A Challenge to Tom Christensen

EDITORIAL Managing Editor David Wylie http://www.dailycourier.ca/ Aug 29
What does Vernon have to do to get money from the provincial government for its required $100 million water system? And where is Tom Christensen on this issue? While Okanagan MLAs Bill Barisoff and Rick Thorpe triumphantly trumpeted $40 million in long-term funding for an events centre in Penticton – which already houses a major convention centre – some of us in Vernon were left wondering how the provincial government can justify that commitment when B.C. Liberals have been ignoring Vernon’s pleas for cash to offset the cost of a major water infrastructure upgrade. The funding is an insult to North Okanagan residents, who will likely have to stomach a tax increase to pay for the critical fix that would separate residential and agricultural water, as well as install UV treatment equipment and a membrane to filter out smaller particles just to meet higher standards imposed by the Interior Health Authority – read: the provincial government. It’s time for the Liberals to get their heads out of the sand and their priorities in order. As one city councillor so eloquently stated, it seems that Vernon is like the pauper of the area begging cap in hand for a little change, please, sir. Meanwhile, our local MLA, dubbed as “a rising star” by the Canadian Press, is bogged down in the controversial Ministry of Children and Family Development – a ministry that has spelled political death for MLAs before him.
Christensen is no stranger to the city’s water woes. He met with city council in June to hear their needs. After the meeting, Christensen told The Vernon Daily Courier he applauded the city for “thinking ahead” and not waiting for a major crisis before improving area water quality, and he added he’s confident that technical staff in Victoria “recognize how solid the plan is that Vernon had put forward.” Christensen also said he’d go back to Victoria swinging, advocating for funding for the water plan. “It’s important that there are infrastructure dollars to support that,” he said. “I’m intending to push the need.” So either Christensen has been too bogged down in his cabinet positions to advocate on behalf of his constituents or he’s been ineffective in pushing Vernon’s needs. No matter what the difficulties, we challenge Christensen to be standing in Vernon in the next month trumpeting at least $40 million in funding for our water system. If the province can cough up that kind of cash for a massive convention centre in Penticton, surely it can spend the same amount ensuring citizens in the North Okanagan have safe drinking water.