Category Archives: Caveat emptor

Caveat emptor

Hissy fit by Imagine Abboptsford cancels dialogue

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Ms. Hamilton’s statement about “weekly opportunities for dialogue” with city council show just how little awareness of Dialogue in Abbotsford she has. Discussion is permitted only when demanded by city statutes. Otherwise citizens are to be seen paying their taxes but not heard.

Which probably goes a long way to explain how she could consider cancelling a dialogue the way Imagine Abbotsford did would be considered to have allowed them to “… complete this first year of dialogues successfully”. Avoiding unpleasant topics does not seem to me to be successful dialogue.

Ms Hamilton’s statements would seem to suggest that councilor Dave Lowen is not a policy maker as he was present at the January dialogue, fully participated, was listened to and not attacked by the numerous opponents of Plan A participating in the dialogue that day.

Perhaps it is merely that Ms Hamilton considers only the Thought Leaders of Imagine Abbotsford to be capable of conveying the thoughts and concerns of the uncouth citizens to the policy makers in an appropriately gentile manner? Thus necessitating the cancellation of the meeting lest the peasants put in an appearance. It would also serve to explain why the results of the January dialogue would be made available to the “thought leaders” and “policy makers” before being shared with those who put forth the ideas.

Finally: I am aware that there was some concern expressed about Vince Dimanno’s call on the Abbotsford Monitor’s webpage for the public to get together at the Clearbrook Library. If this is what gave rise to the cancellation all I can do is shake my head at the poor judgment shown. Mr. Dimanno and the citizens he was speaking to and for live in the real world. Meaning, with the Library closing at 5PM on Fridays, people who have to actually work hard to pay their city property taxes would be unable to attend. Which is why, in order to be inclusive of every citizen including self proclaimed thought leaders and even policy makers it was rescheduled to Saturday at 2PM at Clearbrook Library

Caveat emptor, Municipal

Unasked Questions

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It is only fair and just that Jerry Gosling’s letter of support be offered as is, since it is on the letters/opinion pages. Being identified as the president of the MSA Museum Society provides the entire context needed to understand and evaluate his RAH-RAH leading of a cheering section in support of the capital plan, given the inclusion of a world class museum and art gallery, which far surpasses any sane or reasonable proposal, in the council’s absurd proposal.

There can be no excuse for boosterism disguised as “news reporting” on the front page of Thursday’s News. In large bold text the News trumpets “Trustees back Plan A, say students benefit most”, including in the body of the story that the vote was unanimous. The News blindly printed statements citing benefits while failing to ask a question so obvious any non-partisan, semi-intelligent person’s mind screams “Where’s the Beef” or in other words what are or were these never stated benefits? Or did the school trustees unanimously support imaginary, perhaps non-existent, benefits? The fact there were no actual benefits to support the vote certainly would explain the failure of the News to print even one so-called benefit. Or incompetence.

It is perfectly within their rights for the News to support and lead a cheering section for the capital plan. Fair and principled behaviour demands that this boosterism be made clear by the use of the Opinion page and at least minimal journalistic standards applied to any information purported to be news This apparent effort to hide the News’s leading of a cheering section for the proposed capital plan concealed as ‘news’ is, at the kindest questionable behaviour, more accurately described as bordering on the unethical.

The argument for it just being incompetence does have clear support on the same first page. It seems to me that the theoretical semi-intelligent person cited above would feel the statement “… with 533.91 fewer students” demands an answer to the question of exactly what .91 of a student is. More importantly, what exactly is the .09 of a student that is still attending school here? Just as an aside: in a city growing this fast what explains that Abbotsford schools have less students?

While on the subject of the capital plan council and supporters are seeking to foist, by whatever means possible, upon the gullible citizens – why is it called Plan A? I was not aware of any Plan B, C, D. Would it not be more accurate to name the plan based upon the grade it deserves – F?

Speaking of obvious and unasked questions: Why award a contract to replace the Centennial pool tank to a company that “… had not completed a cement pool before”? They came “highly recommended” – as what? It would appear obvious that the recommendation could not be as a builder of pools. Was it just because they had the lowest bid? Given the recent fiasco with pool building in Mission it would seem semi-intelligent behaviour to award the contract to an experienced pool builder who has experience with estimating what the pool replacement will actually end up costing the taxpayers as opposed to the low-ball bid submitted by a builder with NO EXPERIENCE in actually building a pool. The need to choose an experienced and knowledgeable builder would seem to be further demanded by the tight deadlines imposed by the replacement schedule.

