CITY IN SELF-DESTRUCT MODE
My friend, Barry Gilpin, has been operating 4 consignment stores in Vancouver's West Side for almost 20 years. The Stores are called "Cheapskates."
You bring in your old bike. He takes your name, address, phone number and your old bike. He puts a tag on the bike and he puts the bike in the store. Let's say, the price begins at $300.00. A week later, it's $275, and then, another week later, $250, and so on.
I brought him a heavy, old and serviceable mountain bike for which I had originally paid $135.00 at Canadian Tire. I rode the bike for almost 12 years, gave it to Barry and bought a new, much lighter and very expensive bike at fancy new bike store.
A few weeks later, Cheapskates sent me a cheque for $35. I was happy and so were they.
What's the problem?
The problem is that Barry will soon close down all 4 stores, which have been happily supplying used hockey equipment, tennis racquets, bicycles and nameit to cash-strapped families for over 19 years now. Why?
The City of Vancouver in its infinite wisdom has created a new city by-law designed (badly, as usual) to stop the sale of stolen goods. The police want Barry and other second-hand store owners to do 2 new things: 1) Store all new goods for 35 days so that the police will have time to check on their legitimacy. This will only add $10,000/month to the costs of doing business for what is essentially a mom-and-pop shop selling goalie gloves. 2) Record every consignor's eye color, hair color, height, weight and race.
Has anybody at City Hall ever heard of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? Eye color and race? Are these bureaucrats completely mad?
5 comments:
There is a theme between this article about Cheap Skates and the article on drug rehab. The theme is "authority". What has shifted over 40 years is people no longer trust people. They put their trust or allow their trust to be usurped by authority.
I know the two Cheapskate stores around 16 th and Dunbar. They are exactly as you describe. I also know and to some extent participated as a cheer leader perhaps in the drug rehab model you
worked with.
Both of these models are simply people working independently to supply a needed service.
The jinx is when the "authorities come in and say we don't trust what you are doing or we will define the circumstances and then we will trust what you are doing.
The re definition of the circumstances of course prohibits the use of the model.
And everyone lets it slide. That has changed significantly in my lifetime.
Not really much different than closing down "Charlie's fish and chips" and replacing it with a Mc Donalds. Charlie is just a guy making fish and chips. McDonalds is a food authority. That is the perception.
The medical model is the rehab authority. The cops are the second hand merchandising authority.
Of course absolutely wrong.
Like they really care about food , drug fiends, and stolen goods !
WTF !
Bob Turner
http://www.turnercom.com
Hey Bob,
You are so bang on! Now, check out today's post again about the Nutty Mayor. He believes that it is his right to direct the polics on all matters civic.
In addition, try the 2 articles in today's Vancouver Sun about doctors and "drug rehab experts" are regularlt funded by Pfizer and other giants pharmaceuticals.
Many thanks for your thoughts,
David
David,
I think it's long overdue that you & create the Vancouver Libertarian party though for marketing purposes we should call it the "Live and Let Live Latte Party". You will be the mayoral candidate and I will ... well, I'll get you coffee and tell people to vote for you.
In a similar vain to this story you've posted, we had a bi-annual meeting of BC Digital Divide, the little computer refurbishing organization I started. A few new people attended. One of them insisted to me that me must thoroughly check to ensure that none of the donated computers or the parts inside them are stolen.
I created a new position for HIM to do this but haven't heard from him since!
Robert
P.S. Think about my political party idea and practice 10 second sound bites that have a good ring to them but mean absolutely nothing.
A quick read of the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers By-law No. 2807 indicates that the word "purchase" is defined as "to buy, barter, deal in, take in exchange, take in part payment, acquire, acquire on consignment, or receive, but does not include pawning."
The definition of purchase is too broad, the 35 day hold treats consignors as criminals and the privacy infringment is questionable. I've sent letters to city, vpd, colin hansen (mla) and stephen owen (mp).
Dear Anonymous,
Keep those cards and letters coming in! Cheapskates takes a consignor's name, address and phone number. If and when they sell the item, they mail a cheque to the consignor. You know of any dope fiends or dealers who want to leave their name, address and phone number and have a freaking cheque mailed to them?
The city is soooooo wrong on this one.
David
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