Oglow drops the ball

By Richard RolkeMar 14 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

The tongue-lashing Jerry Oglow got last week hardly registers in the dog-eat-dog world of politics, but it was significant given who it was directed at. Oglow just took over as North Okanagan Regional District chairman in December, but the veteran Armstrong mayor has been a mover-and-shaker for decades. He probably understands how local politics works better than anyone and his ability to bring diverse opinions together is legendary. Oglow doesn’t pander to the public because it’s politically expedient, but he fully understands who is ultimately responsible for placing elected officials where they are, and for paying the bill. That’s why Oglow’s actions over West Vernon Elementary were surprising.

Still reeling over the closure of Whitevale Elementary last year, NORD directors enthusiastically waded into the fight over West Vernon Feb. 7. Directors unanimously instructed Oglow to make a presentation at the Vernon School District’s Feb. 20 meeting. The goal was to have a decision on closure delayed so there could be more consultation. However, the school district’s meeting came and went with no Oglow in sight. Instead, Oglow, and NORD vice-chairman Wayne Lippert, met with school district officials a few days before in a private session. Oglow’s explanation is he wanted to avoid direct conflict with the school district. “We need to find ways to work with them. We could go and beat up on them but what would that solve?” he said when confronted by NORD colleagues March 7.

No one obviously can disagree with an attempt to build bridges. But you can also get a message across without being too self-righteous. And occasionally, some sharp words are exactly what’s needed. With the media and residents present, Oglow’s attendance at the Feb. 20 meeting would have put the school board’s feet to the fire over consultation with communities. And for somebody as adept at politics as Oglow, the fine line between constructive criticism and being adversarial would have been easy to navigate. Another reason for Oglow to take to the microphone was to publicly show solidarity with the parents, students and teachers at West Vernon. Many of them felt completely ignored by the school district, so a public appeal from NORD would have shown they weren’t alone — that the communities of the North Okanagan were unified behind their cause.

As director Patrick Nicol stated, “You would have been speaking on behalf of our citizens who were having difficulties being heard.” Oglow’s actions could just reinforce the view that anything of political substance occurs behind closed doors and rank-and-file citizens aren’t supposed to be part of that process. In defending himself, Oglow stated, “There is an expectation that I follow board direction and I believe I did.” But the reality is something completely different.
The very same directors who selected Oglow as NORD chairman were extremely clear when they told him to represent them at the Feb. 20 school trustees’ meeting. The fact that he didn’t, fell short of directors’ expectations. Oglow’s actions were well intentioned, but, ultimately they didn’t meet the needs of NORD or residents. This was a case of where a politician should have been seen and heard.