See below for a video from this event as well (Courtesy of Welcome to Williams Lake):
b) Local program for Indo-Canadians to help manage their personal health including diabetes, thanks in part to work from local MLA Donna Barnett & WL City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor - read here
c) Was the visit by local provincial Cabinet Ministers Pat Bell, Mary McNeil, Ida Chong and Steve Thomson politically motivated?? Pat Bell says Absolutely not! - read here meanwhile the President of the Cariboo Cattlemen's Association & former CRD Area 'F' Director Duncan Barnett charges "petty partisan politics" involved in snubbing his group from discussing their issues with Ministers Pat Bell and Steve Thomson - read here
d) Weekly columns from Cariboo-North MLA Bob Simpson on "Great time in the Cariboo" - read here & from City of WL Mayor Kerry Cook regarding "Williams Lake being on Victoria's radar - read here
d) Alan Forseth (my uncle, current Kamloops area BC Conservative Director and former Williams Lake resident) says the carbon tax has never been revenue neutral - read here
e) Meanwhile - Teresa Newsome with the local Dry Grad Committee implores the Central Cariboo/City of WL Joint Committee to reconsider for a 2nd time their decision to deny a grant in aide for the 2012 Dry Grad celebrations - read here
Editor's Note - While I truly sympathize with the Dry Grad Committee, but because of the new Joint Grant-in-Aide Policy, if an organization already has "banked money", it would receive "less weight" than those who don't have banked money and need assistance for one-time projects. However, the Letter of Understanding (Joint Use of Facilities) between the City of Williams Lake & Cariboo Regional District, which expired in 2011, on this subject says:
2b) In addition, the CRD (Cariboo Regional District) will allow additional use of its' facilities outside normal overhead hours for the purpose of graduation ceremonies. Any costs associated with extending hours of operation will be the responsibility of School District #27. It is acknowledged that SD #27 will apply annually for grant assistance funding to cover the costs of the graduation ceremony for consideration by the CRD/City of WL, as part of the Grant-in-Aide process
If even you say that it doesn't promise outright that the School District will receive use of the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex -- the fees/charges involved should be part of the annual Fees/Charges Bylaw guaranteeing use of the Complex for grad ceremonies, giving the small cost and huge benefits to our young people leaving one phase of their lives and entering another in a safe format...
And had I been at the table - I would have given the Dry Grad Committee the money they were seeking... also for the record, while the Joint Committee has denied the Dry Grad Committee their grant-in-aide request twice - WL City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor has voted twice against denying the Dry Grad Committee's request for a Grant-in-Aide
SBF
2 comments:
I do not deny the value of Dry Grad one bit however an organization that, according to it's own information submitted for this grant, has almost $50k in the bank AND banked over $20k from last year's event does not have financial need.
As a taxpayer I have a huge issue giving money to any event that DOES NOT need it and clearly they don't at this time.
If that situation changes I fully support giving them some funding, but until that time why should my tax dollar sit in their bank account? I'm sure there are plenty of other truly needy groups doing great things out there that would love a grant, not to mention cash to keep in their bank account.
This would set a horrible precedent..absolutely horrible.
Tom Barr (former WL City Councillor and Finance Chair) left me this comment on Facebook:
New regulations for grants eliminate those requests where financial statements indicate a substantial bottom line(bank balance)is available to organization.
Dry Grad is a great volunteer organization and work done is valuable and worthwhile,however,there are many such organizations without resources who show a greater need for assistance.
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