O’Reilly’s mayorship may mean more “pies in the sky”

Dear Editor,

Now that Mike O’Reilly has announced his candidature for the post of Mayor of Kamloops in next year’s election, he has made it a bit easier for me to decide who NOT to vote for.

Mike has been extravagant with his Build campaigns, promising the sky for the ultra-rich and the indulgent at the cost of little relief for the seniors and those on fixed incomes. If his “pies in the sky” projects have to be financed by the rather impoverished section of Kamloops residents, at least in part, many of them have to give up living in their family homes and relocate to dastardly dingy accommodations in questionable areas of the city.

Having lived in Kamloops as a senior for a good number of years, I have not heard Mike at any time plead in the Council for lessening, or at least maintaining status quo, as regards property or utility taxes  at any time. Were he to become our Mayor, I fear to what heights he will climb regarding the taxing issues by bringing in more of his grandiose ideas to a mostly blue-collar city.

I also think that our present Mayor has been unduly maligned and persecuted by the Council over a long time. Mayor Hammer-Jackson might have ruffled feathers by some of his procedural improprieties, but he has always exuded the best interests of Kamloops and Kamloopsians. If he were to run again next year, he will surely have my support.

— Ryan Mitra
Kamloops

Governments need to take the lead on housing crisis

Dear Editor:

I’ve seen how the housing crisis has deeply affected our community. More and more people are being pushed into homelessness, and it feels like everyone is falling behind. We have to turn things around, and we have an opportunity in front of us with the upcoming federal budget on Nov. 4. 

The only way to unlock Canada’s full economic potential is if our governments take leadership to end homelessness and solve the housing crisis once and for all. Recently the federal government announced Build Canada Homes, including a $1 billion investment in supportive and transitional housing. This is an important first step, but the scale of our housing and homelessness crisis demands a more robust response. We need a system that works for everyone, especially in the wake of Trump’s trade war and the uncertainty that so many are facing.  

Bold action and even bolder commitments and investments can shape a future where everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home. I know that’s possible, but people in our community have to come together and show our federal representatives that this Budget is our chance to create lasting change and put an end to the housing and homelessness crisis. 

— Yvonne Hackworth
Kamloops

Proportional voting system would be better representation

Dear Editor: 

Today we are stuck with a political system that is denying all Canadians the tools desperately needed to stop a political monster that is strangling our socio-economic and financial foundations.

 We need a Proportional system of government that opens the doors for everybody to participate in open democratic forums that consistently produce rational well thought out consensus-based decisions.

 I sent the following letter to all our BC MLAs:

 Our two-party colonial political system is tearing our country apart.

 The reason is very simple, over the years immigration has changed the social, political, and economic make-up of Canada radically.

 Insisting two political parties can represent such an incredible mix of people is completely unrealistic.

 To resolve this, we desperately need a political system that will embrace and represent all those different political identities and ambitions, and a multi-Member Proportional ballot that separates the party vote from the candidate vote will do just that.

 Our First Past the Post (FPTP) two-party system consistently awards the winning party the majority of the seats representing only 40% of the voters.

 A Proportional ballot will award each party the correct number of seats, determined by the popular vote. 

During the last federal election about 49 percent of the voters voted against a party or candidate. 

Using a Proportional ballot 100 percent of the vote is for a party and candidate of the voters choice. 

 Using a truly Proportional ballot. more people participate and more parties would produce very different results.

 First Past the Post divided us, a Proportional ballot will unite our complex, diverse, and multi-cultural society, while representing everybody.

 Looking at the disaster that is playing out in BC today, it is obvious we need that ballot now, and we can have that.

Introduce the motion that we adopt and implement that ballot in time for the next election.

—  Andy Thomsen
Kelowna