IS MICHAEL GELLER RUNNING for VANCOUVER MAYOR?

Oldtown News
Vanncouver, BC

IS MICHAEL GELLER RUNNING for VANCOUVER MAYOR?

Well according to Carnegie Centre's chief Organizer, Wendy Pedersen, she thinks so.

Ms Pedersen chatted with me on Thursday at the Carnegie Centre Cafeteria exclaiming she feels that Michael Geller, probably the most popular Developer in the City, plans on seeking the Mayor's seat come November 2011.

I was just at Heritage Vancouver's annual garden party hosted by uber-socialite City Councillor Suzanne Anton and Mr Geller was there schmoozing, as was Malcolm Parry of the Sun's Town Talk but I didn't get the sense that Geller was planning anything imminent although Wendy believes due to his frequent appearances at Council meetings that something is up.

There is something up. Mr Geller is heavily promoting his no social housing at Olympic Village and portable housing vision. His idea of no social housing on the Village site is gaining traction and not only with the westside creme de la creme set.

Jim Deva, co-owner of Little Sisters Bookstore who is a local legend in Vancouver and an ardent NDP supporter likes Mr Geller's ideas. The Deva said that it would be hard on lower-income kids living in subsidized units at Olympic Village watching their rich kid neighbours go off to school in limousines while they waited for the bus.

This idea though flies in the face of mixed housing ideals. That is where you have different income-level people living together hopefully in harmony.

This concept of mixed concept housing works good in theory but not sure if it would work realistically.

Because Olympic Village is considered prime real estate, including pristine views of the water, the public may not desire to have affordable housing on the site.

It seems we are really heading for a place where our beautiful City is really divided into two cities. One city for the rich and one City for the poor and that is in my opinion not good. Perhaps we are already there and just need to make it official. Is it time as Nathaniel Christopher, a writer for XtraWest states that Vancouver has become two cities so why not make the eastside its own municipality.

I think Mr Geller would make a great Mayor of Vancouver even though he is promoting this idea of no social housing at Olympic Village. So is Suzanne Anton of the Southlands (wealthy enclave of the City with bigger lots than Shaughnessy) who many speculate will also run for Mayor in 2011.

If the race settles between two people with equally fabulous gardens, Councillor Anton may have an edge although I haven't yet seen Mr Geller's garden but he lives very close to Ms Anton.

Hopefully Geller will have a summer Garden party and invite me so I can compare.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

PICKTON APPEAL VERDICT TODAY

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

PICKTON APPEAL VERDICT TODAY

The Robert Pickton appeal verdict comes down today. We all need to brace ourselves since it is quite possible and very likely that the Court will grant a new trial.

Grounds for appeal include the trial judge Justice James Williams making an error in law. Unfortunately Justice Williams acknowledged this error in his charge to the jury.

Both the Crown and Defence have appealed so this does not look good.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

GREGOR'S SHELTERS RAISING HEAT

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

GREGOR'S SHELTERS RAISING HEAT

Back in December 2008 when Vancouver's new Mayor embarked on a hastily put together plan to open 3 temporary shelters which were actually run-down shacks. I took it upon myself to visit these places and wrote about the potential problems within them.

Mayor Robertson called them low-barrier shelters which is a code word for flophouse. The guests of the shelters were given free reign to do as they wished. There was no rules or regulations. There were no structures put in place and I suspected quite shortly that Gregor's shelters would become problematic.

According to the neighbors residing around the Shelters located in the 1400 block of Howe, these problems have become intolerable.

The neighbours complain of open drug dealing and this isn't surprising considering when you create a ready-made-market the parasitic drug pushers will quickly move in. You only need to observe the Downtown Eastside to see this in action. Just look at the United We Can Bottle Depot where traffickers congregate to relieve the drug addicted of their small change from returning bottles. Or look at the Money Mart store on a welfare day and you will see the same problems.

The reasoning behind the opening of Gregor's shelters was that people were homeless and dying on the street. According to the Mayor there wasn't enough stock of affordable housing to properly assist the homeless. The reality though was that these unfortunate souls had major mental health problems including drug addiction and warehousing them would not address these other concerns.

In fact when I was doing my tour of the shelters I found many of the guests had previous homes but due to their circumstances were not able to maintain them.

Councillor Kerry Jang who is the point person for the City on his Worship's shelters articulates that the shelters must remain open because there is not enough affordable housing being built.

The problem here which Mr Jang and his Mayor do not appear to grasp is that many of those taking up residence in Gregor's shelters are former residents of affordable housing. These residents created many problems including drug trafficking or allowing other drug addicts to take over their apartments and turning them into crack shacks and flophouses.

In the last month alone, DERA, a housing provider in the Downtown Eastside has evicted four tenants from one of its buildings for the above mentioned repeated behaviors. These people are now taking up floor space in Gregor's shelters.

Just opening shelters and warehousing people with severe untreated mental health or drug addiction will not solve the problem. Plus it is not humane.

So until the Mayor and his council get a handle on the real issues at play here they will continue spinning their wheels. They will engage in the blame game with other levels of government as they are doing and while this game is played out the affected law abiding residents complaining of unbearable noise and drug trafficking near their homes will receive no relief. In fact both the Mayor and Councillor Jang have gone on record stating this. And the sheltered folks will continue on with their cycle of despair.

