RCMP would not come to investigate the crime, so the next time I thought why bother calling them? I'm sure a lot of folks feel the same way. Why call the police and add to the frustration when they tell you they don't care? I would like to see Mr. McKinnon replaced as well as our entire staff at city hall. I think Jason has some great ideas and will be voting for him. I think he has a great mind and would be a fantastic council member. I will not be voting for any incumbents this time around. The Simpson Covenant debocle and the St. Paul Street Wet Facility have disgusted me. I will also not be voting for Shepherd as her meddling in the Westside amalgamation / incorporation issue bothered me. She can't even finish what's on her plate and she is looking at others plates. All to get herself a big fat raise as the Mayor's salary is dependent on the populous she rules over. I have other reasons as well but this is Jason's page. Good luck Jason you've got my vote.

[justice4U]

Jason,

You may wish to review Supt. McKinnon's letter yourself. At no point does he make any reference to 'rising crime'. In fact, the opposite - he specifically points out the fact theft of motor vehicles is down 32%.

You appear to have selectively taken certain statistics for a single month rather than looking at the overall picture for 2006. If you had looked at the bigger picture, you would have noted that drug offences, for example, were down almost 20%.

And just to be clear, Supt. McKinnon's most recent comments in the Daily Courier were neither a "letter" nor a "soundbyte".

They call your kind of strategy in the U.S. the 'politics of fear'. With all due respect, you have a responsibility to know better.

Wade Jenson

[Jo]

Hi Jason, just wanted to welcome you to the board, it is great to have you here! Thanks for joining in, we look forward to hearing more from you.

[Lady tehMa]

I am actually very impressed by Jason.

He responded to my email question promptly and in detail. I like his idealism - while it may be true that he might not be able to deliver on his promises, at least he is willing to try.

As for working with the stats on crime? Well, based on what I have seen, experienced, and friends have experienced - I don't feel safer. I don't believe the stats that state crime is down. Perhaps for the white collar people, but not in my blue collar neighbourhood. You can tell me the numbers are better, but not from where I am sitting.

Jason is also accesible. He cares enough to be out here posting, and responding to concerns - he is not like some candidates who wall themselves up in ivory towers, inaccessible. I want someone on council who knows I am here and will listen to my concerns. That is why Jason will have my vote.

[CarMa]

Hi Wade
Pleased to have you comment on my statements. On my website, I have the letter with statistics from our own police superintendent W.A. McKinnon stating this to council:

http://24.67.78.217/jason-rock/statistics.htm

Please review my link with summary and link to actual letter written. If I am wrong, I am willing to retract the statement but I am just going with facts, not letters and soundbytes in the media.

Well, it's not that you're wrong, but you have used one month of statistics to make your point instead of the full year statistics that show change over time.

I am wary of people and organizations who use narrow stats to make their point. One should look at trends and be able to identify specific needs rather than make sweeping generalizations.

Rather than make a comment about not knowing why 2008 stats aren't reported (probably because 2008 isn't over yet) you should go to the source... ask the RCMP and Superintendent rather than rely on documents that are almost 2 years old.

It is important to me that my elected officials stay current.

[jason_rock]

As I have said in my website, I would love to have the latest statistics, in the same format so I can compare apples to apples but the city did not release it. Instead, they release media sound bites that I am not going to chew on. I could spend the next month on Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests but I agree with others, we feel "personal crime" is up. That is the problem with statistics - they can be tailored to any objective. When the city says crime is down, are they talking reports, incidents, or convictions? I can guarantee you that in the last three years, everyone has had crime against them from a hit and run to personal property theft. I have had 5 incidents that I can remember off the top of my head in the last 2 years alone. Yes hit and run is not perceived as a bad crime to many but my bumper on the truck costs' us over 600.00 out of our personal pockets. If someone took 500.00 from your purse or wallet while walking downtown, you would be yelling for help. My wife, in separate incidents over the last 2 years, has had her locks punched out, paint keyed, and a hit and run. You are right, these crimes do not get reported unless the insurance company says we need to.

When my wife's car and others at her work had their cars keyed, they caught the culprits and all that happened was community time and an apology letter. We still had to pay the deductable so we were out 500.00 again. This is why I support that we keep arresting the offenders to inconvenience their lives since judges will not put people away for doing crime - and the criminals know it. If we make it uncomfortable enough for the offenders, they will move on as a criminal record means nothing to them because they will likely never get a job or cross the border. If any of those individuals really want to clean up their lives while being processed, I would put the support of the entire city behind them. Again, they must really want to be helped.

BTW, I am willing to listen to other ideas. This is only my proposal and as a councillor, it is my duty to work with all citizens and collectively come up with the right solutions. Mine is just a staring point and I know you have great ideas too.

Regards
Jason Rock

[justice4U]

Jason,

Suffice to say it has been made clear to you that you are wrong about crime increasing in Kelowna, yet having the courage to admit you are wrong seems to elude you. Maybe you might make a good politician, after all.

It's all well and good that you may "feel" crime is increasing. No doubt that is precisely why Supt. McKinnon pointed out the UK study which flew in the face of public perception. Don't belittle his interview as a "soundbite." Then again, what would he know, right? He's just the RCMP Superintendent. It's not like he would actually know anything about the level of crime in our city.

As someone who is putting themselves forward as a community leader, it is your job to separate "feelings" from "facts". At this point, I'm not impressed.

Wade Jenson

[jason_rock]

Wade,
Could you please send me a copy of your report with detailed statistics like the one I have provided. Like I said, I would love to be proven wrong on this.

Jason Rock

[CarMa]

You weren't proven wrong -- only that you use stats inappropriately.