Knowing I had volunteered to setup, tear-down and cleanup for the Blue Bus, a friend brought me a copy of Regina Dalton’s July 29th Abbotsford News Letter to the Editor when he came to access the meal, foodstuffs and clothing provided by the Blue Bus two Sundays a month.
Being July 31, once cleanup was finished I headed home to pay September’s rent before heading to find a spot to write about yet another absurd decision by politicians and bureaucrats to waste money on an ineffective ‘get the homeless off the streets’ boondoggle. Another demonstration of politicians masterful ability to increase homelessness, poverty, economic disadvantage, their salaries and the levels of Irony in Canada.
So, when the City of Abbotsford descended upon the homeless camp on Gladys Avenue, began erecting the fence and, backed by the presence of the Abbotsford police, coerced the homeless to move or lose their belongings where did letter writer C. Howard think the homeless would go – Saskatchewan?
“Once we take care of the vulnerable people we’ll have to deal with the people who are there for the wrong reasons” stated Rich Coleman, the MLA responsible for BC’s extremely successful Homeless Recycling [Service Providers/government] Partnership.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if I tripped, fell and fractured my left wrist and the doctor in the emergency room wanted to amputate my right leg to deal with my fractured wrist I believe, even as a lowly peon, I have the right to decline the amputation. I also believe that in choosing to remain in the waiting room until the hospital decides to deal with my fractured wrist in a manner that knowledge, research and experience have demonstrated will be effective, I am not remaining in the waiting room for the ‘wrong reasons’ – no matter how embarrassing or aggravating my camping out in the waiting room until the defective approach [amputation] is replaced by effective [immobilization] is to the government and politicians.
What does my example have to do with what is happening on the grounds of the courthouse in Victoria and the reaction of the Minister of BC’s Homeless Recycling Services?
