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Welcome back Kim.
You spoke of:
"Another concept that I learned about at an earlier “Livable Cities” Conference in Santa Fe was the idea of designing our communities around children and their need to grow up in safe surroundings. As a result of that conference, Langley Township adopted a Child Friendly Impact Assessment analysis that developers are now required to undertake (June 2005)."
As president of DPAC I was invited to some planning sessions and we also have had presentations at our meetings about this concept and what is being done in our communities. I'm not sure if the current president has showed continued interest. I would say it was money well spent.
Thanks Susan!
I haven't really been absent - just quiet. You've had a lot of issues to deal with on the School board front (and they don't seem to be getting any easier). Your updates and comments have been invaluable and have shed a much needed light on many School Board aspects and activities.
I appreciate all the work and effort that you and many other parents have put in recently. You are what makes our community special and your dedication to children is what makes Langley outstanding.
Thank you for taking on the challenges that you have and for making this community more accountable in its decisions. Your recent success in the Stafford decision is testimony to your efforts and your convictions.
In the 2005 report to Council about the Child Friendly Impact Assessment, the following quote was on the cover and I think it sums up all that you and the other parents do - I'm proud that it's part of our Langley. Now the challenge is to uphold it which I think you live on a daily basis.
Here's the quote:
"Children's voices...
We love our parks and playgrounds.
We wish it was easier to get around.
We like playing in our neighbourhoods.
We are sometimes afraid.
We want to volunteer in our communities.
We want the natural environment to be protected."
Sincerely, Kim.
Both Cllr's Bateman & Fox naively state on J.B.'s vanity site that they arn't aware of any contributions to Langey Township Taxpayers arising from municipal conferences. 
This Editor counts at least 5 in the last couple of years in Richter's posting alone! So where exactly have these two been in the last two years? Are they sitting at the same table? Are they even listening? Their own statements suggest otherwise! I can clearly guess what they have really been looking at/in 
!
Fox even proudly proclaims he has spent next to nothing! Clearly he has not been open to learning any best practises or networking with his peers in the governance arena and he essentially even admits it!
Any reasonably inteligent corporate executive or businessman will tell you that corporate peer conferences and the benefits of networking are invaluable learning & business tools that provide many fold returns on investment.
Clearly as I mentioned many times before this Township Council has been populated with far too many navel gazing non business minded incompetents. No wonder they keep making terrible business decisions like the $3-4-5-6 million Grandstand fiasco or even buying restaurants/bars!
I take exception to your comments LFP Editor. In fact I have had the opportunity to attend many lectures and intercative sessions and visit sites in Victoria (Dockside Green) and in the Lower Mainland.....I just have paid the bill out of my pocket not the taxpayers....the taxpayers pay may salary and also I get a taxfree stipend to do the work of this Council and I appreciate that and value that. Your comments hedge on slander and I would be very careful in putting words in my mouth.
Exception noted. But you did say "I have never seen one report or value added item on the Council table from these conferences." Richter easily refutes and proves otherwise.
Indeed Cllr. Richter & the other councillors who get involved, network and take time out to go to conferences have a right to defend themselves from comments which appeared to this Editor of being at minumum bordering on an equally critical, bullying and a accusatory tone. You are now a Councillor, not a school principal and fair comment and observation and querys are a fact of life.
We not only as taxpayers want you to be wise stewards of our monies but also well informed and connected stewards as well, open to new and innovative ideas. Advocates of penny wise and pound foolish spending deserve political questions and commentary. You are a politician now after all.
If you did attend local conferences what did you bring back? Where's your report? What motions have you initiated as a result of your conferences and which ones were successfully adopted by Council?
When you can list your conferences, motions and successes I will clearly acknowledge that maybe you have acheived some best practises. Also please specifically tell us which conferences you attended as a councillor and "have paid the bill out of my pocket not the taxpayers".This Editor will even provide you your own full rebuttal posting. Please forward your rebuttal position in any word or notepad format to this Editor by email. Thanks for your observations and comments. 
Well hurray for CFox. He doth protest too much as does his sidekick. I agree that one should broaden their horizon but guess its easier to stay home & criticize their colleagues. By the way never heard of JB's site being called a vanity site how appropriate though!
One does get the definite impression that council members Fox and Bateman are now politically joined at the hip. Scary, real scary.
Kim, that cartoon attached to your article is just plain gross. It is below the dignity of your position as Township Councillor.
Keith, this Editor, not the contributors posts the headings and the illustrations to the submitted contributing columnists. I maintain this Editorial license!
I take great pride & time in trying to find the appropriate match to articles submitted by Kim, Susan, Cathleen, letters submitted, etc. I take your comment as a compliment because it obviously hit the mark perfectly in my very humble opinion. It makes it's point clearly and accurately and satirically as it was intended.
In fact I have received many e-mails complimenting my political, satirical illustrations.
But Keith why do you display such a patronizing and pompous attitude. I believe that even more so that the treatment that the males on Township council display publicly to the only female councillor has been 'gross and is below the dignity of their position as Township Councillors.' Why don't you get riled up at that too? They have been equally pompous and patronizing to her. In fact this coming week I will be posting council audio clips that clearly display this.
