This is what is wrong in the Okanagan BC

If you want real democracy, don't expect it to be given to you, as you will need to fight to get it, just like your forefathers did to get you where you are today.

We feel there are way too many things wrong in the Okanagan around Okanagan Lake BC and many other places in B.C.. How did things progress this way, is beyond reason!

You can have your dog put out of its misery, but not yourself! How cruel is that? 1981 Richard Dryfus movie was an excellent movie - Who's life is it anyway? - about a sculpture who becomes a quadriplegic in a car accident and then decides to die rather than live life in that condition.

They'll challenge the system that permitted Dr. Austin to operate on unsuspecting women like Mavis Hudson, Joan Jaikaran, Joan Lang and Jennifer Duncan -- behind a surgical mask of secrecy.

Government taking your money and using it all the while, and then giving it back to you without any interest. (GST rebate, Carbon Tax credit, etc.). At least one person didn't get their carbon tax credit until Sept 2008, and without any interest.

Why do bars have parking lots instead of drop off spots, if drinking and driving is illegal?

Single welfare recipients are not given an extra portion of money to help fund their favoured political party. Single with no child recipients are given approx. $500 maximum per month to live on and that is it until next month. The $500 has to cover rent, food, clothing, transportation, dental, prescriptions, dentures, etc. The more money the political party receives, the more advertising and the more apt the party is to be elected.

1 or 2 bag a week garbage bag limitation per property is unfair as some properties have only one person living there, and some properties have 5 and more persons living on the property.

Is it fair that you pay for the North Westside Road (Sugar Loaf) transfer station you can't use?? You may have lumber, an appliance, hazardous waste, or something that needs to be taken elsewhere so you may as well take all your garbage to the landfill in town. Or you have a business where you collect garbage from the rental homes that you clean for the owners on Saturdays, and just as you finish up your day cleaning and its time to take the garbage to the dump, you find you have to take all that garbage home with you and store it until the transfer station opens the next day, plus you have to collect the little business size (N.O.W.E.S.I.) card from each rental property to show to the transfer station attendant and then return the card to the owner so when he comes out for his vacation, he has use of the transfer station.

Its getting too close to being the 100th Canadian Soldier to die in Afghanistan.

Whoever decided to remove all the boat docks from Okanagan Lake are out of their mind. How about we remove the politicians from government and replace these decision makers with people who own boats instead.

Smaller properties not permitted to burn yard waste... what a crock! If you have some place to burn and your not bugging your neighbours what is the problem? Pick a day to burn when your neighbours are not home, if you think it might bother them.

Marijuana does much less harm than alcohol, but yet marijuana is illegal. If anything should be illegal it should be alcohol more so than marijuana! Have you ever heard of a marijuana smoker driving and then getting into an accident and killing someone?

There were 5,761 deaths that were attributed to smoking. Of the total, 3,457 or 60 per cent were male.

There were 279 deaths in the province from drug-induced causes.

There were 5,514 deaths that were attributed to smoking.

There were 303 deaths in the province from drug-induced causes.

Should quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, and if you can't completely quit cigarettes, then try smoking pot instead! Grow your own pot and then you know that some company out to make money didn't add harmful substances to induce addiction. You can apply at Health Canada to grow your own marijuana for medical reasons. You could try applying with your reason being addicted to smoking cigarettes and you wish to decrease your chances of death by smoking marijuana rather than cigarettes. Isn't that a life or death situation?

Rights complaint
Vernon Morning Star - Letters - Wed, August 27, 2008 - page A10

I was disturbed when reading your article about Dean Skoreyko filing a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal against Showcase television and Kenneth Hotz for flying he banner in Toronto, "Jesus sucks."
The Human Rights Commission was set up by the UN to fight for rights of human citizens for a number of violations, including the right to freedom of opposition against religion and politics; without punishment.
There are many countries in the world which persecute people for opposing views on religion and politics, by imprisonment or even death.
The very commission that was set up to fight for the people against oppression is being used by Mr. Skoreyko to oppose people's rights to freedom of expression.
The Human Rights Commission is not a body to suppress people's freedom of expression, but to fight for the opposite. Is this not what we would call an oxymoron?
Mr. Skoreyko has filed a defamation suit claiming that Kenneth Hotz has defamed the Christian Religion. Please tell me how you defame a belief system, not a person? A belief system is just that, a belief, it is not about truth or untruth, with is what defamation, is about.
If Mr. Skoreyko is willing to live in a society of oppression, I and many others will gladly tell him where he can go, however, I believe that the majority of people are grateful that we live in a society that not only allows, but encourages difference of opinions.
We cannot have this freedom if we decide we only want to hear what is acceptable to us and not offensive. By using tax payers dollars to file a complaint (which the defendants are required to use their own funds to fight) of this nature, it not only makes a mockery of the system but puts us all in danger of losing the very rights we are fighting for. I for one, am grateful that I have the right to express my opposing view as well as my right not to vote for someone who wants to be on our city council.
I wonder if this is a cry for attention! I say to you, Mr. Skoreyko, be careful for what you wish for.

