Give it up!
written by yeahrite , July 22, 2008 (08:55:48 AM)

$25,000.00-whoopie ding! And Pat Bell has confidence in Mackenzie-along with a sum of money I consider an insult to the Autumn Lodge Society.
And UNBC researchers say a number of Mackenzie residents want to "age in place,' whatever that means. And just who are these researchers, and how did they arrive at that conclusion. Another spin?
You bet, they want to travel 125 miles each way to obtain adequate medical tests and treatment. They want to have the costs of overnight or longer stays in the city of Prince George for Doctor's appointments, or to accommodate a relatives stay while treatment takes place. Yep, they are delighted at paying higher costs for food, etc, and having limited entertainment facilities available. They should be delighted at the thought of stagnating in Mackenzie, called "aging in place." Maybe fine while good health is maintained, but not so nice when the call of the medical facilities in Prince George become a necessity.
Think ahead, and leave the retiring in Mackenzie to the brilliant politicians like Pat Bell-who appears to already need some form of treatment to get over trying to brainwash the residents there.
Anyone who takes stock in this spin better take it with a grain of salt. Or give your head a shake!

Some people's children...
written by Wolvan , July 22, 2008 (10:08:49 AM)

Yeahrite, are you completely daft?

They have been given $25,000 to build a plan for increased senior-housing. $25,000 for someone to see the specific need of senior-housing, and then build a plan around where such needs can be addressed either through new structures or renovations to current facilities.

Would you have been happier if they we're given $0 and told tough luck?

Also, a logical person would assume that if they are getting funding to draw up a plan for senior-housing, that additional funding would be provided to carry out the plan if it was deemed feasible.

As for "those researchers," they would be local professors, and I would imagine, students. You act as if it is some Machiavellian plan by the "intellectual and political elite" to deceive "ordinary" people.

Another thing - I am going to guess that quite a few seniors do, in fact, want to live the rest of their life in their home and neighbourhood. I know that if I had lived anywhere for an amount of time that I would like to stay there as well.

More senior-living accomodations will provide seniors with low and fixed incomes to continue to live in their neighbourhoods.

That is nothing but a good thing.

Funding for medical travel is a completely different topic however.

...
written by Buzz , July 22, 2008 (10:08:59 AM)

I'm giving my head a shake! Sounds like yeahrite has already done the study and can speak on behalf of the seniors in Mackenzie. I have no problem spending a bit of money to see a proper study done to REALLY determine what their needs are, and what sorts of future housing they may or may not need. (it's called fiscal responsibility, and it would completely unresponsible to just follow yeahrite's knee jerk opinions) I also see that yeahrite assumes the seniors in Mackenzie might all be brainwashed by Pat Bell...too bad they are all so stupid. I also understand from yeahrite's comments that UNBC researchers must all be putting a spin on their work...more stupid people I guess whom we shouldn't trust. Perhaps we should NOT do proper research anymore and just trust & listen to yeahrite, who seems to have exclusive access to the truth.

...
written by yeahrite , July 22, 2008 (12:19:17 PM)

Yikes-Buzz really sought to "take a strip off me." Oh, what a "sting."
I never assumed the seniors in Mackenzie were "brainwashed." Read the posting again-and grab a brain, along with that grain of salt.
I gather Buzz is an unhappy busy bee who just happens to be "aging in place."
Would be kind of nice if these brilliant researchers gave some concrete evidence to "back up" their findings.Yeah-include Bell.
I just feel sorry for the elderly who have to endure the 250 mile round trip for the medical attention which can definitely not be provided in Mackenzie. Harsh as it sounds-older people have a tendency to "wear out."
Personally, for those who wish to "age in place" in Mackenzie, or any out of the way community-all the best. Stay well. Now buzz off! Over and out!

Wolvan....
written by tombstone81 , July 22, 2008 (01:13:59 PM)

You make the comment..."You act as if it is some Machiavellian plan by the 'intellectual and political elite' to deceive 'ordinary' people"...as if it weren't true!!

The "intellectual and political elite" assured us (without bothering to solicit the input of us bothersome and apparently ignorant proletariat) that they knew best when it came to direct flights daily to Seattle! "Trust us, your tax dollars are safe with this gamble...the UBC marketing grads have spoken...you are too daft to know what's best for your town".

