Taxpayers first

[erinmore3775]

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-125691-108-.htm#125691
Downsizing the Regional District

Taxpayers First has announced that it will save Kelowna taxpayers money by downsizing the Regional District. However, what they have forgotten is that the letters of patent from the province forming the RDCO includes the District of Lake Country, West Kelowna, and Peachland. Even with Kelowna' weighted vote, it would take the cooperation of the other municipalities to put these changes in place. What they want to do is have Kelowna and West Kelowna take over administration of many services. While that may reduce RDCO costs, it will increase the costs/workload of the departments in the administrations of Kelowna and West Kelowna. Hardly the way to reduce administrative costs.

They want to develop the RDCO land. The other member municipalities might have something to say about that since they have been paying into the maintenance and upkeep of that facility for over 20 years. It seems to me that they would be better off proposing total amalgamation to form the Greater Kelowna Area than what they are suggesting. This plan, outlined by two people that should be fully familar with the RDCO letters of patent, the financing of the RDCO, and how RDCO administration is already "farmed out " to member municipalities, seems to be a "tax saving platform" based on little thought and less reality.

[Rwede]

Too bad the statement on restructuring the RDCO falls flat when it says the wasteful, useless OBWB white elephant is untouchable.

$3 million+ a year for absolutely no return to taxpayers. Disband it now, and let the individual water districts do their jobs without a layer of fat cat bureaucrats smothering the taxpayers.

[delSol97]

So what are we to understand here? Taxpayers First with a fiscal responsibility message or Kelowna First made up of prominent business leaders who would also promote fiscal responsibility. Excuse my interruption here but as a non resident of Kelowna, am I missing something here or is this a pizzing match between two groups with the same end game just with different faces?

See my previous comment about saying what you need to say to get the job, doing what you need to do to get the job done.

[kgcayenne]

...useless OBWB white elephant is untouchable.

$3 million+ a year for absolutely no return to taxpayers. Disband it now, and let the individual water districts do their jobs without a layer of fat cat bureaucrats smothering the taxpayers.

I hope this is not too terribly off-topic: Would you please tell us why the OBWB was developed, and then get into more detail as to why you feel they should be eliminated.

[Pookybear]

This story affects my decision. http://globalnews.ca/news/1643777/watch-candidates-deny-connection-to-kelowna-mountain/

[Glacier]

If I were running my own slate of Candidates in Kelowna, I'd call it "Taxpayers Third."

[techrtr]

Are they the ones proposing to spend a huge amount of money building canals downtown? Seems kind of ironic that they would call themselves "Taxpayers First" if they are. I wrote their names on a scrap of paper to take with me so I don't accidentally vote for one of them.

[Anonymous123]

Are they the ones proposing to spend a huge amount of money building canals downtown? Seems kind of ironic that they would call themselves "Taxpayers First" if they are. I wrote their names on a scrap of paper to take with me so I don't accidentally vote for one of them.

Well don't accidentally lose that scrap of paper. Someone might find it and use it as a guide who to vote for.

[S_Michael]

Well Castanet has not approved my comment to the news article from today which I posted 9 hours ago (day before elections, how convenient). Anyways, this is my thought & response to their fluff article about this group.

http://www.castanet.net/news/Municipal-Elections-2014/126889/TaxpayersFirst-zero-tax-guarantee#comments

From what I can tell these guys just want to sell city owned land to their developer friends and screw any future city council from having any hopes in getting back what these guys will sell.

Short term gain for long term pain should be their motto.

Billie Aaltonen is quoted as saying she wants to change course for her childrens future, but this future is one of lower wages for her children (unless they are born wealthy like they very well probably are), less public lands & less services. These things all affect the lower end of the income scale, while benefiting the upper echelon.

If Dale Olsen pays $3375/month after homeowners grant then a quick estimate pegs his house at well over 1.5Million in value. If he can't afford $375 month taxes he should probably sell his mansion or lake front house & downsize to something more modest.
(Rich) TaxPayersFirst.

[Carmencat]

Dale Olsen sounds like an idiot. Now I pay about $375/mo in taxes ($4500 per year) and my house is worth less than a million. But Olsen complains that 25 years ago he was paying only $70 a month. Is he friggin' kidding? Twenty five years ago? Chances are he is not living in the same house he lived in in 1989. It is likely double or triple is size. And the house he is living in now (even if it is the same house) is worth several hundred thousand dollars more than it was worth 25 years ago.

I have relatives who live in Ontario whose homes are worth a fraction of mine, but pay the same amount of property tax that I pay. I think our taxes are reasonable. However I plan to vote in a mayor and council who will spend those taxes wisely. I do not see canals in my future.

[jamapple]

This story affects my decision. http://globalnews.ca/news/1643777/watch-candidates-deny-connection-to-kelowna-mountain/

Gotta love when a plan comes together. Everyone should read this before voting today. Mark my word, this will bite them in the *bleep*.

Dale Olsen needs to take a long walk off a short pier. Continuing with his snide comments. He sold shares for KM 4 years ago, but not now. Go to the story and read his next comment.

These liars have been caught so many times because they're like the kid that just doesn't know how to get away with anything.

We are not affiliated with KM. Yet Carole has worked for Consiglio, Dale has as well.
Then yesterdays Cap News has their splashy front page wrap around with, you guessed it, a paid advertisement for Kelowna Mountain. So what you say?? Look at the bottom of the page where you'll see that is was paid for by Dale Olsen!
Yup, you're right, no affiliation here folks! If they lie and lash out at constituents during the election, can anyone imagine the way it would be if these clowns actually got in??
Unbelievable!!

[techrtr]

So, at least one of the Taxpayers First crew was involved in Kelowna Mountain? Now I definitely won't be voting for any of them.

[neroas]

Yeah, it's scary between that and the canal. No way.

[jamapple]

So, at least one of the Taxpayers First crew was involved in Kelowna Mountain? Now I definitely won't be voting for any of them.

Actually 2 of them, but they said they weren't. Then said in the same interview that Carole did consulting work for them, and good 'ol Dale sold shares for them.

[twobits]

This is a pretty funny thread. A bunch of socialists bytching about people that have more money than them. What a surprise. Put aside your petty jealousies and try to comprehend that if it were not for people like this with some vision and the capital, or access to it, the local economy would not be what it is today.
I begrudge no one that has amassed millions in net worth cuz I know that on their way to that position, they employed a lot of people from simple lumber yard forklift drivers to skilled and well paid trades people. They create activity and every dollar they invest gets recycled through the economic engine from employee to grocery store, to car mechanic, to tutoring the kid.
You are all living in some kind of past reality where a good thing was a full time job at the mill and ma worked the packing house line for 6 months and collected UIC for the rest of the year.