Thursday, March 30, 2006
Dear Name withheld by request:
Robberies, ‘bums’ walking down the street and girl strung out on drugs wandered into my house. These are courtesy of the actions of the Downtown Business Association and the City of Abbotsford administration in driving the homeless out of the downtown area. It is not surprising that the focus of the Association was on the Downtown area and thus they were not concerned about the effects on the citizens or their fellow businesspeople such as those on Sumas way. But one would have thought that the City would have shown a little concern for the citizens of Abbotsford. On the other hand, it may well be that an administration that thinks that giving a homeless person living in a tent a 48 hour notice to move is an intelligent action that will accomplish something, lacks any capacity to plan its actions and thus cannot see the effect its actions will have.
I wrote and posted an article last fall for www.homeless-in-abbotsford.blogspot.com about this, when the City and the Association embarked on their efforts to drive the homeless out of downtown. I pointed out that the only thing it would accomplish would be to relocate the homeless (or as you call them ‘bums’) to the residential neighbourhoods. But the City continues to think that they can accomplish something by forcing the homeless to move – rather than address the real problem of where do they move to. I also pointed out that those forced to move would not have access to the food available downtown and thus would become hungry. Ask yourself, answer honestly, would you quietly starve? Neither would I so it was quite predictable to anyone capable of even rudimentary thought that in chasing the homeless into the suburbs you were laying the groundwork for a rash of robberies.
“I want city council to wake up!” I could not agree with you more. Until the City actually addresses the real problems these types of problems are only going to get worse. BUT – you, your parents and your fellow citizens must accept some responsibility for the current situation you find yourselves in. “My family is now talking of moving to another town farther away to get away from all of this mayhem.” This running away from the problems will accomplish what? The reason these problems are as large as they are is that people seem to prefer to bury their head in the sand and refuse to see them until they begin to have an impact upon them. Then they blame someone else, demand someone else fix the problem or bury their heads again and move elsewhere – until the problems they would not face follow them to their new location.
Letting the situation deteriorate to its current levels ensures it will take much more time to address it. The more time wasted hiding from the fact there is a problem, the bigger the mess becomes. And the truth (which most do not want to hear) is that there are no easy, quick, clean solutions (which/like the public demands). This is a very complex situation that requires many different approaches to deal with the myriad of problems that get lumped together and hidden under the tag homeless. But if you and your fellow citizens want these issues handled you have too be prepared to step up and be part of the solutions, not sitting back waiting for someone else to ride to the rescue. It is your city, your society – what kind of city and society do you want to build?
However I must totally agree with your statement: “I want council to stop worrying about whether there should be a casino by the college – because college kids might waste their money – and focus on what really matters. I feel that maybe something really drastic has to happen before we see a major change. But why should it?”
James W Breckenridge
jmswbreckenridge@msn.com
I wrote and posted an article last fall for www.homeless-in-abbotsford.blogspot.com about this, when the City and the Association embarked on their efforts to drive the homeless out of downtown. I pointed out that the only thing it would accomplish would be to relocate the homeless (or as you call them ‘bums’) to the residential neighbourhoods. But the City continues to think that they can accomplish something by forcing the homeless to move – rather than address the real problem of where do they move to. I also pointed out that those forced to move would not have access to the food available downtown and thus would become hungry. Ask yourself, answer honestly, would you quietly starve? Neither would I so it was quite predictable to anyone capable of even rudimentary thought that in chasing the homeless into the suburbs you were laying the groundwork for a rash of robberies.
“I want city council to wake up!” I could not agree with you more. Until the City actually addresses the real problems these types of problems are only going to get worse. BUT – you, your parents and your fellow citizens must accept some responsibility for the current situation you find yourselves in. “My family is now talking of moving to another town farther away to get away from all of this mayhem.” This running away from the problems will accomplish what? The reason these problems are as large as they are is that people seem to prefer to bury their head in the sand and refuse to see them until they begin to have an impact upon them. Then they blame someone else, demand someone else fix the problem or bury their heads again and move elsewhere – until the problems they would not face follow them to their new location.
Letting the situation deteriorate to its current levels ensures it will take much more time to address it. The more time wasted hiding from the fact there is a problem, the bigger the mess becomes. And the truth (which most do not want to hear) is that there are no easy, quick, clean solutions (which/like the public demands). This is a very complex situation that requires many different approaches to deal with the myriad of problems that get lumped together and hidden under the tag homeless. But if you and your fellow citizens want these issues handled you have too be prepared to step up and be part of the solutions, not sitting back waiting for someone else to ride to the rescue. It is your city, your society – what kind of city and society do you want to build?
