Why I'm NOT Voting for Walter Gray

[knowledgeisking]

I am abstaining in voting for Mayor.

Yesterday on the AM1150 forum he was asked why he refuses to answer the proclamation issue and if he would admit he made a mistake in his handling of the gay proclamation.

He said in the future he will consult with his council and make a decision. What does that mean, will he possibly ignore the majority of council? If he had said he would go along with the majority of council that would have been one thing.

If he said he is anti-gay rights and would prefer to not sign proclamations as a result I can respect him standing up for his beliefs, that is his right. While I have many gay friends and fully support their lifestyle and rights, I also don't begridge someone having differing views as long as they are not hateful. State your opinion and let the electorate decide. But nope, he is a politician and danced the jig.

He did make a mistake. Losing a human rights tribunal case is pretty embarrassing as I said in another post.

His time is past

[EdCase]

Ok fair enough, it is obvious I don’t like the type of person Walter is. He judges people and he allows these judgements to affect his objectivity and capacity to represent all the citizens. Walter is a “certain type of person” person. As for what I say, I am just employing the Wally Camp tactic of making loud blanket statements based on personal understandings. And I haven’t said anything that can’t be substantiated if you want to go there. I continue to say, what I see when I watch Walter campaign, is someone who is *bleep* off he lost to a woman, is *bleep* off because his lousy track record from his previous tenure as mayor keeps coming up, he’s *bleep* off because he still has to answer that, and to me, none of that is a sign of a leader. To me, it's more like a spoiled child who wants his toys back. We would like to know why you feel he’s any different now than when he was mayor? We’d like to know that if he was to get in, will he be the same autocratic bully and use the same tactics he used to push policy through city hall years ago? The same tactics that got him sued twice, embarrassed the city, and lost him the mayor’s seat. I am asking, what is different about him now? I keep asking because he’s a master at avoiding the tough question. We just really don’t know what he is thinking or what he plans to do. Do we?

This sums up the issue for me as far as Gray is concerned: the leopard doesn't change his spots.

[GreyGoose]

I am male and nothing against Walter but he's over the hill.

Sharon is doing well and "open for business".

Walter is going senile in his old age. Sorry Walter, but you had your turn.

[Del Griffith]

Definetly not voting for a mayor who continues to be a part of an outdated segment of society that would still marganalize groups of people who have broken no laws. I am not voting for a mayor who thinks his personal values overrule the values of law abiding citizens in his community. I don't care if he "agrees with someones lifestyle" or not. What happens when a politician disagrees with someones, religion? Ethnicity? Education? Gender? Will they be marganilized as well?

Sorry but he sets a poor example for the community. I certainly don't want my kids to think that this type of behaviour is acceptable from anyone, let alone an elected official.

Don't go away mad Walter....just go away.

[Takin it easy !]

I had the chance to listen too last nights forum hosted by AM-1150 today.as I missed it last night.
Walter was full of fire and brimstone and again managed to say nothing although he tried too and did dominate most of the air time.

He did however manage to milk and play up the fireman angle in regard to Sharon getting a little help from someone with a contribution.
Most of the Walter supporters here screamed conflict of interest "by the way low blow sleezy tactic people"
Speaking of conflict of interest what do you think will happen if (heaven forbid Walter was actually elected) and the big developers come to council looking for pay backs for supporting him these fat cats will be looking for millions talk about a real conflict of interest !
Has Walter said where his contributions are coming from or how FourChange plays into all this I think not !

Clearly if you are serious about our City and have heard anything Walter or Sharon have had to say you would know that Sharon is brighter,more thoughtful of others,prepared,and certainly more focused and real Mayor material.
Honestly folks how could any person with an ounce of smarts vote for Mr Gray unless of course your thinking big pay off and that wont be a pay off for the City or its citizens just a few elitists (well at least in their minds)

[canadman]

*too many nested quotations/try again/Jo*

[Evan]

*try posting again without the nested quotations/Jo*

[econovan64]

I am male and nothing against Walter but he's over the hill.

Sharon is doing well and "open for business".

Walter is going senile in his old age. Sorry Walter, but you had your turn.

Agreed

[plyrslite1951]

If Walter wants Kelowna to be "open for business", how bad does he see it right now? Kelowna was named the most business friendly city in B.C. and the 13th in Canada by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (oh those socialists). He could think up a more believable refrain than that to utter in every second sentence.

[kelownasenior1942]

If Walter wants Kelowna to be "open for business", how bad does he see it right now? Kelowna was named the most business friendly city in B.C. and the 13th in Canada by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (oh those socialists). He could think up a more believable refrain than that to utter in every second sentence.