Mayor Robertson is caught in a political conundrum. He has to govern on behalf of all the City's residents and this appears to be proving somewhat difficult for him. It is quite a bit different from representing a small rather affluent district like Vancouver-Fairview and lobbying for Cambie Street merchants who had been financially impacted by construction of the new Skytrain line.

The harsh reality is Mayor Robertson is governing in a City with 500,000 residents and we have this huge white elephant in our midst. This white elephant is creating untold hardship and grief for thousands and thousands of citizens including many youth and children.

What ever will Mayor Robertson do?

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

IS IT AS SIMPLE AS TAKING A MEDICAL LEAVE?

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

IS IT AS SIMPLE AS TAKING A MEDICAL LEAVE?

When Park Commissioner Constance Barnes announced yesterday that she was taking a medical leave to deal with her criminal charges related to driving while impaired, I wondered what the process was regarding going on leave.

My understanding is that other Commissioners would need to approve such a leave and since Commissioners haven't met in session since this event unfolded, I contacted a couple of the longer serving elected Park Board officials for further clarification.

Commissioner Ian Robertson who has served as both Chair and Vice-Chair of the Park board states, " I don't know what the process is and I'll be asking for a full explanation regarding her actions". Commissioner Robertson also states that "elected officials should be held to a higher standard" and he is correct in that assessment.

Vice-Chair Loretta Woodcock, when asked by this blogger regarding Commissioner Robertson's assertion states, " Constance was not on official business and this needs to be treated as a personal issue and not political since she was not on official business ".

The public though are making their voices heard as they should regarding this very troubling issue and I suspect our elected officials will be watching closely since ultimately they will be asked to approve their colleague's request for leave.

Already coming from the public is that Commissioner Barnes should resign her position on Park Board.

Areas that need to be explored regarding the drunk driving of Ms Barnes include concerns that there is no public drinking allowed in Vancouver public parks or beaches and yet Commissioner Barnes readily admits that she was drinking at a public beach in Richmond. Here is a Park Commissioner telling the public they can't drink in public places yet she ignores this policy herself.

The public will no doubt pounce on Ms Barnes action of public drinking and they will rightfully say that she shouldn't get away with something that the public wouldn't be able to and they would assert that because she is a public official, she shouldn't be treated favorably. One would be hard pressed to dismiss the public's sentiment on this.

Another matter which readers of mine are sending emails concern the fact that Commissioner Barnes destroyed property while intoxicated and this is irresponsible behavior for a public official and her alcoholism aside, this issue can not just be overlooked or forgiven due to alcoholism. In fact Commissioner Barnes still faces repercussions from this criminal activity and the public is not sympathetic to drunk driving . Most likely the judge will consider this when sentencing Ms Barnes.

To the issue at hand which other Park Commissioners will be looking at in granting a leave for Ms Barnes is their own political capital.

If Commissioners decide to grant leave to Commissioner Barnes and the public believes Commissioner Barnes should resign, this will have the effect of or at least the public perception will be that Commissioners treated one of their own more favourably and this could create a political firestorm for the other six Commissioners.

There is no question that Commissioner Barnes should be treated with respect and accorded dignity during this really difficult time, moreover, there is no doubt the public is somewhat sympathetic to her announced alcoholism but the public are equally stating that a medical leave may not be suitable in these circumstances especially considering the harm that was created due to the reckless actions of Commissioner Barnes.

Already the public are on record saying resolve of this issue may not be as simple as Commissioner Barnes going on leave.

The Chair of the Park Board, Raj Hundal, unfortunately, hasn't yet spoken on this issue and the Vice-Chair, Loretta Woodcock further states, " Commissioner Barnes has fulfilled her obligation to be held to a higher standard because she made this information public".

While the Vice-Chair states that Commissioner Barnes has fulfilled her obligation as a Park Commissioner, ultimately the judge of Commissioner Barnes actions will be the judge of public opinion.

If the public determines that medical leave is not suitable given the severity of the three charges Ms Barnes is facing, the other Commissioners could very well risk their own political capital by agreeing on a course of action which the public finds extremely distasteful.

This story isn't going away and there will no doubt be other announcements regarding it in the days and weeks ahead.


Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

IS TAKING A MEDICAL LEAVE ENOUGH REDEMPTION for DRUNK DRIVING?

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

IS TAKING A MEDICAL LEAVE ENOUGH REDEMPTION for DRUNK DRIVING?

Commissioner Constance Barnes a beautiful bi-racial women, daughter of the late Emery Barnes, who was speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia today held a press conference to announce she had been charged with drunk driving on May 23,2009. Ms Barnes has been battling demons for quite some time and unfortunately things have once again come to the forefront for Ms Barnes with her latest drunk driving charge.

In the press conference Commissioner Barnes who belongs to Vision Vancouver was ushered in by Vision Vancouver handlers and read from a prepared statement regarding her criminal charges ( three of them) and which she said she will plead quilty.

Constance Barnes took full responsibility for her poor judgement and has now asked for the public's forgiveness.

