25933 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

While true, running for office shouldn't be a financially motivated decision, that's why the wages are reasonable but not equitable to what someone could earn elsewhere. What we want are people who see the wage as a benefit and not as an employment opportunity (even though some councillors and mayors have experienced a sizeable jump in earnings when taking office, but for most that's not the case).

That being said politicians know that once their term is completed and they get out or fail to get elected their name recognition will be valuable to future endeavours.

[spanky123]

While true, running for office shouldn't be a financially motivated decision, that's why the wages are reasonable but not equitable to what someone could earn elsewhere. What we want are people who see the wage as a benefit and not as an employment opportunity (even though some councillors and mayors have experienced a sizeable jump in earnings when taking office, but for most that's not the case).

That being said politicians know that once their term is completed and they get out or fail to get elected their name recognition will be valuable to future endeavours.

 

Is Dean Fortin or Allan Lowe any further ahead because of their terms as Mayor?

 

If you want competent people then you need to pay for it. I don't buy the argument that good people are willing to sacrifice careers and earning power to be Mayor unless there is ego or some misplaced form of altruism at stake.

[Mike K.]

Alan Lowe is, for sure. He has an unmatched knowledge of how the system works and connections within government to assist his clients.

Fortin is now the head of the biggest social housing provider in the region, a position that benefits from his connections to local governments.

[pennymurphy2000]

From Cool Aid's FB page. 

 

We believe in opening the conversation on Homelessness. 

There is no need for fear but instead there is a need for respect, understanding and more education. We think this mother has it just right: 

 

That was their response to the this letter to the editor. 

 

Cathedral parents needn’t be guided by fear TIMES COLONIST 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 08:04 AM

•  

 

 

Re: “Parents ask 200-metre housing, school gap,” Sept. 11.

While sympathizing with the concerns of parents regarding the school’s proximity first to the tent city and now to the planned housing for the hard-to-house, I encourage them to take advantage of this immensely valuable educational opportunity. 

For many years, our family attended St. James’ Church in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We and the children were involved in various church activities, and often our teenagers went without their parents to the DTES via public transit. They witnessed much that was distressing. 

Distress was all right. Respect was better. Disgust was not all right, and neither was fear. There were many questions and conversations.

Now I see the sort of caring and capable adults our children grew into, interested in and open to others, and I know we were right to lead them outside their comfort zone.

I encourage the parents of Christ Church Cathedral School to share in their children’s experiences, to talk and question, and not to be afraid.

Phyllis Reeve

Gabriola

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...U.WZxEQi4R.dpuf

 

 

 

Is she seriously comparing what the school is going through to teenagers riding on the bus through DTES? 

[Nparker]

I notice Ms Reeve is also writing her letter of admonishment from her home on Gabriola. One wonders why she isn't resident in the DTES if it's such a cultural experience?

[pennymurphy2000]

I loved Cool Aid's response too.

 

Conversation? They cancelled the neighbourhood meetings.

Respect? They admit they didn't care that there were opening up their facility next door to a school. 

Fear? Dozens of police files, and multiple arrests are the reality. 

[A Girl is No one]

Maybe she should read this article about the central care home. I'm sure any parent would love their kids to spend most of their woken hours in such an environment.

http://www.vicnews.c...tml?mobile=true
'It’s been nearly two months since the province opened the doors of the former Central Care Home on Johnson Street to house the city’s homeless, but many of those living and working in the area are already fed up with their new neighbours.

Residents living in the condo next to the former care home at 844 Johnson St. say they have been harassed by people standing on the street in front of the building, the nights are often filled with screaming and other disturbances, and used needles have been found on the ground.

Tanya Gray moved into the building four months ago and is already making plans to move out once her lease is up at the end of October.

“It’s terrible. It’s really loud at night, the fire alarms are constantly going off. There’s a lot of people moving out of the building now,” said Gray, who’s scared to take her dogs out at night. “I know they need a place to go, but they shouldn’t be causing noise at night, making disturbances and being rude to people who are walking by and live in the area.”

Jan Steven Kryski has lived downtown for 10 years and has also noticed the neighbourhood change since the province purchased the vacant building and transformed it into 140 units of long-term supportive housing for people with an assortment of needs.

On one occasion, Steven Kryski was walking home in the middle of the afternoon when he encountered a group of guys standing on the sidewalk outside of the building. He didn’t talk to them, just kept walking, but one of the men started yelling and swearing at him.

“He got up and was starting to come at me, calling me all sorts of names. I just thought here we go. It’s the first time I felt unsafe in this city,” said Steven Kryski, who went straight to City Hall to see the mayor after the frightening encounter.

“It almost seems like they are out of control over there. There’s people screaming, there’s skill saws going on at 1 a.m. Where’s the control? Can you imagine if we acted like that in this building?”