When I walk downtown, it sure doesn't feel safe or business friendly. It feels like a ghost town quite often with the only people downtown a seedy element. If I don't have my grandson with me I just don't feel safe anymore. Stats are just stats, they mean very little. Six year ago there was not one business space available on the streets. I remember when I viewed the sails logo with pride as i walked by the fountain. I guess with all the crime, and businesses available the one thing I still had pride for is now gone, the sails logo.

[DaveC]

If Walter wants Kelowna to be "open for business", how bad does he see it right now? Kelowna was named the most business friendly city in B.C. and the 13th in Canada by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (oh those socialists). He could think up a more believable refrain than that to utter in every second sentence.

Well no, apparently he can't!

[grammafreddy]

Six year ago there was not one business space available on the streets.

Six years ago was the boom times with lots of people working in the construction industry and many related businesses - furniture stores, paint and wallpaper, hardware, building supplies, landscapers, etc. There was money to spend in the arty shops, restaurants and clothing/shoe stores.

When the economy tanked, that all died or slowed down significantly. I doubt the slow down in the economy can be blamed on any council anywhere in North America.

I am curious about how you would make improvements to what you see as problems if you were in the mayor's chair and how you would pay for them.

Six years ago Lawrence and Leon looked pretty much as they look now. The drug addicts and homeless were there. The weeds were there. The gangs were there. The unkept and empty buildings were there. If Walter couldn't "fix" them then, what is he saying he will do now to "fix" them?

[DaveC]

Six year ago there was not one business space available on the streets.

Six years ago was the boom times with lots of people working in the construction industry and many related businesses - furniture stores, paint and wallpaper, hardware, building supplies, landscapers, etc. There was money to spend in the arty shops, restaurants and clothing/shoe stores.

When the economy tanked, that all died or slowed down significantly. I doubt the slow down in the economy can be blamed on any council anywhere in North America.

I am curious about how you would make improvements to what you see as problems if you were in the mayor's chair and how you would pay for them.

Six years ago Lawrence and Leon looked pretty much as they look now. The drug addicts and homeless were there. The weeds were there. The gangs were there. The unkept and empty buildings were there. If Walter couldn't "fix" them then, what is he saying he will do now to "fix" them?

No thats only partly true.

No mayor can be blamed for theeconomic slump, but what we can look back on is how the development of the Hwy 97 corridor into a 30 km strip mall has sucked the life out of downtown.

The decline of Bernard St has closely paced the addition of new big box stores and strip malls.

[grammafreddy]

Six year ago there was not one business space available on the streets.

Six years ago was the boom times with lots of people working in the construction industry and many related businesses - furniture stores, paint and wallpaper, hardware, building supplies, landscapers, etc. There was money to spend in the arty shops, restaurants and clothing/shoe stores.

When the economy tanked, that all died or slowed down significantly. I doubt the slow down in the economy can be blamed on any council anywhere in North America.

I am curious about how you would make improvements to what you see as problems if you were in the mayor's chair and how you would pay for them.

Six years ago Lawrence and Leon looked pretty much as they look now. The drug addicts and homeless were there. The weeds were there. The gangs were there. The unkept and empty buildings were there. If Walter couldn't "fix" them then, what is he saying he will do now to "fix" them?

No thats only partly true.

No mayor can be blamed for theeconomic slump, but what we can look back on is how the development of the Hwy 97 corridor into a 30 km strip mall has sucked the life out of downtown.

The decline of Bernard St has closely paced the addition of new big box stores and strip malls.

Definitely agree to that. But then, that whole concept and the resulting demise of many downtowns was cloned all over BC, wasn't it? It was part of the whole "move to the suburbs" mentality and the in-fill between the city centre and the 'burbs. Along with that, back in the days when I was more involved with urban planning, we used to laugh about how Urban Systems was cloning BC with their one-design-fits-all downtown revitalization and Mainstreet government-funded programs. Few muncipalities escaped them.

[Kathy73]

Walter Gray is the only choice for Mayor right now. Sharon's past 6 year track record speaks for itself - sheeesh!. More Crime, More Homeless people on the streets, and more empty offices downtown. The LOGO debacle etc etc. We don't need more of the same. So Sad.

Well on a positive note great voting turn out means change is in the air! I have had friends in Castanet that were on the fence on who to vote for and after seeing Sharon's supporters smear attacks (and threaten one person by email in here in one case) they are not voting for Sharon anymore. Also her recent lie about fire union funds sealed her own fate. Just saying... Argue with a little more tact and you may get better results. Try again in 3 years I guess.
www.electwaltergrayformayor.com