As we are about to enter a New Year, some things just never change. We see this Langley Times article on the Township budget process here and the spin job that is already heating up. Since taking office, Mayor Rick Green quickly discovered that his take on the Township was not reality-based. We believe he was already well-aware of that. His constant denial of the facts and truth cause those of us that love Langley to be hugely concerned.It's OK that Green was a transplant from Delta and didn't grow up in Langley, but did live here for about 10 years. Sometimes an outside perspective is good. But Green managed (through voter apathy and aligning himself with a handful of people with axes against the Township, former mayor and council) to push Kurt Alberts out of the mayor's seat. Kurt was a man that loved and still very much loves the Township. What people may not realize is that during his tenure as mayor, Kurt refused many of the automatic pay increases. Kurt's salary was in the low to mid $50K range. Rick Green's compensation is in excess of $120K with salary and expenses. He recently received a huge raise with the latest Metro Vancouver averaging formula. Even the mayor's pal, Langley Times Editor Frank Bucholtz, could not ignore that one!
But back to the spin...Green is now busy spinning his version of the news related to the ToL budget. His Finance Committee of campaign cronies (except for Cllrs. Ferguson - Richter was really friendly to Green at that time), came up with a VERY lame report. It said nothing, did nothing to address the maintenance needs of a growing municipality, would have depleted fund reserves, and would have led to a $9M+ deficit in 3 years! This very thin "report" did not even spell out how their proposed .93% tax increase could be obtained!
Yet Mayor Green continues to stick to the spin and ignores the huge white elephant in the room. Green also fails to understand that even his proposed .93% (if it was do-able), is still a far cry from his 0% tax increase times 3 years. Green was that careless that he failed to do his homework on the Township's finances. A process that is very open and with all documentation available for public consumption. The man should have known going into the election that 0% was not do-able at all, but he created false hope and optimism amongst his band of malcontents.
Don't believe the Green spin. Attend the budget meetings yourself and hear from the various directors what reality is. The budget meetings are open to the public (despite Green's secret budget meetings last year). The dates for the Council Priorities Committee (CPC) Budget Meetings are January 14th and January 28th at 3:30pm - 5:30pm. Other meeting dates may be announced. The last meeting was held in the Fraser River presentation theatre. Count on the next meetings being in there or the Salmon River committee and meeting room.
Don't just wait for the budget open house and some pretty picture boards. HEAR the facts yourself and don't believe the SPIN.
10 comments:
Tricky Ricky could not pull the wool over anyone's eyes last year when dozens of residents wrote demanding the ToL fund the events center and the arena and supporting the tax increase. He is a 1 term wonder.
You seen the crap Willynilly is trying to shovel on Bateman's blog blaming council for the mayor's spin and broken promises????? What a maroon!!!!! Take off the Greencolored glasses Willy and wake up!!!!! Your guy is flopping badly, has broken his own promises and pissed off the rural people by passing Kurt's water plan!!!!! It's over!!!!!
The only people who like Green are himself, the 4 VALTAC dopes and the 30 muffords nuts....... the rest of Langley cannot wait to vote this dope out.....
Run Bateman run
Run Fox run
1 of you have to beat this guy and restore dignity to the ToL!!!!!!!!!!
Great points editor. Green quite frankly is a fraud. His buddies along with Willy Nilly and Horny Toad and a bundle of others fabricated a ton of false information, waxed poetically using a bunch of lies as their foundation and the public is seeing this through and through. Their budget process was flawed and self serving - even the accountant (what is his name) couldn't figure out public sector budgets - doesn't that tell you soemthing about the credibiltiy of HIS men.
-no reason how he ended up at .93%
-no identification of what he would cut, services or projects.
--no understanding of the long term negative impact (as seen in many other lower mainland communities who low balled tax increase.
-tried to get sympathy on a bunch of lies
-made promises that were unattainable.
....and ther list goes on.
Is their sn impeachment process?
I agree!! Anyone who attended last years budget process could see Green had no real plan and there was no explanation from him on what would be cut to get to his .93%-- Where did that number even come from!! Even Township staff thought the .93 was ridiculous!! This year I am sure will prove just as entertaining!!!
Great picture editor...... Tricky Ricky spins like a top but we know the truth. No plan no facts no truthfulness no transparency no fairness no dignity........... This town is dying to toss his horse shit into the turd bin!!!!!!! Only 22.5 months left Ricky..............
Editor can you put up a countdown to the next election so I can enjoy how few days are left in the Tricky Ricky era?????????????
I see an letter to the editor by a Mr. Robinson. That must be ganother greeny weeny supporter. I guess he has a much (or lack thereof) of how long term planning and budgetting works....there was an accountant on the mayor's committee who didn't understand that either. I guess these folks want us all to use up reserves and go wildly in to debt for generations to come - stupid economics!
PS is thgis Robinson related to the mayor's buddy Allan Robinson? Maybe it is all in the name.
I was going to suggest that as this Letter to the Editor writer doesn't have a clue about what he is talking about then perhaps he's a prime candidate for Tricky Ricky's Finance Committee?
Cause you can't have any financially savvy people on this committee can you? And that accountant that Tricky Ricky tapped, wasn't he retired, as at least 3 issues/axes to grind against the ToL and supported Green with money and time during the campaign? Why don't the local papers tell use the truth about these people Mr. Editor?
I like that horse shit comment posted by another here. Lots of horse shit in Langley these days, and not all of it is being shoveled away. Better clear the mayor's office pronto! Get Fox or Bateman to bring us some reality!
Maybe Mayor Green can appoint Joy Richardson as t
he official Township Manure Maiden? I think she would be good at that. She is a turn-coat (hugging up to the NDP during the provincial campaign) and she turns up at events and smiles at people that hate her guts. She could shovel lots of Tricky Ricky's political poop and keep her everlasting smile. The lights are on, but no one is home old joy!
Do we still not know how much Mayor Green's 2009 budget witch hunt cost us taxpayers? I heard that staff burned the midnight oil gather facts and figures for Green, Richter and the campaign supporters chosen by the mayor himself for this committee. All those meetings, papers and staff time. What did this cost us? I want to see an accounting of all that and wave it in Green and Richter's faces in the next election and at each and every All Candidates Meeting.
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