However I must totally agree with your statement: “I want council to stop worrying about whether there should be a casino by the college – because college kids might waste their money – and focus on what really matters. I feel that maybe something really drastic has to happen before we see a major change. But why should it?”
James W Breckenridge
jmswbreckenridge@msn.com
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Beneath Contempt
A short personal rant. When I was writing about dignity and reflecting on the contempt I had heard the homeless spoken of with, I had to accept I been feeling some contempt myself just a few days before, as walking towards the Salvation Army in the company of fellow homeless we watched as a well dress couple scurried to load bags of vegetable and bread into their new, expensive vehicle. This was not the first time any of us had seen this type of thing (it happened again today, the day I enter these words into the computer from the paper they were written on). Some of the goods taken by these various persons end up for sale at locations around Abbotsford. Free goods = 100% profit.
Some come to the Salvation Army kitchen to take advantage of the fact it is free. Understand that I am not speaking of those on fixed incomes who find it necessary to stretch their incomes to cover monthly expenses by supplementing their food budgets in this manner. I speak of those who use the money they save on luxuries rather than necessities.
I see how some people need to be doing this to make ends meet and maintain their lifestyles. If that is what is happening I would suggest not buying that new car, the designer labeled clothing or that big SUV. In a simpler lifestyle you just may find some valuable inner truths and lessons (I certainly have). Leaving the food for those whose need arises out of having nothing to eat not out of greed. Despicable - especially those who themselves look with contempt upon the homeless, but feel it is perfectly alright to take food from the mouths of those with real need.
Contemptible – end of rant.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Letter to the editor RE; S.R.Klassen's letter
Dear Sirs:
I wish I had written it. The letter by S.R. Klassen was correct “If we want to be known as a Christian community, all of us need to join the ranks of those who are doing what Jesus actually told us to do. Let’s start meeting the needs of those in Abbotsford who have the least. While the needs of the least of these in our community are so wholly unmet, how dare we even begin to take a moral stand?”
One can only feel that someone is sending a message when you consider that on the day S.R. Klassen’s letter appeared in the Abbotsford News, on the front page of the Vancouver Sun was the story of First United Church at East Hastings and Main in Vancouver. A church that ran a deficit of $260,000 last year and is headed for the same level of deficit this year, all so that it may provide safe shelter for sleeping to those homeless who need it.
I hope that enough practicing Christians read story of First United and respond to the appeal so that First United Church can continue to provide shelter to meet the needs of the least of those in its community. I also hope that the lesson embodied in the parable of First United inspires more of the “christian community” in Abbotsford chooses to start practicing their faith instead of merely paying lip service to it.
I wish I had written it. The letter by S.R. Klassen was correct “If we want to be known as a Christian community, all of us need to join the ranks of those who are doing what Jesus actually told us to do. Let’s start meeting the needs of those in Abbotsford who have the least. While the needs of the least of these in our community are so wholly unmet, how dare we even begin to take a moral stand?”
One can only feel that someone is sending a message when you consider that on the day S.R. Klassen’s letter appeared in the Abbotsford News, on the front page of the Vancouver Sun was the story of First United Church at East Hastings and Main in Vancouver. A church that ran a deficit of $260,000 last year and is headed for the same level of deficit this year, all so that it may provide safe shelter for sleeping to those homeless who need it.
I hope that enough practicing Christians read story of First United and respond to the appeal so that First United Church can continue to provide shelter to meet the needs of the least of those in its community. I also hope that the lesson embodied in the parable of First United inspires more of the “christian community” in Abbotsford chooses to start practicing their faith instead of merely paying lip service to it.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Pamphlet - Page 1 - click on to enlage
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Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Letter to the editor March 9
Incorrect to say ‘A Homeless Problem’.
“Your Wrong!” I tell people who speak to me of ‘a homeless problem’ or of ‘a solution’. ‘Homeless is a label applied to make it easier to paint the issue with the broad strokes of slogans and ideological points of view. Drunks, druggies, hookers, dregs of society, criminals, bums who do not want to work. Much easier to avoid thing about an issue when you can just stick ugly, prejudicial and untrue statements on a very complex situation.
And it is very complex. Because what you have is not a ‘homeless’ situation but a PEOPLE problem. Does anyone want to argue that any situation involving people is not only subject to all kinds of complexities caused by the differences among people, it is also going to become more of a mess if ignored and/or addressed only by knee-jerk reactions? Factor in that we are not dealing with a few dozen people but currently hundreds and if we continue to waste resources to accomplish nothing we could pass the thousand mark. 1,000 – seems high or impossible does it not? The simple math of addition tells us that if you keep on adding to this group of people, the number will continue to rise. What is needed is to take advantage of the other simple math – subtraction. If, instead of wasting your resources in pointless pursuits such as chasing them from spot to spot around the city, you target your resources at getting people off the streets you reduce the number of people living without homes in the city. Politicians seem to have a real problem with the adding vs. subtracting concepts. Perhaps this stems from wasting taxpayers $$$$ in all the different ways they manage to find to squander money.
