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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
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www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 26, NO. 43
By KaRl yu
THE NEwS BULLETiN
See ‘REPORT’ /3
250.390.1871
Mayoral race draws veterans
Poverty flagged in new report Nanaimo’s first Vital Signs annual checkup was released Tuesday and according to the report, poverty is an issue that concerns residents. Compiled in partnership with the Nanaimo Foundation, United Way, City of Nanaimo and Island Savings, Vital Signs identifies trends and measures the health of Nanaimo. Between July and August, more than 900 respondents took part in a survey providing letter grades to a number of Nanaimo areas. The study also included the most current statistics from such organizations as Statistics Canada, the province, the city and Island Health. The study showed that 38.2 per cent of residents were not earning a living wage as of 2010, and 17.3 per cent of Nanaimoites had incomes below the after-tax poverty rate as of 2012. Additionally, the gap between rich and poor received one of the lowest grades with a C-.
Page 12
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koRpAn, RUTTAn declare intentions to run.
By TamaRa Cunningham THE NEwS BULLETiN
KARL YU/The News BULLeTiN
Stair climbers
James Datoff, left, and Robyn Allen were some of the students and employees at Vancouver Island University who took part in the Storm the Stairs challenge on campus on Wednesday morning. Teams climbed the stairs beginning near the student union building all the way to the top of the campus in a relay-style race.
Former Nanaimo mayor Gary Korpan isn’t pulling punches in the fight for the mayor’s seat, calling council a fiasco of fighting, quasi-political parties, and its leadership and guidance “all over the map.” Korpan, one of the longest-serving municipal politicians in Nanaimo’s history, threw his hat into the mayoral race on Wednesday along with incumbent Mayor John Ruttan. According to Korpan, the city needs teamwork and an end to a “spending spree.” He is promising to launch a full audit of city operations and organizations that receive subsidies from local government, as well as look into a clawback for $4.6 million committed to the Port Theatre’s studio project. “People are sick and tired of wasteful spending and I am going to stop the spending spree that’s been going on with this council,” he said. Korpan served on city council for 24 years, including five terms as mayor before losing to Ruttan in 2008. He also had an unsuc-
cessful run for council in 2011, landing 15th in the vote count. This year Korpan is looking to return to the top job, pointing out he has a record of negotiating with senior levels of government and he’s not afraid to make decisions. He also vows to open up the issue of the departure of former city manager Jerry Berry and other senior staff and says if tax money was used to cover abusers he is going to “sue those bastards and we’re gonna get the money back to the taxpayers.” Ruttan announced he’s seeking a third term as mayor. In a statement to the media, he said the previous six years have him well positioned to continue the work of council and that this is an exciting time for Nanaimo with interest from foreign and local investors. “I am anxious to continue working with council and staff to ensure that our new growth is managed in a careful and prudent manner,” he said. “I am truly appreciative of all the support that I have received over the last six years and assure you of my sincere interest to provide the best municipal government to our Nanaimo taxpayers in the coming years.” For more mayoral candidates, please see page 3. news@nanaimobulletin.com