LETTER – Bass’ comments on homelessness reflect lack of ideas

Dale Bass did a follow-up interview on CBC Thursday morning regarding her comments from the recent City council discussion about homeless street-entrenched individuals. Clearly, she sees growing public concern about violence and disorder becoming an issue in the coming civic election.

To be clear, no reasonable person supports violence toward anyone, including vulnerable people struggling with homelessness, addiction, or mental illness. Violence and intimidation are unacceptable in any form. However, Coun. Bass appeared to rely on broad, unsubstantiated claims and isolated incidents to frame the discussion without providing evidence, context, or measurable data showing the scale of the problem.

More troubling was what happened when CBC’s Shelley Joyce pressed her on solutions. After eight years on city council, Bass admitted she had no suggestions on how to address homelessness, street disorder, or the tensions now growing in the community.

That is the real issue.

Kamloops residents are not simply looking for statements of concern or moral outrage. They want leadership, accountability, and practical solutions. Citizens have watched council spend years studying, discussing, and debating homelessness while conditions in parts of the city continue to deteriorate. Businesses are frustrated, taxpayers are frustrated, vulnerable people remain vulnerable, and neighbourhoods increasingly feel abandoned.

At some point, elected officials must be judged not by their intentions, but by their results. After nearly a decade on council, Ms. Bass saying “I have no suggestions” is not a strategy it is an admission that she and this council has run out of ideas while the problem continues to grow.