Garlick's Annual Yadda Yadda

Coldstream's mayor Garlick has released his annual Christmas letter to residents via the District of Coldstream Community News (linked copy unavailable at this date).

(Click image to enlarge)

Mayor's message

Apart from proving how uber-governed we taxpayers are--he says "the District works with our partners - the City of Vernon and Electoral Areas B and C in the sub-region of Greater Vernon to govern and deliver several services through the RDNO" (huh????) -- Mayor Garlick proves again that he's a consummate politician.

Wayyyyy too many bosses, huh?  Yup, all of whom want tax dollars from us.

 

Saying plenty but explaining little.
Like why? 

Here's his fourth paragraph:
"As laid out in the Greater Vernon Master Water Plan, GVW continues to work towards meeting the water standards set by the province and enforced by the Interior Health Authority (IHA).  This includes the recently completed ultraviolet treatment facility at the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant which benefited from a $6.1 million grant.  The water utility is developing and implementing an asset renewal plan to replace aging infrastructure in a cost-effective manner.  The District supports securing grant funding from the provincial and federal governments before undertaking the more costly water projects such as filtration.  Unfortunately, our last grant application for 73.3% of the $45.4 million filtration project to treat water from Kalamalka Lake at the Mission Hill Treatment Plant was turned down."

Why was the grant application turned down?
No idea, but taxpayers want to know.
And naturally, mayor Garlick said nothing about that, or whether they will re-apply for the grant. 
Or does that now mean the $45.4 million filtration project funding will fall entirely onto the laps of residents?
Garlick doesn't say...hence the consummate politician moniker.  

His fifth paragraph had my jaw dropping...

"Presently, GVW is working on a water extension policy which would consider the sale of water outside of the existing water utility boundary.  This would include lands beyond the boundary both within and outside Greater Vernon.  Council does not support the sale of water outside of Greater Vernon, unless there is the ability to tax those benefiting properties for the other services provided by Greater Vernon:  recreation facilities, parks, trails, open spaces, and arts and culture.  Council also believes that all costs for any boundary extension infrastructure should be paid for by the benefiting property owners and that no negative impact on the efficiency of the water utility should be allowed.  The water sources and the approximately $743 million in infrastructure owned by GVW are a precious resource to Greater Vernon.  Water extensions, should not be permitted unless they directly support the District's other shared services and provide a net positive benefit to our existing Greater Vernon water utility users."

Whew!  Had to take a big breath after reading that paragraph.

Okay, let's take apart the mayor's paragraph. 

We residents have a very good memory about water supply (not to mention the horrendous costs we pay for it).

Whether on radio, or in print throughout the summer seasons, we water users are continually (it seems) harrangued by Greater Vernon Water and its political spin-off, the Okanagan Basin Water Board, that the water resource is (a) precious, (b) limited seasonally, and (c) finite.

So it probably makes sense that nobody would want "our" water sold "outside of an existing water boundary".  Duh!

But there Garlick missed another Why opportunity:  Why is GVW even considering selling water outside the existing boundary?  Is it because they spend more than 50 per cent of what taxpayers remit for water on wages and benefits?  Or...could it be because there never is a shortage of water and they can readily move the boundaries and supply more properties?

Next item:

Garlick goes on to say "the District submitted a grant to fund the construction of a new community hall on the Women's Institute Hall site, and another two applications are being completed for submission for two childcare facilities which would be entirely funded by the Province."  Huh?

Why are we seeking to replace the community hall? The District of Coldstream bought the land and hall a number of years ago and rents it out for functions.
What if the construction grant fails?  Does that mean residents are on the hook for building a new hall?  And where are the two childcare facilities going to be based?  In the "new" hall?  on another site?  Where?  Who pays for those?

"Coldstream is working with the RCMP and the Province to determine options to ensure the best policing service for the community.  Coldstream Council and staff have been working with the RCMP to achieve a greater police presence in Coldstream...has also budgeted additional funds to provide more officers to work on reducing speeding."

So is he saying that Coldstream has previously had the worst policing service?

Why are additional funds needed for policing?  Perhaps his next statement is part of the explanation.

"The dismantling of the integrated detachment in Vernon with the removal of Spallumcheen and Armstrong by the respective jurisdictions has provided the opportunity for Council to reconsider how police services can be housed for our municipality, either through a partnership with another jurisdiction of similar policing needs or on our own within Coldstream?"

Huh?  Couldn't Garlick have explained why the integrated detachment in Vernon was dismantled?  So is Garlick now suggesting police services "can be housed" inside Coldstream municipality?  As in having Coldstream police?  Our own cops?

