Monday, May 12, 2008
Bruce Beck Blatters on ...
Not wanting to disappoint Councillor Beck’s expressed expectation of reading reaction to statements he made at Wednesday May 7’s City Hall “browbeat the Pastor” meeting, this one’s for you Bruce.
In advancing the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory Councillor Beck demonstrated he shared his fellow councillor’s lack of even the most basic knowledge and understanding of the realities of homelessness and addiction.
He also clearly shared his council colleagues’ lack of understanding of the purpose of applying a bandage and the desire to spare Bob Bos and the Downtown Business Association the problems of the homeless on the streets of Abbotsford by once again moving the homeless to other neighbourhoods.
Councillor Beck’s statement that closing down the Food Bank for three days to renovate was the same as the Pastor complying with their demand to never feed again feed the hungry in Jubilee Park, clearly demonstrates: a) his need to sit down and spend some time watching Sesame Street in order to get an understanding of similar things and things that are not similar and b) the continuing need for dictionaries at city hall in order that they can look up and (hopefully) gain an understanding of concepts such as “three” and “never”; even the homeless know that never is a lot longer than 3 days.
Councillor Beck proceeded to speak of spending $10’s of millions of dollars to relocate the city’s seniors group. Now my first reaction was that he was being facetious in that statement, but reflecting on his his spendthrift ways as a councillor of squandering taxpayer’s money ….
What the statement clearly demonstrated was that for covering up, avoiding or mishandling the social problems of homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty councillors and the city can find time and money. It is only when it comes to dealing with these social problems that neither time nor resources can be found, and we get the same old “not our responsibility, we have not the wherewithal” speech.
Addressing the social problems on the streets of Abbotsford is not about ridiculous theories, harassing Pastors or chasing the problems from a favoured neighbourhood to a neighbourhood obviously less favoured by council, it is about vision, leadership and responsible, thoughtful action.
In advancing the Smith-Beck-Harris Cheerios Theory Councillor Beck demonstrated he shared his fellow councillor’s lack of even the most basic knowledge and understanding of the realities of homelessness and addiction.
He also clearly shared his council colleagues’ lack of understanding of the purpose of applying a bandage and the desire to spare Bob Bos and the Downtown Business Association the problems of the homeless on the streets of Abbotsford by once again moving the homeless to other neighbourhoods.
Councillor Beck’s statement that closing down the Food Bank for three days to renovate was the same as the Pastor complying with their demand to never feed again feed the hungry in Jubilee Park, clearly demonstrates: a) his need to sit down and spend some time watching Sesame Street in order to get an understanding of similar things and things that are not similar and b) the continuing need for dictionaries at city hall in order that they can look up and (hopefully) gain an understanding of concepts such as “three” and “never”; even the homeless know that never is a lot longer than 3 days.
Councillor Beck proceeded to speak of spending $10’s of millions of dollars to relocate the city’s seniors group. Now my first reaction was that he was being facetious in that statement, but reflecting on his his spendthrift ways as a councillor of squandering taxpayer’s money ….
What the statement clearly demonstrated was that for covering up, avoiding or mishandling the social problems of homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty councillors and the city can find time and money. It is only when it comes to dealing with these social problems that neither time nor resources can be found, and we get the same old “not our responsibility, we have not the wherewithal” speech.
Addressing the social problems on the streets of Abbotsford is not about ridiculous theories, harassing Pastors or chasing the problems from a favoured neighbourhood to a neighbourhood obviously less favoured by council, it is about vision, leadership and responsible, thoughtful action.
# posted by James W Breckenridge : 2:23 AM
