Arts and Culture, WL City Councillor Laurie Walters and Hypocrisy

On Friday, April 2nd, the Georgia Straight, a Vancouver publication, published an article on the BC Liberal provincial government criticizing them for slashing support for arts and culture while local governments in the Metro Vancouver area increasing support for Arts and Culture. You can view the article here

It should be noted that the Straight has never written anything in support of the BC Liberals'

However, on Monday, April 12th, our local City Councillor Laurie Walters wrote a comment on the Straight's arts and culture article, which was:

Hello,

I am a City Councillor from Williams Lake BC. Arts and Culture is part of my portfolio
Just recently the Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake formed an Arts and Culture function. Residents of Areas D,E and F of the Cariboo Regional District are taxed (works out to be approx $6.00 per $100,000 assessed property value). Our Municipality and surrounding communities are taking action and GROWING arts and culture because unlike the Provincial government they appreciate the value of having a vibrant, distinctive and strong arts and culture presence and what it can do for their communities.

If you are interested in learning more about the Central Cariboo Arts & Culture Function please feel free to e-mail me at lwalters@williamslake.ca

Well - there are so many inaccuracies, I just don't know where to start....but if a City Councillor is going to comment on an article, he/she should come out and tell the truth and not half-truths

1) In 2010 - the Arts and Culture Function will cost the tax payers' in the City of Williams Lake and CRD Electoral Areas D, E, F just over $5 per $100,000 in assessment and not $6/$100,000 in assessment until 2011 (assuming the 2011 Budget for the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Function is approved)

2) When she criticizes the provincial government on lack of support for Arts & Culture, but states the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts (Hon. Kevin Krueger) was thrilled with the local CRD Arts and Culture Function, then then it is called one thing - hypocrisy.

3) It should be also noted almost after 2 Years of adoption of the Function (and some would suggest that they were deceived into accepting this tax - ask Area 'D' & Area 'E' taxpayers'), there is no plan on how this Function will operate. The Plan should be developed and approved prior to voters' being asked to consent to taxation for the Arts and Culture Function

It should be further noted that local governments in this area still operate on a principle of "ask first and answer questions later". It is my view that taxpayers' want to see a full picture of why long term borrowing is necessary or why a new local service (CRD Function) tax is necessary before voters' approve or reject these requests

After all, it is in keeping with a democratic, open and transparent local government. Why I'm not going directly to Councillor Walters, I would except she and her fellow Councillors Geoff Bourdon and Natalie Montoya seem to have this idea that they can pick and choose whose emails that respond to

It should noted at March's 24th Central Cariboo Joint Committee - the CRD Area 'D' Director, Deb Bischoff, asked for permission to withdraw Area 'D' out of the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Function, Councillors' Laurie Walters, Geoff Bourdon and Sue Zacharias and the CRD Director for Area 'E' & the Alternate Director for Area 'F' all acted like "thugs" and "bullies" toward Director Bischoff instead of treating the simple request like it was like reasonable adults

Councillors' Walters, Bourdon and Montoya don't seem a need to respond to my emails or letters which is wrong because they should respond, regardless of whether the email or letter writer asked for a response. Again, it is the right, proper and democratic thing to do