But then it is a demonstrated, though sad and costly, fact of life that even semi-intelligent decisions and behaviour is beyond council and city planning or engineering staff. Alas, it also seems asking the obvious and needed questions are beyond the capabilities of, at the very least, the editorial staff of the News.

Caveat emptor, Homeless

If this is what Black Press’s BC reporter passesoff as thinking – it is no wonder others consider BC lala land

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I wish I could say my first thought upon seeing the title of Tom Fletcher’s “Discerning bums prefer ocean view” was that he was talking about the type of “bum” who would accept payment for writing trite, cliqued trivial nonsense just to meet the mortgage payment on his ocean view home. But I would be lying since it was clear that this was going to be another thoughtless rant about complex social issues. Reading this foolishness, as I did right after reading the News “Our View” on the same page, I did think that the employees of Black Press might want to insist on an environment study. Brain damage due to hazardous environmental contaminants seems a most plausible explanation for the lack of brain function inherent in both demonstrations of an inability to reason.

Given the closeness to Abbotsford and the people travelling between the two communities, perhaps the reason that nobody wanted to accept the offer of work is that they heard what happened with a similar offer made in Abbotsford. In this case the homeless accepted the promise of employment and the opportunity to move forward with their lives. As soon as the media spotlight moved on this “plenty of work” suddenly disappeared and the workers found themselves not only homeless but in many ways worse off than before they accepted “work”. Had they said “No” to the offer of work fingers would point and tongues wag about them not wanting to work, but where was/is all that moral indignation when the employer fails to keep his commitment?

Having spent long months living outside, due to circumstances beyond my control, I got lots of fresh air and retain my ability to cogitate. Which means that I am not foolish enough to see only black or white in what is a complex, many faceted situation made immensely more convoluted because it is, at its very core, a people problem. Of course some homeless do not want to work. On the other hand I, and I am sure many readers, have known people whose only “ability” was to be able to get paid for doing nothing (or at least nothing useful) on the job. There are those who defraud the Health Care system. Would it be sensible to address the problem of fraud by shutting down Medicare? While this approach would certainly stop all fraud, it would condemn all those others who do not abuse the system but seek only help in getting well to continue suffering. In the same manner I find it maddening, frustrating and disingenuous – not to mention totally lacking in any sense or compassion – to use the “bad apples” to condemn everyone else to continued depravations.

Mr. Fletcher so easily holds forth that some homeless would not accept housing even if it was available, with wilful blindness ignoring just how wrenching a transition this change is. Even being motivated and full of desire to begin the transition from living in my car it was most challenging to hang in and get used to being inside. Confined, jailed, walls closing in, on the verge of panic attacks – all of these were feelings I had to deal with. To a certain degree it was only stubbornness (an attribute I am noted for, although not always in a complimentary fashion) that drove me to hang in there. What truly allowed/helped me to make this gruelling adjustment was that I was participating in an 8 week psychiatric out-patient program during this time. Been there, done that and it was torturous – not some easily accomplished task.

Ah yes, Mr. Pakarinen. As those who know the views, approaches and behaviours of both of us, including Kerry himself, could tell you – I have serious philosophical and methodological differences with Mr. Pakarinen. Unfortunately it has become apparent that in order to get the media, and more importantly the citizens of our communities, province and the country itself to actually – well more accurately hopefully actually think with careful consideration about these full of twists and turns, interrelated and thorny matters you need to get the citizens and journalists attention. Since both these groups seem to approach any issue that actually involves careful thought and rational action with all the willingness of a jackass learning something new, the only approach that seems to hold any promise for a useful dialogue is the same approach one would employ in teaching a jackass something new. First you get a two by four, then you drive the jackass right between the eyes with the two by four to get its attention, then you proceed with the lesson. While, as said I have serious differences with Mr. Pakarinen he does function well as a two by four for the media and public.

Complex, byzantine, no nice neat easy answers, requiring long term commitment. All these statements are true. One of the biggest barriers to public understanding is that the only true way to begin to fully get an appreciation for this mess is to journey through it. Being in the process of the journey myself, I would not wish such a learning experience on anyone – including those who so blithely pontificate on the matter.

