“Battling Pivot Legal Society in court because they argue that housing is a human right is a waste of our tax dollars.” – AbbotsfordFIRST Electoral Society.
Cover: DWS Protest TeePee on Gladys Avenue. Photo by Bas Stevens.
Something sensible about homelessness in Abbotsford from a new political party. What a breath of fresh air.
Darryl Plecas, MLA Abbotsford South.
First our new MLA, Darryl Plecas comes out in support of doing an academic study with people like Ann Livingston of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), DJ Larkin of Pivot Legal Society, Dr. Thomas Kerr of BC Excellence in HIV, UBC Professor and co-director of the Urban Health Research Initiative Dr. Evan Wood, and involving the University of the Fraser Valley to find out what actually needs to be done.
Now a whole political party suggests we stop battling our homeless population in the courts.
There’s more. Here’s what AbbotsfordFIRST says about the issue of homelessness in Abbotsford:
Homelessness In Abbotsford
The Problem
Ignoring the facts about our current challenges cannot continue. Anti-harm reduction bylaws resulted in the highest rates of Hepititus in the Province. Wasting 2 years of staff and community services time resulted in the turning away of 60 years of operating funds for a housing facility. Battling Pivot Legal Society in court because they argue that housing is a human right is a waste of our tax dollars.;
The Solution
If we are going to make improvements in these areas, we can no longer deny the facts about health care, the homeless and other associated social issues like mental health and drug addiction. The Provincial Government continually tries to engage with us on issues of health care and housing and we turn them away. It is time to be proactive and show all levels of government that we mean business when it comes to addressing these issues and we’ll start by creating the proposals for projects and services we want funded. We’ll take those to the Province and show them that new leadership means new results…meaningful results here in Abbotsford.
Think about it. Made-in-Abbotsford solutions funded by the provincial and federal governments. That’s what you come up with when you actually want to solve a problem.
FIRST Electoral Society: has thrown down the gauntlet.
It proposes a positive challenge to Abbotsford’s incumbent councillors who are collectively responsible for the City of Abbotsford’s current dysfunctional governance (with the exception of councillor Braun).
During the last civic election, voters showed George Peary the door in the mistaken belief that he was City’s Hall’s only problem.
He was not alone.
Peary was only part of Abbotsford’s problematic municipal governance, other councillors had aided and abetted his decisions & together they took Abbotsford’s fiscal balance sheet from a $4 million surplus in 2006 to a current debt of more than $100 million dollars.
That gross mismanagement is the principle reason Abbotsford’s property taxes are higher (2011: based on standard mill rates) than many of our large neighbouring cities’ like Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Langley, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Victoria, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond, etc (you get the picture).
Bruce Banman was elected on his promise fix the mess, not make a greater one. But that’s exactly what he’s done, Banman has actually joined forces with the same problem councillors who had been formerly aligned with George Peary.
Bruce Banman needs to be replaced.
He & the Peary council have joined forces with many of the same supporters who drove “the Peary agenda” and now appear to be on the prowl for power so they can carry on gaming Abbotsford’s taxpayers like before.
Remember the YMCA fiasco, the Ditch Tax fiasco, the homeless fiasco, Plan “A” fiasco, but the list doesn’t stop there, it goes on and on. You will soon hear about their upcoming plans (fiascos in waiting). It doesn’t get better, their plans get worse as you will soon see.
Abbotsford voters need to sweep out the mess along with the mayor & the councillors who keep making it.
AbbotsfordFIRST hopes to elect four to six new councillors at this coming November 15, 2014 municipal election.