‘A’ people problem. It is wrong to use ‘a’ as it is singular, implying only one problem. Come spend some time with me and you will discover there is no ‘a’ here. You will find an amazingly diverse group of people, that at best could only be grouped into small groups. Even grouping them into small groups would not be easy, nor would it reduce the complexity of the situation. The complexity of the situation is why speaking of ‘a solution’ is wrong. Another math analogy? Remember algebra and equations and how difficult it could be with just 3 variables (x,y,z) to solve the problem? Think how hard or impossible it would be to solve those equations with hundreds of variables – different needs, issues, challenges, mental illness, problems, etc. For the politicians, just imagine the situation if you were to try to keep all those (conflicting) election promises. With a people problem and hundreds of people as variables finding a solution, well I would say a snowball has a better chance of surviving in hell.
So, am I saying this is so complex a people problem we should give up? No! I am saying that we need to change the way we examine and think about the situation. I am saying that if you take a close look at the homeless population you find a wide variety of people. These different people have a wide variety of challenges, handicaps, problems, needs and choices they face in ceasing to be homeless. Person A or small group A need a certain program of help to get off the street. Person B or small group B need a slightly different program of help to get off the street. And so on through the rest of the people who are living on the street and lumped together under the label homeless.
In recognizing that this about PEOPLE not about labels, in seeing the complexity hidden behind that simple label, you begin to see the separate strands tangled together into the knotty mess we currently have. At this point you can begin to take effective actions. In seeing the strands you can begin to untangle or resolve the individual strands and thus address the overall situation. Because what you find is a much simpler series of problems you can address simply by thinking out what you need to do, then taking appropriate actions. So the real question is: do we want to keep wasting resources or do we want to stop, think, then act effectively and accomplish something?
James W Breckenridge
“Your Wrong!” I tell people who speak to me of ‘a homeless problem’ or of ‘a solution’. ‘Homeless is a label applied to make it easier to paint the issue with the broad strokes of slogans and ideological points of view. Drunks, druggies, hookers, dregs of society, criminals, bums who do not want to work. Much easier to avoid thing about an issue when you can just stick ugly, prejudicial and untrue statements on a very complex situation.
And it is very complex. Because what you have is not a ‘homeless’ situation but a PEOPLE problem. Does anyone want to argue that any situation involving people is not only subject to all kinds of complexities caused by the differences among people, it is also going to become more of a mess if ignored and/or addressed only by knee-jerk reactions? Factor in that we are not dealing with a few dozen people but currently hundreds and if we continue to waste resources to accomplish nothing we could pass the thousand mark. 1,000 – seems high or impossible does it not? The simple math of addition tells us that if you keep on adding to this group of people, the number will continue to rise. What is needed is to take advantage of the other simple math – subtraction. If, instead of wasting your resources in pointless pursuits such as chasing them from spot to spot around the city, you target your resources at getting people off the streets you reduce the number of people living without homes in the city. Politicians seem to have a real problem with the adding vs. subtracting concepts. Perhaps this stems from wasting taxpayers $$$$ in all the different ways they manage to find to squander money.
‘A’ people problem. It is wrong to use ‘a’ as it is singular, implying only one problem. Come spend some time with me and you will discover there is no ‘a’ here. You will find an amazingly diverse group of people, that at best could only be grouped into small groups. Even grouping them into small groups would not be easy, nor would it reduce the complexity of the situation. The complexity of the situation is why speaking of ‘a solution’ is wrong. Another math analogy? Remember algebra and equations and how difficult it could be with just 3 variables (x,y,z) to solve the problem? Think how hard or impossible it would be to solve those equations with hundreds of variables – different needs, issues, challenges, mental illness, problems, etc. For the politicians, just imagine the situation if you were to try to keep all those (conflicting) election promises. With a people problem and hundreds of people as variables finding a solution, well I would say a snowball has a better chance of surviving in hell.
So, am I saying this is so complex a people problem we should give up? No! I am saying that we need to change the way we examine and think about the situation. I am saying that if you take a close look at the homeless population you find a wide variety of people. These different people have a wide variety of challenges, handicaps, problems, needs and choices they face in ceasing to be homeless. Person A or small group A need a certain program of help to get off the street. Person B or small group B need a slightly different program of help to get off the street. And so on through the rest of the people who are living on the street and lumped together under the label homeless.
