Our council is obviously not aware of what’s “statistically significant” given their response to the results of the survey of residents responding to their online request for budgeting help.
To any competent mathematician the input bias is being shamelessly manipulated.
Specifically, there is nothing random in the 258 responses to the survey, slightly less than one per cent of the Vernon population.
Moreover, we are not treated to the results of who actually responded, political supporters or concerned citizens.
Not surprisingly, Mayor Akbal Mund is quick to point out that tax increases don’t seem to bother respondents and, of course, other councillors were quick to follow. Catherine Lord is “pleased with the results” and Scott Anderson is quoted as being absolutely mesmerized with the benefits of “reaching out to the community.”
Wow! I’m gobsmacked! Can anyone believe the temerity of these people? This is just another council that treats the property owners of Vernon as if we all get by with unlimited resources.
Mund leads an elected group that has failed to move the goal posts past the dismal record of the past two administrations in terms of meeting any of the meaningful OCP objectives set to drive our economy forward, specifically the need to zone light industrial and attainable housing lands. How much more community input do they need than that provided in the OCP build-up process? We are clearly facing a council that has just stated publicly that the voters of Vernon “will pay a little bit more for increased services” based on what is at best an unrepresentative and easily manipulated survey response.
What can any of us expect if our civic leaders skirt their fiduciary responsibilities by pandering to the public for help to solve the issues they were elected to deal with?
At best it’s a cop-out and worst case a shameless treatment of the public who elected them. Best council accomplishment this administration: voting to increase the number of hens from three to four allowable within urban zoning. No wonder Vernon has turned into a civic chicken pen.
They water us and feed us political pap that we “aren’t afraid of higher taxes.” Amazing, the rhetoric never ends.
A.D. Wilson, Vernon