Caveat emptor, Consider

Refreshing Media change.

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You keep going like this… and you are going to not only live up to your stated aspirations, maybe even exceeding them, but you are going to have a very interesting, must read publication. That is how I had planed to end the last sentence in my prior letter, but then the best laid plans of mice and men. Or perhaps it was just fate this week’s edition contains an excellent start covering an important issue even though it is not “nice” and entails a certain amount of controversy.

Perspective – Whoa! An informative piece hinting at the temptations that a drug can have, the seductive promises that the drug and its effects can make: euphoria, endless energy, decreased appetite (easy weight loss), alertness. For the education of the public who tend to only see the end product of drugs – the addict – Ms Daniel paints a picture of the ordinary people that it lures into using with its siren song. The housewife, mother, sons and daughters, outstanding school athletes and scholars, fathers, business people – these are the real people that lie buried within the addicts that end up on our streets. Hopefully articles such as this can help people to see that the “addicts” are people, people suffering from listening to the seductive promises of a “mother’s little helper”. Then perhaps we can cease judging and concentrate on healing.

The promise of the Post that this is only the first of a series on this issue holds forth the promise of bringing knowledge and understanding to allow Post readers to begin to comprehend the nature of the insanity that is drug addiction. Dare I hope for a perspective that examines what effect legality (nicotine, cigarettes) vs. illegality (crystal meth) can have on addiction, the addict, “functional users” and on crime.

The issue also contained Kevin Gilles’s article on the growing and increasingly visible challenge presented by homelessness. The first thought I want to share is that it is a rather damning comment on our society that the Salvation Army and other organizations that help those in distress need a PR hack … ahem, let’s make that a PR person as, in spite of her unfortunately required occupation, Deb is a nice person – whom I know as a caring individual. How can we have any expectation of achieving progress on a multifaceted series of interrelated acutely complex and muddled people problems, when on even the simple aspects of this gargantuan chaotic mess we have to apply spin in presenting even the most elementary and simple pieces of the issues to the public. Given that the only route I see holding promise to help the homeless regain their souls and their lives lies thru community involvement, how do we eradicate the need for PR, educate and involve the community?

Perhaps the need for PR and what it says about our society should have been second on my list. First definitely has to be having a local newspaper that is part of and engaged with their communities, providing the needed forum for an examination of the reality of ours streets and an exchange of ideas – opening the gateway to addressing these pressing issues. We have to get past what people believe and most especially what they want to believe (because of their own personal world view) is the situation; to open their eyes and gain an awareness and a degree of understanding for the nitty-gritty, often dirty facts that underlie homelessness and its street kin – mental illness, drugs etc. We need an informed public on this matter so we do not need to spin what IS. To permit trying new ideas as well as adapting and using methods that have generated positive results elsewhere in the efforts to tackle these dilemmas. Adopting Edison’s attitude that he had not failed a thousand times in trying to invent the light bulb but had merely carried out the necessary thousand experiments, is crucial to making any true progress in addressing these problems. If we cannot honestly discuss: this worked, that did not work, this result wasn’t what we expected – why?, Say… how about trying this?, this kind of worked, and so on; we are going to find ourselves trapped in the quagmire that results from all the churning of the ground we are trying to work on by all the spin that these types of discussions would generate.

Wondering about the why behind the headline “Homeless numbers rise despite abundance of jobs”? Here is a sample or two of the actual reality behind that Why? to think about. What happens to all those functioning users in Ms Daniel’s Perspective as they become less and less functional, starting the fall from home, employment and social network to the harsh loneliness of the streets. Rising job numbers do nothing for them as a job is not the type help and support they need to begin to slowly and painfully turn their lives around. Consider the worker for whom losing their job was an economic disaster that left them having nothing and on the street or the recovering addict whom, in the throes of their addiction, burned all their bridges behind them and now has nothing, no one and are on the streets. Without a phone, an address, a way to be contacted, a way to keep clean and presentable, to have time and energy to look for work after taking care of the necessities of food, water and sleep, without transportation other than by foot, with basically nothing – just how are you to find work? Yes I am aware of Social Assistance. Are you aware of its inadequacies, how far short it falls of providing the basics needed to enable a person to conduct a successful job search? It is just as inadequate, perhaps more maddeningly so, in providing support to help those who find work in meeting their basic needs in a way that does not interfere with keeping their jobs and getting back onto their economic and social feet. Ponder the obstacles that being homeless puts up if you should find work, little things such as adequate sleep, personal hygiene and appearance, food to keep you alive, getting to work. Actually there are separate articles that could be written just on these barriers. To keep this letter from becoming a novel I will leave the reader with a final point to consider. Due to whatever circumstances you find yourself with nothing, absolutely nothing and without family or friends to help. Damage deposit; first months rent; the most basic of furniture, pots and pans, dishes; a phone; old debts; bad credit. Yes, we all at one point started out, but if we are honest we have to acknowledge just how much support we received from family and friends and how important, how necessary that help and support was in getting onto our feet and taking our first steps into our new lives.

