“I don’t think there was any recognition of that in the budget. The best way to help the homeless is make sure they have the opportunity to find a job” Dave Hayer, MLA for Surrey-Tynehead, said Thursday the budget focuses on giving people opportunity to grow out of the lifestyle of living on the streets.

I sent the above quote to our Abbotsford Mal’s Mr. De Jong and Mr. Van Dongen asking if this was in fact the government policy and whether they agree with this policy. At this time they have not extended me the courtesy of a reply, perhaps it is that they do not view the homeless as constituents. Now I had planned to point out the ideological government doublespeak in referring to homelessness as a ‘lifestyle of living on the street’. The idiocy and ignorance of suggesting that homelessness is something one can ‘grow out of’. That before throwing the word opportunity around they might want to look up the definition:

Opportunity n. a possibility due to a favourable combination of circumstances; “now is your chance”

Chance n. 1. the unknown and unpredictable element in happenings that seems to have no assignable cause; 2. a favourable set of circumstances; an opportunity; a chance to escape.

Apparently this government’s ideology is so bankrupt of ideas that to get back onto their feet the homeless are to rely on ‘the unknown and unpredictable element’. Although how they are to take advantage of ‘a favourable set of circumstances’ when faced with barriers such as no fixed address, no telephone, no access to bathing for personal hygiene, no laundry for clean clothes, no transportation, etc I do not know. Maybe, since chance implies luck the government expects the homeless to be walking out of (their once in awhile access to) a shower, in clean, presentable, donated clothes and have an employer bump into them and exclaim “You are just the man/woman I am looking for! You’re hired!” Fat chance. I guess the homeless are just on the wrong side of the Liberal’s ideological spectrum.

But forget all that. I was reading Vaughn Palmer’s column in the Saturday March 11, 2006 Vancouver Sun about Partnerships BC. The person heading up Partnerships has a base salary of $329,000 and with bonuses can make nearly $600,000. His last salary reported by the government was $499,134. Fat cat. There are 38 employees at Partnerships BC and the budget is for an average salary of $160,000. Nice work if you can get it. Obviously these people are on the right side of the government’s ideological spectrum.

Mr. de Jong. Mr. van Dongen. Mr. Hayer. Never mind about programs that would help me and other homeless be prepared to take advantage of opportunities to get employed and back onto our feet. Forget that. How do I get one of those Partnerships BC (or similar type) jobs??? Who needs a little help when they can belly up to the public trough and pig out on fat salaries $$$,$$$. I am positive that with even an average salary of $160,000 I would have no trouble ‘growing out of the lifestyle of living on the streets’. Better yet I would not have to depend on the unknown and unpredictable whim of luck or accident. Just hand me a Partnership BC salary opportunity and I will seize the opportunity for lifestyle chance.

Carpe Diem! Carpe Pensio! Carpe Spolium!!!