Upshaw and Mclaughlin (SP)

[Mtn Biker]

Don't tell me I am getting the last word here in this discussion. Surely there is much everyone could take issue with. Any discussion is welcome!

Not going to paste your long answer to my last response. You all underestimate what Kelowna is and has been for many years. Riots of 86 and 87 brought us to a national stage. Property prices rose and development began in full swing, remember the orchards in Glenmore, this all after we hit the front pages for our tear gas receptions. The fires of 03 just rekindled that again.

People want to live here, but so many don't bring anything with them except a hope for a better life and there a lot of them. Then there are those where money is no option and the lake is the show case for that with mansions and cigar boats too many. No different than a gold rush town in some respects. Competitive and high price for everything.

I say your stats resemble the pressures that go with these dreams, the life choice to come here without a plan, when so many have come before you. Yet I have seen many new business come, mostly retail, you know the one where a golf course use to be. It was a lazy and short council of the time that let the jewel go to the lowest bidder for our box mall. When you speak to those issues, I think you will find your answers.

So crime is many things, maybe put some blame on the cliques that form by the likes and kind of ForKelowna . . .

[Partmanpartfish]

Kelowna has a large 'mature' population. These people cause few problems for police. Mostly they drive into storefronts. So we don't need as many cops/100K as truly gruesome places like Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. Police deal with a small subset of the population, so officers/population comparisons are silly.

The crime rate in any city bounces around from year to year. To suggest the crime rate in Kelowna dropped X percent because we hired Y more officers is also silly. Many things shift the crime rate. The economy, the price of gas, the weather, hockey games.

If we hire more cops, the money has to come from somewhere. Either we raise taxes, or we take it out of health care or education. For every cop we hire, someone ends up waiting longer for their cancer treatment. Money is finite. I wish politicians understood this.

We can hire another 100 cops and build them a Taj Mahal on Clement. But even a thousand more cops wouldn't stop random acts of violence like the recent incident on the bus.

[Bobbythecat99]

Not going to paste your long answer to my last response. You all underestimate what Kelowna is and has been for many years. Riots of 86 and 87 brought us to a national stage. Property prices rose and development began in full swing, remember the orchards in Glenmore, this all after we hit the front pages for our tear gas receptions. The fires of 03 just rekindled that again.

People want to live here, but so many don't bring anything with them except a hope for a better life and there a lot of them. Then there are those where money is no option and the lake is the show case for that with mansions and cigar boats too many. No different than a gold rush town in some respects. Competitive and high price for everything.

I say your stats resemble the pressures that go with these dreams, the life choice to come here without a plan, when so many have come before you. Yet I have seen many new business come, mostly retail, you know the one where a golf course use to be. It was a lazy and short council of the time that let the jewel go to the lowest bidder for our box mall. When you speak to those issues, I think you will find your answers.

So crime is many things, maybe put some blame on the cliques that form by the likes and kind of ForKelowna . . .[/quote]

Well said, well said. Where was all of this concern PRIOR to this happening? if you are going to run a campaign based on issues of the community, you should try doing it BEFORE an unfortunate incident like this occurs. Besides there was a reason that you two were not elected for the provincial government... so what makes you guys think you will get on municipal?? Good luck with that....

[MikeCMcLoughlin]

Where was all of this concern PRIOR to this happening? if you are going to run a campaign based on issues of the community, you should try doing it BEFORE an unfortunate incident like this occurs.

I think if you read back through the thread you will see we were discussing this BEFORE the unfortunate incident occurred. We held a News conference out in front of the RCMP office calling for more resources on October 23rd.

Kelowna has consistently rated high for crime statistics year over year. This should not be this way.

Of course more policing resources can reduce the crime rate because you can devote more resources to solving crimes and getting criminals off the streets.

Besides there was a reason that you two were not elected for the provincial government... so what makes you guys think you will get on municipal??

Sean and I are like many currently elected politicians who have entered contests and have lost but who try again. That is how politics works. Rarely are there politicians who win their first time around. Look at the current set of candidates. How many have actually been in a campaign and have that experience? Less than 10.

It is to our credit that we are engaging the public with these kinds of issues. How many of the other candidates are engaging you in these forums? It is because we have done this before and we know how important it is to do this that we are doing it.

[HeavyHauler]

Mike. I have no issue with your stance on crime rate in Kelowna. What I and MANY MANY others took issue of, was using the tombstone of a friend, colleague and great man to get your word out. It doesn't matter how many times you say you did not use his death as a chance to grandstand because you did. Did you notice how you two were the only ones who used this heinous incident to "bolster" your campaign stance on crime rates in Kelowna? I am curious, how would you and Mr Upshaw feel if a politician acted the way you two did if it was one of YOUR friends who had been brutally murdered?

It's one thing if it's an accident, COMPLETELY different thing since it's a cold blooded murder.

[MikeCMcLoughlin]

I can't say anything more than what I already said. I am sorry for your loss.

It appears you may have known the victim and that you know people who have known him. I am very sorry for your loss. This is a terrible tragedy. It must be very difficult for those who know the victim and I respect that.

Having said that we organized the gathering on Monday because people in this community depend upon transit and some people feel afraid now to take the transit. We wanted to hear from them.

We invited all the candidates to come to the event to hear from people that feel afraid on our transit.

At the event, a lady came forward who is a Commssionaire. She does security for City hall. She encounters people affected by the lack of security on the transit system. She told the story of an elderly transit rider who was robbed at knife point 10 days ago. With her help the RCMP were able to apprehend the thief.

Because we invited the media, this lady was able to share her story and the positive ending that it had. CBC reported her story. It was on the news on Monday evening. CBC chose not to mention Sean or I. And that was a good thing. This ladies story was the focus of attention and that is what we wanted to happen.

We were not grandstanding, but we were doing what we feel this community needs done and that is gathering people together to share their stories and to work towards positive outcomes.

It is very tragic what happened last Thursday and heart go out to the victim and his family. To honor him and to make Kelowna a safer place to live, work and travel on the bus needs to be the focus of our efforts and your efforts.

Please pass my condolences to the victims friends.

[MikeCMcLoughlin]

There is a poll going at the Capital News on Transit Safety. Over 30% of people feel unsafe on Kelowna Transit. That is significant.