Bartalk

Bartenders do hear everything...

Since the amalgamation issue was raised by the Greater Vernon Governance Society, there's been no shortage of opinions as folks spend time on the patio and at the bar at Highlands Golf.

Knowing there would be considerable discussion among residents of Coldstream, Vernon and the Regional District areas, I was amazed--gobsmacked, as any Brit would put it--at the discussions that occurred.  Especially when lips were loosened after a beer, the person obviously comfortable among friends.
Or at least like-minded individuals, hard-working family people who were having a few hours of fun in their busy week.

One person said "write them down"; others agreed, saying "nobody will say these things on the petition."

"As long as you don't use our names," was the proviso.

Okay.   Here goes (relying solely on memory). 

• Coldstream's new mechanic shop:  they spent $78,000 on an engineering study for the cranes and equipment the shop needs.  They could've had ALL that stuff for about $18,000 total...installed.  Without the engineer.  Jeez, they study everything to death, why?  So no-one gets blamed for the screw ups that still occur, even with consultants.
• Consultants get our tax dollars with their grossly-inflated cost for studies.  But it gets the bureaucrats off the hook, nobody's responsible for anything.
• Both Coldstream and Vernon are proof that good knowledgeable smart people don't run for office anymore.
• Why stop at Areas B & C?  Give Cherryville to Lumby, they can use the tax dollars.  Give Enderby to Armstrong for the same reason.  Give unorganized regional district areas to their closest city.  Presto, no need for a regional district at all. 
• These days, it's government departments charging other government departments, all of whom we pay for.  And they don't care.  There's only one of us!  Far too many of 'em.
• Sure, keep the workers...the roads and water guys, they actually do something.  Get rid of two councils and three administrations.
• No way do I want Vernon's (existing) mayor running things in my area!  (which led to the following:)
• They have to start from scratch, a whole new GVA (Greater Vernon Area) mayor and council over the entire area.  
• We taxpayers can force Victoria to change laws that they still have to look after the main highways and road that leads to Silver Star Park.  They work for us; time we tell them that.
• Fear-mongering from B says they don't want curbs and street-lights and higher taxes.  That's a rural area and the new GVA (amalgamated) has to do a new community plan that designates that area won't get curbs and street-lights, therefore, taxes won't surge.
• Ten or 15 years ago there was a Vernon planner that screwed around so long with a software company that wanted to locate here that they finally got fed up with all the delays and lack of decision-making and went to Kelowna.  They were up and running in half the time it would've taken in Vernon.
• All the young people have gone north 'cause they're sick of flipping burgers or pumping gas.  University grads have no work here, but they'll come back to retire (laughing).
• If it weren't for Tolko and Kal Tire, the average age of residents here would be "deceased" (more laughter).
• Dying town, and hiring an economic development guy doesn't change anything, just adds another expense account that has to be paid.  And a desk and a computer.  That reminds me:  "traffic demand coordinator" -- what the hell is that anyway?  Probably somebody else making $100K.
• Had amalgamation occurred years ago, Coldstream would have a hitching rail outside of a small office, with only a rural manager and a clerk. Would prefer that to the new municipal hall and all the debt that brings.
• If DoC amalgamates, can we put a For Sale sign on the muni hall and get our money back?
• Look at Coldstream and Vernon councils...can't find one person with real business/life experience, they're either consultants or a lawyer, or ... what?  a teacher for a mayor, yeah, like that'll ever work.  Most of 'em have nothing better to do so they run for office.
• The way this area is going, we must've taken a lesson from Kenora.  Reminds me of what happened to Tolko in Kenora, Ontario.  Tolko wanted to build a strand board plant, 700 employees.  They got so dinked around by local government they said bugger it and built the plant in N.Manitoba.  And you'd think Kenora would've learned how to treat business differently from what happened earlier when their paper plant left town to the tune of eight hundred employees.  That's 1,500 in a town of 15,000.  But you can bet the bureaucrats kept their jobs.  Incredible!
• Coldstream and Vernon learned from Ottawa's senators how to keep ripping us off.  Don't forget the regional district, someone added.
• Who's the government idiot who read the book called "The Road Diet"?  Enough bike lanes already.  Yeah, and heaven forbid, we--driving a 2,000 pound vehicle--would have the right of way.  Nope, they do.  Now you can't even turn right on a red because some biker is sittin' in the right lane sipping chai tea in his painfully tight speedo bike suit.
