Thank you

Congratulations to everyone who was elected. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and supported me. I'll be back!

Thank you

Thank you everyone for all of your encouragement and support. This was a fabulous experience. Please vote tomorrow.

Susanne

GET OUT AND VOTE

TOMORROW, Saturday, November 15th, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. is:
ELECTION DAY
Email or call your friends, family, neighbours.
Give them a ride, a piggy back or bus fare
And get out to vote.
Get three people out to vote and ask them to get three more people out to vote.
And, by the way, vote: Flukinger, Susanne
Thanks for your support.
Where to vote:
8 am to 8 pm, Saturday, November 15
Stuart Wood Elementary School 245 St. Paul Street
NorKam Secondary School 730 12th Street
Lloyd George Elementary School 830 Pine Street
John Tod Elementary School 435 McGowan Avenue
Parkcrest Elementary School 2170 Parkcrest Avenue
George Hilliard Elementary School 985 Holt Street
Westmount Elementary School 745 Walkem Road
Beattie Elementary School 492 McGill Road
Aberdeen Elementary School 2191 Van Horne Drive
South Sahali Elementary School 1585 Summit Drive
Dufferin Elementary School 1880 Hillside Drive
Ralph Bell Elementary School 1764 Valleyview Drive
Marion Schilling Elementary School 2200 Park Drive
Dallas Elementary School 296 Harper Road
Robert L. Clemitson Elementary School 5990 Todd Road
Arthur Stevenson Elementary School 2890 Bank Road
Westsyde Secondary School 855 Bebek Road
Rayleigh Elementary School Puett Ranch Road
Heffley Creek Elementary School Heffley Creek


sflukinger@shaw.ca
250-554-4771

Hazards of the Campaign Trail

Now the birds are flocking to me. Out door knocking again today when a bird flew right into me. We were both alright, just a little startled.

AN ATTITUDE OF WELCOME

Whether it is a first impression for a visitor at a local restaurant or a business needing permits from city hall, Kamloops needs to present itself with enthusiasm and a desire to serve.

Many travelling to our city comment on the friendly greetings they receive from locals. Kamloopsians are friendly and that is an important part of selling ourselves. If a visitor comes through and is served by a waiter with a toothache, who had a fight with his girlfriend and takes it out on the customer, the visitor will judge our entire city on that first and, sometimes, only encounter. We all matter. We can make a difference.

The SuperHost program is good training and it should be offered far and wide within our community. Let’s require it and even offer incentives to those who take it. Plus, continue with refresher courses and upgrading.

Let’s expand this attitude of service throughout city council and city hall. We have many good people on council and on staff, but again, one difficult encounter will paint the entire experience. We should all take training or refresher courses on service. When a citizen needs to work through the business process or construction permit process we need to remember they are not doing us a favour, we are there to serve them and help make the process as simple, straightforward and pleasant as possible.

All of this means giving that little extra, the smile, the, “How can I help you,” and the follow through. The City of Kamloops may be a non-profit business but a successful business is based on service. Let’s serve with excellence. Thank you to the many who do. Let’s keep getting better.

STORMY ECONOMIC TIMES AND GROWTH

Fear can do more damage than financial crisis. Kamloops is going to be hit by waves of the financial storm but we are in a good place to face it. We have experienced healthy growth. Our employment market, housing sales and construction have done well. Tourism has seen growth. We have a well maintained city with good infrastructure.
Nevertheless this is a time to control spending, pursue absolute needs but postpone wants. With five teenagers we often have to determine between needing and wanting an expensive new toy. It is a time to limit tax increases to the necessities.
At the same time we must actively pursue new industry, small business and investment.
We have the vehicles in place. Venture Kamloops is an organization with the skilled staff to attract business. We need to provide them with the resources to lobby for funding. We need to work with Thompson Rivers University. They are promoting our city around the world. We need to introduce people to Kamloops through tourism and the Tournament Capital program.
That is often our biggest challenge, introducing people to the quality of life in this city. But once they are exposed to it, Kamloops sells itself.