Bev Henderson

To Visa "Credit Limit" does not necessarily mean you are only allowed to charge so much money to your visa for instance. "Credit limit" means Visa can charge you a $20.00 fee on your visa if you go over your credit limit.... you are not necessarily limited to only so much credit!

I live on the Westside and am not connected to the sewer, why is there a charge for sewer on my property tax notice?
The capital costs of the Westside Regional Sewage Treatment Plant and major trunk lines are financed over a twenty-year period. The repayment costs for the debt are charged to the properties within the service area that will benefit from the installation of these capital works. For more information, go to the Engineering Department section of our website.

Drugs are able to be patented and there is no competition, increasing costs to consumers.

Do you feel there should be pay parking at hospitals and other taxpayer funded institutions?

How do you like going out for dinner, ordering a Pepsi, and told they only carry Coke? What is the reason? Did Coke pay this business to only carry Coke and not Pepsi, or is it because people like the sweeter taste of coke, or what? We couldn't get a Pepsi at Joey's Only Seafood in Vernon B.C. when we ordered Feb. 2008. Have you ever heard of a place carrying Pepsi instead of Coke?

Banned TV spot for Pepsi. In this video, this little kid wants so badly to drink a Pepsi that he is capable of spending a bit more to get one.

Shame
June 17, 2008 - Vernon Morning Star - Letters

In the news recently is a report that our federal government is 'sitting' on an independent scientific study regarding the health and safety issues in respect to the use and continuing Canadian export of asbestos to developing countries.

Further, that our federal government continues to lobby and thwart international attempts to ban this carcinogenic substance.

All for political gain in Quebec, where asbestos continues to be mined and exported to those countries that do not have the environmental and health safeguards that the developed world — including Canada — does, that prevents the use of this substance because of its health and safety risks.

Talk about hypocrisy!

Shame, shame, on our federal government, including our member of parliament, Colin Mayes.

Just another example that politics and political opportunism and the morality - or lack of - that this represents, trumps science and peoples health and safety.

Shame on them!
Bob Hagman

A waste of money
July 31, 2008 - Vernon Morning Star - Letters

Let's have a look at how our premier and his government are using our hard earned tax dollars wisely.

The new bridge at Golden is indeed a wonderful example of architecture and without a doubt was sadly needed. But we had to pay for the premier's entourage to fly in by helicopter, drive over the bridge and then have a lavish picnic and party on the lookout, all at our expense.

This could have all been prevented by having the mayor of Golden and his wife do the opening and buy them a nice supper at a tiny fraction of the price.

Next, the premier was off to Prince George to open the new wing of the hospital.

It would have been a lot cheaper to have the mayor of Prince George officiate, and once again, we could pay for dinner for him and his wife.

I don't know the mayors of Golden or Prince George, and I apologize if they are members of the female persuasion.

Now let's toddle off to Kelowna where the premier and his entourage opened the bridge. I believe Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon stated, and I hope I have the words right, "if that bridge isn't open by May 25, I will jump off it." When it was obvious the bridge wouldn't be open by May 25, the government told the construction outfit that they would pay double time, on top of the bid price to build the bridge, to have it open on time. As of May 31, it was only partially opened southbound.

I shudder to think what it cost for the premier and his minions to come to Kelowna to open a bridge that wasn't ready to be open. The mayors of Westbank and Kelowna could have met in the middle of the bridge, shook hands and they likely wouldn't have charged anything. To hear the premier boast about what a good job his government did in building this bridge rubs me the wrong way. He had nothing to do with it as we, the residents are paying for it.

