Image Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: Got the Christmas blues? I’ve got good news and bad news

Dec 16, 2023 | 8:05 AM

WHEN YOU ADD IT all up, there’s good reason to be depressed this Christmas. When so much bad is going on all around us, the “Merry” in Merry Christmas, the spirit of giving, the holiday magic, might ring false.

But there’s a bright side to almost everything. I happened to be in the computer store the other day when a kid from TRU stepped up to the counter and plunked down a mangled laptop that looked like it had been run over by a car.

In fact, it had. It was smashed and bent every which way. His hope was that his data could be retrieved and that he was covered for a new one — he’d bought the now-destroyed laptop only a few months ago.

That morning, he told me, he was on campus heading to an exam when some scumbag suddenly wrenched his backpack away and took off. The student described the guy as being in his 40s and looking rough.

He gave chase, the thief dropped the backpack just as a car came along, and now you know the rest of the story. He was, understandably, shaken up over it but the good news is he wasn’t hurt and the sympathetic folks at the store sounded as though the computer issue could be resolved.

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And he probably aced his exam.

True, the sleazebags seem to act with impunity nowadays. No longer is it just a downtown issue. They steal and they break in and defecate and smoke up and shoot up all over town, even in the more remote suburbs and communities. And now, obviously, they’re on campus.

And, the homelessness issue continues unabated, along with open drug use. But don’t be so pessimistic — City councillors are on the case, having decided this week to send a letter to the provincial government demanding, well, demanding nothing. But they’re thinking about it, aren’t they?

There’s no shortage of bad news a little more than a week before Christmas but maybe we have to be more diligent about looking for silver linings and a little levity. Consider these news stories:

‘Kamloops taxpayers face possible 10.81 percent tax hike’: OK, but according to some City councillors, it’s not their fault; it’s the fault of previous City councils who worked too hard at keeping tax increases low. So taxpayers should be thankful for what they once had.

‘Donations way down for Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign’: Well, at least nobody has been ripping off the kettles this year. They’re too busy trying to steal computers from university kids. Or bicycles, from everybody.

‘Kamloops mayor refuses to remove burned-out vehicle from his car lot’: The good news is that there was only one, not 40, burned out vehicles on his lot (he says he’s licenced for that many). Besides, I noticed yesterday that the one wreck is no longer there, in accordance with the fire chief’s deadline.

‘Rudy Giuliani ordered to pay $148 million in defamation trial’: Oh, sorry, did I say that’s bad news?

‘Blazers struggle with losing season’: Yeah, but they beat the Moose Jaw Blazers last night, ending a six-game losing streak. Chances are, they’ll win a few more before the season is over.

‘Man in public gallery accused of sticking his tongue out at City councillor’: OK, I have to confess that’s not a real headline; I made it up. But the incident was real. Coun. Bill Sarai got quite worked up a couple of meetings ago during public inquiries and insisted someone had stuck his tongue out at him and other councillors. Good news is that I’m told the guy was just licking his lips. Licking your lips is not considered an offence under the Community Charter.

‘TNRD board gives itself a big fat pay raise for Christmas’: Certainly, this might be bad news for taxpayers but it was certainly good news for members of the board, so, once again, we should look at the upside. After all, the board members assure us they deserve it.

‘Chance of snowfall in Kamloops during Christmas is unlikely’: Only 42 percent, in fact. That’s bad news if you like a white Christmas. But the good news is there’s a 69 per cent chance there will still be some snow on the ground.

So stop being a Gloomy Gus or Debbie Downer. It’s all good. All kidding aside, no matter our troubles, nobody can take away from us the fact that Kamloops is a beautiful place, in an amazing setting, with excellent amenities and — despite those who try to tear it down — truly wonderful people. And that’s good news.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca

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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.