Category Archives: Hmmm

Hmmm, Municipal, Snafu

Shame, Shame, SHAME …

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… on that naughty Lynn Perrin. Imagine Ms Perrin daring to think that the purpose of the short 15 minute question period at the end of public council meetings was for … … asking council questions.

Why should council be accountable to citizens or have to answer the questions of citizens? What do people think Abbotsford is – a democracy?

Why should council be expected to explain:

·Why it is that while council always cries it has no money to do anything about housing for Abbotsford’s poorest citizens it has millions of dollars to purchase a professional hockey team/franchise for wealthy Abbotsford citizens.

·Why it is council pleads poverty when it comes to building affordable housing yet it can find $45 – $50 million to cover the cost overrun in building the arena.

·Why should citizens have any right to expect council to explain why the arena cost was almost (as far as citizens know) 100% over budget and why council felt free to spend double the amount council guaranteed citizens was the maximum cost and to hold council accountable for the doubling of the cost.

·Why would citizens expect the mayor or councilors not to vote on matters that directly affect the profits of companies or people who have contributed money to their election campaigns? The fact that these companies or people have made payments, make that contributions, and may possibly make future payments, I mean contributions, surely would not have any influence on how the mayor or councilors vote. You wouldn’t let the fact someone gave you money make a difference in how you voted on a matter of interest to them– would you? Although it does make one wonder whether any of the ownership group of the Abbotsford Heat made any political donations to members of Abbotsford council.

·Certainly citizens have no right to expect the mayor and council to respect the intent and spirit of legislation governing BC’s municipalities rather than finding ways to circumvent the legislation in order to obligate the taxpayers of Abbotsford for a $75 million dollar liability.

·Just because watering restrictions began April 1st and a total ban began July 1st, even though this was a wet cool spring, citizens certainly have no rights or reasons to question council about their actions, or lack thereof, in preparing to meet Abbotsford’s current and future water needs. I have no doubt that should there be a need for rationing water from the municipal system City Hall will find any monies necessary for bottled water for city hall.

·Why would citizens question how or why it is that in just two short years Abbotsford has gone from being debt free to BC’s most indebted municipality?

No, citizens should not be asking council questions they should be grateful to mayor and council. After all:

·The unfunded $75 million liability council committed taxpayers to covering is now down to only $67.5 million.

·The $7.5 million reduction in this unfunded liability only cost the taxpayers $2.6 million. Well $2.6 million in direct subsidy payments to the Heat ownership plus the additional $2.5 million cost of the operating loss absorbed by the city as the cost of operating the arena for the Heat to play in.

·Council will no doubt get on top of the water supply issue – hopefully before the taps run dry.

·Even if there are no restaurants or coffee shops or any other such amenities open latter in the evening people, couples looking for something to do in Abbotsford later in the evening can always go to ARC and workout in the gym until midnight.

·Look at all the money saved by council not doing proper maintenance at Matsqui pool and then using the condition of the pool to close it.

How dare Ms Perrin force council to cancel the public’s opportunity to ask council questions by asking them questions.

Of course Mayor Peary is quite correct – council bears no responsibility for cancelling the question period simply because they cancelled the question period to avoid taxpayer/voter questions.

Ms Perrin should have known that the purpose of the question period was not the questioning of the mayor or council but to provide an opportunity for people to praise councils decisions and behaviours.

Of course that would be a lot easier if the decisions and behaviour of the mayor, council. councilors and city management were not of such a questionable nature and they had accomplished anything praiseworthy.

Hmmm

Season’s Greetings**

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Season's Greetings

**This statement of good wishes (”Greeting”) from me (”Sender”) is intended to be generic in nature. “Holiday” is intentionally left an undefined term. This holiday may include, but not be limited to, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, Saturnalia, or even Elvis’ Birthday (”Elvis” is a registered trademark of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Memphis, TN). Further, the recipient of this greeting (”Receiver”), may insert his or her own holiday into this Greeting, either explicitly or implicitly, or no holiday at all, if he or she chooses. If Receiver celebrates no holidays during the intended period of Greeting, assumed to be roughly mid-December, 2007 through the first week in January, 2008 (”Greeting Period”), he or she may consider Greeting to be merely general, and a simple wish of good feelings and joy, suitable for any time of year, or no time at all.

