Fartisan Politics

Two of my favorite things combine for humorous results, also it only took a week for my attempt at a serious blog to descend into childish jokes. 

Fart Interrupts City Council Meeting

I am working on a serious post as well, its below this one as I started on it first

Beggar thy Neighborhood

Recent events in the City of Surrey have got me thinking about a my recent trip to the U.S. While there a friend and I got into an exciting chat with an elderly gentleman. We discussed politic's generally, including the views of novelist Jack London and "Obomamania". I belive the word socialism even came up a few times, which is always a little frightning while in the United States.

One of this mans more interesting incites was that one of the best methods to get a true read on government policy is to follow the tax law. This is something I have heard before and makes a great deal of sense to me. Practically speaking taxation is one of the most powerful policy instruments government has. More importantly it is one of the few that they seem more than willing to use in recent times.

Which leads me to the City of Surrey and Mayor Watts' recent annoucment about the creation of "Economic Development Zones" With the creation of these special zones, Surrey will be offering special conditions to developers including tax exemptions and reductions in amenity requirements to develop in specific areas.

This is obviously bad. The extraction of amenities from developers is one of the more positive things that municipal government does. While far from adequate these contributions ensure that  developers at least pay some of the costs for ensuring a livable city (parks, community centers, new infrastructure etc..)

Nothing really new or exciting here just politics on the part of Ms. Watts/aid to developers that don't need it. However its interesting to look at this in a larger context. Does having a number of smaller municipalities as opposed to one larger body, as in Toronto/Montreal, lead to a "race to the bottom" in terms of competition for development. 

With the power of the development industry/profit motive its hard enough imagine any positive results from development with out institutional incentives on the part of local governments also contributing to the problem.

City Housing Advocate - Advocates for Houseing

Here is something funny to read, from NPA bloggers City Caucus

City Staff Promote Political Rally

This is an opinion I don't understand. Why is there a backlash against people who work in govenerment having opionions related to thier job.

I would expect the Economic Development - Manager for COV to advocate for lower buisness taxes, just as I would expect the Housing advocate at the City of Vancouver, to advocate for more money for social houseing. But for some reason this is wrong and "political".

Frightingly enough the bureacracy is one of the more representative institutions that we have, this is how it is suposed to work, but no somehow working for the government means that one must be apolitical and have no opionions related to the work they do all day as if this were some how possible.

So silly but forgettibly partizan things often are, City Caucus is a fun blog to read however if only for the anger it generates and humerous/alarmist photos.

cheers

Affordable Housing in Vancouver

Hey all my first blog post and that article that inspired me, here is an interesting article from Vancouver City Councilor Geoff Meggs about the upcoming demolition of some of the last affordable housing in Vancouver (89 units at 4500 Fraser)

http://www.geoffmeggs.ca/2009/02/26/frustration-despair-about-affordable-housing/

I am currently shedding a single tear for poor old Geoff and crew who just couldn't do anything to help the people living in these homes and I sincerely hope their upcoming round-table discussion on affordable housing goes great!

Their feigned impotence and glad handing of Vancouver City Council on this matter is vomit inducing. Saying they say they don’t have legal authority to deny the permit when they set the bounds of that legal authority is ridiculous. Similar permits are denied because people don’t have the right number of fancy rocks near their stream beds and salmon wading pools. The City of Vancouver’s authority in these matters is quite explicitly spelled out in the Vancouver Charter/Local Government Act, so they need not worry about legal authority.

Additionally they certainly could of delayed the demolition as Geoff himself pointed out, but alas the “developer would loose to much money”. Which I will leave to speak for itself.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant, I’ve been reading ever more news about Civic Politics in Vancouver and getting increasingly angry so hopefully there will be more.