I've temporarily rebranded this blog "Rubis for Council" and here I'll address the issues that drive you. Dig through the archives and you'll find the issues that drive me.
And so, to kick off , here's "Who I Am" and "What I Believe"
Rob Rubis, Candidate
for Councillor for the Town of Princeton
A Local Boy:
- Born (in the old PGH)
- Raised on the family farm down the Old Hedley Road
- Educated from K-12 in the old Princeton Elem/Sec School (the “new” Strip Mall)
A Family Man, with;
·
A supportive
wife and partner of 15 years.
·
A five-year-old
son starting Kindergarten in the fall and a daughter expected in September.
·
Long-term
Princeton ties (Mother Elsie a 3rd-gen Princetonite; Father
John arrived in 1932).
·
A political
legacy here (John Rubis served as Councillor 1987-90 and Mayor from
1990-93)
A
Global Citizen, having;
·
Attended both
UBC (B.SC, Teaching Certificate & Librarian Credentials) and SFU (M.ED,
Computers in Education), as well as pursuing coursework in Educational
Technology and Leadership at USC (U of S California, San Diego) and SUNY (State
University of NY)
·
Held summer
mining jobs on Vanc Island, in the BC Rockies and North Interior, and on Baffin
Island.
·
Labored in the
Forest Industry in Princeton (bush work) and Quesnel (river drive and plywood
plant)
·
Lived in and
assimilated the finer aspects of Buddhist culture through 25 years of life in
Thailand.
·
Met the public
as a waiter in Vancouver and Toronto, Ontario and a cabbie in Toronto.
·
Served as a School
Teacher-Librarian in Quesnel, Abbotsford, Tripoli, Libya and Bangkok, Thailand
·
Taught
elementary school in Princeton (John Allison School), Quesnel and Abbotsford.
A “Doer”. I have;
- Managed school libraries of up to 50,000 items with budgets in excess of $250,000.
- Planned/implemented technological and social upgrades to library systems on 3 continents
- Supervised (hiring & evaluating) teacher and support staffs of up to 20 over a 20 yr period
- Administered Summer Session learning programs for over 400 students
An Environmentalist, having;
·
Promoted
sustainable living practices with students k-12 throughout my teaching career.
·
Returned to
Princeton from Bangkok to “walk the talk” of reducing my carbon
footprint.
·
Commented on social,
educational and environmental issues online at
·
Written a novel
based on a “business as usual” scenario with regard to the environment. “Look
inside the book” & Kindle edition at; http://www.amazon.com/Mai-Shangri-Robert-J-Rubis/dp/1434861627# _
WHAT I BELIEVE
I believe that;
1.
Global Warming is a real and accelerating
phenomenon demanding the attention of every citizen of the planet. The effects of
Global Climate Change from Global Warming will likely include higher snowfall,
larger runoff, increased storm frequency and severity and greater disruption of
electricity, gas and retail supply deliveries. In view of this ;
·
Canada is the best place in the world to live, raise a family and work to restore a
sustainable future.
2.
A Global Economic Recession, possibly another
Great Depression is almost inevitable, during which time communities will be
pressed to meet the economic and social needs of their citizens. In view of this:
·
Princeton IS the future: a small, collaborative but self-reliant
community of individualists pursuing a sustainable future for family but
willing to work collectively for the greater good of the community.
3. During the years ahead, small communities will be
hard-pressed to maintain community services (e.g. ER and Hospital services),
promote sustainable development (e.g. rdos Economic Development Plan, Sustainable
Similkameen Project and Similkameen Valley Planning Society projects) and research growth opportunities (e.g.
Fortis Similkameen River hydro project proposal, National Park proposal, new
tourism initiatives). In view of this:
·
The next Town Council will need to be
collaborative, committed, creative and perhaps prescient in leadership of and responsibility to the people
of Princeton.
If elected as
your new Town Councillor, I pledge to:
·
Work diligently within the current Town Council
structure to move forward on current
issues including;
o
Resolving
the Emergency Room dilemma &
o
Addressing
the Urban Deer Problem
·
Advocate for and contribute constructively
to action on “Next” Council Priorities including;
o
Updating
the Economic Development Strategy for the Okanagan Similkameen
o
Reviewing
and Revising a Recreational Master Plan
·
Support initiatives that;
o
Enhance
the area’s economic viability in the event of widespread economic recession or
depression
o
Reverse our
population decline by enhancing the social support systems for an aging
citizenry
o
Ensure Disaster
Preparedness Planning is in step with global economic and environmental realities.
In
short, I have;
The
Experience –
to serve with a fresh perspective, attention to detail and a “Big Picture” view.
The
Passion
– to infuse Town
Council with energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to completion.
The
Training –
to bring a Creative Intuition, a Collaborative Mindset and a Team ethic to the
table.
The
Wisdom -
to Listen First, think, check and evaluate next, and respond based on full
understanding of the issues.
Vote Rob Rubis for Councillor
