Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jul 2007
Source: Saanich News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Saanich News
Contact:  http://www.saanichnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1209
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

SPEND THE SURPLUS

Liberal politicians were quick to pat themselves on the back last 
week when B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor revealed the province 
has a $4.1 billion surplus.

But you don't have to look far for evidence that the Campbell 
government's penny-pinching ways have come with a hefty social cost.

True the B.C. Liberals can't take all the blame for the increase in 
addiction, poverty, homelessness, theft, property crime and 
street-level drug dealing that has occurred in communities across 
B.C. since they took office.

On the other hand, critics point to the wave of funding cuts during 
the Campbell government's first term as a key contributing factor to 
the current situation. Those critics include Victoria Mayor Alan 
Lowe, whose task force on the impacts of provincial downsizing in 
2002 homelessness cited provincial cuts as a major contributing 
factor to the deteriorating situation on the city's streets.

There were cuts to the welfare rolls, women's programs, legal aid, 
youth counselling, job creation grants and much more. At the same 
time skyrocketing housing prices drove up rental rates and left more 
people unable to afford a place to live. Factor in a slow response to 
the housing crisis, the appearance of new drugs such as crystal meth 
and a continuing refusal to spend money on treatment facilities and 
it's clear the provincial government must share some of the blame.

Interestingly, the task force said the fallout from those cuts would 
take some time to filter down to the street level.

Perhaps four years later, those long-term impacts have finally arrived.

In Victoria, the face of poverty, addiction and despair in Victoria 
can be seen of Cormorant Street, outside the AIDS Vancouver Island 
needle exchange. Once considered an adequate space, the facility has 
been overwhelmed by a burgeoning addict population. Our Place street 
ministry, Rev. Al Tysick's organization, has also been stretched to 
the limit by an increasing client load.

The sheer volume of armed robberies and B&E carried out by addicts 
looking for a few bucks to buy drugs with has become a running joke 
among local police officers, who feel let down by a system that won't 
incarcerate or rehabiltate the people they arrest.

Police know better than anyone that there's no point in putting an 
addict in prison. If the crook is still an addict when he gets out of 
jail, it's a pointless exercise.

Four billion dollars is a vast sea of wealth compared to the $300,000 
budget hike AIDS Vancouver Island says it needs to move to a proper facility.

Even if the province threw in a dozen extra detox beds and twice that 
many residential treatment beds (since at the moment there are none 
on the Island), it still wouldn't scratch the surface of that $4.1 billion.

It's time the BC Liberals re-evaluated their spending priorities.

Fiscal health means nothing if we have to live in a society plagued 
with chronic social ills.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom