Getting stuff done

[beachwear]

I'm getting quite excited about the fact that I may get to utilize my skill set in the near future. I'm talking about getting stuff done. I can't tell you how many people have been contacting me over the past few weeks with laundry lists of things they've been dealing with City hall over a multi year period. Lots of talk, no action.

The bottom line is they've been getting a lot of lip service but no action...

To name a couple...

Residents around KGH trying for 3 years to get RPO designation - These poor folks have been living in the shadow of KGH expansion and have been totally overwhelmed with parking issues - Workers / Staff / Visitors and on and on...

Older residents of a community that have no bus service period that have to walk 1 mile to get to the bus - a 3 year issue

If I do get in there as Mayor the delays will end. If I have to go over or under or through the problem = it will be solved. Excuses, red tape, Bureaucracy will not be accepted. There are many many ways to solve a problem, and I will find the solution. If I have to use my own money to fix it - so be it...but things will get done.

Can I do it? - Just watch me!

Cal Condy

[Relentless]

I'll give you full permission to use the $200,000.00 set aside for art at the H20 center, right off the bat!

[Dayleen]

How can anyone with any conscious at all...walk right by homeless people sleeping in the street...and go hang up another piece of art?

I'm all for art but in a time like this we need to prioritize where money "needs" to be spent. I personally would rather see people off the street, fed and with some assistance than a piece of art hanging on the side of a building or on a bridge!

We need to get real and get our priorities straight!

Dayleen VanRyswyk
For Kelowna City Council

[Pookybear]

How can anyone with any conscious at all...walk right by homeless people sleeping in the street...and go hang up another piece of art?

I'm all for art but in a time like this we need to prioritize where money "needs" to be spent. I personally would rather see people off the street, fed and with some assistance than a piece of art hanging on the side of a building or on a bridge!

We need to get real and get our priorities straight!

Dayleen VanRyswyk
For Kelowna City Council

Why should all the city tax money go to the homeless? If you want to help the street people, some of which more or less choose to be there, go for it personally with your own money, not with all of my tax dollars.

[F23]

How can anyone with any conscious at all...walk right by homeless people sleeping in the street...and go hang up another piece of art?

I'm all for art but in a time like this we need to prioritize where money "needs" to be spent. I personally would rather see people off the street, fed and with some assistance than a piece of art hanging on the side of a building or on a bridge!

We need to get real and get our priorities straight!

Dayleen VanRyswyk
For Kelowna City Council

Homeless people sleeping in the street is a very complex issue; many with mental health issues, others substance use issues, and even more with concurrent concerns. Often people are housed for short periods of time and because of limited resources in health care (provincial), it is difficult to provide them with the necessary support to maintain their housing. Additionally, people have the choice to sleep on the streets, as well as to have substance use issues, and to not have their mental health issues treated as long as they are not causing harm to themselves or others. Kelowna has an incredible network of service providers working together and pooling resources to outreach to individuals and offer them help and support- and we've never had so many options available for social housing- from shelters (ie. inn from the cold, gospel mission, alexander gardner, women's shelter) to temporary housing (ie. white buffalo, a number of mental health houses) to transitional housing (ie. cardington, willowbridge), recovery houses (ie. ozanam, bedford, harmony), and women's supportive and safe housing (ie. karis society, NOW Canada). Another consideration is the transient nature of the homeless population- often people are passing through or only here for a short period of time.

Public art is a completely separate issue. It's a cultural component of creating community- as it is in all major cities, and even smaller cities and towns. I do believe it is a significant priority in developing the community for the future- particularly because of the number of young people I know who are very involved in the arts who I would hope to encourage to stay and help diversify the community.

[Dayleen]

Ok, don't spend it on homeless...i was just making a point on prioritizing things.I'm not so uneducated to think $200 thousand is going to cure homelessness. Affordable housing, childcare, transit, sexual abuse programs, drug abuse, training programs, food bank, art programs or even RMS school that's moldy and falling apart..there are a hundred better things to spend money on.