Substance and Fluff

SUBSTANCE AND FLUFF
Michelle Young wrote an interesting column. She was talking about the clichés we candidates are using and the lack of substance or concrete solutions to problems. I agree. I think part of the problem is that there are so many candidates and at a forum we each have four minutes to get out our message and answer questions. Not a lot of time for details. I, for one, will try to do better.
Although the Daily News gave us 300 words for three questions, other queries and polls are limited to one sentence or a yes or no answer.
The real solution means more leg work for the voter. Contact us, the candidates, with your questions and find out our ideas and solutions.

Enthusiastic Supporter

Thinking about it, I am sure the dog was just an enthusiastic fan leaping to meet his favourite council candidate. He wasn't lunging at all...

hazards of the campaign trail

I am really enjoying door knocking. I am meeting so many wonderful people who love Kamloops. They each know of things to improve, but overall people are so positive about this place we call home. Little did I know the hazards of the campaign trail. I am typing this with my arm in a cast...a broken elbow and a broken wrist. The result of an enthusiastic dog lunging at me. I like to think he was an enthusiastic supporter who got carried away. Anyway I'll keep on going. This is an amazing experience.

Student and low cost rental housing

There is a need for rental units at a reasonable rate. This is especially true for students at TRU. We have many “in-law” suites in the community. These cannot be rented legally but do offer an option for student housing. In a question posed to me by Kamloops This Week I was asked if I supported legalizing all secondary suites in the city. I responded yes but I may not have listened to the question correctly. Some suites have serious building or electrical issues. All owners of secondary suites should have the option of legalizing them. We need to offer a framework for requiring existing suites to be brought up to a standard, inspected and, if they pass that inspection they could be rented as legal suites.

Why am I running for Kamloops City Council and why should you vote for me?

I’m Susanne Flukinger

I’m a hockey mom, an artistic director, a writer and a business woman. Some people would say I’m a great example of a Kamloops resident – I love sports, the arts and working with people. As a mother of 5, I’ve learned to budget and to know the difference between “wanting” and “needing” an expensive new toy. My strengths are my ability to work well with others, my long-time association with a broad base of Kamloops residents and my experience as a director and producer of one of the city’s largest volunteer events.
My reasons for running as a city councilor are my passions – children, arts, sports and the great way of life we have in this community. I want to be part of a team that works to maintain the lifestyle of Kamloops while continuing to grow the city in a managed way that allows business to flourish and residents to enjoy affordable, healthy and safe environment.

