Walter Gray Called Rutland 'Hooterville'

[Urbane]

I was listening to the debate on the radio and the context is quite different than is being presented here. Good grief. He was coaxed (I think by Sharon Shepherd) to say what he had called Rutland and he said "Hooterville" and related how Al Horning had used that term affectionately. Not meant as an insult at all. Is Walter Gray ahead in the polls and are people just trying to find something where there isn't?



That's why I asked for context. I am supporting Sharon in this election but I sure don't appreciate dirty politics or disrespect for the voters. Calling Rutland "Hooterville" is disrespectful.

Even if coaxed by Sharon or anyone else, I would expect anyone running for any position on council to be above disrespect for voters and refuse to repeat the insult, saying perhaps that he had more respect for the residents of Rutland than to repeat it. He had an "out" and he chose not to use it.

I don't live in Kelowna and haven't been paying much attention to the campaign. But for some reason I turned on the radio this evening and listened to a good portion of the debate. As someone who has no vested interest in whomever wins the mayor's chair my honest opinion is that Walter Grey was not intending to insult Rutland. I'm not sure what the history is of the "Hooterville" Rutland connection but if you listen to the recording of the debate you might agree with me that Grey's reference was in good fun. This discussion just reminds me why I would never want to run for public office. In 2004 Senator John Kerry, running for President of the United States, made a joke about "not studying hard enough" and ending up in Iraq. His reference was to Bush but the Republicans pretended he was insulting the intelligence of the troops in Iraq and it stuck. So what sometimes seems like an insult on the surface is not. You live in Rutland and I don't so I respect your sensitivity. But again, as an objective listener this evening I'm quite certain that Grey was trying to lighten things up and definitely was not intending to insult Rutland. Really, why would he do that?

[beachday]

But again, as an objective listener this evening I'm quite certain that Grey was trying to lighten things up and definitely was not intending to insult Rutland. Really, why would he do that?

Because Sharon supporters try to find ANYTHING to grab onto that might possibly make Mr.Gray look bad

[Black Daisies]

But again, as an objective listener this evening I'm quite certain that Grey was trying to lighten things up and definitely was not intending to insult Rutland. Really, why would he do that?

Because Sharon supporters try to find ANYTHING to grab onto that might possibly make Mr.Gray look bad

They don't have to try hard...Walter does a good job of that on his own.....

[Urbane]

Final word from me: I don't live in Kelowna and I don't really care who wins the mayor's chair. But I am interested in politics and I do know when something is deliberately being twisted and this Hooterville thing is a classic. Walter Gray was absolutely NOT insulting Rutland in any way.

[Logitack]

walter may not have meant to demean rutlanders, he may even think he was being funny, but as a "seasoned" politician he should have known better, it was a major gaffe that could, potentially, cost him the election....and that would be a GOOD thing, from my perspective!

[Aluminium]

My apologies, I thought that Walter Gray was referring to breasts when he called Rutland Hooterville. Looks like he meant a shanty town: http://goo.gl/cxfA5

[Urbane]

walter may not have meant to demean rutlanders, he may even think he was being funny, but as a "seasoned" politician he should have known better, it was a major gaffe that could, potentially, cost him the election....and that would be a GOOD thing, from my perspective!

And even if he didn't mean to insult Rutland (and obviously he didn't) you would be happy to have it misinterpreted if it means he loses. I get it. And that's why so many people get turned off to politics and don't vote.

[LANDM]

This has gotten really weird.........even to the point of someone saying that they have a daughter growing up in Rutland and <blah blah>.
Just because someone, decades later in another country, started a bizarre restaurant concept, called it "Hooters" and made the servers boobs the focus of that restaurant, does not mean that Walter Gray made that connection.
Sometimes the political correctness requirement is waaaay over the top.

The fact is, Walter's use of the term Hooterville can only speak to the reality of him living in Kelowna much longer than, apparently, most or all of you. Rutland was "affectionately" called Hooterville just as Glenmore was called Dry Valley.

I saw someone use that term in another thread and didn't really consider jumping on them since I grew up in Glenmore and wouldn't want my kids to think that their parent was brought up in a horrible place like "Dry Valley"

I was really surprised to see QueenK jump on this one...........I would have thought you would have, in a different thread (the Remember When in Kelowna - or whatever it's called- thread) and a different time (no election), had a very different comment if someone posted:
"Do you remember when Rutland was called Hooterville and Glenmore was called Dry Valley?".
Fascinating when making political hay takes over everything.
And, to preempt the responses of "Oh, just another evil Walter Gray supporter, doing back room deals and the old boy network" etc etc etc where the standard rhetoric is pulled out on everyone who dares to say anthing, this has nothing to do with supporting Walter.
It has everything to do with saying political correctness can go too far in trying to pull people down. It works on both sides and, in this case, I don't believe that he did anything wrong. It was simply a historical name that he knew and used. It may have been politically naive for an old guy to do this, but that is really the worst of it.

