Expressing dutiful civic concern
Re: “Victoria council does not have magic wand,” letter, Sept. 2.
“Populist ire … reductionist approach … deeper understanding of connectivity, feedback loops and the debt created through the competing interests of nested systems.” Whew, thanks for the lecture, I guess.
To keep it simple, no one on these pages has suggested that the global problems and “core challenges” we face today are not without great effect on municipal governance. There are, however, community management and administrative issues deserving of continuing scrutiny at all times.
It is hardly “corrosive” nor “finger pointing” to expect honesty, transparency, and accountability in civic affairs. In this regard, there are many citizens who feel that Victoria has come up short in their leadership and responses to the current challenges. Some write letters expressing as much.
To suggest that their perspectives are “narrow” and their expectations “comical” ignores and diminishes dutiful civic concern.
David Bruce
Victoria
Ask former addicts how they recovered
Instead of spending $40,000 to canvass people experiencing homelessness to solicit their views as suggested by Victoria councillors Marianne Alto and Sarah Potts, why not instead take a look at the list of demands campers in Vancouver’s Strathcona Park have issued?
According to Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason, those campers say they would consider leaving if provided 10,000 units of social housing (without drug or guest restrictions) until everyone wanting housing is accommodated, a safe and steady supply of opiates, as well as alcohol and tobacco and $2,000 a month in government assistance.
It probably goes without saying the majority of Victoria’s campers would be happy with the same, until, of course, they’re evicted, or the drugs aren’t potent enough or $2,000 a month isn’t enough.
When are authorities going to stop asking those in the midst of their addictions what they want, and instead start asking people who have recovered from addiction or alcoholism what they did?
Bill Cleverley
Victoria
No response to a simple question
Re: “B.C. government undermines information rights: privacy commissioner,” Sept. 2.
I read with interest your story about privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy’s criticism of the B.C. government for its undermining of the public’s rights to information. It reminded me of a response my office received in June of 2019 from a “Senior Information Officer” in the Privacy and Freedom of Information Department of ICBC.
Back then, we were hearing Minister David Eby in the news regularly complaining about the burden of increasing legal fees on ICBC’s bottom line. At the same time I was hearing from ICBC’s own contract lawyers that under Eby’s watch they had been given huge raises. I decided to try to get to the truth. I asked what I assumed would be an easy question for ICBC to answer: “Did you recently raise the pay rates for your contract lawyers and if so by how much?”
I still have not received a response from the sources that have this information. I have been advised that as this data is not readily available and as such has to be collated by ICBC’s Business Insights Department.
I have followed up with that department and they advised that since last year ICBC has implemented a new prioritization methodology for handling data inquiries. Their message: The internal needs of ICBC are our first concern, followed by our shareholder (the provincial government), BCUC, media, universities, so on and so forth. Members of the public are unfortunately prioritized lower on the list. At this time, the queue for such data requests could range from 18 to 24 months.”
A rather Orwellian response, I thought at the time.
Roxanne P. Helme, Q.C.
Victoria
A more cost-effective homeless strategy?
From the first three pages of Wednesday’s Times Colonist, I glean the following:
1. The City of Victoria is going to spend $94,500 for overtime for two constables for four months to patrol parks.
2. According to city officials, there are 275 people living on the street.
3. According to Grant McKenzie of Our Place, only one per cent of those people pose a problem.
Since one per cent of 275 is roughly three people, it seems to me that Victoria is spending a lot more money than it needs to. Why not just give those three people $5,000 each to go somewhere else, thus saving almost $80,000 in overtime, not to mention all the other costs?
Ian Cameron
Brentwood Bay
Road-disruption projects abound
Fairfield Road is closed in both directions at Ross Bay Cemetery. The detour requires you to use St. Charles Street, but it, too, is disrupted, with alternating one-way traffic backups due to construction. Forget about diverting down Brooke Street to avoid that, as it, too, is closed for construction.
It’s almost as though the city is trying to condition us to the chaos that will ensue when they build the unnecessary Richardson Street bike-lane project.
Brian Kendrick
Victoria
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Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2
