Civic Election here we come!

dle
Lord of the Board
Posts: 3333
Joined: Nov 14th, 2005, 12:29 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by dle »

WalterWhite wrote:Not sure if this is permitted, but Ron Seymour from the Courier has a great piece posted that is a scorecard of current council's past major flubs and follies. Worth reading.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/ ... d3292.html
Thanks for this - it helped me see with the exception of one councillor, I am content with who I voted for.

This issue that came up for a vote of council really got my grrrs amped up:

11. ARE YOU REALLY, REALLY HAPPY?

Buried in the depths of a $120 million spending plan in the City of Kelowna's 2016 budget was a relatively small item that drew some councillors' interest.

The proposal was to spend $70,000 of taxpayers' money to find out if city employees were happy.

The so-called 'Employee Engagement Study' aimed to find out if municipal employees were content in their jobs and, if not, what could be done to put smiles on their faces.


What a colossal waste of taxpayers money - exactly the kind of thing that should have been shut down the minute it was suggested! Who the hell cares if they are happy? They make huge money, get tons of paid vacation, great pensions, good hours etc etc. If they are not happy they can give their damn job to me - I'll slap a smile on my face without a peep for their pension alone! Nobody comes around doing a City Council vote to see if I'm happy at my job!! When was the last time City council wanted to know if YOU were happy at your job and offered to spend $70,000 on a survey in order to identify issues that could be done to make you happier?? Geez Louise.......
User avatar
Omnitheo
Guru
Posts: 7644
Joined: Jul 19th, 2011, 10:10 am

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by Omnitheo »

You people want government to run more like a business right? Employee satisfaction surveys and efforts to ensure employee engagement are common activities in most corporations.

You’re complaining because 0.05% of the budget was to ensure that municipal employees are compensated fairly for the work they do and are satisfied with their jobs? This cost you as a taxpayer 50c.

Honestly the time and effort you spent ranting about this was a bigger expense to you than this study.
"Dishwashers, the dishwasher, right? You press it. Remember the dishwasher, you press it, there'd be like an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up the steam pours out, the dishes -- now you press it 12 times, women tell me again." - Trump
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote:You people want government to run more like a business right? Employee satisfaction surveys and efforts to ensure employee engagement are common activities in most corporations.

You’re complaining because 0.05% of the budget was to ensure that municipal employees are compensated fairly for the work they do and are satisfied with their jobs? This cost you as a taxpayer 50c.

Honestly the time and effort you spent ranting about this was a bigger expense to you than this study.
As was yours. True leaders don't need a study to understand and assess employee engagement and job satisfaction .... they intuitively know.
User avatar
Omnitheo
Guru
Posts: 7644
Joined: Jul 19th, 2011, 10:10 am

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by Omnitheo »

fz6adventure wrote:
Omnitheo wrote:You people want government to run more like a business right? Employee satisfaction surveys and efforts to ensure employee engagement are common activities in most corporations.

You’re complaining because 0.05% of the budget was to ensure that municipal employees are compensated fairly for the work they do and are satisfied with their jobs? This cost you as a taxpayer 50c.

Honestly the time and effort you spent ranting about this was a bigger expense to you than this study.
As was yours. True leaders don't need a study to understand and assess employee engagement and job satisfaction .... they intuitively know.
[icon_lol2.gif] it’s clear you’ve never been in charge of a large number of employees or been employed by any large company.
"Dishwashers, the dishwasher, right? You press it. Remember the dishwasher, you press it, there'd be like an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up the steam pours out, the dishes -- now you press it 12 times, women tell me again." - Trump
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote:it’s clear you’ve never been in charge of a large number of employees or been employed by any large company.
Does 400 employees on a $300 million (USD) project count? Just as one example.

Maybe think about any leadership training, education or experience that Basran brings to the table. Was it through his video journalism diploma? Was it through his small town reporter experience with CHBC? Was it through his real estate licence study? Before he landed in government as a pawn for the development and real estate faction, how many people actually did he oversee and mentor?
User avatar
the truth
Admiral HMS Castanet
Posts: 34718
Joined: May 16th, 2007, 9:24 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by the truth »

fz6adventure wrote:
Omnitheo wrote:it’s clear you’ve never been in charge of a large number of employees or been employed by any large company.
Does 400 employees on a $300 million (USD) project count? Just as one example.

