FREE. Do not pay for this paper.
JULY 15, 2012
~arnegie~
NEWSLET TER
'fou HAVE AN SRO To RENT?•
carnnews@vcn.bc.ca
'
SuRE, Bo•
You
HAVE To BE
A COUPLE •
'
dies CRUNCH~
Beyond Barricades Blocked here, stopped, cops, movie crews, traffic authorities preventing entry into this, into that, What for? what they really say: Ya need a pass; Ya need permission to get by them, folks. Stormtroopers ordering us around, directing traffic, correcting people, condemning disorder. .. then we're not human anymore. We become objects directed around like chesspieces on a checkerboard, an inconvenient game of snakes 'n ladders- they think drones like us don't really matter. I don' t have the time to lose, cutting comers, detours down dark alleys, around weird bends, like sports pub five-star pizza and pasta joints that are packed w ith bloated overpaid expense-accounted platinum-carded nouveau cuisine food junkies with way too much leisure time on their soft manicured hands. What's that really all about? Well my guess is it's all about status and being very high on the social register, the socalled (self-titled) Ruling C lass! It used to ~e called Cafe Society; Whoopdeedo, what d'ya know about that?! They try to be so cool and detached (read aloof, arrogant, snobbish) like the "masses" like us are beneath them, like we have no dignity, no soul, no heart, no status in their secretive gilded dream world of pri- • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • • vilege, and gated, moated, oh yeah!! q,,~ Well they' ve got another thing comin'; they're s lowly ·' Thmgs people need to get a new start and stubbornly becoming aware of this fact. Now we in the world are on the upswing, with our hands firmly on the tiller & it's steady as she goes from here on in. Get the pic+l"usin(J ture? T he storm clouds have been gathering for quite and some time now and we are, as a Downtown Eastside Solidarity collective, more than ready to disperse g:.""~ them and blow them to s mithereens, away up to the with these TWO THINGS stratosphere, back to where they've been. Coming, for the person example, from Shaughnessy Heights, Kerrisdale, can come to a point where by their Yaletown's concrete jungle, and the 'upper crust' of own action seek other experiences. North Vancouver's elitist panorama ridge, just to Those two things may seem daunting to some name a local few - so you and I can get a sniff (whiff) yet nirvana to others, so much so that for once of how the other half lives on a day-to-day each day many go without. basis. And you are probably scratching your upturned, With all who are already going without snooty noses or rubbing your smooth-shaven jutting the pressures to obtain the Two grow chins as you compete with all the offshore speculators So to alleviate this, Stay tuned folks and we' ll keep you posted. You' re in we the people stand to level the field so for a very, very rude awakening. We'll be seeing you that all may have housing and eat, by again quite soon in the near future, and we can hardly making a basic level of social assistance wait to connect with your clique's and show you exwhich would be set at $911 actly what the New Deal is. It is our responsibility both morally & financially. ROBYN LIVINGSTONE.
O"t'l
...
3
July 2012
Changes to Disability Assistance Programs Effective this Fall In June the M inistry of Social Development (MSD) announced a number of changes to the welfare regulations that will affect people on income and disability ass istance. These changes are generally positive steps that include such things as increasing the asset limits and earnings exemptions for most people on ass istance. Unless otherwise indicated, these changes take effect October l, 20 12 On July 3, the MSD announced that funding for some of the medical equipment and supplies that was cut in April 20 I 0 would be restored. These changes will be implemented in October 2012 Listed below are the new rules and benefits that impact people on disability ass istance (PWD): New medical items that will be covered by MSD: -Ventilator supplies, Bariatric Scooters, Standing frames, Positioning Chairs, Non-conventional glucose meters, Inhaler accessory devices, Apnea monitors, Toe orthoses, Underliners for orthoses, Syringes for medication, A second floor-to-ceiling pole, Foot abduction orthosis, Transfer aids, Positioning items on a bed, Tracheostomy s upplies, Nebulizers, Humidifiers for tracheostomy patients New exemptions and limits fo r PWD - Increasing the asset limits fo r individuals to $5,000 (up from $3,000) -Increasing the asset limits for couples and families to $10,000 (up from $5,000)
