ROTHENBURGER – If you were king or queen of Kamloops, what would you do?
London’s Picadilly Circus (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING BETTER to spend money on than what it’s actually being spent on.
Each and every day, somebody is demanding that more money be spent on something important to them. We like to say you can’t fix anything by throwing money at it but the fact is, yes you can.
Most of the world’s miseries could be solved if we could print enough money. Sadly, we can’t.
Always, of course, there’s the question of priorities. What needs to be fixed first?
The answer to that question is as varied as there are needs.
It’s important to remember that the health of a society depends on more than finding a cure for cancer or poverty. We need to nurture our physical and mental health, our sense of wellness and engagement.
It’s hard to find room on our agendas for what we tend to consider the non-essentials, but those non-essentials are crucial to life.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
As your beloved queen, I will take the advice of the commentators above into account and invite them into my inner royal-court circle. No tights required but maybe just the odd pirotte …?
Straight away, I shall declare that the kingdom henceforth will rely on the advice of fools over experts and fanciful consultants, this majesty being desirous of honest advice and much amusement. Then I would declare the automobile a curse upon the realm, interfering dangerously with the exercise of the public and polluting even the royal air. By decree, banishment or more gentle means, I will reduce bloat in the household staff (indeed some department heads may be at risk of losing their heads). I will decree that the new playhouse, will be built to serve all the peoples, in particular this realm’s little subjects and, furthermore, will be financed by my many dukes, pretenders and profiteers who so plague my kingdom. By this means the poor, who labour honestly, ever in mind of this eminence, will have the succor of an extra loaf or two. Lastly, it is my desire that those of my poor subjects, who lack shelter, may henceforth find comfort on chill nights in the quiet surrounds of the new royal playhouse.
If King, on my first day, I would decree that a bicycle path be built which enable one to cycle from Westsyde all the way to Aberdeen, without ever crossing a road. This path would be completely separate from roads and would extend existing bicycle paths. Furthermore, the path would have several tributaries connecting the main path to eg. downtown Kamploops, TRU, various schools. On my second day, would summon a royal committee to make plans for the construction of several pedestrian bridges, the first being at the intersection of McGill and Summit, the second connecting McArthur island to South Kamloops. On my third day, I permanently ban all mega resource projects from being built within 30 km of city limits. On my fourth day, I would declare that 5,000 units of low cost housing be built. On the fifth day, I order the Sandman hotel be torn down and in its place, the Mel Rothenburger Centre for Arts and Entertainment. be built. On the sixth day … uh … maybe this enough for now.