25967 replies to this topic

[Midnightly]

I suppose not all change is for the better.

that would depend on who's side your looking from... the change has been great for all the employees, more money thrown at them, more jobs, higher salaries...

[A Girl is No one]

But wages not keeping up with inflation so it feels great, but they lose too.

[Victoria Watcher]

Cool Aid’s dental clinic is hoping to put smiles on the faces of more than 5,000 vulnerable people as it launches a ­campaign to raise funds for dental services for those who can’t afford to pay.

 

It hopes to raise $50,000 by the end of the month with the Everyone Deserves to Smile fundraising campaign to ­support the clinic, which offers a full range of dental care, including hygiene, fillings, extractions, root canals and even dentures.

 

“We receive hundreds of calls a day from people who desperately need ­dental care, but don’t have insurance or the money to pay for it,” said Kathleen Quast, dental clinic manager for Cool Aid. “We are doing the best we can to meet demand, but our waiting list is growing by the day.”

 

Andrew Beckerman, a philanthropist and longtime supporter of Cool Aid, is matching the first $25,000 in donations to the campaign and calling on others to join him in the challenge.

 

“I am one of the fortunate people who can afford my dentist’s fees,” said Beckerman.

 

 

 

 

 

$50,000.  Divided by 5,000 "smiles".  

 

https://www.timescol...ant-pay-5084296

 

Seems a large part of the story is missing here unless they can "offer a full range of dental care, including hygiene, fillings, extractions, root canals and even dentures" for $10 per person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stigma around substance use, mental health challenges, cultural and language barriers, and distrust of the healthcare system can prevent people from seeking the dental care they need until it becomes an emergency.

 

https://www.vicnews....rk-in-victoria/

 

 

 

^ sure it's not just the cost?  Somebody just pulled out the old boilerplate here.  Stigma, barriers, distrust, they forgot colonialism and racism. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 February 2022 - 11:23 AM.

[Nparker]

I bet there many "non-vulnerable" people who can't afford dental care. Who is helping them?

[Victoria Watcher]

I bet there many "non-vulnerable" people who can't afford dental care. Who is helping them?

 

Here are the criteria:

 

 

 

The Cool Aid Dental Clinic provides a wide range of dental services for those that are on social assistance, persons with disabilities through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, those that are on a fixed or low income, those who have First Nations status, refugee status, and those who have parole services.

 

We provide a safe and friendly environment with a dedicated group of full-time dental professionals who take pride in making a difference in the dental health of those that may not have had regular dental care due to barriers to accessing dental services.  The clinic offers preventative and restorative treatment as well as denture services.

 

For those on a fixed or low income we offer 20% off the current College of Dental Surgeon’s fee guide.  For those on Ministry coverage, we do not balance bill the for the 40% to 60% difference between the College of Dental Surgeon’s fee guide and the Ministry’s fee guide.

 

 

https://coolaid.org/...ervices/#dental

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 February 2022 - 11:32 AM.

[Nparker]

I will soon be a pensioner, on a "fixed" income. I look forward to getting 20% off of my dental services. 

[Victoria Watcher]

I will soon be a pensioner, on a "fixed" income. I look forward to getting 20% off of my dental services. 

 

I bet your pension plan has optional coverage.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 February 2022 - 11:43 AM.

[Nparker]

I bet your pension plan has optional coverage.  

It does, but nothing like 20% off!

[Victoria Watcher]

As the small Island city struggles with a housing crisis, that is magnified by a ballooning homeless population.

“The highest per capita of homeless in Canada,” said Ron Wilson, the leader of the shelter management team at First Unitarian Fellowship in Nanaimo.

First Unitarian operates a 24-bed shelter below their church on Townsite Road. Wilson said it is often full, and called the shortage of beds and services to meet the growing population of homeless, a crisis.

“We have between 600 and 700 homeless in town and we can only serve 24,” said Wilson.

https://www.cheknews...nanaimo-955563/





Nice try, Nanaimo. Not even close.

You’ve got 600 or 700 in a city of 100,000.

https://nanaimonewsn...area-in-canada/

Victoria has over 3,000 in a city of well under 100,000 (what’s our new total?)

We have the highest per capita in NORTH AMERICA. Probably even the first world.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2022 - 02:33 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

We have more homeless than this list of “the 15 most homeless cities in the world”.



https://www.theriche...s-in-the-world/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2022 - 02:32 AM.

[On the Level]

We have more homeless than this list of “the 15 most homeless cities in the world”.



https://www.theriche...s-in-the-world/

 

Because everyone knows the best place to house the homeless is the most expensive place to find housing because everyone's housing should be crammed into the tiniest place possible to prevent racism.  Bicycle.

