Currents

Vancouver is tied with Calgary as the most polite major city in Canada (Moncton actually finished first of any municipality in the survey, so small-town values still count for something). Evidently, the pollsters were never in touch with any member of Vancouver’s Anti-Poverty Committee.

Here is a group which has abandoned any effort to protest its legitimate concerns over housing the homeless in favor of shock tactics and thuggery.

The Hell on Earth that is Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has many causes, among them a decision long ago to release all mentally ill Canadians from asylums on to the streets, a thriving drug trade (the bane of any city with a half-decent port) and an extreme climate that makes most other Canadian cities uninhabitable six months out of the year for those without shelter.

But breaking into buildings for illegal squats that will inevitably get broken up by police is becoming a very tired tactic for getting attention, and a useless one in terms of actually getting homeless people indoors. So long as homeless people are represented by such dorks, they are badly served.

By the way, kudos to the Campbell government for providing $41 million in new funding for homeless shelters.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan got trashed this morning.

Sullivan awoke to piles of garbage outside his Yaletown condo, courtesy of the Anti-Poverty Committee’s latest attempt to grab some headlines.

Frankly, if the APC had decided to dump their refuse outside of Vancouver City Hall, I’d be sympathizing a lot more with citizens of the Downtown Eastside most affected by the garbage strike.

I’d be even more sympathetic if the APC had also dumped garbage outside the offices of CUPE. The labor union is prolonging a strike which most Vancouver citizens have decided has gone on long enough, given the City’s reasonable offer of a 17.5 per cent wage hike over five years for the striking workers.

But targeting the actual residence of our Mayor steps over the line. This isn’t democracy in action. It’s just plain garbage.

Meanwhile, it seems rats aren’t the only ones attracted by the scent of rotting garbage in our strike-stricken city.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbH-prELwwc]
Vancouver’s Anti-Poverty Committee’s vandalism of provincial cabinet minister Ken Dobell’s office is bad for the city’s image, bad for democracy and ultimately bad for the people the APC claims to be representing.

Since APC members posed as media to gain entrance before trashing the office, regular folks who actually want to speak with their elected representative will now face heightened security. Basically, it inconveniences those who want to participate in our democracy, since all visitors will now be suspects.

Meanwhile, Vancouverites will be even less disposed to sympathize with those falling through the cracks of our society. People generally don’t respond well to threats and ultimatums.

Actually, if one looks at the APC’s demands, there is no way that our society could even come close to meeting them:

IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION OF THE 2010 OLYMPIC GAMES. Yes, well, we had a referrendum. The Olympics won out. Deal with it.

DIRECTION OF ALL OLYMPIC FUNDS TO NEW HOUSING AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS. Hahahahahahahahaha!

WITHDRAWAL OF COLONIAL OCCUPIERS FROM ALL UNCEDED INDIGENOUS TERRITORY. Um, my ancestors are from Russia. They never gave any smallpox-infested blankets to the locals. Can my family stay at least?

DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR REINSTATEMENT OF ALL FUNDING CUT TO SOCIAL PROGRAMS BY THE PROVINCIAL LIBERAL GOVERNMENT. Ah, yes. Let’s determine our budget according to a socialist fiat. Bleah.

KEN DOBELL’S IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION FROM AT LEAST TWO OF THREE CONFLICTING POSITIONS. Well, maybe.

Here’s a thought, APC: We have a democratic system that is the envy of most nations of the world. Join it.