Another assault on our homeless

Dear editor: I just read the proposed good neighbour bylaw that our good mayor and council will consider in Monday’s council meeting. Apparently, it is not an early April Fool’s joke. I’m surprised it wasn’t called the “population control bylaw.”

Who comes up with such drivel? Has the city gotten any legal input on it? Are they out of their ever living minds?

These are rhetorical questions, of course, knowing it was the bylaw services manager under the ever so careful watch of the soondeparting city manager. What a great legacy he leaves — a potential trail of Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenges followed by potential civil suits against the city that will cost the taxpayers of Kelowna millions of dollars.

For all councillors that actually vote to approve this, it will prove once and for all that a brain is not a prerequisite of being elected to local government

The headlines are going to be great — “Kelowna mayor and council continue their assault on the homeless of Kelowna with further evidence of the desire to criminalize them.” The storyline will include gems such as: “we are going to treat the homeless worse than dogs — we won’t fine the dog for urinating on the street or in a park but we sure will fine the homeless chap.” For those mayor and council that are intending to run in the next election, they can double down and use the headlines as campaign platforms.

Make no mistake, the mayor can blame this on the city administration but the fact of the matter is that city administration does as directed by mayor and council. This bylaw proposal came straight from the top. Jim McMullan

Kelowna