Dave Stein, councillor candidate for Keremeos
What are your views with respect to village and responsibilities regarding transient farm workers and their needs?
The migrant workers and there needs should be the responsibility of the orchardists who use them. Therefore relocation to an area closer to the orchards in Cawston would make it more convenient for them and the orchard owners.The problem with transients is that even the farm workers don’t want them around. They show up with very little and aren’t here to work.Maybe a look at the old vagrancy laws is in order?
What kind of industry (if any) would you like to work towards attracting to Keremeos?
Industry in Keremeos? When I hear the word industry I think of huge smokestacks and big business moving in to take over our town. This is not why people have moved here for there retirement. Small business is what we need.Maybe an automobile body shop or an actual campground (R.V.) style down by the redi-mix plant might be able to keep some people in town long enough to spend some tourist dollars.
Do you have any suggestions or initiatives you would like to pursue to improve small business in Keremeos?
Small business has to run itself. The village cannot be seen to help one kind of business and neglect another. If a group of like businesses wanted to create a way to showcase their goods we might be able to help. But to help one type of business succeed and not another would be unfair.
Do you have any original thoughts on tax reduction for Keremeos tax payers?
What are your views with respect to village and responsibilities regarding transient farm workers and their needs?
Unfortunatly as of yet I don’t know where your tax dollars are being spent so I will not and cannot comment on any tax reduction.Hopefully taxes will not go up and services will remain the same for a number of years and we can find some extra money to create a rainy day fund (e.g.) waste water upgrade, side street repair etc. etc...