Homeless in Abbotsford, BC

Cleaning up the City’s homeless

I suspect that when called upon to explain their current actions with regard to their persecution of your fellow citizens unfortunate enough to suffer the travail of homelessness, the Mayor, Councilors, city Staff and Police will all claim “we were just trying to cleanse – oops, clean up – the homeless situation”. In their zeal and drive to exterminate –oops eliminate – the homeless from the streets of Abbotsford they seem indifferent to the consequences of their actions. Whether those actions cause suffering for the homeless OR the other taxpayers of the city. They seem to have forgotten the words of Herman Melville “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects”.

I do have a suggestion concerning cleaning up the city’s homeless. Since it is sensible, pragmatic and would accomplish something positive, I doubt the intolerant tyrants attempting to purge the homeless from the streets would be interested in these suggestions. Let us use a small fraction of the funds and resources being wasted on this futile, but dogmatic, effort to ‘disappear’ the homeless. Let’s truly clean up the homeless. As I have written about on this site, bathing and laundry are major problems for the homeless. If you think about it this lack of bathing and laundry availability are major barriers to employment to a group of people have enough barriers to finding jobs. The city has facilities at which the homeless could get clean, such as the Recreation Centers. These facilities are set up to use photo ID cards which would permit the city to avoid any abuses of the privilege and would also permit limits on the timing and length of visits. Rather than waste resources on senseless, malicious attempts to cleanse the city of homeless this would help to clean up the homeless.

All punning aside, this form of cleaning up homelessness has the potential to accomplish more than merely shuffling the homeless around and around the city. Think about what affect appearance has on how people are treated – especially when looking for work. I know I always feel better, both physically and physiologically, when I am freshly bathed – don’t you? Cleanliness leads to feeling better about yourself, which is the road to increased self-esteem and self-respect. These are the foundation supports required for the homeless to start to get back into the game of life, to take charge of their lives. Thus giving them hope to find work and homes. Yes I know that giving them a chance to be clean is not going to lead all the homeless off the streets. The point I have tried repeatedly to make is that Based on my up close and personal experiences what is required in dealing with homelessness, hunger and poverty is flexibility and a willingness to use many different approaches. Each approach may only affect some of those in need of help, but many programs and approaches together would have a chance to lead to significant reductions of the homeless population. We are dealing with people which means some will choose not to be helped, to make changes or any effort to change. That is reality. Reality is also that at least this proposed approach will accomplish something and has the potential to lead to many varied benifits. Unlike the current policies of both denying there is a large homeless population and chasing this nonexistent (denial is a favourite mindset) population from point to point in the city.

I suppose that the question is what kind of society or city are we? Do we really want to have an uncaring society where people are judged to be disposable? What is the character of the citizens of Abbotsford? Is it mean, self-centered, greedy and heartless? Or is it caring, supportive, courteous and helping? It is inevitable that we will find out. As your actions contribute to the outcome as to the spirit of our city, keep in mind the words of Demosthenes:

You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit.

Abbotsford a Christian City?

Only in its own mind.

I am not saying there are not some good Christians in the city. I was speaking with some of them today (Sunday January 22,2006). They were not in a church with a group of their fellows proclaiming themselves christians and asserting their love of God. Rather, they were outside taking food to the hungry. This congregation rents space for their services, hoping one day to be able to afford their own place of worship. This day is further away than it could be because they have chosen to use resources to help feed the homeless and the hungry. Over the past year and more I have come into contact with many diverse Christians. Some I admit I have deep philosophical differences with, some I differ on basic beliefs with and some I share spiritual ground with. BUT the one thing all these diverse Christians have in common that I cannot argue with is that they live their faith. Not with loud words proclaiming their Christianity (OK some get a little loud and rambunctious) but through their actions. Christ chased the money-lenders from the temple and chastised those who only proclaimed their faith in church but failed to live their faith out in the world. I wonder what he would think of the majority of those who would claim to be christian but choose not to live their faith in their daily lives?

As stated, I am not saying there are not some good Christians in this city, just that the poor christians would appear to have them vastly outnumbered. What do I base this on? Observation and the fact that to me actions are far more revealing of what people are truly like than all their pious words.

We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one that we preach, but do not practice, and another that we practice, but seldom preach.

Bertrand Russell

We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.

Abigail Adams

We citizens are the city and we must accept responsibility for the actions that the city undertakes. When the City begins to act in a manner that inflicts harm upon the less fortunate members of our society, it is up to us to require the City to act in a manner reflecting the citizens beliefs about acceptable behaviour. It is not acceptable to sit back and do nothing.

