3079 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

From Stephen Andrew's Facebook page:

I promise not to use any city resources for my 2022 Mayoral campaign including email addresses received as a councillor...

I wonder if he was thinking of anyone specifically when he wrote this?

[Mike K.]

I’m hearing something is afoot on the email front at City Hall. We will learn more soon.

[Nparker]

I doubt it will involve a public apology from a certain council member, so meh.

[spanky123]

From Stephen Andrew's Facebook page:

I wonder if he was thinking of anyone specifically when he wrote this?

 

Email use by politicians is nothing new. I emailed my MLA once and now I am spammed all of the time by the NDP asking me for $$$.

Edited by spanky123, 20 December 2021 - 08:45 AM.

[Awaiting Juno]

The alternatives to Together Victoria need to become more active on social media as the digital mob has a way of making things look somewhat different from what might actually be reality. We've seen this with engagement endeavours from the city - where it appears certain groups easily get their members to participate while the average sits out, unless made aware of the consequences of doing so. (I think this explains the difference between this year's budget engagement and previous year's engagements). At any rate - they are very active on social media and it gives the appearance of social license that may not actually exist. The hard thing: they're a swarm of sealions and if you happen to voice a view other than what they deem appropriate, they'll attempt to ratio that view to make it appear as though it's offside. Basically: it's their narrative or no narrative, and if we want balance, we need to start telling our side of the story, and supporting those who do.

[Nparker]

...they are very active on social media...

Most of them probably have nothing better to do.

[Mike K.]

Governments provide services and place significant investment into senior needs, because seniors are vulnerable and we have a social duty to support the most vulnerable members of our society. But now we have a movement trying to paint seniors as a wealthy class undeserving of supports and services to the degree we’ve traditionally provided them, and the 20-40 group is painted as a socially and economically deprived under-class.

Seniors vote, so governments respond to their needs. That’s what’s driving the TV movement, the thinking that by getting involved in politics to a much higher degree, governments will respond to the groups which are politically organized. And they’re absolutely right.

[Awaiting Juno]

Rob Gillezau has come out against the Home Owner Grant, at the same time CMHC proposes a tax on equity for principal residences. Want to know where the political lines in the sand are: look at who is in favour and against these things.

[m3m]

The CMHC is not proposing that tax.

All the CMHC did was provide partial funding to an independent research organization which produced a report which included that idea as one of several proposals.

[spanky123]

The CMHC is not proposing that tax.

All the CMHC did was provide partial funding to an independent research organization which produced a report which included that idea as one of several proposals.

 

Agreed but usually the way these types of grants work is that the agency shops the report they want written and then funds the group willing to do it.

[rjag]

They also do this to gauge public reaction. No different than when all the media were talking about Mark Carney running etc....its all about polling and gauging reaction to potential policy changes.

 

This is dead in the water as Horgan will never let it fly....its far too divisive and attacks a voter base that votes in higher numbers than most. 

[Nparker]

...This is dead in the water as Horgan will never let it fly....its far too divisive and attacks a voter base that votes in higher numbers than most. 

If the CMHC funded the study, isn't it more of a federal issue?

[Mike K.]

Meanwhile the province is trying to help more people buy into the market with projects like Haven, and we’re supposed to believe they then want to turn around and make homeownership more financially trying?

As juicy as a capital gains tax on primary residences would be or raising taxes on homeowners might be a great talking point by advocates, if the goal of society is to have more people owning their homes than renting their homes, penalizing homeownership through additional taxes sounds like a counterproductive pursuit, doesn’t it?

Equity in a residence takes many years to build. Unless the market moves up in a big way, anyone selling within a five year period is likely to be in near or close to near negative territory. If you start factoring in additional taxes it’s game over.

[A Girl is No one]

Meanwhile the province is trying to help more people buy into the market with projects like Haven, and we’re supposed to believe they then want to turn around and make homeownership more financially trying?

.

It was only a few years ago that the BC government gave out incentives to homeowners to switch to natural gas heating…

Edited by A Girl is No one, 09 January 2022 - 09:58 AM.

[spanky123]

It was only a few years ago that the BC government gave out incentives to homeowners to switch to natural gas heating…

 

And now you can get incentives to switch from natural gas to a heat pump!

[spanky123]

Meanwhile the province is trying to help more people buy into the market with projects like Haven, and we’re supposed to believe they then want to turn around and make homeownership more financially trying?

 

It is in the Feds (at least) financial interest to increase home ownership as it is a retirement savings plan for most people and the Government cost of supporting people as they age are greatly reduced (ie people age in their homes instead of needing care, OAS clawbacks, etc).  

[Mike K.]

Yes, absolutely.

We keep calling homeownership a forced savings account, after all.

Mortgages are designed to be paid off by retirement age to make someone’s last years more affordable despite a pension being eroded by inflation and COL. At least you don’t pay rent.

You can also defer property taxes, to assist with making ends meet. It’s all by design to take care of people in their twilight years.

[A Girl is No one]

And now you can get incentives to switch from natural gas to a heat pump!

My point exactly 😀

[Awaiting Juno]

Yes, absolutely.

We keep calling homeownership a forced savings account, after all.

Mortgages are designed to be paid off by retirement age to make someone’s last years more affordable despite a pension being eroded by inflation and COL. At least you don’t pay rent.

You can also defer property taxes, to assist with making ends meet. It’s all by design to take care of people in their twilight years.

 

However, those in their twilight years are now targets for those just beginning their productive lives and bemoaning an inability to access the very vehicle (home ownership) that has worked rather well to minimize reliance on the public purse in later years. There's no love lost between Boomer's and Millenials/Y/Z's - they have been painted in a less than forgiving light. They don't have the same debt owed to them, that the Boomer's parents had (the Greatest Generation) - and are seen to be fair game. Lost is any respect for the diversity of economic circumstance - gone in the perception that those who have, earned it - rather there's now a perception that those who don't have should take from those who do. Gone too - this idea that we should be focused on providing economic opportunity that is focused on improving economic mobility - in its place of a system of opportunity largely based on race.  

[JimV]

The alternatives to Together Victoria need to become more active on social media as the digital mob has a way of making things look somewhat different from what might actually be reality…..

Which brings to mind a few chats I’ve had recently with friends about local politics.  All are intelligent, fairly well informed, professional people.  They were all appalled by the city government yet none could even begin to name all the councillors.  One asked my opinion of “the new guy” (SA).  I think this level of ignorance is typical, except among the rabid TV supporters.  People have lives, they don’t follow local politics closely, they don’t know who’s who or what they actually stand for.

 

Any new candidates running for office who think they are well known may be in for big surprise in October.  The only ones even slightly well known are the woodenheads who are the cause of all our problems.  I hate to harp on this theme, but the only path to replacing council is by some kind of an at least semi-organized slate that offers a coherent new policy direction and a recognizable identity that can capture public attention.  Social media may be helpful in getting the word out, but I suspect it has more impact with the younger SJW types who are not the voters we need to reach.