Is the movement in opposition to Smart Meters based on rationality or is it based on voter ignorance and hysteria? And could this movement consequently further encourage what I call “democratic failure,” insofar as it might induce the government to make a decision that harms society, ignoring science and the government’s obligation to further the public interest? I am reminded of the way in which the government of British Columbia yielded to a similarly irrational protest against the merging of the BC Provincial Sales Tax (PST) with the Federal Value Added tax (GST). Efficiencies in allocation of public resources were thus compromised in that situation as well, for no rational public purpose. The consolidation, in that case, would have saved

OBCDC Brochure – reliable or regretful promotion of Osoyoos? September 19, 2000 – To the Editor, The Times OBCDC Brochure – reliable or regretful promotion of Osoyoos? Councilor David West of Osoyoos has been publicly rebuked by some of his Town Council and by the Board of the Osoyoos Business and Community Development Center (OBCDC) for his criticism of a recently published brochure. The OBCDC, funded by grants from Forest Renewal BC, Human Resource Development Canada and Industry Canada, has produced a Brochure with the purpose of promoting Osoyoos and local investment. Councilor West’s concern is that the Brochure may not meet ethical or legal standards for promotion and advertising and therefore has the potential to be negative publicity for

Mr. Derek Noske, the Vice Chair of Destination Osoyoos Corporation, The letter of January 7, 2009, from Mr. Derek Noske, the Vice Chair of Destination Osoyoos Corporation, the Town of Osoyoos Economic development contractor, continues to bolster the positives and cloud the issues that really matter to society. What really matters to society is whether the Town’s economic development model meets the standard society should expect as it faces the challenges of the future. I do completely agree with the main premise in Mr. Noske’s letter. It is of course the Town Council that carries the accountability for the economic development model and contract with Destination Osoyoos. The reason I wrote that Mr. Eastbury’s and society’s focus should not be

Destination Osoyoos Chairman’s rebuke of the gentleman’s critique of Destination Osoyoos pamphlet “Report to the Community”, clouds the issues that really matter to society. Referring to Destination Osoyoos Chairman’s response December 17, 2008 to the gentleman’s letter in Osoyoos Times December 10, 2008, the gentleman’s letter offers valid points that don’t deserve to be dismissed — but society’s focus should not be Destination Osoyoos. Destination Osoyoos is doing what the private sector is supposed to do in pursuit of revenue and profit. They market their service to potential customers in the marketplace. Destination Osoyoos’ customer is the Town Council and government, and Town Council and government’s decision to fund Destination Osoyoos is a political decision. Hence, society’s concern should not

Stuck in the traffic jam in Kelowna, this is in reflection to your editorial of June 30, 06, about leadership foresight, or rather the lack of, in government. Well taken is the example you refer to – the recent Kelowna Mission pool case, the decades old bridge issue and Central Okanagan Bypass plan and healthcare – managed to fail? Unfortunately, these are only a few examples of government’s failure to provide foresight; i.e. timely analysis, planning and intervention. The forestry, fishery, and First Nations are other examples where decades of interconnected, social, economic and ecological issues, unsolved, are allowed to escalate into adversity causing irreparable harm to society. It is about the Government’s accountability to society, that which is not

Recently, the Mayor of Summerland dismissed members of the community questioning the state of affairs in the Municipality, as a small group of malcontents. One must assume the Mayor’s assertion was a brief slip-up and does not indicate disregard of the very fundamental in our parliamentary democracy. When elected to office politician from municipality to provincial and federal level, is accountable to on and all in the community, and nobody is malcontents. Unfortunately, sometime politicians ignore of forget this basic standards, or may simply lack the wisdom and courage to invite to debate. The underlying problems in Summerland as in so many other municipalities are the lack an Overall Community Planning that is based on prudent socioeconomic and ecological scientific