Forum answers make one despair for future of Kamloops, but…

Some of the answers, or non-answers, provided by candidates at election forums make me squirm — they are so vacuous or based on not the slightest fundamental understanding of local government that one almost despairs for the future of Kamloops.

That is, until one reminds oneself that we’ve all got to start from somewhere.

Such was the case at last night’s forum in the Cottonwood Centre, sponsored by the North Shore BIA.

 

One candidate was asked, for example, if more affordable housing would be a good thing for the North Shore. To a candidate unaware of the long history of disagreement on this topic, especially with respect to the North Shore, and equally as unaware that the current council has only recently gone through a lengthy and controversial examination of available lands, the temptation is strong to say what a fine idea more affordable housing on the North Shore is.

And that’s what she said, basically.

Another candidate was asked to talk about the things that City Hall has done well. Number one, he said, was bringing in Thompson Rivers University.

Of course, the City is not in the business of education. Its involvement in transforming the University College of the Cariboo into Thompson Rivers University was as a supporter of the concept, not as a decision maker.

Any incumbent member of council who claims he or she was instrumental in bringing TRU to Kamloops is being loose with the facts, just as I got a kick out a recent homage to former TRU board of governors chair Ron Olynyk that claimed he was “instrumental” in getting the Tournament Capital Centre built.

But I digress. My point is that we have to remember that those who want to be elected bring a wide range of experience and knowledge with them. Some know a lot, some very little.

However, my observation has been that those who know little learn very quickly once they get on board. Most members of the current council weren’t all that conversant with the limits of local government, or the background to many issues, before they were elected.

In other words, there are limitations to judging candidates based on their immediate knowledge of municipal issues. It’s also important to see how they react to things they don’t know, and how they handle themselves in situations that would make almost anyone nervous.