I hope that this quick and rather superficial look at just some of the points that flow from considering the implications and issues raised by reading Kevin Gillies’s article serves to let the reader begin to see just how complex the labyrinth of issues and needs connected to homelessness is. You want neat, simple, easy, quick answers? They don’t exist. You want a perfect solution? You are living in a very altered state of reality. We are dealing with people here. It will be messy; mistakes will occur; it will take patience to allow for adequate time frames; it will take and try the patience of the saints in dealing with some of those in need of help; there will be some who cannot or will not be helped. There are many other disagreeable aspects we would rather not have to deal with or face, that must be dealt with or faced in order to bring positive change to these serious issues.

To have success we need the involvement, support and commitment of our entire communities. We need to achieve a public understanding of the underlying realities of the situation through education, insight, perspective and commentary. We need to put aside partisanship, politics and self delusion while dealing with the entrenched vested interests. We cannot be afraid of controversial issues, of facing and dealing with the facts – the un-spun, bare facts. We need to accomplish change, or suffer the insanity of continuing to repeat that which has not only failed to work, but has allowed things to worsen. We need a forum for public discussion, generation of ideas, a steadfastness of purpose and a commitment to action.

Wisdom or lessons can come from strange places. So, let us take to heart the words of Yoda: ”Try not. Do or Do Not. There is no try.” We need to stop hiding behind “trying” and choose. Do Not and accept the costs and consequences. Do and begin reclaiming lost or shattered lives. Do or Do Not. Choose what kind of society you want to live in. DO.

Caveat emptor, Homeless

The Abbotsford News Champions ESP as: THE solution to Homelessness.

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(HP) Homeless Press

No, this does not stand for Excessive Social Pressure. That course would require the News to become an active participant in: a continuing community wide dialogue on homelessness and its associates (poverty, mental illness, unemployment, drugs – to name but a few); an exchange of ideas on lines of attack; community wide tackling of these issues. This seems highly unlikely given that contentious issues or positions, no matter how well they would serve the community, have far too much potential to cause a reduction in advertising revenues.

No, I am no mind reader myself. It is clear from the language used that the News can only be advocating the use of Extra Sensory Perception in dealing with homelessness in Abbotsford. Psychics would, one assumes, be used to determine who in our community was about to become homeless. Remedial actions could then be undertaken to prevent this homelessness from occurring, thus avoiding the creation of additional members of the homeless community. One would presume that once this use of clairvoyants proved proficient in averting additional homeless, the News would call for additional seers to be employed in addressing the needs of those currently homeless. How foolproof! Using psychics to divine the specific set of actions that would enable each and every homeless person to deal with and overcome the maze of issues that have reduced them to a life of living on the streets. No failures, no relapses, no need for community involvement … only correct actions need be undertaken under the guidance of the paranormal practitioners. Brilliant … or sheer lunacy

“NO!” That was the almost unanimous answer given by the homeless surveyed on the question of whether the use of psychics would prove successful in resolving homelessness. It needs to be noted that some of the more dedicated practitioners of chemically altered reality did feel the News may be onto something with this approach of dealing with current problems by fortune telling the future.

No, Oh No. One can only hope that there are enough thoughtful citizens aware of the complex reality of homelessness to, in voting no, counterbalance those looking for a neat, quick, easy solution. Otherwise the fairytale illusion championed by the News in their Question of the Week:

Do you believe (take as true) homelessness can be
averted (avert: to keep from happening; ward off; prevent)
in communities that establish special committees to tackle the issue?

– will permit this community to continue to avoid the grim, harsh, despairing reality that populates its streets.