Sharon Shepherd - Mayoral Candidate

[3 B's]

Sharon > Kim Ouellette

Give Kim the opportunity.!!! Mayor Neis had no experience either and frankly she turned out to be a darn good Mayor. Kim takes a stand and you know what she stands for!! I have no use for flip flopping and posturing at any time.

[leroibrown]

I agree. Let's give Kim a chance. She can't mess anything up on her own anyway as council are all accountable for decisions that are made. They must all vote not just the mayor!

We shouldn't be so concerned about this CD zone issue right now as with the unstable real estate market nothing will be done in the near future anyhow. What is a better idea is too begin replacing all street lights and traffic signals with LED lights as they are much more energy efficient, and the implementation of solar power and wind wherever possible.

Sure Sharon Shepherd sat on council before she got her shot at the mayors seat, but who cares? Did this make her a better mayor? I think not. She is just a figurehead, a puppet if you will. She hasn't made any decisions without consulting her city staff and council. When she broke up a fight and such a big deal was made about it, I was not impressed. She acted as if she was some sort of hero and encourage others to do what she did. What if someone tried to do the same and got beaten up or stabbed? Then the RCMP would say they shouldn't have intervened. Is Sharon trying to get people beaten up or possibly killed? Does Supercop McKinnon approve of this action? I wouldn't think so. Maybe he does, as he approves of radio stations publicizing RCMP radar traps and road checks so listeners can avoid them or slow down so they don't get caught, and then resume speeding when they pass the checkpoint. How ridiculous.

Sharon Shepherd is no hero. She is just a puppet and often sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong ie. the Westside amalgamation / incorporation issue. She tried to jam that down our throats without even asking the residents of Kelowna how they felt about it. I will be voting for Kim even though she has no experience. Had one of the council members tried to run for mayor I would not have voted for them either as I would like to see all new faces in council chambers this time around.

Lately the mayor and council have been doing some political posturing by announcing they are not going to pursue the Simpson Covenant Appeal and they are mulling over bringing Wakefest back. Nice try but it won't work. The next council can work on those issues. I for one would like to see the Regatta come back. This could include Wakefest, Thunderfest the Volleyball tournament etc. The Regatta was a family event and that's what this city needs, not events catering to drunken hooligans.

I am a little disappointed that there was not more opposition for Sharon, but that only means that the vote would have been split more ways. Look at what happened in the Westside election last year. If Dinwoodie would have been the only opponent for Neis, he likely would have won that election. Especially since Neis only won because her platform was based on a decision that had already been determined, whether or not to join Kelowna. All of her votes came from sore losers.

[leroibrown]

One more issue everyone seems to be overlooking. The construction boom is coming quickly to an end. There are several apartment buildings that have ceased construction due to lack of cash to complete. These developments cannot get funding from the banks due to the fact that they do not want to be holding the bag when the real estate prices go back to where they should have been all along. Home sales are way down as everyone knows.

This means that there will be hundreds of construction tradespeople looking for employment. Many of these folks are going to be struggling to make their mortgage payments when they have to take whatever is available for work.

We need not import anymore Mexicans or Jamaicans to fill the job shortages anymore. Campion Boats has now slowed to a near standstill, leaving its employees searching for work. Several call centers have left for other locations. This means that the real estate market will remain slow as well as other industries such as auto sales etc.

What this city needs are manufacturing jobs that are viable. I for one think that a plant that builds windmills and solar panels would be one of these options. The world is going green and we have some empty buildings that would make perfect sites for such businesses.

Our fair city needs to attract employers to start up these types of companies that would be able to pay higher wages that are needed to live in Kelowna. Without this I can foresee many bankruptcies and foreclosures in the not too distant future.

All I keep hearing about is this downtown core development. Until the real estate market turns around there will be no building going on. Investors will not put there money into something that is not going to give them a decent return on their investment. Right now property is not where you want to put your money, you’ll lose for certain.

If nothing is done we will see a decline as people will be leaving this city in large numbers. This city has to transform from construction to manufacturing or it will go downhill fast. We must build things that are in demand. Homes are not right now.

The only question now is whose going to step up to the plate and help get things started? How many half built, plastic wrapped apartment buildings will there be in this city come springtime? The Conservatory, near the Kelowna Golf & Country Club, was supposed to be completed in 2004 and remains unfinished although it is 100% sold. When will it ever get completed and where will the funds come from? No wonder no one wants to pre-pay anymore after seeing these nightmarish tales. Would you? I wonder who is responsible to pay the property taxes on these eyesores?

I don’t want to ramble but it seems to me that talking about building high rises downtown is the last thing we should be worried about right now. We need high paying manufacturing jobs so that the construction workers who have, or soon will be, laid off will have somewhere to work. Otherwise they will lose their homes.