• They're all crooks, jealous of what people have so they put everyone through the ringer.  
• Empire building, power trips by people who'd never have power if they were on their own; couldn't achieve crap on their own, yet they relish in putting roadblocks in front of people that have achieved something.
• Good people don't run anymore...have a look at wishy-washy today.
• Didn't that guy...Coldstream councillor say that "we (Coldstream) own all the land in Coldstream?"  He'd never say that to my face, I've got 6 acres.
• Yeah, and they tried to rezone acreages here.  (Reminded them the RU10/RU30 isn't dead yet).
• Bureaucrats, ALL of 'em, hate ALL the elected officials.  And the public hates bureaucrats 'coz of the cost.  So much for what we thought was democracy; it's dead, especially in B.C.  Christy will fall over, she's leaning so far left, some Liberal, eh?
• ICBC and Hydro bank accounts emptied by Victoria, so look at who our local governments are learning from.  Some role model about fairness to taxpayers, eh?  They all stink, no matter who's in.
• You used to be able to go to a desk and get help from government...building a house or barn, they'd help you fill in the ONE form.  And you could start building it.  You didn't need an engineer's report or an environment study.  We even scribbled our barn plan on a napkin and the guy at the desk laughed and said after we explained it, "yeah, okay".  We walked out with our plan.  And it was cheap, a few bucks.  Now it costs a fortune to build a dog house.
• Permits for everything, sick of it.  I'm old and remember when we burned our acreage fencelines to keep the place nice.  Kids would jump in the leaf piles before we burned those.  But now there's 2 people with asthma that don't want anyone to burn, got nothing to do with earth warming.  And people's places look like s**t.
• Permits?  don't get 'em anymore, for anything!  (Laughter).
• Didn't Coldstream Mayor get quoted in paper saying "you can still PAINT your house without a permit."  Everything else needs a permit?  Ya right.  He can paint my house alright.
• And he thinks somebody's going to need the old Consumers Glass plant for a movie.  Wait until it falls down on the crew and DoC will be liable for it falling apart, meaning taxpayers have to pay...again.
• Look what you (me!) went through to get a liquor license!  (No comment!  Either about the original application and public hearing, nor the liquor license change years later!)
• What's with that town centre thing?  who the hell wants that?!?  They don't want business, look at how they treat the few businesses they have!  
• Glad the Coldstream Ranch kept all their subdivided lots the way they were, after the socialists asked them to put it back into one parcel.  Keith would've been insane to buckle under to them.  What a bunch of socialists! 
• The Ranch should sell all their little parcels off to people looking for small acreage; I hope they do sell them.  That'll show that councillor who REALLY owns the land in Coldstream, certainly not the bloody council!
• They piss away so much money.  I could do those jobs for one third the price they pay with our money.
• Look at what Coldstream paid for those 2 traffic islands outside Kal General Store, think it was $16,000, with 25 plants.  Jeez, where do I get a job paying 800 percent over cost like that?
• Bureaucrats are all crooks, making up the rules depending on who you are.  So much for fairness.
• Water things drive me crazy...now they're not making enough money because people are conserving, so they raise the prices.  There's places in Kelowna that aren't even on a water meter today.  They've got so much water 'coz they've worked to satisfy their customers!  I wish we had moved to Kelowna's outskirts instead of here.
• And some group runs watershed issues here (Okanagan Basin Water Board), yeah, that's who.  So they want everyone to grow cactus.  We're losing historical trees because of their advice and the high cost of water.  Yeah, that'll cool the place down as temps climb...dead trees, no shade.  Who can afford to water 'em?
• Everybody in government is an expert.  And they think we're all dumb.  It's the other way around.  Ya, we are dumb for electing them and for not getting rid of bureaucrats sooner.  But good people don't run any more, so what can you expect?  Mindless lefties.  Pissing off everyone except one or two in their circle.
• Yes amalgamate, please.  Get rid of 'em all, start again.  And this time, keep watching 'em.  If the new bunch screws up, toss them.  And if our MLA doesn't like things, he can go with them.
• They're all in cahoots, from BC Assessment to Victoria, to local government.  Assessment is BS, and Victoria won't give our governments more money, because they're all broke.  There oughta be a law.
• (reply)  There's enough laws already!
• Half what we pay goes to wages, never that way years ago.  We actually got something for our money then.  Now the government boys get new offices.  Whoopee!

 "I heard that, too, and that's what taxpayers said," confirms Kia.

 I was right; these comments would never make the official petition Comments page.