As for the naming of the bridge, we should have had a say in that. To name it after a former premier who collected a very good wage for doing what he was hired is totally ridiculous. There is already a monument constructed to Bill Bennett. Every time we travel the Coquihalla we are reminded of it when we pay a toll. Name the toll booth after him and name the bridge after a real hero like Rick Hansen.

Dave Jones

As well, B.C. is the first province in Canada to ban, starting this month, the sale of junk food in our elementary schools. The ban includes foods sold in cafeterias, vending machines, and in-school fundraising sales. It will come into effect for all schools in B.C. by September 2008. Why are they just picking on the children, because they can? How about the adults then too? Ban junk food for adults ... what is the difference in how old you are??

How about we charge politicians so much money every time they don't listen to its people or lie to get elected??

How do rural residents feel about the new carbon tax on fuel ... do you think city people are going to pay as much tax as the rural people are?

Do you think that the government will profit with the increase in cost that delivery services and other cost of goods will have to charge to be able to stay in business? Just think of all the extra G.S.T that the government gave back and that the government will now collect!

Do you think the government charges the carbon tax to replace the recent decreases in GST. Government isn't very creative with their bookwork are they?

There is something desperately wrong these days that this crap is permitted!! When will people wake up and speak out!! When all your rights are gone and you have no money left?

Does the government now feel that just looking at tobacco products can be harmful to your health?

Do the way some dates are written bug you? For instance for March 2, 2008 it is sometimes written as 02/03/08 for the month of March. We think it should be written 03/02/08 and it should almost be illegal to write it the other way. One way or another but not both! For a bookkeeper this is confusing.

How about date codes on food canning tins and other food containers. The manufacturer makes up some illegible date code that consumers can't understand. For instance the manufacturer doesn't stamp 03/02/08 or Mar 02, 2008 for instance, but instead stamps it A123B456C789 or some other type of illegible coding.

"Product of Canada" doesn't actually mean the food is from around here. All it means, legally speaking, is that at least 51% percent of its production costs were spent in Canada. As Wendy Mesley's report reveals, sometimes "Product of Canada" has been to three continents before it lands here. Source http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/product_of_canada_eh/

If a raw salmon were imported from the U.S. and canned in a federally registered facility in Canada, the canned salmon would be "Product of Canada." Source http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2007/10/24/fish/

China's farmed fish given meal tainted with melamine. Many dogs and cats died because of melamine poisoning awhile back. We were sent a forwarded email warning us that Highliner fish at Wallmart is from China.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a 100 percent hold-and-test on farmed fish from China, and its tests check for gentian violet. (The Canadian agency does not currently perform this test). Source http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2007/10/24/fish/

Check out your Terasen Gas Bill. Should the Feds be allowed to charge GST on the recently introduced B.C. CARBON TAX. A tax on a tax ?

How about that we are forced to pay for water meters but we don't have money needed for health care. Snippets from article we found in the Vernon Morning Star March 2, 2008:
- Sherwin had been asking IHA to consider subsidizing a clinic in Armstrong that would include four doctors.....
- The doctors were also informed that they bear some responsibility for attracting new doctors......
- Sherwin, for his part, said he was disappointed by the meeting and the fact no money could be found from either the city or IHA to help fund a clinic.
- A subsidized practice was not the only option discussed. The four-hour meeting also included talks on the possibility of a local charitable foundation that would help fund local physicians, and Sherwin will meet with community members this week.

The Regional District operates eight water utilities and intends to implement a universal water metering program which is consistent with an initiative by the Westside Joint Water Committee. The cost of the program is estimated to be $920,000. $30,000 in funding assistance is being requested from the OBWB.
CARRIED

In the Regional District of Central Okanagan the cost of a dog license is $16 for a dog that has been spayed or neutered, $50 if it has not. Why the difference in price for a neutered or unneutered dog ($34.00 )? A dog on the loose is a dog on the loose .... female, male, fixed, or not fixed. We feel this is just another way to be raped of your money! Does it take more effort or expense to capture an unfixed or unneutered dog or something? We feel this is just another way for the Regional District of Central Okanagan take your money because you have no say! If you own three dogs you will need a kennel license.

