1246 replies to this topic

[dasmo]

What about the "so-called Canada" part of the letter?

That is another thing that unites the far right and the far left. It is, however, more odd for a government official to be anti government. 

[dasmo]

You mean the Turtle Island bs?

That's it. Or Kanata. Thing is, there is truth and history there. But, this then uses that as a form of division. Of course the FN didn't call this place Canada. Closes thing to a so-called country they had was out east with the Haudenosaunee which had a constitution. But that was people based not land based. Using the term "so-called Canada" does nothing towards uniting us with our history and our fellow people who call Canada home. Call it what you will..... 

[Nparker]

...Using the term "so-called Canada" does nothing towards uniting us with our history and our fellow people who call Canada home...

Reconciliation, in its current incarnation, is not about uniting people, just furthering the "us and them" situation.

[Love the rock]

How can Susan Kim be a legal representative of anyone when she calls this country so called Canada .

Susan  Kim  you are supposed to be a represent everyone  . 

Please feel free to give up citizenship in your so called Canada and find a more suitable country to live and work.    Kim must be held to a higher standard being  a political figure than the general public.

I  find her  insincere apology letter too little too late . 
It’s time to resign.

Edited by Love the rock, 23 November 2023 - 12:16 PM.

[spanky123]

New Nanos poll out today showing that the majority of young Canadians are more sympathetic to the Palestinians in this conflict.

 

Susan is playing to her audience. I think it is time to move on.

[Matt R.]

2nd response:
 
screenshot-www.instagram.com-2023.11.23-11_14_36.png
 
https://www.saanichn...-letter-7114157

That’s a lot of words to say anything other than “I’m sorry.”

[Victoria Watcher]

[FogPub]

^In fairness, I think they paved more km of roads this year than the last six years put together; that'll be some of it.  All that pipework they're doing on Blanshard won't be cheap either, and then there's the Fort St mess.  But, that still won't account for all of it.

[Nparker]

Re-engineering local roads to virtue signaling standards consumes far more of the road paving budget than is reasonable.

[JimV]

I’m pretty sure they spent at least $55m on bollards, curbs, various concrete obstacles, lane narrowing and confusing signage.  There couldn’t have been much left to actually fix the roads.

[dasmo]

Looks like the “goal of disengagement” is failing in Nanaimo. https://youtu.be/Hbv...pBhdol7ccBszsnf

Looks like they were trying to sneak the borrowing of $45,000,000 past the people….

[Mike K.]

Yes, very interesting.

This fellow is not having it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto says the city needs to “look under every rock” for savings or new ways of doing business.

 

To that end, she’s expected to make a motion Thursday for staff to come back in the new year with answers to budget questions ranging from the potential impact of changing tax rates to charging for the city’s bike valet.

 

“It’s about asking what would happen if we did this, or what’s the information needed to do that,” Alto said in an interview.

 

Alto said the city is well aware how tight finances are for households in the city and that everyone is facing difficult challenges.

 

“It’s our responsibility to try and look under every rock we can to see whether or not we can actually make this any better.”

 

The mayor and councillors are asking staff to look at a number of questions, such as the impact of capping property-tax increases at inflation (it’s currently inflation plus one per cent), of ending $100,000 in funding for the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region after 2024 or reducing funding for the South Island Prosperity Partnership, and of setting industrial property tax rates that are comparable to non-industrial commercial rates.

 

There are also questions about the impact of accelerating the addition of Indigenous place names on road signs, increasing the tree canopy and reducing expansion plans for the bike-lane network.

 

The motion also asks that city staff lay out which programs currently being funded by the city should be funded by the provincial or federal governments; what role the city might play in co-ordinating social service providers to minimize competition for limited financial resources; and why the finance and IT departments of the city are facing significant budget increases in 2024 — 11.56 per cent and 17.69 per cent respectively.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...savings-7974196

 

 

 

 

“It’s our responsibility to try and look under every rock we can to see whether or not we can actually make this any better.”

 

 

 

Shouldn't every public entity always be doing this?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 December 2023 - 05:40 AM.

[spanky123]

^ Shouldn't headcount be on the table as well?

[Victoria Watcher]

^ Shouldn't headcount be on the table as well?

 

It really should be, and it can be done with no layoffs.

 

Here are 8 positions that can be axed:

 

https://careersen-vi...jun1offset=-420

 

Including one in the communications department that pays $49/hr.

 

 

 

And this one that pays $62/hr.:

 

Senior Planner – Social Policy (Continuous)  

Sustainable Planning and Community Development Department

 

POSITION FUNCTION

Perform functions related to development and implementation of social policies, strategies, and programs to improve community health and well-being.

 

 

 

 

And this one that pays $51/hr.:

 

Community Development Coordinator (Continuous)  

Business and Community Relations Department

 

 

POSITION FUNCTION

Reporting to the Manager of Arts, Culture and Events, the Community Development Coordinator is responsible for developing, implementing, administering, and evaluating the policies, programs and projects that promote the economic and social vitality of downtown Victoria and its neighbourhood commercial areas.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 December 2023 - 06:44 AM.

[spanky123]

^ Nah they need those roles to reward their campaign contributors and workers :-)

Edited by spanky123, 13 December 2023 - 06:49 AM.

[JimV]

Shouldn’t be hard to find some savings.  Just drive around and see what the roads department has done to the city.  Then don’t do any more of it.

Edited by JimV, 13 December 2023 - 12:19 PM.

[Nparker]

Look at the CoV budget from 2013 and don't do anything that has been added since then.

[Victoria Watcher]

Alto said Thursday’s debate is likely to trigger some council member motions in the new year that will ask to review several city policies, such as the city’s grants policy, how it handles cash reserves, how it caps tax increases and how it funds community associations.

 

“I think these issues have come up repeatedly and are worthy of at least some consideration as we look forward,” she said.

 

The first draft of the city’s 2024 budget, released last month, included a tax increase of 8.37 per cent next year for property owners.

 

The early draft, which will be tweaked before being adopted in April, includes a $328-million operating budget and $82.6-million capital budget. It would mean a $248 tax increase for the average household and a $640 tax increase for the typical business.

 

The proposed budget is up $12.33 million from the 2023 version. The bulk of the tax increase is due to inflationary costs, which add 5.86 per cent to the property tax bill, and the $72-million budget proposed by the Vic PD. Victoria is responsible for 86.3 per cent of the Vic PD budget, which would add a 2.4 per cent increase to the tax bill if approved.

 

 

https://www.timescol...savings-7986412

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 December 2023 - 07:01 AM.

[dasmo]

The plus side is maybe this will motivate engagement. It’s not like the people they are taxing can just up their income by declaring it so.