Could be that his last sentence on the topic may hint at what he wants/is planning:  
"The accommodation costs for Coldstream to remain in the Vernon detachment, together with support worker costs, requires further consideration by Council of other accommodation options." 

So, again we ask Why?

The rest of Mayor Garlick's comments relate to a lake use survey, with percentage results from respondents.  (enlarge second graphic above by clicking on the image to see those results).


Maybe we're supposed to guess.
Perhaps Mayor Garlick is hoping we don't learn Why.

  

Tis the Season to be a Humbug..ger

And Vernon has its share of humbuggers.

Former mayor, now councillor, Akbal Mund criticized a business owner in the Morning Star today for complaining on social media about having to remove their blow-up snowman until a bylaw infraction was rectified.

The infraction?
It seems that--after being on the sidewalk during Christmas for eight years--the blow-up Frosty the Snowman was too close to a parking meter on the street.

"One of the concerns was a possible tripping hazard due to the location of the snowman and the need to run an extension cord." 

Really folks?
Really?

Presumably during the last eight years Frosty the Snowman also needed an extension cord.

A possible tripping hazard?

Oh for heaven's sake!
Get a grip, bylaw!!!!!

Yes, and there's snow falling from the sky too.
Careful about that!

So after the hue and cry from residents in social media, it turns out Vernon Council was...sort of...reversed.  Frosty will be allowed to stay on the sidewalk in future years so long as he has a permit, which will cost $100.

Akbal Mund's complaint?
He is upset the situation was not resolved peacefully (huh?) without involving the media, stating "If you have an issue and you are in the downtown or anywhere, approach the staff and administration and we'll deal with it."

Or maybe the city was concerned Frosty would entirely hide the parking meter, and coffers would thereby be out a few sheckles.

By the way, the business in question was Vernon Teach and Learn.
VTL have obviously learned bureaucracy is akin to a slow suffocation.

Mund needs to give his head a shake.
Taxpayers would rather eat yellow snow than deal with bureaucratic "staff and administration".

Imagine having to buy a $100 permit to display Frosty the Snowman in front of your business!
Ludicrous!


Oh...and I've long since forgotten how much money the City of Vernon pissed away "designing" (hired a consultant!) the above Welcome to Vernon signage.  (Remember that after it was completed, they had it redone...with some different colours?)  Gawd!

Population Growth is the Problem

...so says Vernon resident Charles Wills.

Here's his letter to the editor of the Morning Star, printed December 11, 2019:

"In response to letters from Robert T. Rock of Mission City and Terry Dyck of Vernon, I wold like to say that I agree that an increasing amount of global warming is anthropogenic and that we should be doing everything we can to slow this man-induced warming.  Also, I agree that there are significant economic opportunities developing in the field of alternative energy solutions.

"...that tax dollars are not employed efficiently

 -- a kind of social friction."

However, my experience through having worked for the government with road construction and maintenance crews in the field, and then on design in government engineering offices during my seven years attending university, is that tax dollars are not employed efficiently -- a kind of social friction.

"...a losing proposition

 in terms of stimulating an economy..."

To have government suck money out of the economy by way of carbon taxes, subsidization of alternate energy projects etc. is a losing proposition in terms of stimulating an economy in an effort to solve what I agree is a significant global warming problem.

 "...there are 7.7 billion people on our planet,

 growing at a rate of over 70 million per year,

 more than double Canada's population..."

What I find mind-boggling is the fact that there are 7.7 billion people on our planet, growing at a rate of over 70 million per year, more than double Canada's population, which is only about 0.45 per cent of total world population.

(Click graphic to enlarge:)

No one is suggesting how we either control population growth or prevent about six billion people with a current relatively low carbon footprint from significantly increasing their carbon footprint in an effort to achieve a standard of living close to that of the developed world.

It seems to me the greater problem is population growth.

It also seems to me that we should be doing everything we can to "economically" control our toxic degradation of our environment and, yes, reduce our carbon footprint.

However, our efforts are a drop in the bucket compared to the affect(sic) of warming generated by billions of others on planet earth.

 "...by planting new

 chlorophyll generating flora northward

 as our arctic regions warm."

Our efforts would be better employed by preparing Canada for the affects(sic) of climate change, by limiting our own population growth, by planting new chlorophyll generating flora northward as our arctic regions warm.

My experience with hydroponic greenhouse growing of vegetables is that increased CO2 concentrations (via burning natural gas without venting, inside) increases the rate of growth of the plants.

I'm certain that the same thing occurs in nature, that is, that the increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere increases the growth of the chlorophyll flora, thus increasing the conversion of CO2 to carbon fibre and O2 (oxygen).  Incidentally, CO2 is not toxic, we exhale it with every breath.