And owners of more than two dogs are reminded they are required to have a kennel license ($125) which is subject to approval from the Regional District.
Source CKOV63 January 26, 2007
http://www.ckov63.com/news.php?extend.4484

Jan 15, 2007
Regional District of Central Okanagan Bylaw No. 1191
Being a bylaw to authorize the borrowing of money in anticipation of revenue for the current year.
Whereas the Regional District of Central Okanagan does not have sufficient money on hand to meet the current lawful expenditures of the Regional District prior to receipt of tax requisition monies;
And whereas it is provided in Section 829 of the Local Government Act that the Board may, without the consent of the Electors or the approval of the Minister of Municipalities, provide for the borrowing of such sums of money as may be required to meet the current lawful expenditures of the Regional District;
And Whereas the total amount of the liabilities the Regional District may incur is $25,070,302 being the money due from tax requisitions from member municipalities and the Province of British Columbia;
Now Therefore the Regional Board of the Regional District of Central Okanagan in open meeting assembled enacts as follows:
1. The Regional District of Central Okanagan shall be and is hereby empowered and authorized to borrow upon the credit of the Regional District an amount or amounts not exceeding the sum $25,070,302.
2. The form of obligation to be given as acknowledgement of the liability shall be by way of bank overdraft or Promissory Notes signed by the Chair and Treasurer.
3. This Bylaw may be cited as the "Regional District of Central Okanagan Temporary Borrowing Bylaw No. 1191, 2007"

If the government breaks its promises, which it most always does, we cannot get rid of it, until the next election.

The GST on groceries is another example of just plain wrong. What is the difference if you eat at home or on the road ... you need to eat to survive!! GST on Sandwiches ... come on!! Not everyone eats out for enjoyment, but rather some eat out because of necessity because they are hungry especially if you are a rural resident and you spend the day in town shopping and running errands or you are a truck driver or or or or or!!

Rule wrong
Vernon Morning Star Letters - April 4, 2008

My wife just stopped for gas at the station we've dealt with for years and now have to pay in advance.

Does that not make us all look like potential crooks? I pumped gas for years in Alberta and B.C. and never once had anyone take off without paying for their gas. How can we fill our vehicle up by paying in advance when we have no idea how many litres it's going to take?

I personally would not subject my customers to such a policy if I had a gas station.

The gas attendants that I talked to do not like the policy either but they are forced to employ it. Is this not bordering on communism?

Our local Shell gave me a couple of phone numbers to voice my concern and one I called said they've had lots of calls about it from concerned consumers such as myself.

I did e-mail our local MLA but haven't heard back from him yet. I think we should not submit to such a ridiculous policy.

Come on B.C. lets reject this, call or e-mail Tom Christensen and voice your concern.

Ed Watson

We have a minimum wage but no maximum wage.

Chris Klim - Shot dead by police in Vernon, B.C.. When he refused to drop the knife, police used a taser to try to subdue him. But when that didn't work, and Klim continued to wield the knife, he was shot twice, Harrison said.

Ian Bush - Shot dead in the back of the head by police in Houston B.C.. The bullet tumbled through his brain, lodging inside above Bush's eyebrows. Koester claimed that he was being choked from behind to unconsciousness and acted in self defence. Koester was cleared of any wrong doing. Sometime last year, the Member of Parliament for Ian Bush's riding, Nathan Cullen, told the media he feared for retaliation from the RCMP for remarks he made about Ian Bush's killing by a rookie RCMP officer.

Robert Dziekański - Died from being tasered by RCMP at Vancouver Airport. The RCMP did not try to revive him with CPR after tasering him.

Kevin St. Arnaud - 22 year old very drunk unarmed man shot in Vanderhoof BC by RCMP. A burglary suspect shot and killed by the RCMP in northern B.C. in 2004 was "100 per cent hammered" at the time of his death, his former common-law spouse told a coroner's jury on Tuesday. The RCMP has said the constable felt threatened, and, when the suspect stopped and turned on him, he shot him. The officer had been with the RCMP for two years at the time, and remains on active duty.

If the Ian Bush case didn't convince people that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shouldn't be investigating itself, then the Kevin St. Arnaud case certainly should.

On BCTV News June 5, 2008 there was this story. Ian Bush's mom had to ask the questions in court that her lawyer would be asking of why the Houston BC RCMP shot her son in the back of the head inside the Houston RCMP station. Anyone can become a statistic and you are left with no defence because your dead. Your family is broke and aging and can't afford a long distance trip to help fight your case. There use to be funding for family members to get legal aid, but this has since deceased and your family may not be able to afford a lawyer or a long distance trip out of their own pocket. Ian Bush's mom afforded the trip to make it to court and had to represent her son herself! How sad is that???

