Gang holds up council, steals park and money

Editor: On Tuesday, witnesses watched in horror as a tough Tourism Kelowna gang targeted and mugged an unconscious Kelowna city council and stole an estimated $12 million worth of taxpayer assets, including land and cash, for a new clubhouse.

The gang told council to hand over $4.5 million for site improvements; waterfront parkland with an estimated $4-million replacement value; an estimated $3 million needed to demolish and rebuild the seawall, relocate the existing boat ramp, conduct engineering, geotechnical and environmental work; and $500,000 to service the site with sewer, water and electricity. Council never fought back. The Tourism Kelowna gang got away clean, leaving no hope of taxpayers recovering the loot for 30 years. Taxpayers had no insurance and must pay for the entire $12-million loss from future taxation.

This is not the first time the Tourism Kelowna gang has targeted council.

Each year, for 15 years, they have taken $350,000 from taxpayers to fund an escalating addiction to public money.

Each year since 2012, the gang has taken $1.6 million in hotel room taxes from the city.

In 2014, they snatched another $40,000 from taxpayers for a concept design for their new waterfront clubhouse. In 2016, they forced council to raise the hotel room tax again.

City staff estimate the gang will net $2 million in 2017 and $3 million in 2018 from hotel room taxes.

“They’re just blow that money on themselves,” said one source. The gang claims to be a non-profit society representing 320 business members and their goal is to increase business revenues. In 2011, the gang claimed its member companies received revenues of $270 million from tourists.

After Tuesday’s holdup, Mayor Colin Basran claimed council was compelled to give the gang what it wanted because the gang runs a powerful $1-billion-a-year enterprise in the city.

He claimed that giving them less was not an option.

To his credit, only Coun. Charlie Hodge said “No” to the gang during the holdup.

Basran never said why the Tourism Kelowna gang refused to use their hotel room tax money to lease commercial space for a clubhouse across the street from the park. He never acknowledged this option would have saved taxpayers $12 million.

Many taxpayers believe the Tourism Kelowna gang infiltrated council. Coun. Brad Sieben, the ex-head of the Tourism Kelowna gang, is believed to have planned the heist before his 2014 council election. His family is involved in many tourismrelated businesses.

Said another witness, “This holdup is troubling. Mayor Basran must protect taxpayers from this gang’s growing addiction to public assets. How many other gangs are lurking in the shadows of City Hall waiting to pounce?” Richard Drinnan, Kelowna