Letters to the Editor
This was the catalyst for my first Letter to the Editor and I haven't stopped since.
Not the title I'd have given to it. I'd add that increasing the supply does nothing to solve the affordability crisis. Conversely, it makes it worse under present conditions via induced demand.
Look at Vancouver for example.
They edited out that the development consultant that wrote in response to to my previous letter, is actively involved (at the time of writing) with the UDI development lobby. That writer had mentioned that they had previously been on the Saanich Housing Strategy Task Force.
In this letter I exposed the true origin of the BC NDP's forced housing targets (the development lobby). I asked crucial questions about the targets that the media were not asking. What communities were consulted for example? The Ministry of Housing responded to a number of my questions, the day after this letter was published in print. Who was really consulted over the summer? The government consulted the government. As they wrote to me by email: "Municipal staff from all 10 municipalities participated in consultation meetings with Ministry of Housing staff."
Not the title I would have chosen, but then it is the Times Colonist.
"Transparency in Saanich? How will mounting infrastructure costs be paid for?" would be the title I'd have chosen.
The provincial bluff on its phony consultations has been exposed.
This was a tough one to get published. "Executive Director" had to be reduced to spokesperson, which they are as well, but when this was eventually published, I was quite happy with the title.
This merger between lobby and state and the game of plausible deniability about it has become implausible. It has to end. The charade cannot be sustained indefinitely.
All levels of government will eventually have to stop funding and joining the lobbies that are lobbying it. Canada including British Columbia should not continue to be reduced to a banana republic for the real estate and development industries.