-Increasing the earnings exemption for singles on PWD to $800 per month (up from $500) -Increas ing the earnings exemptio n for couples who both have the PWD designation to $ 1,600 per month . (up from $750) -Increasing the non-discretionary trust exemption lifetime limit to $200,000 (up from $1 00,000) -I ncreasing the trust disbursement exemption for " promoting independence" to $8,000 per year (up from $5,484) and allowing the person on PWD to decide how this money can be spent to promote their independence (rather than MSD) -Exempting income tax refunds (previously tax refu nds have been exempt to the earning exemption limit) -Reducing the wait period for earnings exemptions to one month for new applicants, and eliminating the waiting period for PWDs returning to assistance (previously the wait period has been 3 months) About the earnings exemption It should be noted that recipients can take advantage of the new earnings exemption as early as August ' 12. For example, if someone on PWD earns $700 in August 20 12, they are required to report the income on their cheque stub that must be returned to MSD by September 5, 20 q; then the new earnings exemptio n of$800 is applied by MSD to their October disability assistance cheque (sent out in the last week of September) which means that there would be no deductions as $700 is under the new exemption li mit. Furthermore, MSD has agreed to consult with the BCCPD and other members ofthe Disability Without Poverty Network o n a new annual earning exemption for PWDs that w ill be introduced next year. Anual exemptions benefit people who earn high amounts over a short period of time. Other changes in welfare regulations Additional changes announced by MSD include: -Mandatory income tax filing starting in 20 13 - there will be exemptions for those who are at risk, such as fleeing an abusive spouse -For people o n basic income assistance, a new $200 per month earnings exemption -For famil ies w ith children, an increase in the annual school start-up s upplement (effective July I, 20 12) -Extended work search requirements for new applicants for basic income assistance who are ab le to look for work. The period' II be 5 weeks instead of3 weeks
Caring for BC's Aging Population Improving Health Care for All Download the full report at policyaltematives.ca /bee-for-seniors WITH THE GROWING SENIORS' POPULATION, the question of how best to care for people as they age has never been more important. A recent landmark investigation by BC's Ombudsperson highlights the serious problems seniors experience in accessing affordable high-quality home and community-based care services. At the same time, media coverage continues to focus public attention on the problems of hospital overcrowding and unacceptably long waitlists for emergency care and surgeries. Taken together, these challenges can seem overwhelming, prompting dire warnings about the "financial sustainability" of Medicare, calls for private delivery of publicly-funded services, and fears that aging baby boomers are about to overwhelm the health care system, leaving few resources for younger British Columbians. A more comprehensive and better-coordinated system of home and community care for seniors can help us move beyond this impasse. It can help seniors to live independent and healthy lives in their own homes and communities. It can reduce pressure on family members- many of whom are already balancing full-time employment and parenting- to act as caregivers. And it can reduce pressure on hospitals- the most expensive part of our health care system. However, a decade of underfunding and restructuring has led to a home and community care system that is fragmented, confusing to navigate, and unable to meet seniors' needs. by Marcy Cohen July 2012 Caring for BC's Aging Population Improving Health Care for All Download the summary at policyalternatives. ca/hcc-forseniors An improved system of home and community care for seniors can help seniors live healthy, independent lives, and reduce pressure on hospitals - the most expensive part of our health care system .
•
CONTINUED DECLINES IN ACCESS TO MOST SERVICES Previous CCPA studies published in 2005 and 2009 documented steep declines in access to home and community care services since 2001- in particular residential care and home support. Updated figures obtained from the Ministry of Health show a continued downward trend. lt is important to note that access to services is not simply a matter of asking how many residential care beds exist in BC, or how many hours of home support are provided. Such numbers tell us little unless we consider them in relation to population needs. It is no secret that BC's population is aging: the number of seniors over age 75 increased by 28 per cent between 2001 and 2010. To assess the level of access, we look at the volume of services provided each year relative to the number of seniors over 75, and find that between 2001/0 2 and 2009110: • Access to residential care dropped by 21 per cent. • Access to home support dropped by 30 per cent. • Reductions in access to home nursing of 3 per cent were more moderate, and in community rehabilitation there has actually been an increase of 14 per cent. • When all services are considered together, access to home and community care declined by 14 per cent. Restructuring in home and community care- such as changes to policies that govern when seniors get access to what types of care- has also undermined the vital prevention role these services can play. In both residential care and home support, eligibility criteria have become increasingly restrictive, to the point that seniors often have to wait until they are in crisis and admitted to hospital in order to get the community services they require. Even then, services can be difficult to access.
