Sustainability:
Sustainability is the issue of our times and our community. Planning for Sustainability means preserving greenspace and developing cycle, pedestrian, transit friendly communities. It means healthy vibrant communities focused on local agriculture, local culture and locally produced goods. It means big savings to taxpayers from more rational development, conservation of energy resources and the recognition of ecological principles. Communities around the world are responding to the challenge and I want the Comox Valley to be among the leaders.
Working together for a just and compassionate community:
When the rest of the valley is drawing up a good will protocol for preventing racism, homophobia or ethnic and religious hate, I want my vote to ensure Courtenay is the first to sign on instead of being the only ones to hold up a valley wide agreement. I want to speak up for joining the rest of our community in creating a warm, secure place for the homeless.
Taxes:
Taxes are a good thing when they are applied fairly and used effectively in building a community that meets the needs of its citizens now and tomorrow. The problem as usual in the Comox Valley is the discussion begins with telling citizens we need to grow over everything in order to build a revenue generating tax base. But we grow over everything and taxes go up, up, up— when by the tax base logic they should be coming down. I am opposed to the HST-styled manipulation of the tax multiplier that sees citizens (seniors, families, working people) paying an ever larger portion of municipal taxes.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Welcome
Greetings,
Thank you for taking the time to come to my Courtenay Council election blogspot.
Having served on Comox town Council and the Comox Valley Credit Union Board, volunteered for 15 years with Mt. Washington’s Adaptive Snowsports, served on the World Community Board, volunteered with a host of community organizations and officiated weddings all over the valley, running for a seat on Council feels a little like walking into Cheers—where everybody knows your name.
I believe, like many, that valley-wide governance has many advantages. However, it seems obvious to me that we have valley-wide governance in place-it’s called Comox Valley Regional District.
One amalgamation proponent recently told me that the regional district allows too much autonomy for outlying communities—it lets the Comox Mayor tell US where to put a homeless shelter and it lets the people of Union Bay decide what kind of subdivisions should be in THEIR community etc. Following that conversation, I was convinced WE NEED a voice on council that wants to build on the cooperative relations and the good will that we are already generating in our local governance body rather than shaking a stick at our neighbours. To me it just makes sense that the path to more cooperative relations is in demonstrating how our good will and cooperation is working for us now and building on that as friends and neighbours.
I firmly believe that we owe ourselves and our children’s children a vibrant healthy Comox Valley. How respectfully we live and what we leave to future generations is the most significant measure of who we are and what we have given back to life that has so generously bestowed so many blessings on us.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I heard all the huffing about the journalist who happened to reflect honestly—imagine?—on the kind of valley we are becoming by these piece meal decisions that don’t ask what the valley will look like in 5, 10 or 15 years and whether an oily sheen covering our estuary is good for anyone. The canary in our Comox Valley coal mine isn’t looking well. I believe it is time for civic leaders who value our beautiful natural environment and who will work for healthy, sustainable solutions to the problems that confront us.
I strongly believe in working with citizens, One of my first priorities will be a Comox Valley Citizens Task Force on Transportation for the Twenty-first Century. It makes no sense to see vehicles idling in traffic jambs while our Vancouver-sized busses circulate with 2—3 passengers on schedules that don’t reflect how people live in the Comox Valley. The slightest internet search reveals that there are bountiful ways that communities have raised bus ridership, reduced traffic congestion and SAVED money in doing so.
I was proud to be part of the Stop the HST effort that I believe telegraphs to municipal politicians that they—too—must end this shifting more and more taxes onto the shoulders of those who can least afford it. That is a commitment I will empathically make.
FMI: 338-0155 any day but Tuesday or Sunday or write ngreynoldsng@gmail.com, see my Facebook page.
Happy Trails!
Norm
Thank you for taking the time to come to my Courtenay Council election blogspot.
Having served on Comox town Council and the Comox Valley Credit Union Board, volunteered for 15 years with Mt. Washington’s Adaptive Snowsports, served on the World Community Board, volunteered with a host of community organizations and officiated weddings all over the valley, running for a seat on Council feels a little like walking into Cheers—where everybody knows your name.
I believe, like many, that valley-wide governance has many advantages. However, it seems obvious to me that we have valley-wide governance in place-it’s called Comox Valley Regional District.
One amalgamation proponent recently told me that the regional district allows too much autonomy for outlying communities—it lets the Comox Mayor tell US where to put a homeless shelter and it lets the people of Union Bay decide what kind of subdivisions should be in THEIR community etc. Following that conversation, I was convinced WE NEED a voice on council that wants to build on the cooperative relations and the good will that we are already generating in our local governance body rather than shaking a stick at our neighbours. To me it just makes sense that the path to more cooperative relations is in demonstrating how our good will and cooperation is working for us now and building on that as friends and neighbours.
I firmly believe that we owe ourselves and our children’s children a vibrant healthy Comox Valley. How respectfully we live and what we leave to future generations is the most significant measure of who we are and what we have given back to life that has so generously bestowed so many blessings on us.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I heard all the huffing about the journalist who happened to reflect honestly—imagine?—on the kind of valley we are becoming by these piece meal decisions that don’t ask what the valley will look like in 5, 10 or 15 years and whether an oily sheen covering our estuary is good for anyone. The canary in our Comox Valley coal mine isn’t looking well. I believe it is time for civic leaders who value our beautiful natural environment and who will work for healthy, sustainable solutions to the problems that confront us.
I strongly believe in working with citizens, One of my first priorities will be a Comox Valley Citizens Task Force on Transportation for the Twenty-first Century. It makes no sense to see vehicles idling in traffic jambs while our Vancouver-sized busses circulate with 2—3 passengers on schedules that don’t reflect how people live in the Comox Valley. The slightest internet search reveals that there are bountiful ways that communities have raised bus ridership, reduced traffic congestion and SAVED money in doing so.
I was proud to be part of the Stop the HST effort that I believe telegraphs to municipal politicians that they—too—must end this shifting more and more taxes onto the shoulders of those who can least afford it. That is a commitment I will empathically make.
FMI: 338-0155 any day but Tuesday or Sunday or write ngreynoldsng@gmail.com, see my Facebook page.
Happy Trails!
Norm
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