Maybe think about any leadership training, education or experience that Basran brings to the table. Was it through his video journalism diploma? Was it through his small town reporter experience with CHBC? Was it through his real estate licence study? Before he landed in government as a pawn for the development and real estate faction, how many people actually did he oversee and mentor?
as you can see some on here think they know everything LIKE O.......
"The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." -George Orwell
User avatar
Omnitheo
Guru
Posts: 7644
Joined: Jul 19th, 2011, 10:10 am

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by Omnitheo »

I strongly question any claims this poster has made, as their entire posting history is just complaining about a tourist center, or about the city hiring municipal employees. Poster doesn’t want a growing city to have more firefighters, or bylaw officers, or to add any other positions to fill its needs.

Poster can claim they intuitively know what hundreds to thousands of employees are thinking, but that just a just an example of hubris and ignorance more than anything. Meanwhile real companies and employers around the world are well aware of what works to gage this information to allow them to make INFORMED decisions, as opposed to emotional decisions based on gut feelings and selfish personal ideology.
"Dishwashers, the dishwasher, right? You press it. Remember the dishwasher, you press it, there'd be like an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up the steam pours out, the dishes -- now you press it 12 times, women tell me again." - Trump
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote:I strongly question any claims this poster has made, as their entire posting history is just complaining about a tourist center, or about the city hiring municipal employees. Poster doesn’t want a growing city to have more firefighters, or bylaw officers, or to add any other positions to fill its needs.

Poster can claim they intuitively know what hundreds to thousands of employees are thinking, but that just a just an example of hubris and ignorance more than anything. Meanwhile real companies and employers around the world are well aware of what works to gage this information to allow them to make INFORMED decisions, as opposed to emotional decisions based on gut feelings and selfish personal ideology.
LOL .... the old deflection, exaggeration and personal attack ploy huh. It is nice to know you follow my posts - I must have made quite an impression on you.

Maybe if you addressed the questions on Basran's leadership education, training and experience ... that would be just great. Or maybe I'm on to something?

Vote informed. Vote wisely. But above all - just vote!
User avatar
Omnitheo
Guru
Posts: 7644
Joined: Jul 19th, 2011, 10:10 am

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by Omnitheo »

fz6adventure wrote:
Omnitheo wrote:I strongly question any claims this poster has made, as their entire posting history is just complaining about a tourist center, or about the city hiring municipal employees. Poster doesn’t want a growing city to have more firefighters, or bylaw officers, or to add any other positions to fill its needs.

Poster can claim they intuitively know what hundreds to thousands of employees are thinking, but that just a just an example of hubris and ignorance more than anything. Meanwhile real companies and employers around the world are well aware of what works to gage this information to allow them to make INFORMED decisions, as opposed to emotional decisions based on gut feelings and selfish personal ideology.
LOL .... the old deflection, exaggeration and personal attack ploy huh. It is nice to know you follow my posts - I must have made quite an impression on you.

Maybe if you addressed the questions on Basran's leadership education, training and experience ... that would be just great. Or maybe I'm on to something?

Vote informed. Vote wisely. But above all - just vote!
Those questions have been answered elsewhere, through your many posts complaining about Basran using childish nicknames like Basruin. I responded specifically to your post complaining about the city’s expense to ensure that the municipal employees employees were satisfied with their jobs. You began the deflection and I will not take the bait.
"Dishwashers, the dishwasher, right? You press it. Remember the dishwasher, you press it, there'd be like an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up the steam pours out, the dishes -- now you press it 12 times, women tell me again." - Trump
dle
Lord of the Board
Posts: 3333
Joined: Nov 14th, 2005, 12:29 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by dle »

Omnitheo wrote:You people want government to run more like a business right? Employee satisfaction surveys and efforts to ensure employee engagement are common activities in most corporations.

You’re complaining because 0.05% of the budget was to ensure that municipal employees are compensated fairly for the work they do and are satisfied with their jobs? This cost you as a taxpayer 50c.

Honestly the time and effort you spent ranting about this was a bigger expense to you than this study.
Think you are missing the point....the City uses OUR tax dollars to do the study to make sure civic servants are happy in their jobs. We, in the private sector, should be entitled to just as much hand-holding and solicitous pats on the head as those workers but no one is coming around offering us the same kid-glove handling as to our wants and needs for a happy face at our jobs. It's more like "if you don't want the job perhaps you'd be happier and smilier elsewhere - there is someone waiting to fill your spot here".