Scandals surrounding the RCMP from way back when
While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has a history dating back to 1873, it has been involved in a number of high-profile scandals particularly in the 1970s.

Is it fair that building bylaws insist your house and lot under construction is built immediately? How do you feel about banks making record profits off your unfortunate circumstances? What is wrong is that too many neighbours have their noses in other neighbours business which should not be permitted. So your neighbours property isn't as pretty as yours ... and the grass is longer, that is their business! Just as your business may be to keep your lawn overwatered and trimmed! Who is right here? If your neighbour is not hurting anyone then leave them alone! That is what is wrong at Upper Fintry at the Muir subdivision OkanaganLakeBC.com feels.

Do you feel building inspectors should have proper qualifications?
As of May 30, 2008 anyone can get a building inspectors certificate for about $300.00 off the internet. How did all those leaky condo's in Vancouver come about?? Wasn't that the government's doing??

We don't like pink flamingo's and other fake lawn ornaments on peoples lawns, so should we ban the fake lawn ornaments?

Do you feel the government is going too far?? Are we becoming a police state? What do you think will come next? Who thinks up these regulations? Do you feel its like we are being ruled by controlling parents? Do you feel you want to grow up sometime?? Do you feel maybe now is a good time? If not why not ... fill out the form at the bottom of this page and tell us.

As a matter of fact we can't think of much that is right in this world!! Can you?? We can't stand it anymore ... we don't want to care less if nobody else does. Maybe we should start doing crack and drinking like many others, and maybe we can forget about everything that way?

Do you know what these letters (FTW) mean? Well if you don't its time you learned. We have seen these characters tattooed on people's arms, and on the net, and other places!! This is the worlds biggest problem, having everyone get along! One may smoke but the other may eat too much or vise versa. So who is right? Can't we all just leave each other alone?? Close your ears, eyes and mouth about your neighbours!! Why do smokers pay more tax on cigarettes when others overeat and don't pay extra tax. Nobody is perfect. Your not perfect and neither is your neighbour! Is it fair that smokers help pay for fatty's healthcare? If you think you are perfect, then there is something wrong with you! Let people be! The party up the street after 11 PM is loud, but then again so is your lawnmower early on Sat and Sun mornings before it gets hot, or your dog barking. Its not fair that a party can't keep you up, but yet your lawn mower is allowed to wake someone up from a deep well needed weekend sleep!

Some people may have a finer line than others! Its all in the true to life living! Maybe some of the people that stayed out of jail are stronger, richer, more family, more support ... did you ever think of that?

OkanaganLakeBC.com can see so many things that hurt. People speeding and not understanding that a deer may be around the corner, banks forced on people that just need a place to live its not their vacation rental property, garbage 12 km's up the road that is never open and everyone polluting the air, etc.. The list doesn't stop!

This webpage will hopefully bring some understanding as well as some compassion. Not everyone is rich you know! You know the old saying ... live pay cheque to pay cheque.... well some people can't even afford to live pay cheque to pay cheque anymore!

Do we really need government or more understanding. Why is government making so many mistakes? Why do we not like government and the banks. Is it something we may be doing??

What did you just learn from this webpage?? We hope you got something from this webpage!!

If you did not learn or get anything yet, please try reading this webpage from the start again and see if you get it yet? If not use the feedback form and let us know what you don't understand. We will try and explain it to you.

If you still don't understand, you better crawl back into your mothers womb and hope for different sperm! Sorry!!

ISN'T IT TIME WE GOT RID OF THAT WORD ~~GOVERNMENT~~ AND CHANGED THE WORD ~~GOVERNMENT~~ TO ANY OTHER WORD, FOR INSTANCE CITIZENMENT, HELPMENT, NON-RULEMENT, DEMOCRACYMENT, OR EVEN CONTENTMENT!!

Never doubt the ability of a small group of concerned citizens to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.

If you have comments, ideas, solutions, concerns or complaints please inform your local, B.C., or Canada government, plus please make a comment by filling out the form below.

Fill out the form below, and tell us what you feel may not be quite right in your eyes.... or even what you feel is right!

LOCAL, B.C., and CANADA

THIS IS WHAT WE FEEL IS WRONG IN THE OKANAGAN AND OTHER PARTS OF BC