Not enough housing support for those in need
Re: “Damning audits of housing agencies under Eby’s watch,” March 28.
Les Leyne provides a compelling summary of the unfolding shocking B.C. Housing story, much of which occurred under Premier David Eby’s watch, first as housing minister and now as premier.
This happened during the rapid growth of the Crown corporation and its expanded mandate to work with public and private partners to build 114,000 housing units over the next decade.
The NDP government’s 30-point housing plan involves the allocation of a historic $7-billion investment in affordable housing, making B.C. Housing “one of North America’s largest housing developers.”
Freedom-of-information and privacy-protection laws provide cover for Eby to avoid disclosing the results of two forensic audits of housing agencies, and raises yet more questions.
When citizens are kept in the dark about how their tax dollars are being spent to “solve the housing and homelessness” crisis, this undermines their trust in elected officials.
Today, the real-estate and development industry represent almost 20 per cent of the province’s GDP. B.C. Housing’s multibillion-dollar developments (designed and built by the private sector and owned and managed by private, non-profit and co-op housing providers) suggest only a select few benefit from taxpayer support.
A glance at these new “public housing” projects reveals far less support for the most impoverished individuals and families. The B.C. Housing model has shifted its focus to “market rentals” and “middle-income housing” options, beyond the means of most working people or pensioners.
No wonder the real story of who’s emptying the public purse during a housing crisis remains shrouded in mystery.
Victoria Adams
Victoria
Governments must pick between ‘need’ and ‘nice’
The federal government has conceded in the new budget that bureaucracy is out of control and that they intend to try to save $15 billion by cutting its tentacles.
This unbridled growth is also a problem at provincial, municipal and regional governments.
Let us implore our politicians that the time is nigh to get at this onerous problem. When will they realize that “nice to have” instead of “need to have” is now beyond our fiscal capability?
J.F. Logan
Courtenay
Bring back facilities so our streets are safer
Instead of throwing cash around like there is no tomorrow, might Premier David Eby consider directing some of the supposed surplus on reopening or resurrecting mental facilities similar to the old Riverview or Essondale of the 1960s through 1980s?
These facilities are needed more than ever given the many “random” attacks happening on our streets. This may help the downtown safety issues before there is no downtown.
It would also, hopefully, allow the police to do their jobs better. It seems a majority of the current Victoria councillors have no solution (other than cutting night patrols) to the current concerns of safety in the downtown area, so maybe our premier can assist.
Wayne Messer
Saanich
Lack of airport access gives us special status
I believe Victoria is the only city of its size in the world without proper, frequent and reasonably priced public transportation to and from their airport. And we call ourselves a world-class tourist destination? Ridiculous.
Ruth McAllister
Victoria
Forget pet custody, who get the kids?
I applaud Attorney General Niki Sharma’s attempt to bring clarity to the issue of pet custody disputes in divorces.
I am sure government employees will put in countless hours of analysis, produce reports and come up with absolutely nothing of value in the process.
An issue that does deserve front-page attention is the current practice in child custody cases. The last figure I saw was that in child-custody disputes, men lost custody of their children in 82 per cent of the cases.
The attorney general can ignore the largest systemic discrimination in this country, but still manage to get a puff piece about pet custody in the media?
That is disgraceful. Why don’t children get the same consideration? Why don’t men get the same consideration?
How can such an obvious case of systemic discrimination be ignored? Where are all the human rights organizations? Where are the politicians falling over each other to guarantee gender equity? Where are the media?
I’m sorry for speaking about our country’s dirty little secret so openly.
Hopefully, I haven’t offended anyone. But I would like some answers.
Jeff Magee
Langford
Grassroots action is needed to save the planet
Re: “Saanich off on emission targets,” March 21.
It seems like a minor matter in a year of worldwide climate disasters. Saanich is on track to miss their climate target “of a 50 per cent reduction by 2030.”
Judging from my past 50 years in Saanich, most people will shrug their shoulders and get on with life.
But not for the Secretary General of United Nations. Antonio Guterres’s sad duty, once again, is to report that the time for failure and delay on climate is over.
In a voice verging on panic, he emphasized that the latest report of the International Panel on Climate Change finds we must act — urgently. Failure to act now more than threatens our happiness; it threatens the survival of our civilization.
We have run out of time for excuses.
Saanich is unlikely meet its targets and it warrants correction, not a shrug.
It means increased grassroots political action is called for, not just at the local Saanich level, but worldwide.
Climate is a common resource belonging to, and influenced by, all of humanity. Its protection requires joint action by all in a spirit of stewardship.
Gerald Walter
Saanich
Teach children about dental health strategies
Instead of the federal government providing welfare benefits (we cannot afford) for dental fillings and professional hygiene, perhaps they can give a complimentary state-of-the-art electric toothbrush, floss and an online class explaining how to maintain your oral health.
Children in any demographic need to understand the cardinal importance of maintaining their own health. They need to learn responsibly to prevent unspeakable pain and agony when teeth decay.
David Carlos
Saanichton
Museum closures and concern for the future
Ryan Hunt, director of the B.C. Museums Association, laments the closing of B.C. museums.
Why? In the case of Point Ellice House Museum, his first reason is that it robs the BCMA of an opportunity to display the dark side of colonization and “the O’Reilly family’s complicity in genocidal colonial policies.”
His other reasons, food production, flower growing and community events, are surely outside the remit of a museum per se.
It is right that we revise our historical interpretations. And that we make generous and genuine cultural redress in the cases of historical injustices (currently to our Indigenous hosts) by telling the whole truth in our museums. And there’s a wealth of Indigenous history to be revisited.
But there’s an existential conundrum for our museums here (and in Canada, Australia and New Zealand).
It is not just historical policies that are denounced but colonization itself. Yet every non-Indigenous heritage item in B.C. is the product directly or indirectly of British colonization and the European and Asian immigration that followed. In the immortal line from Rebel Without a Cause: “We are all involved.”
How is our past to be celebrated if the local visitors’ and tourists’ non-Indigenous heritage is colonialism and to be repudiated? What financial incentive will there be to maintain our non-Indigenous heritage sites?
Are popular B.C. museums as we have known them even possible anymore?
Prof. John W. Foster
Sidney
Use proper English on those new signs
Re: “Quadra-Hillside first to get reduced speed-limit signs,” March 29.
The City of Victoria is producing promotional lawn signs and window decals stating ”We go slow.”
Unfortunately, our city does not know how to use the King’s English. The word ”slow” modifies a verb and is therefore an adverb. Hence the signage should read “We go slowly.”
If this is the manner in which our council conducts itself, it foreshadows far more serious indications of ineptness on their part.
Shame on them.
Margot Todd
Victoria
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