15% slayed the dragon

Photo: David W. Kuhn

My response to West Kelowna Referendum by Peter and Deirdre Wannop and their letter to the editor titled "West Kelowna can't afford to cave-in to AAP".

I canvassed for signatures for those opposed to the AAP.  I spent approximately 60 hours collecting signatures.  I bet I have talked to a thousand people maybe more.  Likely more than the Mayor and Councillors each have.  People signing were of all ages!  And, yes there were people happy about the process, happy about a new City Hall in the old downtown of Westbank, some were happy with "Dougie" (their words, not mine) and council members who approved this process.  Most were not. Many, many comments about this process, the Mayor, and council members who supported AAP cannot be printed here.  Initially this surprised me, but in my opinion from the majority of people I talked to, "If Mayor and Council continue down this path, they may all be committing political suicide." 

Don't be surprised if there is a huge turnout at the polls next election, and many new faces on Council.

If our group would have been allowed to canvass for "Opposed to AAP" signatures names in the high profile locations where we were initially allowed, we may have been able to double the signatures collected, possibly more than that. Although I am not positive who would have had anything to gain by preventing this, I do have ideas. 

The Mayor and Council’s worst mistake may be in underestimating the electorates’ feelings. They are doing their thing, “the Mayor is fulfilling his vision”, with Council's support.  They are forgetting who elected them and why! 

Their job is to represent the "majority of taxpayers”.  At least I thought that is the way it was supposed to work.  Maybe Not!

David W. Kuhn