The City of Prince George, whether you be speaking of the city municipal offices or the city itself, is becoming a running joke. Recently, some of the stories printed in the local press have found their way to some of my friends through social media, friends who used to live here. They and I are appalled at the complete lack of competence being shown in the upper echelons of the city's bureaucracy when it comes to the continued siphoning of taxpayer dollars.
No company, no private or public-owned entity, should be allowed to operate with the continued overbudget projects, cost overruns and bloated salaries paid to those who really do not know what they are doing or have an actual vested interest in Prince George.
Prince George, in some of its employers, has become a go-to destination for those who wish to pad their resumes, spend a few years where the cost of living is relatively low and hold the likes of the city, UNBC and our hospital for ransom, taking ridiculous wages, showing zero accountability and having no intention of staying for more than the time necessary to stake a claim elsewhere.
Surely I am wrong in this assumption, as I know UNBC, and the hospital much better than my previous thoughts would portend, however, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how anyone at the city above a certain pay grade can keep their current job, let alone get a new one and use their work here in a resume.
When the old Multiplex was built, it cost the city $21.7 million, which in 2018 dollars, equates to around $33million. Now, we have a parking lot exceeding 22 million. How? Why?
It seems as though every project is well overbudget, there is no plan to bring businesses to the downtown, only UNBC research offices, union offices, First Nations and government offices, and as in the case with Victoria Street, a massive glass shop that would be found in an industrial center in any other city. I'm not against any of these, but they go against the three mainstays of a vibrant downtown - entertainment, residential, and retail.
Fix things within city hall, please, and stop raising taxes to pay for mistakes, and incompetence, get some fiscal responsibility. You're bleeding us dry.
Maybe the citizens of Prince George should consider a tax strike!
Mike Maslen
Prince George