Sitting by Commissioner Barnes side was Commissioner Sarah Blyth who obviously was placed there at the behest of the Vision party who are seeking to do damage control. Constance Barnes answered a few questions and then was ushered out of the press conference.

Commissioner Barnes had a great opportunity to speak the truth today and it really pains me to say this, sadly, she failed the test.

As a Park Board Commissioner Constance Barnes is an advocate for public safety and she did not mention anything about this in her prepared text. In fact when questioned by reporters about her blood alcohol she said, "I had a couple of ciders". The fact is Commissioner Barnes should have said exactly what her blood alcohol reading was as this is important information for the public to have. Ms Barnes also stated she fell asleep and crashed into a property but again falling asleep seems inappropriate considering the seriousness of the situation.

I suspect Vision demanded that Commissioner Barnes lessen the perception of the severity of the charges as they seemed more focused on damage control for their party's sake rather than the seriousness of public harm which comes to society when people get behind the wheels of their cars drunk or high on drugs. Seems to me if you are intoxicated you don't fall asleep but you pass out.

Commissioner Barnes has announced she will now take a medical leave for what she claims to be an alcohol problem and she is asking for forgiveness.

Whether the public is quite ready to forgive Ms Barnes is a question that she can expect to be answered when she has provided full disclosure regarding details of the issue at hand. She also needs to answer whether this has happened before.

While I supported Commissioner Barnes and really wanted her to succeed I was left reeling today after I witnessed both her and her Party focusing less on public safety but more on the image of their Party and its reputation..

It also seems to me that the Chair of the Park Board, Raj Hundal should have been present at this conference but he was not and this raises another question of why Commissioner Blyth was sitting beside Commissioner Barnes? Where was the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Park board?

Other outstanding questions loom and there will be focus on whether the public continues to have confidence of Vision governing at least at the Park board level. This will obviously play out in the weeks ahead.

While there are still so many unanswered questions and ones that Commissioner Barnes or Vision did not seem ready to answer today and since Commissioner Barnes is now being placed out of the spotlight, the public will have difficulty determining whether a paid medical leave is enough redemption considering the seriousness of the situation.

The public I'm certain wishes Commissioner Barnes well in her recovery as do I, but whether the public will continue to place trust in her ability to be a steward for children's and public safety will be answered at a later time.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

WHITE GIRL ACTRESS FROM NORTH VAN NOW a HERO

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC


WHITE GIRL ACTRESS FROM NORTH VAN NOW a HERO
What a Joke the Mainstream Media has Become.

The Province in their latest Operation Phoenix story (articles on the Downtown Eastside of which they are hoping to receive an award) names a pretty white girl Actress from North Van as an unsung hero/guardian angel of the Downtown Eastside simply because she started paid work making beds and sweeping floors in December at Gregor Robertson's Shelter.

So in six months what has qualified this pretty lady as some hero? Is it because she is a beautiful actress?

In actual fact, the story and unsung hero tag comes across as very condescending toward the people who call this neighborhood home. The story projects the actress as beautiful and the people are not and lucky them for getting someone like Ms Agosti.

The story also implies that Ms Agosti is somehow better than the community. Moreover, her work sweeping floors or making beds in the shelter hasn't changed anyone's life. What has she accomplished in six months working here? Has the neighborhood drastically changed for the better?

If I were Ms Agosti I would be ashamed of the Province piece. It is really pathetic.

Park Commissioner Sarah Blyth who works with Ms Agosti actually had the nerve to tout this story on Facebook as somehow newsworthy. This is even more pathetic considering it comes from an elected official who obviously can see the despair in the neighborhood and someone who has been in paid employment sweeping floors and making beds is hardly deserving of hero status.


Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

SHAME ON MEGAPHONE MAGAZINE

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

SHAME ON MEGAPHONE MAGAZINE

Editor Sean Condon
Megaphone Magazine

I can't believe Megaphone magazine is caught up in the hysteria around the Olympics causing an increase in sex trade trafficking and prostitution.

There is data from International anti-trafficking groups such as Global Alliance against Trafficking in Women (GAATW) which say there is no evidence to back up ludicrous claims that the Olympics increase trafficking in women.

The well respected GAATW which is based out of Bangkok met with the VPD and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and conveyed this information.

Will there be more migrant Sex Workers during the Olympics? Probably yes as this already occurs during the year when migrant sex workers travel to meet clients in different cities and countries.

You reference REED, a local religious-based group with its origins from the USA in your article. This group is comprised of Abolitionists/Prohibitionists. They have the nerve to refer to themselves as Advocates for Sex Workers. This is horrible distortion considering every sex worker that I know would never accept those who want to eliminate their work environment as advocates for them.

I know Megaphone has subsidized offices in one of the Portland Hotel's buildings and the Portland Hotel has always been very supportive of sex trade workers rights. The Portland supports de-criminalization and a harm-reduction approach to this issue so I find it offensive that your magazine presents pure Abolitionist propaganda which unfortunately further creates a hostile environment for sex trade workers attempting to survive.

Shame on Megaphone and shame on you Sean Condon for presenting this trashy piece of journalism.


Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com