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By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Little chance a community forum in Kamloops would be constructive

Jun 9, 2023 | 10:45 AM

IF MAYOR REID HAMER-JACKSON gets his wish to hold a large community town hall meeting, I will not be volunteering to moderate.

Unlike the Armchair Mayor, I don’t see any way a meeting like this has a positive outcome. Call me a cynic.

Mel Rothenburger may have experienced a positive community forum 22 years ago, but the difference in the tenor of our community between then and now — even in society as a whole — is stark.

Today, the community is fed up. Its patience with its political leaders is short.

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By now, eight months after the election, nearly everyone who even remotely follows Kamloops council has taken sides.

They are either behind the mayor, perceiving the eight councillors as bullies preventing him from carrying out his mandate, or they are with council, steadfast in their belief that the mayor is little more than an agent of chaos — a constant wrench in the gears of good government.

The teams are chosen and the loudest voices will crown themselves champions.

So that’s why I won’t be moderating such a forum, if it comes to pass. I have no interest in shouting over those loud voices in an effort to keep the forum on track.

If the community needs a chance to vent, there are already a ton of opportunities for that. Email addresses for everyone on council are public. Almost everyone on council is active on social media and engages with the public frequently. And everyone on council is very visible in the community — not least, Mayor Hamer-Jackson.

Anyone can come to regular council meetings and ask questions regarding the agenda of the day, or go to public hearings and comment on specific proposals.

Not only that, the city offers a full suite of feedback opportunities via its Let’s Talk program.

There is little sympathy for those too stubborn to get online. Eventually, it becomes the individual’s responsibility to keep up with how the rest of the world operates.

If the city wishes to offer town hall-style forums to gather even more feedback than that, they should be laser-focused on specific issues.

If it is too general, as the mayor proposes, it will devolve into a Shakespearean gong show — full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.