Dude, watch your response.
It seems Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran has raised the ire of many local Facebook folks by the way he responded to a resident wanting to know the status of John Hindle Drive and the widening of Highway 97 through part of the city.
In his request to Basran, who he referred to as 害羞草研究所渕y dude,害羞草研究所� Easton Doran said work on nearly every major road project in Kelowna is 害羞草研究所渄iminishing害羞草研究所� his quality of life.
And he said he害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渄isgusted害羞草研究所� by what he feels is the city putting Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 economy first, tourism second and residents last.
害羞草研究所淐olin Basran, want to weigh in, my dude?害羞草研究所� Doran asked.
So Basran did. But many didn害羞草研究所檛 like his response.
He told Doran the two road projects asked about are being managed by the province.
害羞草研究所淏ut if it makes you feel better to bag on the city, I害羞草研究所檓 happy to be your punching bag,害羞草研究所� wrote the mayor. 害羞草研究所淪orry I害羞草研究所檝e made your life so miserable over the years.害羞草研究所�
Basran signed off saying: 害羞草研究所淎nd I害羞草研究所檓 not your dude.害羞草研究所�
Well, when the response害羞草研究所攚ithout Doran害羞草研究所檚 original email attached for context害羞草研究所攈it Facebook, the you-know-what hit the fan.
害羞草研究所淲hat an a**hole response,害羞草研究所� fumed Kathy Charlesworth. 害羞草研究所�(Basran) definitely needs to be called out on this one.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲ow, that害羞草研究所檚 awful. Someone who is an elected official should know better,害羞草研究所� exclaimed Ashley Palmer.
Others called Basran 害羞草研究所渦nprofessional,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渁rrogant害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渃ondescending.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗ow rude and defensive, mixed with sarcasm,害羞草研究所� wrote Juanita Straub.
Another writer, Sam Nichol, called Basran 害羞草研究所渁n entitled moron,害羞草研究所� who delivered a 害羞草研究所渢ypical douche response.害羞草研究所�
And the criticism went on害羞草研究所nd on害羞草研究所nd on.
The mayor did find one defender however.
Pat Fountain liked the response.
害羞草研究所淚f I had to listen to/read comments from every whiny little b***h with their First World problems, I害羞草研究所檇 have a bad day or two also. Get a life,害羞草研究所� wrote Fountain.
The exchange between the mayor and Doran害羞草研究所攐r rather the response to it害羞草研究所攊llustrates the bind every elected official, and public sector employee for that matter, faces. Whether they like it or not, they are always 害羞草研究所渙n,害羞草研究所� always a representative of the organization they work for.
In this day and age of social media and immediate public shaming, flipping off a constituent is never a smart move by a politician, not matter how annoyed he or she may be by the question, accusation or inquiry.
But what Basran wrote was not that bad. It was a direct response to what he was asked. Could he have been a little more tactful? Sure.
I was once told by a former high-ranking city official one of the biggest constraints he faced, given his job, was not being able to swear in Safeway. It may seem like a little thing to most, but it points to a larger issue. The higher your level of public accountability, the higher standard you are held to.
Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 mayor may want to remember that next time he gets a snarky email and wants to respond with an equally snarky tone of his own.
In other words; take the high road, dude.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News