What's good for the staff of City Hall should be good for all of us....yeah, wishful thinking, reality would be the other way around!

I like blue post it notes but the yellow ones are cheaper so running the admin dept at my job means everyone gets to use yellow - even me! That's my job....to keep things fiscally responsible so all of us keep our jobs.

Can anyone think of ANY other thing(s) we could spend $70,000 dollars on in Kelowna instead of that proposed coddling session that might be of higher importance?
User avatar
Omnitheo
Guru
Posts: 7644
Joined: Jul 19th, 2011, 10:10 am

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by Omnitheo »

dle wrote:
Omnitheo wrote:You people want government to run more like a business right? Employee satisfaction surveys and efforts to ensure employee engagement are common activities in most corporations.

You’re complaining because 0.05% of the budget was to ensure that municipal employees are compensated fairly for the work they do and are satisfied with their jobs? This cost you as a taxpayer 50c.

Honestly the time and effort you spent ranting about this was a bigger expense to you than this study.
Think you are missing the point....the City uses OUR tax dollars to do the study to make sure civic servants are happy in their jobs. We, in the private sector, should be entitled to just as much hand-holding and solicitous pats on the head as those workers but no one is coming around offering us the same kid-glove handling as to our wants and needs for a happy face at our jobs. It's more like "if you don't want the job perhaps you'd be happier and smilier elsewhere - there is someone waiting to fill your spot here".

What's good for the staff of City Hall should be good for all of us....yeah, wishful thinking, reality would be the other way around!

I like blue post it notes but the yellow ones are cheaper so running the admin dept at my job means everyone gets to use yellow - even me! That's my job....to keep things fiscally responsible so all of us keep our jobs.

Can anyone think of ANY other thing(s) we could spend $70,000 dollars on in Kelowna instead of that proposed coddling session that might be of higher importance?

You are not entitled to dictate what is done with your tax dollars. You elect people to make those decisions for us collectively. As for those tax dollars, only 50 cents across 4 years is going to this study. I’m amazed you feel so worked up and so entitled over your 50 cents. As for the private sector, every corporation I have ever worked for has given out employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. If your private sector job isn’t providing you with the satisfaction you wish for or the means to express your concerns, you may wish to look elsewhere for employment
"Dishwashers, the dishwasher, right? You press it. Remember the dishwasher, you press it, there'd be like an explosion. Five minutes later you open it up the steam pours out, the dishes -- now you press it 12 times, women tell me again." - Trump
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote: ......... doesn’t want a growing city to have more firefighters, or bylaw officers, or to add any other positions to fill its needs.
On the contrary wise one, I do think the city needs added essential service positions consistent with the growing population and land area base. Simply put, if the population and/or land base increases by 10% by reason this alone should correlate to an increased need of essential services by a like increase just to maintain the status quo.

I can go on and on about this but because the forum is on the topic of the election, my gripe is Basran's campaign rhetoric about all the positions that have been added over the past four years as a feather in the cap of current council when in reality the discussion should include how many should have been added to simply maintain service levels. The exact same logic applies to parkland development, roadway expansion, water service etc. etc. They all fall under the broad catchment of infrastructure ...... and it is common knowledge that the infrastructure deficit has ballooned to near $500 million over the past four years, the quality of life for citizens has deteriorated, per capita income decreased ......... and the future does not look bright knowing at some point the deficit will have to be addressed.
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote: As for those tax dollars, only 50 cents across 4 years is going to this study. I’m amazed you feel so worked up and so entitled over your 50 cents.

I would certainly love to see the math on this one .....LOL
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote: You are not entitled to dictate what is done with your tax dollars. You elect people to make those decisions for us collectively.
Seriously? Once they are elected they are no longer accountable to the electorate?
fz6adventure
Board Meister
Posts: 562
Joined: Feb 25th, 2007, 4:43 pm

Re: Civic Election here we come!

Post by fz6adventure »

Omnitheo wrote:every corporation I have ever worked for has given out employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. If your private sector job isn’t providing you with the satisfaction you wish for or the means to express your concerns, you may wish to look elsewhere for employment
Not really on the topic of Civic Elections 2018, but to gauge and put into perspective your position on the candidates ...... how did you make out on all those surveys? Did they work or did you have to look for employment elsewhere?

Return to “Civic Elections 2018”