Category Archives: Homeless

Federal, Hmmm, Homeless

Senate reform 101

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Senate reform seems to sink into a quagmire of complexity and political self interest. Is it not rational to change our frame of reference on the question of Senate reform?

Canadian citizens footing the cost of the senate need to get value for their money.

Canadian citizens need to derive benefit from the monies spent on the Senate, but Senate changes become lost in arguments about the form change should take. What we need is a change that requires no amendments to any legislation governing the Senate, but results in a Senate/Senators benefiting Canada.

Simple. We change who is to be appointed to the Senate, not the how, directing the Prime Minister to appoint Senators from a pool meeting the requirements the Canadian people feel will benefit the country.

I would like to propose that we use the Senate to support advocates, agents of change …. Use whatever label you choose for those who champion causes such as homelessness, poverty, climate change, child care etc.

As a country we face the need to address many social, economic fairness and environmental issues. Issues that we need to have a public debate on in order that we can formulate effective and cost efficient policies to address these issues.

Unfortunately we currently have no such debate taking place in this country. Currently we have politicians and their followers throwing around trite sound bites based on their ideology or what they think the public wants to hear – or both. Despite all the rhetoric, claims and promises these problems continue to grow and worsen.

These are complex issues containing far more gray than black or white, without nice neat solutions, often requiring multiple approaches to effect change. In other words – messy. The reality being that dealing with them will result in mistakes, some negative outcomes and someone, somewhere screaming out their upset. The type of issues that have politicians running for cover – or using trite phrases and telling the public what it wants to hear.

So we take those with a passion to address these issues, some brains, good communications skills, an ability to find compromise and consensus and other traits we think would be helpful and we appoint them to the senate.

Being a senator grants them financial security and independence, affording an opportunity to focus on the issues. It provides for travel, opens doors and provides a public platform to engage and address the Canadian public, a voice an ordinary citizen does not have. It provides an interesting and challenging group of peers to brainstorm with.

These senators can lead the public debate, generating ideas and feedback, building consensus on what course our country should pursue. This provides protection for the politicians while it ensures that the debates and policy decisions we need as a country take place.

By reforming the Senate in this way we create a Canadian institution that is focused on creating positive change, becoming a world leader in how to achieve change and growth

Homeless, Provincial

TO: Kevin Falcon, Transportation Ministe

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FROM: www.homelessinabbotsford.com

RE: Improper Bridge Drainage Problems

We have, following the recent inclement weather, received a deluge of complaints about bridges leaking and/or suffering from improper drainage.

Not only does getting wet in cold weather pose a threat to health, it also is life threatening to the lives of those BC citizens/residents forced by the growing epidemic of homelessness to live under the bridges you bear responsiblity for.

These homeless wish to know what steps you, as the Minister responsible for these bridges, will be taking to remedy the problems with drainage in order that those forced to shelter beneath the bridges and remove the threat posed to the health and lives forced to live beneath the bridges, like trolls from the dark-ages tales.

The homeless would accept you championing the homeless and interceding on their behalf with your colleagues in lue of action on the bridges themselves.

Claude Richmond, Minister of Employment and Income Assistance on the matter of realistic and viable shelter allowance levels and the replacement of the current ineffective programs with programs designed to deliver services of benefit to the clients, not for the ease of M.E.I.A. staff.

Housing Minister Rich Coleman in encouraging BC Housing to be proactive and flexible in seeking local partners to get some affordable housing initiatives underway in Abbotsford.

Premier Gordon Campbell to recognize the complex people issues lumped under labels such as homeless or addiction and recognize the need for ingenuity and initiative in addressing these growing issues sooner rather than waiting until they have become such a problem that the government is forced to act.

As a personal preference we at homelessinabbotsford.com would rather see these needs address in the proper manner and ministry, as opposed to continuing to sweep the problem under the bridges – and whatever makeshift shelter can be found.

Hmmm, Homeless

Abbotsford – Purgatory? Hell?

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Over lunch at the Salvation Army the other day we pondered the question of whether we were already dead? Debated and discussed the philosophical implications on a personal, metaphysical and nature of the universe/reality level.

If we are dead: is this purgatory? Is this hell … eternal hell?

We leaned toward the philosophical argument casting Abbotsford as Purgatory, although one can argue that eternal homelessness in Abbotsford would be Hell. We built a stream of consciousness out of conceptual reasoning supporting Abbotsford as Purgatory.

A wealthy community with many Christian churches. A community possessed of all the resources of Abbotsford, inhabited by people professing to follow the loving teachings of Christ. Viewed in this perspective Abbotsford should be the promised land for the homeless. A loving community to come together and possessing the resources to end homelessness on its streets and to support the homeless in their journeys of recovery to reclaim their lives.

The reality is that all the fine words remain just that – words. The resources that would allow the homeless to recover and grow are denied; hoarded or used to buy more things, fancier things, rather than invested in people in need.

So the homeless struggle through their days, surrounded by what would save them from life on the streets, but denied this salvation. In the short term – Purgatory; in the long term – Hell.

Or perhaps, just perhaps, the truth is that this is Purgatory, not for the homeless, but for those of possessions and wealth and fine words. A final chance to come to understand and live the words they so glibly use and upbraid others with. A final opportunity to live their faith, rather than continuing their pharisaism.

A knotty enigma to reflect upon during this Season celebrating Christs life, with its message of love, hope, rebirth and renewal.