Housing Legacy Fund/Affordable Housing

A recent story City considers large residential development in Hammond Bay regarding a proposed development in Hammond Bay prompted me to send this letter off.

As sent May 13, 2010:

Re: City considers large residential development in Hammond Bay
Not only should the proponents for the development of 231 units on Hammond Bay road be contributing parkland they should be contributing at least 10% of the units, or the equivalent in cash, towards affordable social housing or the city’s Housing Legacy Reserve. This is not to single out this development per se but should be a City requirement for any development of significance requiring rezoning within the Urban Containment Boundary. Oceanview and Sandstone, with a combined 5000 units, are two others of note.

The city of Nanaimo 's Housing Legacy Reserve, with an expected $165,000 increase in each of the next five years, is a joke and it would take over a century at the current rate to be of any significance. Over 50% of homeowners and renters in Nanaimo are paying at least half or more of their gross income towards housing, anything more than 30% is considered an indicator of poverty as also is a person or families income level. Using these indicators Nanaimo ’s poverty level is well above average, roughly 50% of the population, and to top that off it also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the province.

Numbers like these show the growing need for affordable accommodation in Nanaimo . Other Cities in BC and across Canada have bylaws requiring contributions such as the above. It is time this city entered the 21st century and did so as well.

Daily News; May 14, 2010
Growing need in city for more affordable housing

HST Update

Some of the latest news in the Nanaimo Area and at the end a few websites, perhaps the best of which is the last .

Nanaimo News Bulletin

April 28
20 ridings to threshold

May 7
Anti-HST petition tops 300,000 sognatures

May 11
Mid Island Ridings all above anti-hst threshold

Anti-HST petition sites, updated daily, can be found at www.karscot.com/hst.html

Say No to the HST http://www.saynotohstinbc.ca

Fight the HST http://fighthst.com

Bastards passed it

So the Liberal Gov't passed it, HST approved by BC Government (Daily News, April 30). El Gordo wasn't even there, gives him the option of saying he didn't vote for it.

& More HST

So last Friday the 16th I went to the Rally in Nanaimo at Beban Park, thought it would be amusing to hear Bill Vander Zalm. As I am walking up, with my HARMONIZE THIS poster, to where volunteers were taking signatures a gentleman sees it and tells me I can't have it there as it is lewd and will ruin the event. Walter Cordery, reporter with the daily news, tells him this is a public event and was advertised as such and whether I was for or against I would still be able to attend. Turns out the guy, Robert Shaw was one of the organizers and while you could see he was a bit miffed he backed down. Everyone else thought the poster was great.

Anywho it was a good event and things are going great in Nanaimo, hope the same can be said for elsewhere in the province though the word coming out is that regardless of whether enough people sign the petition Campbell will still go ahead with it.

Interestingly I got my renewal notice for COSTCO today and they are actually charging the HST, on the cost of renewing, now.

A few more links to storys:

HST and the crack in the door http://www.opinion250.com/

April 15
HST yet one more insult to all the citizens of BC

April 20
Anti HST campaign volunteers take a break

April 22
Anti HST petitions still being collected

More HST

Ongoing from Daily News. Great coverage.

Daily News
April 14 Vander Zalm in town friday for HST rally April 15 Nanaimo first to top HST threshold

Bulletin
April 15 Mailout coming to defense of HST & HST campaign already past goal in Nanaimo

HST Letter to Editor

As written:

Gordon Campbell and the Liberal party’s push to implement the Harmonized Sales Tax is yet another kick to the posterior of the poor and disadvantaged of British Columbia . After cutting funding to children and families, then removing gaming grants for many programs that offer services allowing people to move forward in life, this latest shows an utter contempt and disregard not just for the poor but for all citizens of British Columbia.

Taxing everything from admission fees, beverages, bus fares, car repairs & maintenance, funeral services and haircuts to movies, newspapers, non prescription meds, prepared foods, restaurants meals, school supplies and even vitamins, one can at least say this government is thorough, even inclusive in the broad impact and lack of forethought behind this tax.

To Mr. Campbell and the rest of the Liberal Party, I want you to use your imaginations, not an onerous but possibly a challenging request. Picture me flipping you the bird while at the same time stating “Harmonize This.” This gesture to you is offered FREE of charge with no strings attached.

Gordon W. Fuller

Published April 15
HST yet one more insult to all the citizens of BC

anti-HST race begins

And so it began on April 6th and from the looks of things here in Nanaimo the anti-HST group should get the required 10% of electoral signatures it needs on the petitions. Please I urge anyone reading this to pass the word to get out and sign the petition or sign it when the group starts canvassing door to door. I'm not going to write too much about this as with a minimum of research one can readily find out what a bad idea the HST is. Check out my previous post in the Labels (HST) to the left for a bit more info.

The reality for the common person is many of the little things we enjoy will be taxed. While those of us with jobs might not see the immediate effect it will effect us nonetheless. The people it will impact most are the poor and while the Liberal (ultra conservative) government says there will be an HST rebate you can gaurantee that it will not cover what people pay into it. In todays paper it was just announced that Nanaimo's unemployment rate has hit 8.9% Nanaimo's unemployment rate up . I would add at least 1 or 2% more to that to get a more realistic figure. Add to that the large number of people on fixed pensions and the numbers skyrocket.

If you want to get an idea of how much it will cost you or your family check out this HST Calculator HST Calculator .

Here are links to some of the latest stories in the Nanaimo Rags about the HST and I will attempt to add more as they will no doubt come along. Following these links is a list of items which will be taxed at the higher rate.

Nanaimo Daily News:
March 31HST bill called political suicide , April 5 Walter Cordery: Tax rebel opposes HST, April 9 Canvassers out for anti-HST signatures , April 10 Residents line up to sign anti-HST petition , April 12 After 2 days local anti-HST petition is nearly 50% complete

Nanaimo Bulletin:
April 6 Anti-HST petition drive begins

HST applicable items:
Accounting, Admission Fees, Airline Tickets, Animal Feed, Architects, Bicycles, Beverages, Bus Fares, Cable TV, Campgrounds, Car Repairs & Maintenance Chinese Medicine, Coffee shops, Concert Tickets, Consulting Services, Dry CleaningFirst Aid Kits, Fishing Charter, Funeral Services, Golf Fees, Hair Cuts, Health Equipment, Helmets, Hockey Tickets, Home Renovations, Insulation, InternetLife Jackets, Magazines, Marketing services, Membership Fees, Massage Therapy, Moorage, Movies, Music Lessons, Naturopathy, New Homes, Newspapers, Non Prescription Meds, Painting, Parking, Photography, Physiotherapy, Prepared Foods, Real Estate Fees, Reflexology, Rents, Restaurants Meals, Resort Packages, RV ParksSafety Equipment, School Supplies, Skiing, Smoke Detectors, Solar Power, Spa Services, Storage Lockers, Taxi Fares, Telephone Bills, Theatre Tickets, Trade & Gift Show Fees, Veterinarian/Pets, Vitamins