PoliticalAttitudes's blog

The Attorney General of British Columbia is once again attempting to squash attempts by homeless people to have the BC Supreme Court rule on the constitutional issue regarding the right to sleep. The City of Victoria has yet to clarify the word 'abode' or define their bylaw, which prohibits sleeping outdoors, or for that matter sitting, standing, lying, and squatting. Until the courts have ruled on this important issue it will remain up to the discretion of City Police officers to decide who is hauled away to jail and who isn't.

A Summit Meeting for the Victoria Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness was cancelled the day before it was scheduled. This meeting had been planned and announced since September 2007 during a passionate speech in front of Council and the public when Mayor Alan Lowe promised to begin housing the homeless in no less than 120 days. Nearly $0.5 million has been spent on surveys and studies but the Mayor now claims there is not enough information available to warrant a public announcement set for Wednesday December 12, 2007.

After 18 months of research by the 'Mayor's Task Force on Breaking the Cycle of Mental Illness, Addiction and Homelessness' another textbook was released. This 240 page document was officially printed on October 19, 2007 but it was unveiled to the public on November 26 at a church with no media present.

HOMELESSNESS WEBSITE TO INVOLVE PUBLIC IN SOLUTIONS
No quick fix, but ideas needed, group says

Judith Lavoie
Times Colonist

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

A click of the mouse is not going to solve Victoria's homelessness problem, but it's a step towards involving the community in looking for solutions.
A website, Ourwayhome.ca, sponsored by the Victoria Steering Committee on Homelessness, was launched yesterday as Victoria's opening salvo in Homelessness Action Week.

VICTORIA MAYOR ALAN LOWE REQUESTS 3 SAFE INJECTION SITES

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals have introduced a bill designed to give themselves a massive pay raise. They will likely vote it in on Friday May 25, 2007.

If passed, most MLA's will get an increase of 29% while some Cabinet Minister will get more. Premier Gordon Campbell will increase his own salary by 54% He'll be helping himself to an extra $89,000 of taxpayer's money, every
year. $89,000, on top of what he already makes. The increase alone is more than twice what the average British Columbian earns in a year.