Know who you are voting for: About me

You can check my profile to know the facts but what makes me who I am probably has more to do with my life experiences.
I grew up in the Montreal and Toronto areas. A couple of years after my dad died (I was 13 when he died) we moved to Kamloops. At that time I moved from the hustle and bustle of a big school where I was Student Council President to the small town of Kamloops and the even smaller school of Westsyde Secondary. Other than the incredible geography, I was not impressed with Kamloops. After graduating I worked in Kamloops for a year before attending SFU. I returned to Kamloops and worked at the Kamloops Daily Sentinel for a year before I met Dan, (in town playing at the David Thompson in the band Patriot, not the most illustrious beginnings but our relationship is still solid and thriving after 29 years of marriage).
We moved to the States and made a decided we needed a change in our lives. We decided that we needed more than smoky bars and that God would be at the centre of any decisions we made. We ended up part of a church staff and helped produce a major outdoor passion play in Washington state for several years. When it was again time to redirect our lives we took a summer and travelled through 38 states and 8 provinces before we chose to settle in Kamloops. Kamloops had grown up a bit and so had I, this time I loved it.
We were raised to contribute to our community. We all volunteer but that has also affected our career choices. For example, my sister, Jennifer Gore is manager of the Kamloops SPCA, my uncle, Gordon Gore launched the Big Little Science Centre . My mother, Betty May Gore worked on a church staff for many years. Dan and I were part of church staff teams as well as volunteering for a number of organizations over the years. My children also began volunteering at a very young age. (We'll save that for another post).
Here we launched our business and later became part of a local church staff where we again presented a passion play. This time we wrote, produced and directed it for 15 years along with hundreds of amazing volunteers. It became one of the largest and longest running productions of its kind. It came time to end it (at least for a while) and move on to other things.
During this time we also decided to begin a family and after a while we realized we would build our family through adoption. What amazing experiences we have had. Our first son arrived through a private adoption. It was love at first sight. One moment I was shopping at, then, Overwaitea, then a phone call and the next hour I had my son in my arms! He is an amazing young man who has grown up volunteering all over Kamloops. We travelled to Haiti to adopt Danielle and Marshall as infants. This was during the coup of 1991. We travelled down there with other families believing the paperwork was completed and all we had to do was pick up our children. We arrived to find that crucial signatures still had to be secured and Haiti was in a state of turmoil. Eventually we did get the necessary signatures and flew out on the last plane to Canada for a month. Marshall had pneumonia three times before he was two and Danielle arrived home so sick she was in the hospital the next day. She spent most of her first two year on antibiotics. Now she is a member of the BC figure skating team.
Our youngest two, Tyrine and Monique arrived through the Ministry of Children and Families as special needs children. Their birthmother had a very difficult life that ended early because of a drug overdose. She longed to kick the drugs that held her prisoner but unfortunately she wasn't able to do that before they killed her. The good news is that we have two beautiful girls and close ties with their birth family.
During the past few years we have faced other challenges. On Labour Day weekend, 2005 our home burned down. Not only did we lose almost all of our belongings but our precious pets died in the fire as well. Thankfully none of us were hurt. The people of Kamloops were truly amazing during that time surrounding us with strength and support that helped us go forward. During that same year we faced several health issues, 5 surgeries amongst us, way too many deaths in the family and declining health of family members. It was a difficult time. Thanks to strength from God and through the wonderful people he surrounded us with we came out of that time of our lives stronger and more determined to go forward. Our children have an understanding and strength that amazes me as well. We now have a beautiful home and the very special mantle on our fireplace reminds me of a very important message. It is made of beetle wood, denim wood. In other words, wood made from trees destroyed by pine beetles. It is beautiful. Out of devastation and destruction has come something beautiful.
I want my time and energy to make a difference for someone. My children are getting older and more independent and it was time to resume a career. What did I want to do? That's when I decided I couldn't think of anything I would rather do that serve the people of this awesome city. Yes, give something back. Help to make an already good city even better, so I am running for Kamloops City Council.

SAFETY

A common concern comes up when I talk with the people of Kamloops. It may not be there first concern but it is usually on the list...safety. Safety in the downtown core, safety in the parks, safety in their neighbourhoods, and safety on the north shore.
Regardless of whether statistics say we are improving or not, people don't feel as safe.
We face a few challenges in this area including the inability to get as the number of RCMP we have budgeted for in our city. Other issues include the behaviour of probably a small group of youth and young adults and the need for drug addicts to find money to support their habit.
We are not the only city facing this issue and several have tried to varying degrees of success to address the issue.
One plan I am interested in and have spent time on the internet and on the phone talking with the City of Nanaimo about their Safer Nanaimo program. I think there is so much in that plan we could learn from, use, adapt and work on. Indeed a few in our city are pursuing the concept.
The results are impressive. They have decreased homelessness from 300 people to 65. They have reduced problems like tagging, vagrancy and vandalism by 75 % according to their statistics. Panhandling is not allowed. The program is not just affecting the downtown but neighbourhoods throughout the city are safer.
And talking to Randy Churchill at City Hall in Nanaimo, they now believe they have failed if they have to issue a ticket or penalize for activities such as panhandling. They work at solving the problem that led to the pandhandling in the first place.
How do they do this? They started with a team of people from council, city hall, social support agencies, the downtown business association, the RCMP. They approached the problem from both the enforcement and the support sides. They pursued funding and programs to provide low income housing. Funding is out there and the types of housing needed are varied and specific. (More on what's needed here in a future blog). They have bylaws working along side the RCMP to provide a presence and enforcement of minor issues allowing the RCMP to deal with the more serious crimes. I believe we could also work with businesses and communities to involve private security in this matter.
Does it sound idealistic, yes, but the people I have talked to in Nanaimo are very enthusiastic about the program because they see the results.
I would love to claim I came up with the idea, but as the saying goes, why reinvent the wheel. I do believe we can learn from them, change, adapt and make it work for Kamloops. I want to be a part of that program.

