End 'horse and pony show'

I have never written a letter to Castanet, or any editorial outlet for that matter.

I have never been too excited about who Kelowna’s mayor or city councillors are because, basically, aren’t all politicians the same? They make huge promises, tickle our ears and once elected focus whole-heatedly on their own interests and agendas.

Well, I have had enough of this current horse and pony show. I am a proud Kelownian who was born and raised here.

Enough is enough. I find it to be mind-blowing that our current mayor and half the city councillors would have the audacity to run for re-election. They should be embarrassed at the job they have been doing.

Their lack of insight into their ability to run Kelowna is astonishing. What have they done for Kelowna? They are being controlled by contractors who do not care about the city (and are only interested in) their own bank accounts.

With the high-price driven housing market, high population density, (that this council is pushing for in the downtown core) and the low-paying jobs, there is are a huge correlation to the large concentrations of homeless people.

Under their leadership—or should I say lack of leadership—Kelowna is now No. 1 in crime, has rapidly growing homelessness, has police with their hands tied and a hospital that is busting at the seams (and this was happening way before COVID).

A good mayor is transparent and accountable, follows through with what (he or she) promises, communicates well and listens to the residents and their vision for the city. Unfortunately, our current mayor lacks these attributes.

But now, our mayor and some city councillors are once again making promises for a utopia. But whose utopia? Certainly not mine, or the many many residents of Kelowna.

My question to all of them is this: “Did you wake up from your state of oblivion, get some huge epiphany after an already failed eight years of service and now you actually have the plan and the vision of how to be an effective servant to the residents of Kelowna?”

Can anyone really afford another four years of the same old way of thinking and back door deals that do not benefit the general population, only a few of the elite?

Fat chance. Fool me once, shame on you. ool me twice, shame on me.

So the only thing left to say is best quoted from NSYNC song Bye Bye Bye.

To Mayor Colin Basran and his “posse”:

“I just want to tell you, that I’ve had enough.

Life would be much better once you’re gone.

I want to see you out that door,

So…bye bye bye, bye bye.”

J Schmidt, Kelowna