I am very disappointed in you and your sensitivities! So sorry that you interpretation of my illustrations obviously hit satirically on your male bonding favs at council table. Lighten up already!
People see what they want to see and interpret in the cartoons. Obviously the hidden ostrich's head position suggests something that you easily recognise from the old boys club . I hope you are upset for the ostriches sake not the politicians! Does it help if I tell you it's head is really hidden on the outside to the right of the lead ostrich? And your gross interpretation is only in your mind? NOT! The interpretation of the illustration is not my problem but indeed is yours.
Great cartoon, even if it is a little over the top. Richter's comments make good sense, but there are many more local things that need the attention of councilors. I don't think that an expense account should be a measure of participation or contribution.
Where's CFox's report on where he has been on his own dime? Come on Charlie reveal!
I really can't believe the jostling that CFox is getting on this blog. For what? Actually for not spending our tax payers dollars.
I didn't vote for Charlie in the past election but he has really tried to do things for South Langley since getting in and I, for one, appreciate it. He seems to be the only one that gives a rats ass about the putrid smell of that wretched compost that has most of us gagging while we eat our meals!
Just keep on the heat there editor, and he'll learn to put a bill in for every little thing and get his expenses up just to keep you happy. I appreciate Kim's hard work ever so much and don't begrudge her expenses because I know that she works very hard for us tax payers and she has always been frugal and accountable. But, please don't be knockin' Charlie for his low expenses. If he has a system that works for him and it also helps keep the tax payers expenses down, then good for him.
I absolutely agree Queenie. CFox has proven himself to be a fairly diligent and more importantly a very well meaning Councillor especially compared to some of the other old boys club members. Admittedly, by far!
So quite frankly this Editor was really taken aback when he appeared to this Editor to wade in strongly in a tandem partisan manner and from out of the blue suddenly on the JB vanity site into what I believe was very out of character on a self serving purely politically motivated issue which was generated and politically spun by another!
Also the rookie Councillors, gotta be able to eat it too especially if they try to feed it to others especially using a political vanity blog!
(ps - I hope anon is wrong about hip-joints!)
Anon - we are not joined at the hip.....although we are both active and doers, that is not to say aren't as well! There will be a progressive and interesting report coming in the fall for an area of Aldergrove. Stay tuned because it will be doable and forward thinking....the result of the research done.
In the meantime I am cleaning graffiti off in the Aldergrove core, as a community enhancement project, with other committed individuals.
Sure... that's why you both agree on most votes!
Boy, a lot of unfounded conclusions LPF editor has about me. I don't know a single councillor at all, and have only met two of them briefly. I suppose the fact that I voted last time for both Kim R and Petrina A (and not because of their gender but the merits of their respective campaigns) is just me being "patronizing". And noting that a cartton in bad taste somehow makes me a part of some old boys club.
It is evident that LPF editor is more interesting in grinding the axe than discussing issues and opinions on their merits. Too bad.
I grind B.S. and try to help uncover obscuring fog from political B.S. See latest clip of sample patronizing attitude and two tier treatment. One for Kositsky and one for Richter. I really grind this type of B.S. too. I welcome clarity and discussion but reject patronizing attitudes, period. If your comments were not patronizing I apologize Keith. But lighten up. It's only a satirical cartoon after all. I'd love your comments on my latest utube clip on dumbing down and reverse evolution and my political comparison.
LFP,
On one of my favourite hobby horses I'd be interested in your take on this article forwarded to me: http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Co...26/
4290691.html
If nothing else I never seem to lack for interesting reading.
Cheers,
Blair
p.s. spring election? what spring election
"We were told by Taliban that Afghanistan has been invaded by Americans and we have to do jihad [holy war]." Typical citizen comment quoted. Meanwhile PM KarZai is pissed at the constant killings of citizens by NATO and the G & M says;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s.../International/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...y/?
query=karzai
http://www.canada.com/nationalpo...fc2865e5e46&
p=2
And even better opium production is soaring and out of control in Afghanisthan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south...sia/
6239734.stm
I bet you many posts ago that in a matter of years they would be negotiating a peace deal with moderate Taliban. I stick to this position. Meanwhile more deaths. Note my sidebar kill count is now up to 61 and total coalition kill count is 614 with Canadian losses 2nd highest after the US 407 deaths. Look deep into your heart and really ask yourself is this worth it. Besides the second world war how many wars have really been worth it? Are 61 young canadian men & women deaths and climbing worth it? I say not.
"Besides the second world war how many wars have really been worth it? Are 61 young canadian men & women deaths and climbing worth it? I say not."
Good points, but what is the solution? Do abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban again? What protection will girls get when they want to go to school? Check this out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south...sia/
6744931.stm
Don' tthe surviving girls deserve an equal chance at an education? What role should Canada play? How else can the estblishment of human rights be accomplished?
I don't ask these questions rhetorically, I truly don't know the answers. But if we are to abandon the mission, what other path will help Afghan people enjoy the basic human freedoms we Canadians take for granted?
Well said Keith. Unless I'm terribly mistaken, it was the Taliban/Al Queda that declared war on our civilisation. The shame is that Bush clouded the issue with his war on Iraq.
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