In case our mayor and council haven’t noticed it costs an awful lot to live in this city. Perhaps this is because they are all so well off they don’t notice how hard it is for the working stiffs. Maybe they can hear but just don’t listen very well. Our mayor was actually trying to attract businesses to come hear touting the low wages they could get away with paying us, the working stiffs. Is this the person we want in charge of our city. I for one say she must hit the road. Her hubby is a doctor so she doesn’t have a clue what a struggle it is for the rest of us. You should have listened to the people Sharon.

Our city has some of the highest home prices in all of North America. Minimum wage here should be at least $10 per hour, but I would say $12. I live in a one bedroom apartment and the rent is $800 per month. You do the math.

If something isn’t done, and quick, there will be no affordable housing problem to worry about. There will be a lot of empty houses in this city. Great news for renters. One thing for certain house prices will continue to fall to the point that owners may just pack up and leave the keys in the mailbox and let the banks and mortgage companies take the loss. That’s what has been happening in the USA for the last year. And they said it wouldn’t happen here. Tell them what they want to hear so they keep buying.

[damngrumpy]

Well someone finally mentioned what happend on the Westside, and that was not good. The first mayor over there, was not good, and the lone supporter on council, was a ..well I will leave that
to your imagination. I don't really want to vote for Shepherd, but I am thinking it might be my
only choice. I don't always agree with her, but I know where she's going agree or not.

[uhrg]

First of all, you should get your facts straight before voicing your opinion loudly. *removed/Jo*

Regarding the Simpson Covenant, Mayor Shepherd made it as clear as legally possible what her position is. She has never wavered from that position since taking office. For anyone following the actions of key members of council over the past months it is no mystery as to the driving forces behind the opposition to the Covenant. The unholy gang of Given, Blanleil, Gran and Clark have been attempting to undermine Mayor Shepherd's position since she took office - you only need to refer to recent statements by Gran and Given to appreciate the truth of this.

As for affordable housing - there has been no louder voice than Mayor Shepherd regarding this issue. She has formed the affordable housing committee to provide the necessary foundations to address this issue. She pushed the provincial government to allocate 30 million to build two buildings to get people off the street. As well, Mayor Shepherd has been a major force behind the development of the old KSS site which will have an unprecedented 20% affordable housing. This issue is one of her key mandates since she took office and continues to be so.

To the many of you with incorrect and, quite frankly, frighteningly irrational complaints, I suggest you visit http://www.sharonshepherd.com and go through her positions on each of these issues. I have spent some time there recently and find her position completely contrary to the charges voiced in this forum - she is anything but a flip-flopper or a weak leader.

She works harder than anyone on council (does anyone mention that Carol Gran showed up to LESS than HALF of council meetings??) and carries a genuine belief in this community and its citizens. She has been hampered by a hostile council, many of whom were outright supporters of Walter Gray, and has fought tirelessly to ensure a better quality of life for everyone here.

Those of us who spend our time trying to change the status quo, and have had the pleasure of working with Mayor Shepherd in a professional capacity, are well aware of her commitment and integrity. I urge the rest of you to spend some time to get to know her and decide for yourselves. *removed/Jo*

[FunkyBunch]

I'm not interested in buying a Norco California Home =/ (that's where the link you provided goes)

I'm really sorry to burst your bubble but Sharon Shepherd did flip-flop on the Simpson Covenant Issue.

Last election, she said she would respect the Covenant.
Up until the VERY LAST meeting regarding the Simpson Covenant (the in-camera one), she voted with the rest of council to destroy it. When people started to get angry about it is when she voted against the Appeal.

The previous attempts to get rid of the Covenant were UNANIMOUS.

That being said, I'd rather have Shepherd be Mayor than Kim.

[uhrg]

Actually, you should check your facts. If you bothered to pay attention to the issue, you would understand that it was the legal ambiguities inherent in the original covenant that Mayor Shepherd was hoping to clarify. When these ambiguities were clarified in the court ruling, council returned to vote (in camera) whether or not to pursue an appeal. As mentioned, the voting record in this meeting is a legal secret, but it is easy to extrapolate Mayor Shepherd's position. Consequently, the Covenant's intention was upheld and needed no further clarity (hence, Mayor Shepherd's position to not appeal). This is entirely consistent with Mayor Shepherd's position all along. The unfortunate outcome of this legal mire is the constant misunderstanding that is represented by your incorrect viewpoint.

[FunkyBunch]

All right, I'm not going to search through the forum AGAIN for this information, it's in another post of mine. It was in the news paper and on a Castanet article.

At one point, Mayor Shepherd decided to vote to SCRAP the Simpson Covenant. End of story.

[uhrg]

Again, you are misunderstanding the intention of that vote. End of story.

[Aaron R]

In my opinion I think we need a mayor with the ability to vote for the future of Kelowna and not what satisfies the conservative voter. Example being the Downtown redevelopment. I feel she plays the "Don't blame me, I didn't vote for it" card too much. She really doesn't want to get involved and have to answer to people after. Kelowna is not going to stop growing and serious changes need to be made and I feel it starts in the council.

