So I wrote a long tirade last night...deleted. If you read it, sorry.
I am just so angry that repeatedly every agency, whether it be city or social or health related, privately or publicly funded or paid by our tax dollars, lies to us.
Blatant lies to our faces or glaring omissions of facts.
Or simply ignore our questions(VIHA, City Social Planner, I mean you, in particular). Do not respond to correspondence. Leave us out of the planning of services that will directly and PROFOUNDLY affect US...since none of you actually live in the places you assault.
The new by-laws from Mayor and Council that allow social services to go in without a zoning meeting means that now we have NO SAY whatsoever. None. Kiss your voice goodbye. And guess where VIHA wants their new drop-in centre, needle exchange, crackpipe hand out station? And guess where the 7-10 Club plans to go? And the projected 10-unit wet housing from our city social planner? And guess where Mayor and Council is going to let them go?!?
All within two blocks of the Salvation Army Walmart Style Super Centre....cuz that's about the only place the new zoning bylaws affect. Go figure. We found out all of this about the same week that the city offered us curbs. Smoke and mirrors. Smoke and mirrors.
Despite spending our tax dollars on several different studies(tens of thousands of city tax dollars per study, mind you) that have repeatedly all said one thing...that concentrating social services DOES NOT WORK, it seems that is what they are bound and determined to do it anyway. You know, cuz it has worked so well in places like Skid Row and Vancouver's Downtown Lower Eastside. Huge, glaring examples, time and time again, city after city, of what not to do disregarded in favour of the same old non-working plan. There is not one original idea, not one plan that sees beyond the next five minutes, not one agency that is empathetic to the suffering of hard-working, tax-paying, home-owning people in the south end who are overwhelmed with the bad choices of the SOCIAL SERVICE INDUSTRY here in Nanaimo....time and again. VIHA has taken no responsibility for the dismal running of the drop-in centre that has been pushed out of three seperate leases in two years.
Now, they just plan on buying a place(and even though they said in the paper just yesterday that they don't have the money for it YET, they did in fact make an offer to purchase a place so we count another lie down in their column, whether blatant or by ommission can be your call).
And, after the city has dumped 80+ million and counting of your tax dollars, Nanaimo, into "revitalizing" the downtown core, to the detriment of nearly every other tax related service(roads, lifeguards, maintennance, etc), every single high impact(and countless low impact) social services will be right there, too. Congratulations. Oh, and then, let's raise your property taxes.
The southend now rivals the northend in tax rates and property assessments and yet the northend does not have to deal with any needle exchanges, drop-in centres, wet housing, crack-pipes handout stations, yaddayadda....why is that?
9 comments:
I read it. No apologies needed. That's what we're hear for, friend. I'm sorry you are having such woes. Doesn't it always go that the money is wasted on the areas that don't need it? At least that's the way it is here. It sure sounds as though your officials are bound and determined to keep the undesirables comfy and cozy right where they are, forsaking your hollow for their own. Damn the man.
"Why is that?" It is because it is not in their backyard.
They can argue that most of the people that these agencies could serve are in one general area. Maybe. But you know what? (Now I'll burn in hell for this, but oh well) My cat eats in the back entrance because that's where his food is. No need to look further or even hunt. Why should he?It's all right there for him. Just as everything is handy in the downtown core of the South,and a nice safe distance from any local politician's home, too
Meanwhile, families having recently relocated to the north end are WITHOUT services because the powers that be don't want it in their own backyards. These are so many families that had reasonable rentals in the south,sold due to landlords cashing in on their investements.
These families are struggling and starving, but it's the addicts, criminals, etc who are reaping all the benefits here.
The one thing I still don't get is why they are even bothering with this downtown revitilization and the convention centre while maintaining this attitude.
I read your post last night. I cried for you. When we moved here 9 years ago we came sooo close to living in your area. Fearing for our children stopped us, but we are not that far away. This could be our nightmare, too, someday soon.
Olly, if you burn in hell for that, at least you'll be standing on my head for writing what I wrote last night. Asshats.
Is there no possibility of just moving out? If you are that unhappy then maybe it is best to just cut your losses and make a new start somewhere else.
Tod, if we bail on this house, then we leave Nanaimo...I won't put any money or effort into another home here...not this dream stealing town. So we have to think about where to be, if there is suitable employment for Michael, wait for my ability to work to come through immigration...blah blah blahg...so to speak. We really love our house and some of our neighbours have become our best friends, as well. We do have a good sense of community and family with the folks that live here. It's the city, VIHA, politics and everybody's stagnant ideas that are doing us in.
In my opinion, and I cannot in any way be considered an expert on this situation, it seems to me that the only way you can beat this would be to organize and start working WITH the powers with the ability to help you. The city, the cops, VIHA. Others have set up a Community organization to develop a stronger voice when approaching these people(ask Departure Bay Neighbourhood Assoc. how they set up theirs. Contact Mount Pleasant and find out how they got organized and even got the city funding to clean up their area...they are quite a growing power now. re VIHA, (I believe it was San Diego), that set up a mobile system with the use of a small motor home as a needle exchange. This method allows for reduced visual impact of the program on the neighborhoods as well as the ability to process participants and deliver services in an efficient and confidential manner.
There is always a way, if you look for it and don't quit, you will be able to take back your home. http://www.sacsheriff.com/crime_prevention/documents/neighborhood_watch_06.cfm
Set goals and go for it girl!!! At the very least, this will keep you busy until you get your work visa.
Good luck,
Islander
Oh, that is universal - everything you outline, I think! Sorry - glad you are crying out against this!
You're up against a lot! And it's a shame cause you care so much. I think you really might have to consider what Tod said for your own sanity.
government officials should be required to live in areas like that..seeing as they get to make all the decisions, they should live with them!!
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