Muddy waters indeed, what is the definition of an 'individual'? Very recognizable names included in the approximately $19,000 in contribution from individuals. Most seemingly having some kind of business relationship with the City (including $7639 from Councillor Keating). Leading to Dan Rather's quote: "who gives what money to whom expecting what for it?"
What is really outrageous is that the voters know all this, or at least the general idea, but they voted in the CNV-4 anyway. But then, only 20% bothered to vote.
City folk know the City is not in good hands in any respect. How is it possible that the Mayors expenses increased over $25K in the revised disclosure. Questions, many questions.
I'm not too worried about this... If the paperwork had been correct would it have made one bit of difference? No. What I am more concerned about is the lack of transparency and the ever increasing tax load vs. the District. We receive similar services why do we have to pay more? We are a compact city, so there should be savings, are they frittered away on vanity projects for the Mayor?
Which vanity projects are you thinking of? I'm not sure those are the culprit, rather, I suspect a lot of money is being frittered away to inefficient project management. Walk around an observe the work being performed on local infrastructure by both City forces and those who have been contracted to do the work. All too often you see a group standing around while one or two do the work. I suspect we're paying for a dozen people when two or three will do. And what about city staff taking dump trucks home for lunch? We're paying for that fuel and wear and tear. Also, what about the unregulated truck traffic and the damage it's doing to our streets and underground services? Construction activity these past several years has seen truck traffic volumes on streets that were never designed for that use. Neither the City nor the RCMP are enforcing the truck routes that are in place. One very expensive result of the truck activity is frequent breaks to water lines running under residential streets. It's not uncommon to see water seeping up from the cracks in pavement in areas that heave seen this heavy truck use. These pipes need to be dug up, repaired and repaved once covered. Which brings us back to the crews of workers standing around doing nothing. These are just examples of waste that I've observed while walking about my own neighbourhood. I'm sure that there is a lot more that adds up to contribute to our rising taxes.
The big question is what to do about this? Speak at public input, write a letter to the editor, demand a town hall communication meeting, picket city hall? Something's very wrong.
These councillors and mayor should never have been elected. The prime objective, I believe, is to get more people to pay more attention to municipal politics. It's only 3 and a half years 'til the next election.
Why shouldn't they have been elected? The majority of voters chose them. Are you suggesting some other means of selecting our council, other than our democratic process?
I thought the campaign donation from the gaming company was weird as there is no gaming in NVC. But hold it, wait a minute, by golly for some reason after the election it was brought forward that perhaps the long standing ban on gaming should be rethought.
No mention of a 4% tax increase No mention of a deal to allow slot machines No mention of a plan to get rid of public input No mention of which developers with current work before council were funding the election It's really more about what wasn't said.
This illustrates very well the mis-information put out to the public whenever a development occurs. "It will add to our tax base when the residents move in, and developers' fees." Your taxes will go down!!
Wrong.
With all this densification in the CNV, and the taxes go up 4% (2.5% in the DNV) and the quality of life has shot down exponentially.
As Anon 2"31 says: "It will add to our tax base when the residents move in, and developers' fees." Your taxes will go down!!"
Don't forget, Anon, to leave out the appeal to your soft spot for your children..."They will be able to afford to stay with you in North Vancouver".
Poppycock... not unless they can find WORK, the location of which will largely determine where they settle. My own children, for example, have settled in Edmonton and the East Coast and not because I wouldnt use some of my home equity to help them settle here. It is because those places are where their careers have taken them.
It's a curious logic, if you want to believe the planners' stories. First they scold us that unless we densify densify densify, that our children ( oh my heart! ) will be unable to live next door to us. At the same time they warn us that without density density density our property taxes will skyrocket. Cue the hirise developer dancers and voila!! Your children don't have to relocate for any reason and your taxes will be paid by hirise residents. Oh... just a minute...didnt what they say mean that those are one and the same? I mean are they really saying that it's our CHILDREN who will be paying our tax increases for us if only we endure the 'vibrant, liveable, walkable transformation' of our neighbourhoods into crowded concrete box collections?
Sadly... yes. That is exactly what they are saying.
As more and more people are feeling direct negative changes in their lives, they are becoming more aware about municipal politicians and their chicanery. I remember at the meetings regarding the Bosa project at Lynn Valley Centre, their mouthpiece said the exact things that Anon. Fri 2:31 wrote: If you don't vote for this development, your taxes will go up. The DNV needs the money.
I find it very interesting that Coun. Don Bell has distanced himself from the pro-development crowd on council. Nobody ever said he was stupid.
17 comments:
Muddy waters indeed, what is the definition of an 'individual'? Very recognizable names included in the approximately $19,000 in contribution from individuals. Most seemingly having some kind of business relationship with the City (including $7639 from Councillor Keating). Leading to Dan Rather's quote: "who gives what money to whom expecting what for it?"