A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.

John Stuart Mill

It is not enough to merely claim to be a just and compassionate society. We must match our actions to our words, or we will have become part of the problem. In turning our backs on those in need we let the darkness into our souls and our hearts. There is no need for the devil to act, throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

Albert Einstein

Note: see associated article on street view - a interesting question

Fellow Business People? Citizens?
BLEEP ‘em!!!

This is what the downtown business people and association has to say to both the other business people in the city and their fellow citizens of Abbotsford. Street Hope is closing as a result of being evicted from their location at 2467 Pauline Street as part of the effort to drive the homeless and poor away from the downtown area. Since it was related to me second hand (no not by a street person, one of the homed who appreciate their blessings enough to want to help the less fortunate) I will not point a finger but this individual, when it was pointed out that the homeless were not going to just disappear (as discussed previously in “an unsightly sight”), but move elsewhere in Abbotsford replied “I don’t care where they go as long as it is not here". Not In My Backyard appears alive and well, yet people complain that society is much less civil than it use to be in “the good old days”. Yes, those days when people (including business people) helped those less fortunate and people considered the affect their actions would have on their fellow citizens. Seeing as Abbotsford is well known as a Christian community I suspect that many of those business people will be found in churches on Sundays saying the words while the rest of the week they fail to walk the walk. In fact their actions add to the general misery of their fellow residents – not just the homeless. With “enemies” like these “good christians” evil certainly does not need any friends in order to spread suffering in this city.

The irony is that it is the other business people and citizens who have paid for this turn of events. The gentrification of the downtown is a result of the large tax breaks and advantages that the property owners and business people receive for being located downtown. All of which everyone else in the city pays for. And pays for, and pays for ……. They also are contributing large sums of money through the use of city resources in driving (or attempting to drive) the “unwanted element” out of the downtown and into their own neighbourhoods. In “you are already paying” I wrote about the large number of your tax $$$ the city wastes dealing with the homeless. Now they are going to waste more taxpayer dollars – to drive the homeless into the taxpayers own neighbourhoods. How Truly Ironic. And a true waste of resources. As has been seen and demonstrated in Vancouver all that happens is that you move them from one area of the city to another. When the citizens of that area get upset they are moved along to another are, and another …. Until they arrive back at the area where they started out. In the end what does all the money spent on this process accomplish? Nothing!

There are more homeless every day. It seems to me that the intelligent way to approach the problem is not to continue to try to sweep it under the rug (as it were) but to put in place programs that address the causes, to reform our assistance system so that it in fact it assists those who want to find work and get on their feet to do so (as opposed to the way it currently hinders becoming employed), to reform the social assistance system to assist the “clients” and society in dealing with the root causes and effects of homelessness and poverty. The City needs to wake up and see reality. Moving people from area to area within the city is a pointless waste of money. Stop wasting it and spend it on things such as coordinating the many charities and programs so that the effects are maximized. Take the lead in organizing the citizens’ response so that it address issues such as shelter, training and finding work. Get together with the other municipalities in getting the provincial government to reform the system and implement programs that the addresses problems instead of contributing to enlarging those problems. Look to see what federal employment programs could be used. Coordinate, take proactive actions and show some leadership. Think instead of reacting and stop wasting large amounts of taxpayers dollars.

Of course I do get a laugh from the thought of all those self-righteous business people and citizens of Abbotsford who look down on and ignore the plight of the homeless are paying to drive the homeless out of downtown, on behalf of the downtown business people they subsidize so heavily, into their neighbourhoods.

A few thoughts on the cities, citizens and business peoples actions in addressing homelessness in Abbotsford:

Insanity is doing the same thin over and over and expecting a
different result.
AA, Al-anon

Only two things are infinite,
the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein

Never underestimate
the power of human stupidity.
Robert A.
Heinlein

Why is the BC government forcing people to remain on welfare instead of working?


I do not know why the government wants people to remain on welfare, NOT working but it is obvious they do. This government claims it is interested in getting people off welfare and into the workforce - it is lying or incompetent. OR, I suppose, both incompetent and lying. They pay lip service to getting people off welfare and back onto their feet but their policies and actions actually prevent people from returning to the workforce from the welfare rolls.