I don't disagree that art is important, I'm just saying that right now, while money is so tight, do we "really" need another sculpture or painting? From what I've been hearing from concerned tax payers is that "they" feel their money can be better spent on something more important. That was the point of my post.

If you think the homeless aren't as important as art on the side of a building..well..that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Not all homeless are there because they are drug addicts, mentally ill or because they want to be, some actually want and need help. Good thing there are people and groups out there that think these people have value. They are someones, grandparent, mother, father, brother, sister,aunt, uncle or friend. I'm not going to apologize putting "value" on a human being above anything else.

[canadman]

Dayleen, I just have to say, and I apologize if this comes off wrong, I've read many of your posts on this forum and a word to the wise, you don't come off well on here. I don't know you and you may well be a viable candidate for Council, but I think your tone with some of the other posters on here comes across a bit snide and argumentative.

Other candidates in previous elections, like Jim Dixon in West Kelowna in the last election, learned that, while you have every right to post anything you want, sometimes engaging people on forums like this the way other posters do, when you're running for election to represent everyone in the community, doesn't come off well.

We all want honesty and candor from candidates, but the reality is, in my view, taking stabs at other candidates on a forum, as you've done on a few occasions and arguing points, albeit passively, with other voters posting here, makes you appear to be dismissive.

These forums can be a great place for candidates to gauge the pulse of at least part of the community. But you may find it best to digest the comments, even if you don't agree with them all, rather than debate others' opinions on here, even if they are competing candidates.

Just my thoughts, and I apologize again if they come across overly critical, just thought the opinion of one forum user and his perception might be useful to you.

[Dayleen]

Dayleen, I just have to say, and I apologize if this comes off wrong, I've read many of your posts on this forum and a word to the wise, you don't come off well on here. I don't know you and you may well be a viable candidate for Council, but I think your tone with some of the other posters on here comes across a bit snide and argumentative.

Other candidates in previous elections, like Jim Dixon in West Kelowna in the last election, learned that, while you have every right to post anything you want, sometimes engaging people on forums like this the way other posters do, when you're running for election to represent everyone in the community, doesn't come off well.

We all want honesty and candor from candidates, but the reality is, in my view, taking stabs at other candidates on a forum, as you've done on a few occasions and arguing points, albeit passively, with other voters posting here, makes you appear to be dismissive.

These forums can be a great place for candidates to gauge the pulse of at least part of the community. But you may find it best to digest the comments, even if you don't agree with them all, rather than debate others' opinions on here, even if they are competing candidates.

Just my thoughts, and I apologize again if they come across overly critical, just thought the opinion of one forum user and his perception might be useful to you.

I appreciate constructive criticism, it helps people grow. I'm not offended at all. I'm very passionate about a lot of things, accountability is one. When i talk to people who live here and they express how upset they are with things council is spending money on, i take that to heart. When i hear an elderly man almost break down to tears because he's been made a shut in because there is no bus service where he lives on Gordon, i take that to heart. When i hear about a family struggling to keep a roof over their head and legitimately afraid their headed for the street, i take that to heart. When people tell me they are scratching a living together and they see sculptures, plaques and other things "they" perceive as frivolous and a waste of "their" money when "they" can't afford winter tires for their car, i take that to heart. So when i relay what I've heard literally hundreds of times and i get called out on it, I'm a little shocked. I'm shocked when someone says they don't want "their" tax money spent to help homeless people...shocked...shocked...shocked! Seriously, someones upset that i suggest to help a human being, no matter what their situation is. People are upset...I was just being "their voice" I'm very straight forward, maybe some people take that the wrong way. Other people like that about me because they know I'm honest and straight up.

I care...deeply care about this city...make no mistake about that..what i have is passion and a desire to make this city the best place it can be. I was supporting the message the title of this tread was saying...getting stuff done

[Jonrox]

Dayleen, when is money not tight? Budgetary constraints are a fact of life for all cities, regardless of whether the economy is booming or receding. Using your logic, we'd never spend on anything but social programs... and that's simply not fair to every other taxpayer. I'm not saying we shouldn't be helping the homeless, but you can't just forget about those of us who aren't.