What is really outrageous is that the voters know all this, or at least the general idea, but they voted in the CNV-4 anyway. But then, only 20% bothered to vote.
"They said these are very complex documents and it’s a lot of accounting you have to learn how to do.”
Oh my. I'm sure this makes City folk feel that their municipal budget is in good hands!
If you check the actual forms you'll find a massive SEVENTEEN PAGES!
In other words, somewhat more simple than your average tax return.
City folk know the City is not in good hands in any respect. How is it possible that the Mayors expenses increased over $25K in the revised disclosure. Questions, many questions.
I'm not too worried about this... If the paperwork had been correct would it have made one bit of difference? No. What I am more concerned about is the lack of transparency and the ever increasing tax load vs. the District. We receive similar services why do we have to pay more? We are a compact city, so there should be savings, are they frittered away on vanity projects for the Mayor?
Which vanity projects are you thinking of? I'm not sure those are the culprit, rather, I suspect a lot of money is being frittered away to inefficient project management. Walk around an observe the work being performed on local infrastructure by both City forces and those who have been contracted to do the work. All too often you see a group standing around while one or two do the work. I suspect we're paying for a dozen people when two or three will do. And what about city staff taking dump trucks home for lunch? We're paying for that fuel and wear and tear. Also, what about the unregulated truck traffic and the damage it's doing to our streets and underground services? Construction activity these past several years has seen truck traffic volumes on streets that were never designed for that use. Neither the City nor the RCMP are enforcing the truck routes that are in place. One very expensive result of the truck activity is frequent breaks to water lines running under residential streets. It's not uncommon to see water seeping up from the cracks in pavement in areas that heave seen this heavy truck use. These pipes need to be dug up, repaired and repaved once covered. Which brings us back to the crews of workers standing around doing nothing. These are just examples of waste that I've observed while walking about my own neighbourhood. I'm sure that there is a lot more that adds up to contribute to our rising taxes.
The big question is what to do about this? Speak at public input, write a letter to the editor, demand a town hall communication meeting, picket city hall? Something's very wrong.
These councillors and mayor should never have been elected. The prime objective, I believe, is to get more people to pay more attention to municipal politics. It's only 3 and a half years 'til the next election.
Why shouldn't they have been elected? The majority of voters chose them. Are you suggesting some other means of selecting our council, other than our democratic process?
It was a dirty tricks campaign on the part of the Mayor -if that's the only way they could get their majority .... no integrity
I thought the campaign donation from the gaming company was weird as there is no gaming in NVC. But hold it, wait a minute, by golly for some reason after the election it was brought forward that perhaps the long standing ban on gaming should be rethought.
These coincidences are just so strange.
Dirty tricks campaign? How so?
No mention of a 4% tax increase
No mention of a deal to allow slot machines
No mention of a plan to get rid of public input
No mention of which developers with current work before council were funding the election
It's really more about what wasn't said.
This illustrates very well the mis-information put out to the public whenever a development occurs. "It will add to our tax base when the residents move in, and developers' fees." Your taxes will go down!!
Wrong.
With all this densification in the CNV, and the taxes go up 4% (2.5% in the DNV) and the quality of life has shot down exponentially.
As Anon 2"31 says: "It will add to our tax base when the residents move in, and developers' fees." Your taxes will go down!!"
Don't forget, Anon, to leave out the appeal to your soft spot for your children..."They will be able to afford to stay with you in North Vancouver".
Poppycock... not unless they can find WORK, the location of which will largely determine where they settle. My own children, for example, have settled in Edmonton and the East Coast and not because I wouldnt use some of my home equity to help them settle here. It is because those places are where their careers have taken them.
It's a curious logic, if you want to believe the planners' stories. First they scold us that unless we densify densify densify, that our children ( oh my heart! ) will be unable to live next door to us. At the same time they warn us that without density density density our property taxes will skyrocket. Cue the hirise developer dancers and voila!! Your children don't have to relocate for any reason and your taxes will be paid by hirise residents. Oh... just a minute...didnt what they say mean that those are one and the same? I mean are they really saying that it's our CHILDREN who will be paying our tax increases for us if only we endure the 'vibrant, liveable, walkable transformation' of our neighbourhoods into crowded concrete box collections?
Sadly... yes. That is exactly what they are saying.
Oops.. NOT to leave out the appeal... I meant to say.
As more and more people are feeling direct negative changes in their lives, they are becoming more aware about municipal politicians and their chicanery. I remember at the meetings regarding the Bosa project at Lynn Valley Centre, their mouthpiece said the exact things that Anon. Fri 2:31 wrote: If you don't vote for this development, your taxes will go up. The DNV needs the money.
I find it very interesting that Coun. Don Bell has distanced himself from the pro-development crowd on council. Nobody ever said he was stupid.
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