In its effort to plan and direct a more efficient economy, governments worldwide have taxed and borrowed to spend our countries into an unrepayable debt situation which is about to initiate a major economic correction, which in turn will negate our ability to deal with climate change, no matter how many carbon credits Al Gore sells -- an inconvenient truth."

Charles Wills, Vernon



There's no argument from Canadians that tax dollars aren't employed efficiently!

Disgusting Bureaucrats

Yes, they are disgusting.
Disgusting criminals, actually!

James and Lenz, and the entire story on misconduct, dubious and lucrative retirement and resignation benefits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have people totally disgusted with bureaucracy.  They inappropriately "removed liquor", "purchased a wood-splitter and trailer for personal use", and on and on it went.

As previously reported here and in the Vancouver Province, the scandalous actions of Messrs. James and Lenz--senior bureaucrats in the B.C. Legislature--are actually being pursued by House Speaker Darryl Plecas.  He's called a Crusading Speaker by Michael Smyth of the Province, and I agree wholeheartedly!

I think Daryl Plecas deserves a medal from the citizens of B.C. once this is all over.

In a Province story October 13, 2019, Michael Smyth reported that "Darryl Plecas became immediately suspicious of potential waste and corruption going on around him."  Story was entitled "Crusading Speaker says he's only just begun to clean up legislature".

"I'm just a guy trying to get things done, and it's difficult because people try to thwart us," said Plecas.

And it continues to sicken me.

Take the November 24, 2019 Province story "RCMP probe at B.C. legislature focuses on wood splitter purchase". 

The hair on my neck stood up, so I'll address what irked me:

"James...administrative misconduct, including improper acceptance of a $258,000 retirement benefit."  James knew he wasn't entitled to that money!  Isn't that fraud?  Yup, it is in my books.

Yet in a report by former Supreme Court of Canada chief justice Beverley McLachlin, she cleared Lenz of any wrongdoing!  Why????  He was in cahoots with James! 

Even the October report by Doug LePard, former police chief, investigating Lenz' conduct concluded Lenz had committed "egregious breach of public trust" by not being truthful to McLachlin when discussing an incident several years ago involving the removal of liquor from the legislature grounds.
Isn't lying--perjury--to the chief justice a crime?

According to an affidavit in support of the production order, RCMP Const. Rafida Yonadim, an investigator with the federal serious and organized crime division, wrote that police received a complaint from Speaker Plecas containing "numerous allegations of offences committed by employees of the legislature."

Yonadim wrote that there were reasonable grounds to believe James used his position as clerk of the house to "obtain a benefit from the purchase of a trailer and wood splitter paid for by public funds for a purpose other than the public good."

The stated purpose of buying the trailer and wood splitter, which ended up costing $13,000, was so it could be used in the event of a "catastrophic emergency (natural disaster) to remove damaged trees and hydro poles and to create campfires".   That's what James said!  Incredible, isn't it?

Yonadim wrote that the trailer purchase did not go through normal procurement policy procedure and that James' research into the equipment purchase was "outside the scope" of his normal duties, as was his request to pick up the equipment himself.

And it gets worse...
Several locations on the legislature grounds were suggested as places to park the trailer but James "insisted" it be located at his home, the investigator wrote.

Witnesses told police that James' reason for keeping it at his home was "due to no parking available at the legislature even though there actually was space."

The wood splitter was removed from James' home under police supervision.  Both showed signs of use, and "employees at the legislature confirmed these items were never used at the legislature for their intended purpose, as originally planned," Yonadim wrote.

Lying and disgusting bureaucrats.
Commiting fraud.

They need to see the inside of a jail cell...
otherwise they'll be convinced they're above the laws that apply to the rest of us.

Thank you, Darryl Plecas!
Throw the bums into jail.

65 Million Years of Climate Change

...and "humans" have been present on earth for anywhere between 200,000 and 300,000 years.
So is rapid warming (since the Industrial Revolution) a deception?  or coincidence?

You decide.

For example, global temperatures increased by five to eight degrees Celsius during a period known as
Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum  and it lasted for about 200,000 years.  Massive carbon release into the atmosphere lasted for up to 50,000 years.

Click on graphics to enlarge.

In the following graphic, "movement of carbon between land, atmosphere, and ocean in billions of tons per year.  Yellow numbers are natural fluxes, red are human contributions, white are stored carbon.  Note that volcanic and tectonic activity ARE NOT included.

And if you want to read about volcanism--and what its contribution to global warming likely contains--this North Atlantic Igneous Province is a great read.

Additional Source:
Humans on Earth, wikipedia