Archive for March, 2010

A real count of the homeless trumps a sham tent city

Posted by Jonathan Ross

At the end of January I wrote a post concerning the Pivot Legal Society’s red tent campaign and how I thought it was a sham designed to raise money as much as it was to raise awareness.

There was also the tent village at 58 Hastings (complete with its own website) that remained for the duration of the Olympics and which on the surface seemed like a non-evasive way to bring attention to the plight of the homeless in Vancouver, and particularly within the downtown eastside.

But with news like this that emerge about those who resided in the tent village, I am only infuriated by the individuals who casually protest, often to supplement their income, no matter what the issue.

Though they may be social activists to some, they are nothing more than the real poverty pimps that feed off of the plight of others in my eyes.

Now don’t get me wrong – I am all for fighting for a cause, particularly when it comes to housing the homeless.

Though, I am far more inclined to be in support the City of Vancouver’s homeless count that began this morning and will run for the next 24 hours.

The utility in this kind of exercise trumps the efforts of those who choose to pervert a cause for their own selfish interests.

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Why can’t the Property Endowment Fund be put to better use?

Posted by Jonathan Ross

The City of Vancouver has the potential to do so much more with its property assets.

I am no expert on the Property Endowment Fund (PEF), which ambiguously is approximately $2.5 billion of indeterminate assets.  I know that it is a significant part of Vancouver’s financial profile, and that it is essential to our credit rating.  Outside of that, I am very unclear as to its purpose.  So, I started to do some basic reading to get up to speed.

Created by TEAM in the in the 1970s, the PEF took those properties and leases owned by the city which were not in the near term intended to be used for municipal purposes (roads, parks or non-market housing sites) and consolidated them.  It was operated through the real-estate division on a market basis (meaning they are able to provide a reasonable return as if they were privately held) and held within the fund to grow it into an endowment producing annual revenues.  It is also a means to stablize the city’s credit rating, which in turn allows the city to secure the lowest possible borrowing rate for any loans.

As described by the legendary May Brown:

“The city was selling land every year, putting money into general revenue to keep taxes down.  Art Phillips said this has got to stop. We’re cannibalizing our land . . . The value of the PEF in those days was $100 million. The rationale was simple: citizens should share in the profits from any increase in land value.”

A fantastic concept, to be sure.

But the PEF has now grown into a fund that has reached this seemingly untouchable status, with the only money utilized out on an annual basis (publicly, at least) is $7 million to offset increases in property taxes.

I feel there is so much more that the City of Vancouver could be doing with such a collection of assets.

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Documents prove that Ark Tsisserev signed off on safety concerns

Posted by Jonathan Ross

A telling set of documents regarding the Ark Tsisserev affair have been sent to CivicScene, challenging the trumped up claims of a group of political motivated individuals.

I have just received a very telling set of documents regarding the Ark Tsisserev issue, which has now taken on a level of political maneuvering and innuendo that doesn’t line up with the facts.

Alex Tsakumis writes in his post from yesterday morning that:

“…this whole matter began after I was leaked the email stream between Ark Tsisserev and his colleagues, from October, November and December of last year and then into early January–when he first raised concerns related to life safety issues with respect the the Olympic Village and then was concerned about inspection limitations for the pending Olympics.

He adds in a challenge regarding the safety sign-off by Tsisserev:

“If all Olympic venues were approved by city electrical inspectors in accordance with all recognized electrical and safety standards, release all the reports.”

In a post from February 9, Tsakumis also seems to suggest that Ark was fired as the whistleblower who was bringing forth safety concerns, and whom the city wanted to silence:

“An outstanding employee is fired after he spent the last two months of his tenure seeking answers to safety concerns about the Olympic Village that would be filled to the brim by unsuspecting Olympic athletes from all over the world not ten weeks from when Mr. Tsisserev discovered something might be wrong. In the midst of, presumably, seeking corrections, that exemplary employee is unceremoniously marched out of his office like a common thug, in front of his staff…”

I now have evidence in hand that proves otherwise.

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New Information on Ark Tsisserev

Posted by Jonathan Ross

The shock over Ark Tsisserev needs some clarity.

I have done a little digging on the Ark Tsisserev story, and this is what I have found out from conversations in and around City Hall.

Ark was dismissed following City Council approval of a shared services review recommendation to combine the city electrician position with the head of licensing and inspections

Vancouver is one of the few cities that still had a stand-alone electrician

It was normal process for the dismissal to take place in camera, because the electirician position was a direct hire/dismissal by council

All venues, permanent and temporary for the Olympics were inspected by city staff and signed-off before an occupancy permit was given

There were zero electrical or fire issues arise at any of the venues during the Games – the city’s safety and inspection record speaks for itself

Any specific concerns that had been raised – such as faulty electrical panels in the Olympic Village – were inspected by city staff and no safety issues were found.

That being said, this is about the city’s reputation.

The Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) deserved immediate hearing on the issues raised about codes not being met during the Games.

The City would be wise to sit down at the staff level with contractors, union representatives, and other relevant stakeholders – not to review Tsisserev and his dismissal, to but give confidence in safety inspections going forward.

Off to a meeting, but I will check back in later in the day and challenge the claim of certain individuals perpetrating the story of a fire at one of the Olympic venues.

Embellishment is the first word that comes to mind.

Fri May 18, 2012

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FACT OF THE DAY

In 2010, Vancouver had fewer than half the number of murders than it had in 2009.  There were nine homicides within Vancouver’s city limits, down from 19 killings the previous year.

Quote OF THE DAY

“Perhaps it was my silk dress or the new perfume I’ve been wearing lately. When I asked Suzanne Anton what her New Year’s resolution was, she replied, “To kiss a pretty girl!” and pecked me on the cheek.”  – Writer Emily Barca describing her encounter with the lone NPA City Councillor on New Year’s Eve.

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