Currently I am struggling to overcome the negative effects their “assistance” system has had on my job seeking. Those readers who have read the back-story will recall the problems I faced in getting clothing suitable to wear to interviews. I have since found out that there is a $200 limit on their “help”. Pants, suit jacket, dress shirt and tie suitable for making a good impression on the prospective employer for $200 (being rather large I have to go to Mr. Big and Tall for clothing, which raises the price). Even with careful spending the bill came to almost twice that amount. Without this attire I would make bad impressions on any interviewer with the result that I would not find work. Were it not for the generosity of other people I would not have been able to get the suitable clothing required. Remember that the system requires you to have no assets, then has you waiting for several weeks before you receive any money. This means you are past being broke into negative cash flow and any money is always spent before you even receive it. You are thus entirely dependent on the system for anything you need in your job search. When the system denies you financial aid in purchasing clothing suitable to wearing to interviews they are saying NO to you becoming employed (then turn around and accuse you of not looking for work).

Through the kindness of strangers (who knowing of the need for clothing suitable to an interview, wanted to help me find work) I had clothing to wear to make a good impression at interviews. With clothes appropriate to the interview process I did receive a job offer. But now I needed office wear. Fortunately the dress code was office casual so that I could get by with purchasing two pairs of khakis as my sport shirts would serve. I desperately needed those two pairs of pants in order to enter back into the workforce and off welfare. With no acceptable pants (all the pants I own are worn and tattered at this point) I would be in violation of the dress code, resulting in the loss of the job and a return to welfare. What of my request for the two pairs of pants so I could work? NO – I had already received all the “help” they would give, In denying me the clothing needed to keep the job I had struggled/worked so hard to find – the system was saying NO to me being employed.

The system was upset that I was homeless (claiming my homelessness would prove a barrier to employment – it did not) and had threatened to deny the $185. I did get the $185 and being homeless left the full amount for me to use ($325 does not cover housing in Abbotsford and you must use the $185, or a portion thereof, to make up the difference between your shelter allowance and your REAL shelter costs). So in spite of the hardships associated with being homeless it had the advantage of leaving me with the full $185. This was/is very important as timing results in my first pay cheque arriving on the last Friday of January. Surviving until then is complicated by having a major expense I did not have before – food. Not something you can do without. Before I was working I could go down to the Salvation Army for a hot lunch and handouts of fruit, vegetable and bread. My food bill was $0. No longer. I now need to purchase what had once been free. My budgeting suggests that I should expect little of the $185 to remain after purchasing food to eat. Which leaves me with a few outstanding needs. Transportation to work, maintaining cleanliness (washing both myself and my clothes) and someway for my employer to contact me. Bus pass = $40; Bathing pass = $40; Laundry = $20; Phone = $35; total needed = $135. So in order to meet the cash flow demanded by actions to remain employed I needed approximately $100 to cover the period before my wages began to cover these costs. What does the system say about covering these types of expenses in the gap between starting work and getting paid for work done? NO! The system denies any help covering cash outflows required to continue working. NO to being employed.

Based on my own personal experience I can only conclude that the current government wants to keep people from becoming employed and getting back on their feet.

My Goal	Government Response
Clothing for interview, find employment	NO
Meeting dress code; keeping job	NO
Getting to work, cleanliness, keeping job	NO

At every turn in my quest to work the government has seemingly tried to block me from working by denying the help required. NO, NO, NO to getting the help needed to find employment. I have only been able to overcome the governments’ obstacles through help from good Samaritans. I have no idea why the government seeks to keep people on welfare. My experience (and that of others I know) is that although they claim they want people working, they are denying people the opportunity to work by denying them the resources they need to attain and maintain employment – saying NO to people getting work and off welfare. It does not matter what the government claims – their actions speak louder than their words, screaming NO at those of us seeking to be gainfully employed.

I frankly have no idea why the government does NOT want welfare recipients becoming employed. Perhaps it is some attempt to hold down wages by maintaining a large pool of unemployed. Perhaps the government feels the need for something they can use to distract the public from their record. Or perhaps it is just a required tenet of their Ideology – those on welfare are bums out to take the system – and to protect their worldview they need to keep people on welfare and not getting employed. The why is not really as important (although I would like to know WHY?) as the effect of the government actions in repeatedly saying NO to helping people off welfare and into the workforce.

Most fortunate for me is that in this arduous life lesson I have found some good people, people who truly want to help, whose actions lend help to those of us in need of a hand to get back onto our feet and on with our lives. So I can say NO to the governments efforts to keep me on welfare, keep me from finding work and from keeping my job.