People love Kamloops. That is what I hear again and again when I call, knock on doors and meet people on the street. People really like living here. That is a good feeling. I think our present and past city councils have done a good job. I want to be a part of the next team that will make this an even better place to live. People love the facilities, especially the tournament capital facilities. Visitors think our dowtown is a really nice looking downtown with a good selection of businesses and services. I think the people are the best. Second to none. That is what truly makes Kamloops the place to be...the people. Give yourselves a hand. You are awesome.

How you could help with my campaign

campaigns cost money. I am hesitant to approach people to help with the expenses because I ask so many of you to support Danielle's figure skating dreams. However, if anyone wants to invest in this aspect of the democratic process and support me, I would appreciate your help.

Another area I could use help is with door knocking. It is recommended that you take someone with you when you go door knocking. If you are interested in taking at 2 hour stroll (mostly on weekdays) let me know.

One other area I could use help is with making phone calls...to people you know. If you have a list of 10, 25 or more people that you could call and talk to them about my bid for Kamloops City Council and tell them why you think they should vote for me, that would help. Let me know and I will provide you with some information.

Let’s address a few questions that you might have…

Why do you want to be a City of Kamloops Councillor?

I love and appreciate this city. It is the home where we are bringing up our family. Before we settled in Kamloops, Dan and I travelled through 38 states and 8 provinces and chose Kamloops as the place we wanted to live. Kamloops is already a fantastic place. I want to make it even better.

I find it very fulfilling to work for a cause that is bigger than me. I am passionate about this city and the amazing people who live here. Just over three years ago our home burned down. The people of this city rallied around us offering us comfort and strength. When travelling I have told many people about the support we experienced after that disaster and over and over again they have told me they have good people too but you would never get that kind of support in their town or city. Kamloops truly is a special place. It would be an honour to serve on city council.


What could you contribute to Kamloops City Council?

Kamloops City Council should be made up of people from different walks of life, different stages and ages; people who bring a variety of life experiences to the table. Some returning councilors and some new people create an effective team. One thing each of these people must have in common is a desire to work towards a better Kamloops.

I believe I could contribute to this team with creativity, determination and a team work ethic. Now those are general terms. What do I mean by that? First of all solving problems often takes creativity. You don’t give up until you find a solution. Ignoring the challenge is not an option. I believe in working at it and bringing different minds and ideas together until the challenge is overcome. This takes determination. It means don’t give up easily. Sometimes the obvious answer or solution is not the best; sometimes we have to keep working at it until we find something that works for everyone. All of this takes teamwork. That means respecting the people we work with; in this case the other councilors and mayor, the City of Kamloops employees and, most of all, the citizens of Kamloops.

What would you do for Kamloops?

Several issues are facing the City of Kamloops now. First of all we have some first rate infrastructure particularly the Tournament Centre facilities and the water treatment plant. More infrastructure is and will be needed. Right now there are several important issues that need to be addressed. These include:

· Safety downtown, on the north shore and throughout the city.
· Housing for students, low income citizens and those who find themselves homeless. Continuing to work on this issue will address many other issues as well.
· Accessibility and cost of youth activities. We need to continue to make this a city that attracts families
· Diversity of business and industry to create economic stability
Not just stability, we want a thriving economy!
· When people come to the city they are usually impressed. That needs to continue by:
Capitalizing on the tourism traffic flow through the city
Build on Kamloops at the Tournament Capital of Canada
· Access and support for senior citizens. They are a growing and thriving group in our community.
· Community support for those facing challenges with disabilities, different abilities, mental illness, addiction and many more. Creating a city that is supportive of those who need a little extra makes us stronger.
· Continue to develop the relationship with Thompson Rivers University and the Kamloops Indian Band.
· Public transportation. This is important for many groups in our community and a good but small step towards doing less damage to our environment
· Continuing to look at how we can reduce our carbon footprint and improve our environment

Coming Soon

Check back soon! Blog to be updated shortly!

Contact: sflukinger@shaw.ca