As was the case in the 90s, the NDP have brought back Social Engineering which is VOID of any common sense, community / inter-governmental discussion, or communication! Decisions made without the appropriate knowledge or professional and community input is a road to disaster!
As I have previously written, John Horgan was elected based on his leadership and common-sense decisions; “He didn’t allow perfect be the enemy of the good”, which is why he was able to attract many of us traditional center to right of center voters. Unfortunately, John Horgan had to resign for health reasons and the electorate (all of us) were left with the candidate selected by NDP members to be his successor. We were willing to sit back and see who and what David Eby was all about, now we know – “He is no John Horgan.” His actions are setting our province back decades, dramatically changing our collective quality of life. We need to bring back common sense to our provincial government we cannot afford their experiments!
IMPORTANT – Why are we saying this government is dramatically changing our quality of life? Let’s explain, there are many and of a very serious nature!
Housing Bills 44, 46 and 47 – Under the guise of providing more housing this provincial government has virtually taken over the rights of your municipal government; your rights. The NDP government has removed Community Planning, zoning, eliminated public hearings, and eliminated parking requirements. In addition, they are interfering in your municipalities ability to collect DCCs and CACs in a number of areas – funds that are needed to fund the necessary infrastructure in our communities. Who will pay for that shortfall? You the taxpayer!
Many life-long NDP supporters will recognize the name Kathy Corrigan a former NDP MLA for Burnaby. Her husband Derek was a successful multi-term Mayor of Burnaby and NDP activist for many decades. The following is her take on the new NDP housing legislation changes, that she posted recently on her Facebook Post….
“I want to talk about the impact that the BC government’s Bill 44, which virtually eliminates single family housing zoning in British Columbia, is already having in our neighborhood. Last year, the BC NDP passed legislation, without consultation, bypassing the zoning function of BC cities, and imposing 4 units on almost all single-family lots or duplex lots in the province.
The Cities had a long history of planning communities through carefully thought-out Community Plans, which, certainly in the case of Burnaby, involved significant community consultation. …. this is ridiculous, and unfair to those who bought houses with the confidence that their neighborhoods would be livable ….. the provincial government, are, as I said earlier, taking a sledgehammer to our neighborhoods.”
Change in B.C. Building Code requiring only one exit stairwell in Condo Buildings up to 6 Stories – In an ad-hoc move out of left field, Minister Ravi Kahlon changed the B.C. Building Code, approving the requirement for only one exit stairwell in Condo-Apartment buildings up to 6 stories. This is a dangerous and life-threatening brain-dead decision, they support this move with – New York and Seattle have had this in place for some time.
Should take confidence following Seattle and New York’s moves? – NOT!
They additionally state that they will be required to have sprinklers and a smoke-management system in place! What? Message to Minister Kahlon, sprinklers and smoke detectors are already required! Their rationale stated it would provide for larger units – NOTE not more units!
In keeping with the Eby philosophy, this change was made with absolutely NO communication or consultation with safety professionals. The B.C. Professional Firefighters and the B.C. Fire Chiefs have come out adamantly against this move based on their professional experience. Does a Minister with NO experience know better? NOT! We are living in the age of NDP experiments – No thanks!
Highway #1 Widening – No Interregional Transit – Trust in your government can only be measured by their actions and in the case of Highway #1 widening – Lies have been the order of the day! Since 2017 we have seen and heard a multitude of promises through an endless number of press conferences and releases dealing with the widening and promised project start and completion times. This is a congested traffic corridor in crisis, it has been in gridlock for years. By government’s own traffic counts it is increasing by 20% + every 7 years. Widening to Highway #11 / Sumas Way is now estimated to complete in 2031 (pre-election announcement) – we suggest with this province’s record it won’t complete until 2034 at the earliest – 10 years from now! Despite John Horgan saying in Sept. of 2022 that reactivating the Interurban for Interregional passenger rail transit was now a high priority.
This Premier has offered no such support for 1.3 million residents South of the Fraser.
Decriminalization of Drugs – Once again our NDP government took a poorly thought-out action by requesting and being granted a three-year exemption by the Federal Government to decriminalize people in possession of small amounts of certain illicit drugs. Since that time, we have seen a large increase of theft and criminal offences which has led to the B.C. Government requesting a reversal of the exemption – it has been granted. Further proof that our government is making decisions based on trial and error – a practice we cannot afford in our province.
Installation of so-called harm-reduction vending machines at Island Hospitals – In another failed NDP experiment at the public’s expense was the installation of harm-reduction vending machines dispensing free drug testing kits, drug paraphernalia (bubble pipes and snorting utensils) and more at regional hospitals on Vancouver Island. They have been suspended and removed while the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions conduct a review. What? Until after the election?
Dramatic Increase in serious crime assaults and theft – Our province has seen a massive increase in criminal assaults and shoplifting which has been blamed on our lax drug policy and crime enforcement. The province is not providing the desired leadership in protection of our communities.