You have to "get stuff done" for all of us.

[Dayleen]

Dayleen, when is money not tight? Budgetary constraints are a fact of life for all cities, regardless of whether the economy is booming or receding. Using your logic, we'd never spend on anything but social programs... and that's simply not fair to every other taxpayer. I'm not saying we shouldn't be helping the homeless, but you can't just forget about those of us who aren't.

It is a challenge for municipalities to have enough money to go around. If we all want to have the services we have and no one is willing to give anything up, we are going to need to tax everyone higher to do that because the city is having a drop in revenue with less building starts. Money for services has to come from somewhere and i don't have more money to give, I'm struggling like others are.I'm not saying to stop all art projects, I'm from a family of artists..even though i couldn't draw to save my life. My grandmother is an artist, the paintings she has done are phenomenal, my brother in law is incredible...i fully support the arts!!

I was merely being a messenger of what I've been hearing. There are many points of view on every subject and i appreciate peoples views and passions. We need more people expressing their views, what's right with the city and what's wrong...it gets us moving forward addressing issues.

[Pookybear]

Dayleen, I just have to say, and I apologize if this comes off wrong, I've read many of your posts on this forum and a word to the wise, you don't come off well on here. I don't know you and you may well be a viable candidate for Council, but I think your tone with some of the other posters on here comes across a bit snide and argumentative.

Other candidates in previous elections, like Jim Dixon in West Kelowna in the last election, learned that, while you have every right to post anything you want, sometimes engaging people on forums like this the way other posters do, when you're running for election to represent everyone in the community, doesn't come off well.

We all want honesty and candor from candidates, but the reality is, in my view, taking stabs at other candidates on a forum, as you've done on a few occasions and arguing points, albeit passively, with other voters posting here, makes you appear to be dismissive.

These forums can be a great place for candidates to gauge the pulse of at least part of the community. But you may find it best to digest the comments, even if you don't agree with them all, rather than debate others' opinions on here, even if they are competing candidates.

Just my thoughts, and I apologize again if they come across overly critical, just thought the opinion of one forum user and his perception might be useful to you.

I appreciate constructive criticism, it helps people grow. I'm not offended at all. I'm very passionate about a lot of things, accountability is one. When i talk to people who live here and they express how upset they are with things council is spending money on, i take that to heart. When i hear an elderly man almost break down to tears because he's been made a shut in because there is no bus service where he lives on Gordon, i take that to heart. When i hear about a family struggling to keep a roof over their head and legitimately afraid their headed for the street, i take that to heart. When people tell me they are scratching a living together and they see sculptures, plaques and other things "they" perceive as frivolous and a waste of "their" money when "they" can't afford winter tires for their car, i take that to heart. So when i relay what I've heard literally hundreds of times and i get called out on it, I'm a little shocked. I'm shocked when someone says they don't want "their" tax money spent to help homeless people...shocked...shocked...shocked! Seriously, someones upset that i suggest to help a human being, no matter what their situation is. People are upset...I was just being "their voice" I'm very straight forward, maybe some people take that the wrong way. Other people like that about me because they know I'm honest and straight up.

I care...deeply care about this city...make no mistake about that..what i have is passion and a desire to make this city the best place it can be. I was supporting the message the title of this tread was saying...getting stuff done

I like animals and help out organizations when I can with my money. I would suggest if you have a topic close to your heart you do the same. Thinking that tax dollars should all be spent on one thing before others is simply wrong. Not everyone that is having difficulties in their lives are down on their luck, some just never planned their lives well and I am not sure why you think we as tax payers should have to support them. Well it's your opinion and you certainly won't be getting my familes vote.

[Dayleen]

I give up, the spirit of the message has been lost..the point has been missed. Thank you to the 11 people who made the point in calling me and/or emailing their support on this subject.