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ARMCHAIR MAYOR by Mel Rothenburger

TWO & OUT by James Peters

ONE MAN’S OPINION by Doug Collins

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SOUND OFF: NDP carbon tax hke adding to British Columbians' financial burdens
WITH DAVID EBY STILL PLANNING to increase B.C.'s carbon tax on April 1, our BC United Caucus continues to call on the NDP to halt the hike. British Columbians are facing an affordability crisis with the cost of living higher than ever, folks simply can't afford another government tax grab that only adds to the financia...
2h ago
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Outcome of suspension should have been easy to predict
THE LATEST BIT of turmoil at City Hall was always bound to end badly. When Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson suspended acting CAO Byron McCorkell on Tuesday, it kick-started a chain of events that has become all too common. Somebody leaks it to the media and by yesterday the whole world knows about it, though not the details. C...
7h ago
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SOUND OFF: Protecting our communities from flooding
THE DEVASTATING FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES in November 2021 were incredibly challenging and frightening for people, especially throughout the Fraser Valley. We have learned a lot about flood mitigation and emergency preparedness since, including the importance of working together with local communities and First Nations. We...
Mar 27, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: TRU's claims about commitment to transparency aren't convincing
A LITTLE MORE than a year ago, TRU was in the midst of a major controversy over allegations made against two of its senior administrators. It was big news. Dozens of claims of bullying, sexual harassment and disrespect were made, and the university launched a lengthy and very expensive - $1 million - investigation. Whe...
Mar 27, 2024
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Columns