Catch and Release of prolific offenders – We have seen an endless number of serious assaults (some deadly) in British Columbia followed up with a arrests (hopefully), all being released to appear at a future court date(s) despite many very lengthy criminal wrap sheets. It appears, based on their records, that offenders just don’t care and apparently neither does our government, primarily elected to keep their citizens safe! Other than pathetic post event comments – they are thinking of and praying for the victims, nothing is being done. Message to government, praying and thinking of those materially affected does nothing to solve the problem.
Incompetent Management of Capital Projects – Enough of the excuses. We count on our governments when planning for major infrastructure projects, that they are well aware of estimated increases or volatility in prices and costs. The staff within government ministries are professional and well paid – so far, they are failing badly. Are we suggesting – That inflation is something new? That raw material cost increases are a new revelation? That wage cost increases were unexpectedly new? Or are they hiding from reality by announcing lower projected costs on projects at the outset, coming out during construction with overblown budgets supported by their new found rationale as I have previously outlined? Cloverdale Hospital +75% or $1.22 Billion, Langley SkyTrain + 81% or $3.15 Billion, Broadway / Arbutus SkyTrain – Increase unknown, Massey Tunnel – Cost and Increase unknown and that is just a fraction of capital projects underway.
Incompetent Oversight of Regional Districts and their Capital Projects – Metro Vancouver is and has been for years a monolith of a public agency that is in need of drastic change – the only ones able to change it is the provincial government. I know, I am a former board member. Metro Vancouver is effectively unaccountable, despite its board members continuing to defend it. At a minimum those sitting on the Metro Board should be directly elected. We are just starting to hear horror stories about the waste that has been internally evident for years. The immediate need is for an external audit to be conducted on the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco which is now 4 years behind schedule and has ballooned to 5 times its original estimated cost? How is that possible? It will cost residents of Greater Vancouver dearly with additional costs yearly, for 31 years! As of today, they are proposing an Independent Review – that should not be acceptable, unfortunately Premier Eby seems very reluctant to get involved? Why? Is it to protect some key NDP Municipal Leaders that sit on the Metro Board? This agency needs broad oversight! Eby is not showing leadership.
Ignoring the obvious mismanagement of the TransLink Regional District Transit model – TransLink is bankrupt and has been for years, SkyTrain started us down that road. It has become a comfortable transit service that everyone in the region feel that they deserve? If Vancouver can have it, why not Langley? In simple terms cost! It has been great for certain areas but expansion should have been put on hold years ago to measure a cost benefit analysis. SkyTrain to Langley City was a political decision, initiated by the former Mayor of Surrey. It was nothing more than a land deal for friends and insiders. You could never justify its expansion based on a business plan! At a cost of $7 Billion OR $437 Million per KM they have eaten up enough funds to look after the lower mainland’s transit needs for decades.
Massive increase in Provincial Debt in a short two years –I recognize that when we start talking Billions of dollars people’s eyes glaze over, do we really appreciate how much $1 Billion is? On this issue it is all about the facts, so I found that Vaughn Palmer’s recent Vancouver Province column said it best:
John Horgan left David Eby with a surplus of close to $6 Billion!
Last week David Eby’s targeted deficit for this year is $9 Billion, a negative turn in two years of $15 Billion!
They boosted the public service by another 1,600 full time positions.
David Eby’s electioneering has added three dozen capital projects to the February Budget increasing the deficit by $12 Billion in just six months!
Interest cost increased by $344 Million per year!
The impact of David Eby’s decisions boosted the debt by $25 Billion in a single year with total debt topping out at $128 Billion by the current fiscal year end!
David Eby’s fiscal plan calls for debt to increase to $151 Billion in the next fiscal year and $173 Billion the year after.
Summary – Elections are your opportunity to make a statement!
In Summary – This election is your chance to send a message to government, ensuring a future government will revisit these irresponsible moves! Remember, you get the government you deserve, take action now. Unfortunately, the disaster of these moves will not be truly felt for a number of years, if the NDP are re-elected it will be too late.
David Eby is getting nervous, he knows a number of his policies have been very unpopular and he is trying to catch up with popular opinion. We are now seeing daily actions of flip-flopping on two significant issues 1) Carbon Tax (something that has been the NDP foundation for years) and 2) the introduction of involuntary care for those with mental health and serious drug issues. That last item has had provincial legislation supporting that move – it hasn’t been acted upon? Why?
In view of the foregoing facts, I am strongly recommending a vote for the B.C. Conservative Party. Provincial parties who threaten our municipal and city governments, introduce and experiment with policies that are poorly thought out with NO consultation and communication with those affected have crossed the line and are in a breach of the trust we place in them. In the case of the NDP under David Eby, their actions into Social Engineering should not be acceptable by any of us. If elected we will all pay a significant price in the years ahead.
RG
Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!
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