To the government and system I say – if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. If the government/system truly wants to get people back into the workforce (as opposed to only claiming that as a goal) they need to get some competent people involved, get out of the way and stop saying NO to helping people find work.

a Strange look

I fell into a discussion about ‘bait’ cars the other evening. How to recognize a bait car, precautions to take just in case you judged wrong and the car you stole turned out to be a bait car and you needed to be able to escape the car.

It was a simple straightforward and interesting discussion I was having with a fellow homeless person. Now I was not, nor do I believe was my conversational partner, planning to run out and steal a car. It was just an interesting conversation on a wet night, taking place where a local church was providing food and clothing to the homeless – as they do every week on that evening. One of their newer members was sitting where he could listen and when I glanced his way he had a rather strange look on his face. I suppose it sounded like we were planning to go out and steal cars. His look suggested he could not quite believe what he was hearing, that the thought that people who needed money for food and/or shelter would consider stealing had never occurred to him. It did give me a chuckle at the time.

It also made me wonder what politicians or the public are thinking sometimes. OK – I concede that getting politicians to think is probably a forlorn hope, but I still have hopes the public can think on this subject if one can get in front of them information such as this blog. Just recently a rumour (true or not I cannot say) had the government planning to start to kick a large number of people off the welfare rolls. Which I suppose they spin to get public applause and in hopes that by pulling out this old tattered ploy they could get voters to forget all the idiocy the current government is and has embraced.

I have had some cold hungry days and it is still early winter. I know that get me cold, hungry and desperate enough - morals and honesty be damned. Even a warm cell and 3 meals a day beats cold starvation “free” on the streets. Could that be the provincial government plan? Starve the homeless and the poor enough to commit crimes, arrest them, lock them in jail and voila! The streets are free of homeless. Well until government policy causes more unfortunates to fall into the clutches of the system. Or those in jail are freed for lack of jail space or the end of their sentences. Then you have more homeless than you started with. But, the government does gain a bogeyman to spook the electorate with at the next election (and avoid running on what they actually did). It is an extremely expensive course of action and when you look at what it would accomplish – NOTHING – it is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. But as recent news reminds us, this is a government that has no hesitation in wasting tax dollars gain political advantage or in pursuit of their ideology.

A Scary Prospect....

An acquaintance of mine is back on the streets, homeless once more. Now Kerry (I am taking his word that he does not mind me using his name as opposed to Mr. X) is bright, articulate and hard-working. Once he arrived in Abbotsford last spring he hustle jobs to get the cash together to meet the amount required to get off the street and into habitation. As I have observed, personally experienced and written about, getting the money needed to take that HUGE step from being homeless to having a home is daunting. Social assistance tends to be more a series of obstacles rather than of assistance and the shelter rate is so low and totally unrealistic that in its way it acts as a barrier as well. The city government has been a barrier to any organization wanting to help with the need for housing aimed to transition people off the street, into reduced rental housing, the workforce and on into the regular housing market. Thus it is that I find myself (as noted in the previous posting) starting work but facing another two months or so of homelessness in order to accumulate the stake needed to pay the full market rental costs in Abbotsford. Two tough months of struggling to get to work, managing to bath. to do laundry, be presentable and to somehow find enough food to eat.

It is fine for politicians and others, living in some world where they see only what they want to see, to talk so easily of "they just need to get off their lazy asses and find a job". Reality is an entirely different matter. I have no idea of how many people this inability or refusal to understand a basic economic fact/truth has denied employment and housing to by failing to provide the badly needed aid to make the transition.

It was somewhat chilling to see Kerry back on the street while I am preparing for the scramble to (at some point) transition off the street. He was injured, could not work for several weeks (a broken ankle had him hobbling around with his foot encased) and having no savings (since it is hard enough to get enough $$$ together to get a place, you cannot manage a savings "cushion" as well) - BAM - out on the street. Social Assistance is not designed (but should be) to quickly step in and provide aid so you do not become homeless, bridging the gap until you can return to work. In fact the workers deny you the 185.00 (as well as the 325.00 which you would reasonable expect not to receive) claiming that homelessness prevents you from finding work. But the system will not do anything to prevent this homeless ness from occurring. Oh yes, it also ignores evidence it does not want to see - such as the fact that I managed to find employment while homeless (thanks in part to the current system) and dealing with, or at least trying to deal with, the idiocy of the current system. it just required a lot more determination and effort to overcome the millstone of the system's "assistance".

With all else that is on my plate in the struggle to get back on my feet, I really did not need to be reminded of the obstacles faced in that undertaking and how fragile ones grip on home, work and even a very basic, simple lifestyle can be.