The "intellectual and political elite" also told us there were WMD's in Iraq, complete with doctored photos and everything. I could go on and on. What makes you (and Buzz) think that politicians and corporate leaders DON'T deceive en masse and with frequency in an effort to further their political and personal agendas? Wish I could live in your rose-colored world.

Given this government's track record with seniors, education, the homeless, etc...it is hardly "logical" as you say to assume anything, especially that the government will fund it even if it was by some miracle deemed viable. The reality is, this is a cheap political move to score some points with seniors in advance of an election, nothing more. The consultant making the $25K is probably Pat Bell's nephew or somebody close to one of Gordo's friends, looking for quick and easy money to write a 5-page report...nice summer work if you can get it.

Then when the government continues to do nothing for anybody in Mackenzie except throw some paltry carbon tax revenue at them, they will be able to point to the $25K consultant and say, "hey, don't blame us, the EXPERT said it wasn't worth it to spend millions of dollars on assisted senior housing in a soon-to-be ghosttown". Like the average Joe on the street wouldn't have been able to tell you that for free.

...
written by Buzz , July 22, 2008 (02:50:12 PM)

Hi Tombstone: I don't disagree with you at all that we've been lied to, deceived, and misled by SOME corporate leaders and politicians, including some huge world-wide issues as well as on a more local level. However, do you believe that just about ALL leaders are liars (etc.), as you seem to imply? I just can't and won't believe that, based on my own direct experiences and observations, as well as my hope that 'most' humans (including leaders and consultants) are good honest decent people who really do tell the truth and are trying to make this world a little better. I've recently worked with a large amount of seniors in PG, and they want and demand that their views are heard and respected. So shift over to Mackenzie...are you suggesting that the seniors there should be ignored, or would you patronize them as you have with your last paragraph and dismiss their input because someone like you already has the final truth about Mackenzie? (Remember Tumbler Ridge?...it too was a ghost town, written off by many) You suggest I live in a rose coloured world. Why do you assume I'm so shallow (and I assume anyone else with views contrary to yours), just because I happen to have a great deal of respect for the same people that you so distrust and despise? As far as your comment about the government's track record with seniors, it's apparant to me that you don't know much about what's going on with seniors - some excellent work & progress going on both behind the scenes as well as in a more public manner. NO, the governments record is far from perfect, but that doesn't discount the very real and positive progress that's being made right now. So perhaps this latest Mackenzie study is going to be total crap, but maybe it's not. You automatically go to the 'crap/don't trust' side of the scale, I automatically go to the 'good/trust' side of the scale, so perhaps we're both wrong and need to move closer to the middle, because neither one of us really knows yet!?!

Buzz
written by tombstone81 , July 22, 2008 (03:55:14 PM)

I admit that a lot of comments on any topic are written for effect and, as such, must purposely discount a lot of the good things that governments can do (let's face it...neutral observations make for bland debates and forum chit-chat). That said, however, I think it's more a case of "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...etc"). How many incidents of corruption (Rich Coleman and WFP, BC Rail sale, again I could go on and on) do you need to see before you stop automatically going to that "GOOD/TRUST" side of the ledger? Just because you happen to be personal friends with a few local councillors or MLA's (and I'm sure they're just fine people in the pub or on the golf course), doesn't mean that when they get into those "in camera" meetings that are closed to the public they don't try to look after themselves, friends and insiders first and the general public second. And even if they aren't that underhanded...most of them to a man (or woman) don't have the balls to stand up for their principles or their constituents while they see and smell the corruption unfold right in front of them as plain as a 9-foot stack of manure in the center of the room. Instead they sheepishly raise their hand, go along with the leader and ensure that they're jobs and pensions are protected first...then study their PR-flack issued press release so they can memorize the BS lines they've been told to feed the media and the public. I know you're not that naive, Buzz, you're a smart guy and you know how politics work behind the scenes.

As for seniors, well, I'm not one...so I can't claim to know more than what I have read in the papers or seen on TV...but you'll pardon me for being skeptical when all of a sudden as it gets closer to election time they want to start throwing some pin money at seniors in northern BC...whereas it was only a few years ago that the government was shutting down care centers and splitting up 80-90 year old couples who literally died shortly after they were moved apart due to a callous and uncaring right-wing government.