One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: Why spend money on things that won't be used
ALL OF US WANT TO FEEL SAFE and secure in our lives. We want to have a decent place to live. We would like to feel like we can leave our home safely for a couple of days without fear of it being broken into. And we would like to feel free to enjoy the beauty of our city. But sometimes you wonder whether that's possible...
Mar 24, 2024
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Armchair Mayor
ROTHENBURGER: Mayor would run again tomorrow despite 'tight cuffs'
I'LL BET YOU THOUGHT last Sunday was a celebration of the Irish missionary St. Patrick, a time to wear something green and drink green-coloured beer.Well, that, too, but more importantly it was the anniversary of the St. Patrick's Day manifesto, the day in 2023 when all eight City councillors gathered the media in coun...
Mar 23, 2024
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One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: The dangers of neglecting women and LGBTQ2S+ members of society
WHILE THERE ARE INCREASING CONCERNS about a rise in anti-Semitism and general hatred and violence, gender-related issues are of the most concern to me. Women have faced erosion of their basic rights in the past few years - rights that have taken centuries to obtain. Women are still being abused, trafficked, forced into...
Mar 22, 2024
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SOUND OFF: NDP and Eby's carbon tax increase will only make affordability issues worse
DESPITE A MAJOR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS currently gripping British Columbia, the NDP government is proceeding with their planned 23 percent carbon tax increase on April 1. It's the latest in a string of 32 new and increased taxes under David Eby and the NDP that will only increase cost-of-living pressures and make life mo...
Mar 21, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Why we should keep calling our mayors 'Your Worship'
I READ AN ARTICLE the other day in which Mayor Reid-Hamer Jackson says the honorific "Your Worship" has lost some of its meaning and he's OK with plain "Reid." Unless those who address him with "Your Worship" are sincere, he said, there's not much point to it. A number of other Canadian ma...
Mar 21, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Investing in safe and thriving communities
THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE in British Columbia are our greatest strength. Over the past few years, we've seen our population grow. People want to live and raise their families in our communities. But at the same time, the impacts of climate change are putting pressure on some of our community infrastructure. That's why your ...
Mar 20, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: What this province needs is another left-wing party
WHEN BC CONSERVATIVE candidates Ward Stamer and Dennis Giesbrecht held their introductory news conference last weekend, the first question they were asked was if they felt they would split the free-enterprise vote between themselves and BC United. Not at all, they replied. There are "significant differences" ...
Mar 20, 2024
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One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: It's almost too late to prepare for wildfire season
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED, temperatures are rising. An early spring has started. While most of us are preparing for a return to warmer weather, we pay relatively little attention to the consequences of an early warming trend. Extremely low snowpacks mean another round of drought will hit, heavy sprinkling regulati...
Mar 17, 2024
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Armchair Mayor
ROTHENBURGER: A low-key start with high hopes of changing the face of local politics
THERE WERE NO BALLOONS, banners, placards or cheering crowds at Friday's official announcement of the BC Conservative candidates for the two Kamloops ridings. Just the candidates themselves, a couple of supporters from the party, some reporters and a homeless guy who happened by on his rounds.Never mind, it was a pleas...
Mar 16, 2024
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One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: Government often has the power at election time
DURING THE TIME LEADING UP to an election, the government almost always has the hammer. As promises are made, we have to determine whether they are believable. And when the government makes them, they seem more believable because the government actually has the power to bring them to fruition. Opposition promises come ...
Mar 15, 2024
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SOUND OFF: B.C.'s health care system moves closer to collapse
EVERY BRITISH COLUMBIAN deserves access to timely and dignified health care. This week in the B.C. legislature, I shared the heart-wrenching story of an elderly man from my community who was neglected in a hospital bed, left with his feet hanging over the rails to avoid laying in his own waste. The lack of basic care a...
Mar 14, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: We should get rid of governors-general and their free-spending ways
GOVERNOR-GENERAL Mary Simon has been awarded a salary boost of $11,200 for 2024, bringing her annual paycheque to $362,800. She doesn't need it and, sorry, she doesn't deserve it.Simon came into office with high hopes as a governor-general who could bring people together, partly because she has indigenous roots.While s...
Mar 14, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Health care access, reproductive health; a key priority for B.C. government
AN ACCESSIBLE, HIGH-QUALITY and sustainable healthcare system is a top priority for British Columbians, and it is for us, too. British Columbians should have a healthcare system that is there to meet their evolving needs. David Eby and our government are making record-setting investments in recruiting and training more...
Mar 13, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: It was a good day around the City council table for a change
IT WAS A GOOD DAY at Kamloops City council yesterday. It's hard to know where to begin but let's start with the plan for a cleanup of beaches.It's a great idea, one that will generate some new pride in River City. Similar to the Adopt-A-Road program, the Clean-The-Beach program will result in a cleanup of the river sho...
Mar 13, 2024
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One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: Southern evangelical Christians make a deal with the devil
ACCORDING TO A COLUMN in USA Today this week, southern evangelical Christians are flocking to Donald Trump in record numbers. Most of my life has been centered around my faith. And I have a great deal of difficulty wondering why a group of people who proclaim to believe in the Bible would align themselves with a man wi...
Mar 10, 2024
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Armchair Mayor
ROTHENBURGER: Battle for new Kamloops Centre riding bound to be contentious
THE MAN WHO THINKS non-profit agencies that criticize City council should be barred from receiving grant funding wants to be the next MLA for Kamloops Centre.Bill Sarai announced his intention this week to seek the NDP nomination for the Oct. 19 provincial election in the newly configured urban riding. With his name re...
Mar 09, 2024
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Two & Out
PETERS: Ageism alive and well in the U.S. presidential race
I'M NOT SURE WHAT President Joe Biden ingested before this week's State of the Union address - and perhaps I don't want to know.Sleepy Joe has been one of the more effective barbs thrown the president's way throughout his term, but he was anything but sleepy Thursday night, despite starting the speech well past bedtime...
Mar 08, 2024
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One Man's Opinion
COLLINS: Provincial election fever gaining momentum
ARE YOU READY FOR THE ONSLAUGHT? I hope so.For the next seven months we will hear all of the promises you could want to hear about who will do what for you and why they are the ones you should vote for in October. You can't govern without a plan - some guidelines about what you want to accomplish. But bringing those pl...
Mar 08, 2024
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Sound Off
SOUND OFF: NDP's public safety crisis failing British Columbians
ONE OF THE CORE FUNCTIONS of our provincial government is the responsibility to look after British Columbians, ensuring people have access to health care, education and safe communities. But right now, people do not feel safe in their communities. Over the last few years, we've noticed rising rates of crime and street ...
Mar 08, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Sending KFR medical response issue to committee is no answer
ASSUMING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE recommendations are confirmed when Kamloops City council sits in regular session, taxpayers will be on the hook for a slightly lower increase than originally predicted.Tuesday was the day to deal with so-called "supplementary" budget items, a wish list generated from City Hall ...
Mar 07, 2024
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SOUND OFF: Taking action to ease everyday costs
A FEW WEEKS AGO, our government announced Budget 2024, outlining actions we're taking to address the cost of living for British Columbians. Despite rising global inflation, we are committed to supporting people here in B.C. by putting more money back into their pockets through new and expanded programs that help addres...
Mar 06, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Caputo's melodramatic video aside, prison system needs review
MP FRANK CAPUTO'S video on killer Paul Bernardo's living conditions is dramatic, even theatrical, but it turns out it might not be totally accurate.With thumping background music, file footage and a declaration that "I came face to face with Paul Bernardo," the seven-minute production has gone viral on social...
Mar 06, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Wokeism reigns with banning of classics from school library shelves
SHADES OF FAHRENHEIT 451. That's the Ray Bradbury novel from 1953, later made into a couple of movies, about a future in which books have been outlawed and firemen (i.e. firefighters) burn them.It's about censorship and the destruction of knowledge so the state can more easily control the populace. The Surrey school bo...
Mar 05, 2024
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ARMCHAIR MAYOR
ROTHENBURGER: Oregon recriminalizes while B.C. doubles down on public drug use
THE B.C. COURT OF APPEAL has rejected a bid by the provincial government to let its Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act go into force. So an injunction against enforcing the Act remains in effect, at least for now. Those who believe drug use should be allowed in most public places are celebrating t...
Mar 04, 2024
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