In recognizing that this about PEOPLE not about labels, in seeing the complexity hidden behind that simple label, you begin to see the separate strands tangled together into the knotty mess we currently have. At this point you can begin to take effective actions. In seeing the strands you can begin to untangle or resolve the individual strands and thus address the overall situation. Because what you find is a much simpler series of problems you can address simply by thinking out what you need to do, then taking appropriate actions. So the real question is: do we want to keep wasting resources or do we want to stop, think, then act effectively and accomplish something?
James W Breckenridge
Monday, March 13, 2006
E-mail to MLA's
Dear John van Dongen; Mike de Jong:
I am currently preparing an article for the Homeless in Abbotsford Website on the current provincial governments actions/attitudes towards the growing number of people caught up in homelessness. The only quote I have come across on this matter is:
“The best way to help the homeless is make sure they have opportunity to find a job,” Dave Hayer, MLA for Surrey-Tynehead said the budget focuses on giving people opportunity to grow out of the lifestyle of living on the streets.
Would you say that this is an accurate statement of the Governments position and policy on the homeless? Would you agree with the statement? Is there any comments or points you wish to make with regard to the homeless and policy? Any questions you have about the homeless that I could answer for you?
Below are the address(es) to find the Homeless in Abbotsford site and its connected pages and links to other news websites on the World Wide Web. I include these in order that you have an opportunity to review and gain understanding of the background on homeless in abbotsford.
http://www.homeless-in-abbotsford.blogspot.com/
OR
www.geocities.com/homelessinabbotsford
Since the focus of the website is the homeless in Abbotsford I feel it is only fair to give the Abbotsford MLA’s an opportunity to comment. Please be advised that I am wont to use articles as a basis for Letters to the Editor for our local and national papers.
I thank you for your attention and look forward to reading your thoughts on this growing social problem and how to begin to address it.
Sincerely
James W Breckenridge
I am currently preparing an article for the Homeless in Abbotsford Website on the current provincial governments actions/attitudes towards the growing number of people caught up in homelessness. The only quote I have come across on this matter is:
“The best way to help the homeless is make sure they have opportunity to find a job,” Dave Hayer, MLA for Surrey-Tynehead said the budget focuses on giving people opportunity to grow out of the lifestyle of living on the streets.
Would you say that this is an accurate statement of the Governments position and policy on the homeless? Would you agree with the statement? Is there any comments or points you wish to make with regard to the homeless and policy? Any questions you have about the homeless that I could answer for you?
Below are the address(es) to find the Homeless in Abbotsford site and its connected pages and links to other news websites on the World Wide Web. I include these in order that you have an opportunity to review and gain understanding of the background on homeless in abbotsford.
http://www.homeless-in-abbotsford.blogspot.com/
OR
www.geocities.com/homelessinabbotsford
Since the focus of the website is the homeless in Abbotsford I feel it is only fair to give the Abbotsford MLA’s an opportunity to comment. Please be advised that I am wont to use articles as a basis for Letters to the Editor for our local and national papers.
I thank you for your attention and look forward to reading your thoughts on this growing social problem and how to begin to address it.
Sincerely
James W Breckenridge
Letter to Editor March 5, 2006
Real mayor sees Real streets
"She really understands this side of building a city. It's more than increasing the tax base" Said Lloyd Craig, president of Coast Capital Savings, about Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
this comment was made with reference to the recent 'Seeing is Believing" tour that Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (a national non-profit group) set up in Surrey for business leaders. "We saw things that in day-to-day living we tend to avoid because we don't like mental illness. Here we are in a great country and you see how absoulutely desparate people can get".
Perhaps if our Mayor, city council and business leaders were to talk to their Surrey counterparts Abbotsford could move from denial to seeking solutions to the poverty, hunger and homelessness currently (increasing) on the streets of Abbotsford.
James W Breckenridge
"She really understands this side of building a city. It's more than increasing the tax base" Said Lloyd Craig, president of Coast Capital Savings, about Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
this comment was made with reference to the recent 'Seeing is Believing" tour that Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (a national non-profit group) set up in Surrey for business leaders. "We saw things that in day-to-day living we tend to avoid because we don't like mental illness. Here we are in a great country and you see how absoulutely desparate people can get".
Perhaps if our Mayor, city council and business leaders were to talk to their Surrey counterparts Abbotsford could move from denial to seeking solutions to the poverty, hunger and homelessness currently (increasing) on the streets of Abbotsford.