The building is one of several facilities the province secured during the last several months in order to provide housing for the more than 80 people who were camped on the lawn of the Victoria courthouse for nearly a year.

Run by the Vancouver-based Portland Housing Society, the building is supposed to include home-support services, provide two meals a day and has medical staff on-site for first aid, addictions issues and health monitoring.

Part of the problem, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, is that not all the supports have been put into place.

Helps has been through a number of Portland Housing Society properties in Vancouver (with some located beside high end condos) that she said have managed to fit in with the surrounding neighbourhood.

With the Johnson Street property, Helps said there will be challenges and ongoing problems, but it’s in everyone’s interest to make it work.

“To treat 140 people (some who haven’t been housed in a long time) is a lot when you don’t have the full compliment of resources. My understanding is that it’s being resolved and everyone is working hard and quickly to find those resources,” said Helps.

“This is a hard situation and I really feel for the neighbours.”
"



Besides, research has found that exposure to such types of situations on young children can lead to mental illness later on. Young children such as those who go to Christ Church Cathedral School are often not able to process what they see, and often internalize these things, resulting in depression and mental illness years later.

Of course, Coolaid could not care less. It's good for future business.

Edited by A Girl is No one, 14 September 2016 - 10:45 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

^  1am Skil Saw, nice.

[Nparker]

...'It’s been nearly two months since the province opened the doors of the former Central Care Home on Johnson Street to house the city’s homeless, but many of those living and working in the area are already fed up with their new neighbours...On one occasion, Steven Kryski was walking home in the middle of the afternoon when he encountered a group of guys standing on the sidewalk outside of the building. He didn’t talk to them, just kept walking, but one of the men started yelling and swearing at him. “He got up and was starting to come at me, calling me all sorts of names. I just thought here we go. It’s the first time I felt unsafe in this city,” said Steven Kryski, who went straight to City Hall to see the mayor ...Part of the problem, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, is that not all the supports have been put into place...

Ahh yes the standard "growing pains" response. I wonder how many 140 bed, low barrier shelters will be forthcoming next to her Worseship's home in Fernwood?

[Mike K.]

What sorts of supports could we possibly put in place to keep jerks from being jerks?

[Nparker]

Not jerks, "desperate people". It's important to use the correct nomenclature.

[Mike K.]

My apologies. Desperate people.

[A Girl is No one]

Can one still be considered desperate when provided with housing, food, medical and meds, dental, clothing, vet care, hair cuts, housekeeping, etc and cash every month to boot, for life, no questions asked, no strings attached? If that is desperate then I suspect that 99% of the population falls in a category that is much worse.

By the way, supports Helps talks about, if ever implemented (unlikely), will come from what is currently available to the rest of Victoria residents. It's a zero sum game.

[jonny]

Well, it's clear these people need rules in place. It's no holds barred and I feel awful for anybody who lives in 834. I literally couldn't imagine living next door to CCH.

 

Hell, even kids intelligent enough to get into University need RAs on each floor of their residence buildings to keep them under control and these are apparently the intelligent, together portion of humankind!

[jonny]

We are supposed to have endless compassion and patience for the downtrodden, but what about the rights of those who saved for years to purchase their first home in a bright, new condo building only to have the neighbours from hell unexpectedly move in next door? That’s a damn government sponsored tragedy in my books.

[Nparker]

I reiterate: all are created equal; some are just more equal than others.

[Awaiting Juno]

Large scale, low-barrier housing without adequate buffers/regulations is a massive policy fail.  Tent cities and slums do not solve the problem and are worse than "warehousing" or soft-incarceration as there are no protections for those nearby.  Compassion that leads to enablement is harmful.  Sacrificing one city so all others don't have to do their share to solve the problem is a betrayal of those who elected the mayor and council to office.  More rehab beds would've bed a much better investment.  More resources for those who complete rehab to address recidivism would have been better.  More legal aid.  More emergency funds for those at risk of homelessness.  Instead, we've just spent a bunch of money, on a group that is unlikely to even appreciate it, much less actually turn their lives around.  And exactly how are we measuring the success of Mt. Edwards and CCH - or are we measuring it at all?

 

And why exactly do we need to place these facilities in the heart of what should be high-value areas where business and tourism should dominate?

[Awaiting Juno]

Maybe there should be a VV slate in the next municipals....as a perk, the sewage issue should be done by then - and how we've handled homelessness so far provides a great "what not to do" guide. 

[Nparker]

Maybe there should be a VV slate in the next municipals...

You've got my vote already AJ. 

[mbjj]

I noticed that the list of agencies receiving help from the United Way contains an awful lot from the Our Place and Cool Aid category. Not sure I want my dollars going there. Might contribute to the SPCA instead.