[Victoria Watcher]

B.C. Budget: Renter rebate off the table, but $600 rent supplements coming for vulnerable groups

 

The province secured shelter spaces when the pandemic first hit and, with COVID-19’s impact’s lingering, $264 million over three years will go into maintaining housing supports for up to 3,000 people who were temporarily sheltered in government-leased hotel and other spaces.

 

_________________

 

The province is also rolling out a $600-a-month rent supplement for former youth in care under the age of 27 who are at risk of homelessness. The province said about half of all youth who receive government care end up homeless at some point in their lives.

 

A separate homelessness-response program aims to provide more than 3,000 people with a $600 monthly rent supplement to help them access market housing by the end of 2025.

 

 

https://www.abbynews...nerable-groups/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 February 2022 - 06:56 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The homeless industrial complex apparently has an army.

 

Antifa activists want a piece of a Seattle TV reporter who has held up a camera to show how drugged out and destructive homeless people in the downtown area have gotten. Seattle basically has a hands-off policy on drug possession and the homeless, who simply want to smoke their rent and live in a tent while everyone else cleans up after them.

 

KOMO News reporter Jonathan Choe has reported on the destructive behavior. Now he’s being threatened by Antifa and other far-Left activists for doing his job.

 

The Post Millennial reports that Antifa social media accounts have openly conspired to “make Jonathan Choe so widely hated that he physically cannot film in the city.”

 

“He needs to know he has eyes on him at all times,” they wrote. “He needs people to get in his face when he comes all the way from Mukilteo to sh— on our city. This isn’t a game.” Indeed, they’ve sent people to follow Choe when he shows up to report on the slums of Seattle’s Third Avenue. The PM reported Antifa accounts stated that Choe “can’t be allowed to roam around the city unchecked.”

__________________________

 

Independent journalist Andy Ngo reports that Antifa stated they “need to do to Choe what Portland has done to Ngo.”

 

Ngo has been defamed, beaten, and targeted by Portland Antifa members who have called for his murder.

 

 

 

VIDEOS:  https://twitter.com/PaulRiveraNews

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 March 2022 - 11:47 AM.

[Nparker]

Antifa couldn't be much more fascist if they tried.

[Mike K.]

I thought intolerance and violence were the domains of the far right?

 

And why are they targeting reporters of Asian descent?

[Nparker]

...And why are they targeting reporters of Asian descent?

Antifa = equal opportunity offenders

[Victoria Watcher]

DRA:

 

 

https://www.victoria...02d47e2a704.pdf

 

 

The re-development of the former Century Plaza Hotel (which was poised for redevelopment before being burned down a few years ago) is now under very preliminary discussion (between proponents and staff) with the possibility of that site being developed as a hotel and training facility involving parcipaon by some local indigenous groups. It is possible that an increase in height and density will be requested. A number of other large developments are coming forward – the former Ingraham Hotel being one.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 March 2022 - 05:19 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I was dumbfounded to read of the auditor general’s report that all the recent purchases of Victoria properties, to be used as social housing, were at or below market/appraised value.

 

_____________________________

 

The Russell Street purchase of an old warehouse in Vic West is a fascinating case of an owner trying to sell the property in an open market, at a price of $3.4 million. It was professionally marketed by real-estate agents and they couldn’t find a buyer at that price, so it was taken off the market.

 

A year later, the provincial government paid $9.6 million. And the auditor general thinks that is just fine … because the appraisal the government called for agreed with that valuation. Really? Interesting.

 

It was then renovated for the use of 40 homeless occupants, for a period of 18-24 months. The operating cost was to be approximately $2 million per year. That meant the purchase cost was $235,000 per unit, not including the renovation or operating costs. The total is likely in the range of $14 million to $15 million for the two years. You could rent 40 rooms at the Empress Hotel for far less than that.

 

The Capital City Centre hotel was purchased last year for $25.2 million. Now they’re going to tear it down.

 

My family built and owned that hotel (formerly the Imperial Inn), along with the Elworthy and Manning families. I helped build it and worked in it. I don’t know what the operating and repair costs have been, but by the time it’s demolished it will bring the purchase cost of the site to about $30 million. And the auditor general thinks that is all OK ? (In the meantime, it, and Paul’s Motor Inn across the street, have created commercial havoc in that neighbourhood. Just ask the White Spot and others).

 

https://www.timescol...perties-5129293

[spanky123]

DRA:

 

This is the part I tweaked on:

 

The goal of liming tax increases to inflation plus 1% will be very difficult to meet. If all the outstanding items are approved, it will mean a tax increase of about 7%. The best source for details is Appendix A to the January 10 budget report.

[Nparker]

...The goal of liming tax increases to inflation plus 1% will be very difficult to meet...

Not difficult if the social engineering projects were cut out of the budget.