Greeting should in no way be construed to guarantee or warrant happiness or other good feelings during Greeting Period, or warrant or guarantee an acceptable holiday. By accepting Greeting, Receiver expressly agrees that he or she assumes the risk for his or her own holiday. Receiver will hold Sender harmless should Receiver’s expectations for Greeting Period and wishes contained herein not coincide.

Greeting is at all times subject to withdrawal by Sender, and it may be cancelled or modified at any time, without notice to Receiver. In the event of cancellation, Receiver shall receive no credit or proration for any time left in Greeting Period.

Greeting is not intended to be transferable, and has no cash value. Under no circumstances may Receiver in any way alter Greeting, or publish Greeting directly or indirectly without express written permission of Sender. Permission may be withheld for any reason within the sole discretion of Sender, with no rule of reasonableness.

Should Receiver not accept the terms of Greeting listed above, no rights or benefits related to Greeting will accrue.

Should a dispute arise from Greeting, Receiver agrees that jurisdiction and venue will be in the courts of the BRECKENRIDGE ZONE Sender and Receiver agree that personal jurisdiction will lie in those courts, regardless of the location of either party. Greeting will be construed under the laws of the BRECKENRIDGE ZONE without regard to Choice of Law or Renvoy.

Consider, Hmmm

Faith must be Lived, Practiced.

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The heading of a Faith Matters column, “Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?” had me wondering why Christian religions seem so focused on death and about the implications contained within statements such as “Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?”?

“Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?” carries within it the threat ‘the unprepared are going to suffer eternal agony’ which has always struck me as extortion. If you don’t worship ME (God), you are going to suffer for eternity. Suggesting that God is someone you do not want to encounter in a dark alley.

Although this ‘or else’ extortion approach tends to explain why Christian religions are so heavily populated by people who show up at church on Sunday and say all the right words (paying off the worship debt owed to avoid the “or else”) but fail to practice spiritual values in their daily lives.

I was raised in this death focused, ‘or else’ religious mentality and never was comfortable with spirituality. As a result spirituality was not something that existed in or impacted my day to day life.

It was not until my path led through mental illness, homelessness and poverty into recovery and wellness that I became comfortable in my own skin. As this journey of self-discovery and self-growth progressed, I began a journey of spiritual discovery and growth as well.

In sharp contrast to my previous experiences with religion and the concept of spirituality, this journey had nothing to do with death or ‘or else suffer agonizing consequences’.

In the same way my internal journey was about LIFE and the joy of a life lived well, this new spiritual journey was about the joy of weaving spirituality into the way I live, celebrate, LIFE. It was and is about establishing a personal spiritual relationship with my higher power, God as I understand her/it/him/unknowable, a relationship that is an integral part of the way one lives one’s life.

It is not a relationship to be trotted out when convenient or as needed. Indeed, it is a relationship that is often inconvenient and uncomfortable as one struggles with spirituality and the effect spiritual values have on how you live your life.

It is not a relationship that has anything to do with extorting worship, ‘or else’ or fear of death.

It is a relationship focused on LIFE and how you live it; focused on living life well and in harmony with one’s spiritual values each and every day.

One’s spirituality and relationship with your higher power becomes an intrinsic element of your life; fundamental to the way you live your life, every minute of your life.

It is not something one trots out for a few hours on a Sunday then puts away and ignores until it is once again Sunday. It is not a religious spirit one dons for a few hours on a Sunday then puts away so that the rest of the week you behaviour can be self-centered, all about yourself without regard to others, the world itself or spiritual values.

In this way it is not faith that matters; rather it is the spirituality, the relationship with your higher power that faith gives birth to in our lives that matters. All the faith in the world does you no good if it does not lead to a deepening personal spirituality and personal relationship with your higher power.

And no, I am not ready for the backhoe’s arrival. I have to much to accomplish, to many people needing help, to much life to live, a spiritual journey to continue and a personal, conscious relationship to explore with my higher power,

As a result of my ongoing journey I have no fear death, pursuing as I am a deep spiritual and personal relationship with my higher power.