I was so close…

…to becoming a person inhabiting a residence. Then the Universe laughed, intervening so I would continue to be Homeless in Abbotsford. Extremely careful fiscal management allowed me to plan the funding needed to afford housing in Abbotsford. Promise of a job starting later in January 2006 meant being able to make the rental payments. Dreams of showers, sleeping in a bed, laundry and running water all danced in my head. Dashed! My dreams superseded by the manifestation of an unanticipated but needed expenditure. To ensure the continuance of my homeless state, an additional millstone was added in the form of a dental problem. Add in the fact that my welfare cheque was cancelled because I was a day late (and thus many dollars short) in getting down to pick it up. My Bad. I was being so frugal, spending no money and thus not fixed on the cheque issue date (I also confess I forgot that having No Fixed Address meant no direct deposit). Haste makes Waste. In my haste to get everything done and lined up for the dreamed of residence and promised job … well it certainly laid waste to my plans.

It would appear that the Universe wants me to continue with the Homeless in Abbotsford site and attempting to bring to public attention the Reality (vs. the myth) of the homeless (me included). Fortunately, based on my sitting in my car at midnight, flashlight strapped to my head, writing this and the words just flowing out, it would appear I have more to say. My (admittedly) warped sense of humour let me appreciate the Joke the Universe is playing – that for the foreseeable future I will find myself employed full time but living in my car until I can recover from the financial, emotional and spiritual wounds inflicted in dealing with the (so-called) assistance system. Social Assistance, what a use of bureaucratese doublespeak.

Deep breath in … hold … slowly release the breath. An Attitude of Gratitude. Relieved to have the opportunity to decamp, one of the extremely lucky ones, those who escape the system before it sucks them in, chews them up, destroys their spirit and renders them incapable of more than basic existence within the Systems imprisoning confines.

Dignity

I took a seat beside him because he was reading a copy of the article on this blog from somethingcool.ca. I had printed off several copies and left them for other homeless to find and read so that I could get some feedback.

Once seated I found he had had to much to drink. He was a little on the scruffy side so most would have avoided him in the first place, throw in being drunk and the ‘avoiders’ would have been giving him a wide berth. At an earlier point I would have been one of those going out of their way in avoidance. I would then have missed out on the thoughts raised in listening and talking to him.

Aside: One of the somewhat surprising things I have learned from this arduous life lesson concerns listening. I have learned much of interest to me from a wide variety of individuals. A favorite group from a person who is mentally challenged; things I needed to help me deal with life on the street from my fellow homeless; an insight from a scruffy drunk. So – practice your listening skills, you could learn a lot of interest and use this way. Not necessarily from the homeless but from your family, friends and those around you.

He was quite upset with the statement that the system, the government and the public lump us all together and view us as one type. It developed that he was not disputing the claim that we are all viewed as one thing, rather he was upset with all those who lumped so many different individuals, stories and situations into one big pile and stick ONE label on all. He did not deny his alcohol problem, freely admitting to it. However, he stressed that he worked for the money he spent on alcohol. He did not collect welfare, did not rob or steal and while it may not be considered a traditional job he EARNED his own money – and paid taxes too (if only sales and excise taxes). He is one of those ‘lazy bums’ who are far from lazy, working hard for his money. It upset him greatly to be lumped together under one label. Worth noting is the fact that he had the courtesy to ask if he was disturbing me (I had the Daily News on my lap. And only continued the conversation when I had assured him he was not disturbing me.

As I reviewed this conversation in my mind and thought not just about the words themselves but what he was in fact ‘saying’ I realized that we were talking about dignity. I was about to use the word simple with reference to human dignity but I realized there is nothing simple about human dignity. Dignity is a part of human nature, something we all have/need and one of the first things taken from the homeless. The system, government and public view and treat the poor, those in need and the homeless as worthless excess baggage – a burden to society. Beat these people down with labels, attitudes, actions, the police and treat them as throw away people. Many look down their noses. I have heard people I know speak with contempt about the homeless (se Footnote 1 below). I know from the backgrounds of some of these folk that it was only through the best of luck, the workings of blind chance, that they have home, family and a comfortable life rather than being homeless and on the streets themselves. Perhaps it is some inner knowledge of just how close they came, how truly lucky they are, that makes them so vehement in the condemnation of the homeless and those in need. In the same vein of ex-smokers being so vehement about anti smoking laws or quitting smoking.

