LETTER – Mayor Hamer-Jackson must either change or throw in the towel
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
Posted by former City councillor and former mayoral candidate Dieter Dudy today (May 15, 2024) on his Facebook page:
An open letter to the Mayor of Kamloops.
Dear Mayor Hamer-Jackson,
There is an old adage that simply states that you can attract more bees with honey than you can with vinegar.
Life is very much the same. You will effect more change through inclusion and collaboration than you ever will through confrontation and beratement. The latter will only send you deeper into an abyss of failure and disappointment.
One of the key directions that the municipal advisor gave you was to quit living in the past. Quit dredging up yesterday’s grievances. Learn to embrace the value of the resources you have at hand; then use them to make your vision a reality.
I would imagine that even you have to agree that you have constantly been sparring from a defensive stance; only to then worsen your struggle by throwing wild uncontrolled counter punches. Whoever you have in your corner is giving you bad strategic advice.
You have 2.5 years left in your term to get done what you set out to do, plus be on top of the day to day matters that need to be addressed.
Here is my recommendation to you.
Quit the pettiness. Quit the sarcasm. Quit the attacks. Interact with staff and your colleagues in a meaningful, respectful, and constructive manner. You may just find it’s an actual breath of fresh air.
If, however, your ego won’t allow you to make the necessary changes; then please, do the citizens of Kamloops a favour; take off your gloves and get out of the ring. If you don’t, you might just find that you may not make it to your corner at the next bell.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Dear Mr. Dudy:
Thank you for your summary of the Braun report.
If you changed your letter to reference Councillors from mayor then you would have hit the nail on the head.
Your letter has not listed one specific, issue, item, or strategy that is not being successfully implemented or addressed by all of council.
I have copied the city strategic plan (as below)which is the road map that city council follows.
“The Council Strategic Plan 2023–2026 was created by the Mayor and Council of the 2022–2026 term. In the plan, Council identified their top strategic priorities—Safety and Security, Governance and Service Excellence, Livability and Sustainability, Economic Health, and Advocacy—to make Kamloops a safe, vibrant, and resilient community. “
Mr. Dudy what one (1) strategic priorities is not being been met which is not making Kamloops a safe,vibrant and resilient community?
Just one priority please?
Yet the Braun reports identifies the following.
“On a more positive note, and despite the issues and challenges outlined in this report, the Mayor and Council are unusually aligned when it comes to the 2023 – 2026 Strategic Plan. When it comes to what matters most, all nine members of Council agree on the ‘big picture’. I found Councillors to be highly motivated and there is good work taking place between Council and the administration.”
Your letter does not mention the terrible behavior of city councillors such as:
-like not inviting the mayor to a photo shoot. Not a good look to foster a coherent or cohesive working relationship.
-having a press conference without him.
-Or administration locking the mayor out of his office so he can do the people’s work.
I agree the mayor is not the most dynamic speaker,however, everyone knew that when they voted. It takes two parties to argue.The mayor and council must both must accept responsibility for their behavior and both are not without fault.
He is the mayor like it or not,he was elected by the majority, and that’s democracy. We all must respect the position of mayor.
I agree when you say “There is an old adage that simply states that you can attract more bees with honey than you can with vinegar.” However there is this old adage “ If your not part of the solution your part of the problem” as well as “ To make an omelette you need to crack a few eggs”
With respect
Cooper
PS I voted for you.
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One more thing – to the citizens of Kamloops following this and trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Try emailing The Mayor with a question or concern about this or any other city business. Do the same for the 8 council members. Try emailing or calling one of the heads of various city departments with a concern.
9 times out of 10, it’s the Mayor that will respond directly. 1 time out of 10, if that, you may get a vague reply or word salad response from council. City managers have rarely responded to me.
I think I understand clearly now what the real problem is. The Mayor wants to get shit done and bring about change. Council wants to fiercely maintain the status quo. That’s what this boils down to. Council wants their paid lunches and you’ll shut up and pay for it.
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Change all references from “The Mayor” to “Council” and the letter reads appropriately.
This is not one-sided by any stretch of the imagination. Is anyone naive enough to think that the Mayor can somehow upend the entire administration and council himself, in the face of blatant attacks on his authority at every step? That one person in a town without strong mayor powers can do what the allegations have claimed?
The proper solution is for the entire roster to step down and re-run it. Let’s see who gets the approval of the electorate. I would wager we see very few familiar faces around the shoehorn, and good riddance to almost all of them. You can see the self-interest on their faces, and hear the constant drone of self-aggrandizement.
Council is an embarrassment to this city and citizens, and to the process of a functioning democracy. Reid has exposed the true power brokers down at city hall, and council has exposed itself as being about as useful as a giant flatus.
It’s so easy to have 8 people willing to back you up on attacking a single person. That’s cowardly. Like a high school clique roaming the halls picking on the loners. So cool. So edgy. But don’t forget that you all need to be babysat by adults, in fact, pleased for the babysitters to come in.
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Dieter’s starting his next mayoral campaign early?
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I’m hoping that he is.
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If this council is so up in arms about “confidentiality” then I’m curious to know what Dudy knows, how would he be so well informed to have such as opinion, as he is just a civilian like the rest of us.
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Trawin and McCorkell were hoping DD was going to be the next mayor. But DD did not become the next mayor and the power structure of the city got majorly cheesed—off, majorly.
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Well one person crossed off my intent to vote list and its not the current mayor or the arm chair mayor if you catch my drift.
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Thanks for your input, Dieter. There is some reasoning behind what you said.
My memory slips back to your first term on council when I attempted to rely on your experience and understanding as a man familiar with the land and growing things. We share some of that understanding since I worked on farms for the summers while I was in high school. I came to understand that weeds will grow just about anywhere.
I saved and printed a copy of our exchange, Dieter, along with the photos that were sent to you.
Cutting things short, your reply to me was that “it looks like a full strength dumping ground”.
Perhaps you remember that exchange, Dieter.
Please remember that you retreated to your corner and threw in the towel.
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Yes, he did the same to me. The city’s pesticide report showed that the city sprayed a very toxic pesticide (picloram and 2,4-D) beside Dieter’s farm (and many many other public places throughout the city, including a tot lot). I called Dieter, explained the situation. He asked me to send the evidence, which I did, and he said he’d call me to discuss the next day. But no call, ever. Dieter ghosted me after that. City hall status quo doesn’t want any pushback about its pesticide use so Dieter complied, I guess.
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An “open letter” from a guy that never made a difference when had a chance to. The person(s) that needs to quit the most are Trawin and his deputy McCorkell. Kamloops is gifted with a beautiful and unique geography but it is too bad it is mostly in the hands of small town minds.
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Mr. Dudy in his letter trots out the “rotten apple theory”. This concept offers a quick and easy solution for the “gang of eight” as it absolves them of their deviant behavior.
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a voice of reason. Please heed it Mr. Mayor.
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