[Queen K]

I've jumped on this one because "affectionate" is not how anyone uses "hooterville", shanty or not. See, why did WG use it in years ago? Because he panders to those who really think Rutland is a shanty town. He's their leader!

And I don't ever, and I mean EVER remember anyone affectionately calling Rutland "hooterville" in 47 years.

Oh, and to anyone who knows nothing about the connection of Shepard to the firemen and their Open House. She was their volunteer for the car crash rescue at their open house. She had to sit in a car for an hour and get rescued while the firemen went over step by step how they'd ideally get someone out. That included almost all the glass in the car being smashed around her and getting the roof surgically removed. She had to have a blanket wrapped around her and a fireman had to hold a board over her head during most of the procedure. I have pix of the whole operation.

[LANDM]

I've jumped on this one because "affectionate" is not how anyone uses "hooterville", shanty or not. See, why did WG use it in years ago? Because he panders to those who really think Rutland is a shanty town. He's their leader!
And I don't ever, and I mean EVER remember anyone affectionately calling Rutland "hooterville" in 47 years.

Really???? I am being perfectly honest and non-inflammatory here, BTW. I merely used you as an example because you have had great input and memory in the other thread and I thought for sure you would have remembered that.

There certainly have been other non-affectionate names for Rutland that non-Rutlanders have used over the years but if you go way back, I don't recall Hooterville as being in that category. It is just one of those things that peters out over time, I guess.

Actually, I just re-read your statement above. How about this question: Do you ever recall anyone using the term Hooterville for Rutland, whether in a positive or negative way, many many years ago? And, if so, what do you recall the context of that term?

[Mtn Biker]

I'm was close to making up my mind on who to vote for. I was going to mark my ballot for Sharon, then I heard about the union contribution. Then I was ready to vote for Walter, then bang, the Hooterville comment. Unfortunately, I don't think Walter uses that Hooterville comment to get laughs. I think it is a reflection of his underlying sentiment. Can someone please rise to the top of the heap.

Walter called the GLBT community, "those" people. Rutland hooterville, and on any chance handed him, didn't answer the question - again - but took a moment to reiterated his slogan . . . over and over and over. As for the FF contribution you all need to get your facts straight. That too was taken out of context. Sharon decline to accept the FF union contribution. Flat out said no. So a retired FF said fine, he wrote the cheque in his name and said he'd collect from the men. What is important to recognize here folks, the KFD support Sharon. Like the shirt they gave her hanging in her campaign office says "We support those, who support us" . . . the cheque wasn't from the union, it was from a Kelowna citizen who happens to be retired FF. And so do the transit workers, city hall staff, and every social club or organization in Kelowna, support Sharon. But here is exactly the tactic of Wally's campaign. Wally hasn't once stated what he would do; he’s only bellowing that he wouldn't do this or that. He is in full out attack mode, never once surfacing long enough to explain how "he would" do something different. Great tactic, but say what you're actually going to do. If people in Kelowna can't see these snake oil salesman tactics, I guess we deserve a Wally World for being gullible enough to believe this guy again.

[George+]

I have lived in the Kelowna area for 50 years.

I currently reside in Rutland.

I have NEVER heard of Rutland being called Hooterville?

Ask the historians. IF Walter meant a "shanty town" instead of a gender reference, it is even WORSE!

Both are tasteless and lack class.

[John500]

Shows you Gray is still yesterdays man. Hootrerville was a slang name for Rutland in the 70's. Bye bye Gray.

[The Green Barbarian]

walter may not have meant to demean rutlanders, he may even think he was being funny, but as a "seasoned" politician he should have known better, it was a major gaffe that could, potentially, cost him the election....and that would be a GOOD thing, from my perspective!

And even if he didn't mean to insult Rutland (and obviously he didn't) you would be happy to have it misinterpreted if it means he loses. I get it. And that's why so many people get turned off to politics and don't vote.

It is rather telling how quick people are to jump on Walter Gray, for just about anything, which seems to indicate to me that panic is now creeping in to the Shepherd campaign. I can just see Walter Gray being photographed kissing a baby and the usual gang on here posting it with "Walter Gray tries to eat baby!" or some such nonsense, anything to spin Walter as the bad guy. Desperation is a stinky cologne people.

[Mtn Biker]

But again, as an objective listener this evening I'm quite certain that Grey was trying to lighten things up and definitely was not intending to insult Rutland. Really, why would he do that?

Because Sharon supporters try to find ANYTHING to grab onto that might possibly make Mr.Gray look bad

Lucky for us he doesn't make that too difficult.