[uhrg]

My mistake - the website URL is: www.sharonshepherd.ca, and NOT ".com".

[FunkyBunch]

Tell me how I can possibly be misunderstanding this:

On April 30, City Council voted unanimously to remove the 60-year-old Simpson Covenant from the 11 acre parcel of land which borders the lake on the West, Ellis St. on the East, Doyle Ave. on the North and Queensway on the South.


Kelowna City council has voted unanimously to scrap the 60-year old agreement and re-zone some waterfront property for park-use only.


http://www.castanet.net/cgi-bin2/newNews/news_list.cgi?method=show_story&id=29299&query=search

Do keep in mind while I dislike Sharon Shepherd as a Mayor, there's no way I could in good conscience vote for Kim.

[realagen]

This is the most unfortunate mayoral choice Kelowna has had to face. As someone suggested, it will probably result in the lowest voter turnout on record. So what can one do? I suggest a vote for Sharon simply because she has had some experience chairing meetings. You have 8 Councillors who will lead the discussion and the votes, and unless we are dumb enough to vote in 8 Councillors who are split 4 to 4 and the vote has to be decided by Sharon (gawd help us!), then that is all she will be. A figurehead. Someone to go to Holland or Japan or Ottawa and waste taxpayer money for another 3 years.

[3 B's]

This is what scares me... She did NOT "NOT" NOT!!! vote to appeal the decision by the courts re. the simpson convenant. I'll repeat: SHE DID [b]NOT[b] VOTE TO APPEAL THE COURT DECISION. The council did, but her statement the following day was to urge that there be a NEW COUNCIL elected in so that the appeal could be defeated. It scares me how confused people are on this issue... The majority of council (and why it got passed) voted to appeal, that DOES NOT mean everyone did. Please look at the voting records of these candidates and their background as it's SO CLEAR who is on which side of the fence. (hint: shepherd,hobson,rule on one side) I'll say it once more- shepherd DID NOT vote to appeal the court decision.

You are a family member No?? Vwey clear by everything you post.

[3 B's]

I agree. Let's give Kim a chance. She can't mess anything up on her own anyway as council are all accountable for decisions that are made. They must all vote not just the mayor!

We shouldn't be so concerned about this CD zone issue right now as with the unstable real estate market nothing will be done in the near future anyhow. What is a better idea is too begin replacing all street lights and traffic signals with LED lights as they are much more energy efficient, and the implementation of solar power and wind wherever possible.

Sure Sharon Shepherd sat on council before she got her shot at the mayors seat, but who cares? Did this make her a better mayor? I think not. She is just a figurehead, a puppet if you will. She hasn't made any decisions without consulting her city staff and council. When she broke up a fight and such a big deal was made about it, I was not impressed. She acted as if she was some sort of hero and encourage others to do what she did. What if someone tried to do the same and got beaten up or stabbed? Then the RCMP would say they shouldn't have intervened. Is Sharon trying to get people beaten up or possibly killed? Does Supercop McKinnon approve of this action? I wouldn't think so. Maybe he does, as he approves of radio stations publicizing RCMP radar traps and road checks so listeners can avoid them or slow down so they don't get caught, and then resume speeding when they pass the checkpoint. How ridiculous.

Sharon Shepherd is no hero. She is just a puppet and often sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong ie. the Westside amalgamation / incorporation issue. She tried to jam that down our throats without even asking the residents of Kelowna how they felt about it. I will be voting for Kim even though she has no experience. Had one of the council members tried to run for mayor I would not have voted for them either as I would like to see all new faces in council chambers this time around.

Lately the mayor and council have been doing some political posturing by announcing they are not going to pursue the Simpson Covenant Appeal and they are mulling over bringing Wakefest back. Nice try but it won't work. The next council can work on those issues. I for one would like to see the Regatta come back. This could include Wakefest, Thunderfest the Volleyball tournament etc. The Regatta was a family event and that's what this city needs, not events catering to drunken hooligans.

I am a little disappointed that there was not more opposition for Sharon, but that only means that the vote would have been split more ways. Look at what happened in the Westside election last year. If Dinwoodie would have been the only opponent for Neis, he likely would have won that election. Especially since Neis only won because her platform was based on a decision that had already been determined, whether or not to join Kelowna. All of her votes came from sore losers.

Good post, but it appears that the sheeple have no mind of their own. They will stick with the status quo and we can all bend over and kiss this city good-bye. A great portion of it has been ruined already and I can only see it getting worse with what we have. This is a very pathetic race although it should NOT be. Courageous folks would go for 'CHANGE". Looks like most folks don't have that courage unfortunately. I hope that I am pleasantly surprised. Otherwise??????