Worthless. Burden. Human garbage. Drunks. Druggies. Ignorant. Lazy. Uneducated. Bums. Freeloaders. Chipping away until their dignity is gone. Yet they turn around and ask “Have you no pride?” – no, the system, government and public have beaten down so many of the disadvantaged, the homeless. Until they reach the point where there is no sense even trying for them. Then beats upon them for having this outlook of despair.

There are any number of inspirational speakers and sayings stressing how important attitudes are in any endeavour. That self image and belief are needed for success. How we look at ourselves and the world affects strongly our motivation. The inner conversations we have, what thoughts our minds are fed, our dreams – all affect our actions. You can live your dreams OR live your fears and self doubts.

I wonder just what the effect of building up their self-esteem/image, of granting them human dignity, of treating them (others) as you would want to be treated yourself would be? That would require ideologues in government and the public to open their minds about the reality of the poor and the homeless, actually see what is and change their Behaviours. SNORT. Yea, right. Open those closed minds? Hmmmm. With more members of local church congregations aware of and wanting to help….. perhaps a miracle such as open minds can be hoped (prayed) for.

Footnote 1 – Dignity

I have been accused of having to much pride in that I have not asked for all the help as often as I could – or more importantly as often as I should have. Pride? Or just the need ton preserve my dignity? I do not know. I will acknowledge that as my self-esteem has healed my ability to share the fact of my being homeless with others has grown. It is also true that after the latest ‘put down the homeless’ rant I heard I had to send the web address to this site to the household, not as Mr. H but as moi. I have not yet heard back but it was something I felt I had to do and was comfortable with whatever comes of that action. Of course this does emphasize that people have an image I in their heads of the homeless, an often highly inaccurate image, and do not see me (a homeless person) as fitting their image. Having judged me as a fellow worthwhile citizen they feel free to denigrate the homeless to me – how very ironic. A person at the table I was eating lunch at the Salvation Army at was likewise running down the homeless (or perhaps just trying to build herself up by putting others down0. When someone at the table informed her I was homeless she refused to believe it. After all I was to clean and presentable – not at all like the public perception of the homeless. She may well still not believe I was homeless but she did act differently after being informed I was homeless. lol She claimed she only came to the Salvation Army for company over lunch (from those she deems acceptable) and so she would not have any dishes to clean up. If these are the true reasons she was eating food prepared for those in need I can only suggest she take a long, hard, soul searching look in the mirror before decides to disparage the homeless. A case of the pot calling the kettle “sooty bottom”.

I will stop here and leave you with this thought – what does it truly say about the public at larges views and the true nature of the homeless that these self-appointed experts, who felt free to hold forth on how terrible and worthless homeless people are, cannot even recognize a homeless person sitting in front (or beside) them?

Stop wasting $$$...

… and there will be more than enough $$$!!

While writing the article concerning the fact that the City of Abbotsford currently wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs associated with the homeless to accomplish nothing, rather than spend money in a manner that would benefit both the city and the homeless, a thought occurred to me. Should the city try to get the provincial government to fund programs that are actually designed to address homelessness in a positive and effective manner, the province would undoubtedly cry “No money.” This seems a favorite response, unless the money is directed into the pockets of the well off, big corporations or the politicians pockets.

• To help those who are in need of help - “No money.”


• To fund programs to address the many different facets and aspects of homelessness and poverty? “No money.”


• To deal with the reality of homelessness - “No money.”


• To have the system actually render aid and help to those who need the help to get back on their feet – even if it means accepting that some freeloaders will get to freeload, but that those trying to find work and get back on their economic feet will get a helping hand? “No money.”

---



• To serve the ideology of the government and embarrass the opposition? Millions, hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars to waste.

As has been all over the news recently, a company is proposing a service between Vancouver and the Island. Where did the ferries for this proposed service come from? Why these are the same ferries that the provincial Liberal government rushed to sell at sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub- sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-sub-basement sale prices to make sure they could blame the NDP (who are themselves not without blame in the ferry fiasco). The ferries the government claimed ere no good, although it appears all that is needed to get use out of the ferries is so competence. Say, are we not currently spending hundreds of millions more providing jobs and benefits in a foreign country to purchase 3 ferries? Plus, just how much did the current government waste on P3’s? Evidently enough that the new Abbotsford hospital is a profitable investment for trading among foreign banks (Foreign? Again?).

How would I propose that we fund changes to the current system? Changes based on what is needed to address the varied needs of the diverse homeless people. Fund experimental programs to see what works, what does not and which are the most effective approaches. To actually begin to address homelessness rather than use it as a distraction or bogey man for the voters.

Funding is not a problem - if we can just get the provincial government to stop wasting all those hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.