James W Breckenridge
Saturday, March 11, 2006
letter to writer of Province article March 2, 2006 pg. A21
Just a quick note to say I found your article in the March 2, 2006 Province of real interest. having had mental illness dump me onto the streets of Abbotsford fortunately my personal resources lasted until I had started back up the path to mental health) I have come to have more experience than I want with life on the streets. With a business background myself, I agree that business has an important role to play in this issue, beyond simply signing cheques.
The information about Canadian Business for Social Responsibility has me planning to research and contact this group after I send this missive off to you. I hope you do not mind but I have/will use quotes from your article for letters to the editor of our local paper and for an article I will write and post to the homeless web-site.
If we as a society are to make any progress in addressing this growing social issue we need more programs such as 'Seeing is Believing" - and more articles in the press so that the public can at least5 get an idea of the size scope and complexity of the situation covered by the simple label 'homeless'.
James W Breckenridge
The information about Canadian Business for Social Responsibility has me planning to research and contact this group after I send this missive off to you. I hope you do not mind but I have/will use quotes from your article for letters to the editor of our local paper and for an article I will write and post to the homeless web-site.
If we as a society are to make any progress in addressing this growing social issue we need more programs such as 'Seeing is Believing" - and more articles in the press so that the public can at least5 get an idea of the size scope and complexity of the situation covered by the simple label 'homeless'.
James W Breckenridge
Friday, March 10, 2006
From Abby Pulse:
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Went To City Hall.....
Armed with a copy of the newspaper article featuring Mr. Teichroeb. I was looking for just a copy of the resource brochure that homeless people receive with their 48 hours notice to vacate.Well no-one could find one for me or knew anything about it so I asked to speak to Mr. T.He was not available.I would like him to comment on this if he can find the time to do that.
posted by Jim Wright
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Went To City Hall.....
Armed with a copy of the newspaper article featuring Mr. Teichroeb. I was looking for just a copy of the resource brochure that homeless people receive with their 48 hours notice to vacate.Well no-one could find one for me or knew anything about it so I asked to speak to Mr. T.He was not available.I would like him to comment on this if he can find the time to do that.
posted by Jim Wright
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
E-mail to Jay Teichroeb, March 7, 2006
Dear Mr Teichroeb:
I am currently waiting for a copy of the pamphlet you cited as being given to the homeless when the city 'cleans up' the site they occupy. With your implication that this pamphlet contains all the information needed to cease to be homeless, you should be able to appreciate how impatient I, and my fellow homeless, are in awaiting a copy of the pamphlet.
With this in mind I am sending this request for a copy of the pamphlet and/or the information it contains directly to you in hopes that you can quickly forward a copy.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,
James W Breckenridge
I am currently waiting for a copy of the pamphlet you cited as being given to the homeless when the city 'cleans up' the site they occupy. With your implication that this pamphlet contains all the information needed to cease to be homeless, you should be able to appreciate how impatient I, and my fellow homeless, are in awaiting a copy of the pamphlet.
With this in mind I am sending this request for a copy of the pamphlet and/or the information it contains directly to you in hopes that you can quickly forward a copy.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,
James W Breckenridge
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Letter to the Editor, Abbynews March 2, 2006
Dear Sirs,
I am still waiting for Mr. Teichroeb (or the City) to forward or e-mail me a copy of the "resource pamphlet" he cited as being given to the Homeless. As many of us who are currently homeless desparately want of the streets we are waiting rathe impatiently for the pamplet that Mr. Teichroeb implied contains all the information a person needs to get off the street and into housing.
I am sure The News can usnderstand the great interest I and others have in obtaining this knowledtge. I ask that you do me the great favour of contacting Mr. Teichroeb (or the City) on this matter. One hopes that you have more success in obtaining the pamphlet in a timely manner. Further, could I troble you to forward the information contained in the pamphlet on to me?
I thank you for any aid you can provide in the quest for this life pattern altering knowledge.
James W. Breckenridege
I am still waiting for Mr. Teichroeb (or the City) to forward or e-mail me a copy of the "resource pamphlet" he cited as being given to the Homeless. As many of us who are currently homeless desparately want of the streets we are waiting rathe impatiently for the pamplet that Mr. Teichroeb implied contains all the information a person needs to get off the street and into housing.
I am sure The News can usnderstand the great interest I and others have in obtaining this knowledtge. I ask that you do me the great favour of contacting Mr. Teichroeb (or the City) on this matter. One hopes that you have more success in obtaining the pamphlet in a timely manner. Further, could I troble you to forward the information contained in the pamphlet on to me?
I thank you for any aid you can provide in the quest for this life pattern altering knowledge.
James W. Breckenridege
