You've seen Chilliwack. Now try, Say, Richmond
"CHILLIWACK - His chief administrative officer at city hall became the president of his riding association.
He had real estate dealings with a former council colleague.
Another councillor's wife acted as his agent in a controversial land deal."
He had real estate dealings with a former council colleague.
Another councillor's wife acted as his agent in a controversial land deal."
So reads the first three paragraphs of the Sun's first-rate coverage of the John Les melodrama.
For the full story, click here.
But then ask yourself this:
Fine, this is a little fable about Chilliwack.
Now, what about the bedtime stories that await - uncovered as yet - in Richmond or Nanaimo, for example?
I've been following the Richmond thread for about five years now, and the most amazing part of that little pocket of intrigue is that nobody can prove anything and nobody has been indicted for anything. I do know that certain officials laugh heartily at what they are getting away with on a daily basis.
Any community - like Richmond or Nanaimo, for example (Did mention Richmond?) - that experiences sudden exponential growth is ripe with opportunity for financial and political fun and games for personal gain.
Why would, say Richmond, just to pull one example out of the air, be exempt from this age old law of human misbehaviour?
Chilliwack, John Les...a hundred grand here or there...sure...but this is cow plop compared to the possibilities in a place like, say, Richmond...
11 comments:
Speaking of little cow plops, how about the obscene money going to the various contractors in Iraq (and possibly thru Canadian hands in Afghanistan -> I ARGUE).
This little 3-part piece from the Real News is very telling.
Of course you can go back to your footnotes about Ditchmond now...
Corruption in our province? Surely you jest, David! According to most I speak with in Metro Vancouver, everything is perfect here and there's no corruption unlike that terrible country to the south of us.
The older I get, the more I think that B.C. Bud has entered the water supply. Only a few of us seem to be immune to its effects.
Cynical Robert
David, don't overlook Richmond.
Try Toigo and 435 new homes on the golf course in Tsaww. Attended the ALC meeting and the crowd was overwhelmingly against this project. But no, the land comes out of the ALR and Council follows staff's panting eagerness and approves the project. Of course Toigo (Giants, White Spot) has Larry Bell (head of the Cambie St. mess) on his board of directors. Is this called incest?
Yes, exactly...thanks for reminding me..I mustn't overlook Richmond... or, as we say, WestJet flights, Riche Monde...
On CBC radio this morning, there was mention of 18,000 condos that are sitting empty in Vancouver. This was determined by BC Hydro electricity rates.
I had a sneaking suspicion all along that many of the new condos are being held by corporations and the BC government for the Winter Olympics.
No doubt, this has helped push up the prices of all condos for sale, by creating a shortage.
On another note, I predict the Olympic ice arena in Richmond, will be transformed into an exhibition hall some time after the Winter Olympics is over.
It will be like Earl's Court in London.
I'm in the process of detailing my own investigation of John Les with a strong Nanaimo component. I should be able to provide a link tomorrow.
The last anonymous poster raises an interesting factoid: 18,000 condos sitting empty. I've long noticed this too, especially in the Yaletown and Coal Harbour areas.
I don't think they're mostly held by corporations or the gov't though. I think they're owned by very wealthy people who only spend 2 - 8 weeks in Vancouver each year.
I'm of very mixed feelings about this situation. The capitalist in me believes that a person should be able to buy & own what they want, if they can afford it - no one else's business. But the neighbourhood citizen in me believes that large swaths of buildings that are primarily empty most of the time are a terrible thing for any community.
Perhaps the answer would be to increase property taxes by 10X for those suites that are empty much of the year. But how to enforce this I do not know.
How can there be insurance coverage on all those empty units?
In response to "How can there be insurance coverage on all those empty units?"
Insurance is not mandatory if the units are paid for with cash.
I posted as anonymous earlier and said I'd provide a link - here is the link, it is on a web-design forum, in a "free speech" zone.
http://twelvestone.com/forum_thread/view/38519
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