REDUCED ACCESS TO SERVICES CONTRIBUTES TO HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING & W AITLISTSS One of the best ways to track the impact of reduced access to services is to look at the number of hospital patients who no longer require acute care but who continue to occupy a hospital bed because the appropriate residential or home health services are not available. These patients are called "Alternate Level of Care" or ALC patients. Previous CCPA- BC studies documented steep declines in access to key home and community care services. Updated figures obtained from the BC Ministry of Health show a continuing downward trend .. In 2005/06, the provincial government discontinued its requirement that health authorities publicly report standardized data on ALC hospital use. However, data from the provincial government show that between 2005/06 and 20 10/11, there was a 35.5 per cent increase in the number of hospital beds across BC occupied by people classified as ALC patients. Home and community care helps seniors live healthy, independent lives in their own homes and communities. It also helps keep them out of hospital. But there have been serious declines in access to key services for seniors over 75 in BC. For elderly patients, being stuck in hospital because of the lack of suffic ient and/or appropriate home and community care services can lead to a decline in their mobility and their ability to live independently. It also contributes to overcrowding in BC's hospitals. Research shows that hospital occupancy rates of 85 per cent or lower are optimal. When hospitals operate above optimal capacity, it is harder to isolate patients with antibiotic resistant viruses or respond to emergency admissions without having to delay elective surgeries or control wait times in emergency departments. While there is a lack of publicly reported data, it is possible to make a reasonable estimate of overall provincial occupancy levels by comparing the number of beds in operation with the average number of inpatient acute care days. Based on this calculation, in 2009110, BC hospitals had occupancy rates of 97 per cent. RECOMMENDATIONS BC needs a more comprehensive and better-coordinated home and community care system, one that focuses on early intervention and supporting seniors to live well and die with dignity. This shift requires, at least initially, an infusion of new funding to build needed capacity in the system, which will reduce the need for expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays down the road. The cost of treating a senior in hospital ranges from $825 to $ 1,968 per day, whereas the cost of residential case is approximately $200 per day. While health care has fared re latively well compared to other areas in provincial budgets over the last decade, BC has not kept up with other Canad ian provinces. In 200 I , BC had the second highest level of health spending per capita in Canada; by 20 11 it had fallen to second lowest. This might not be cause for concern if BC' s lower rate of growth in health spending were the result of widespread efficiencies as opposed to restraint policies that reduced access to needed home and community care services and hospitals. Beyond issues of funding and access, changes are needed to how home and community care services are organized and integrated with the broader health care system. The provincial government needs to take a strong leadership role in the following priority areas. Integrate home, community and primary care (doctors) services for seniors with complex health needs : Seniors with complex needs are freq uently in and out of hospital and have multiple health providers (a family doctor, one or more specialists, a home nurse, etc), who often don't even communicate with one another let alone work as a team. In other words, they face a home and community care system that is highly fragmented. Many of the basic home support services they need (particularly if they are low income), such as transportation and assistance shopping for groceries or preparing meals, are no longer publicly provided. These challenges can be resolved when services are reconfigured around a senior's needs, provided by an interdisciplinary team of health professionals and front-line workers, and available 2417. Increase patient involvement in decisions about their care: Too often health care systems are organized around the needs of providers rather than patients. A growing body of evidence shows that by redesigni ng services around the needs of the patient, it is possible to improve both the
quality an<t cost-effectiveness of care. There is also evidence to show that when individual patients with challenging chronic cpnditions are empowered to become more involved in managing their care and more confident in communicatin$ with health care professionals, their health improves and they use fewer hospital and physician services. There are currently programs in many BC communities that promote a greater role for patients in managing specific chronic conditions. H owever, these programs路 could be significantly expanded to cover a broader range of health challenges and be more accessible to low-income and immigrant seniors and those living in rural communities. Treat social supports as an integral aspect of care: Social support is a determinant of health. It helps seniors to remain independent and healthy by building selfesteem and coping skills, improving knowledge about available health and community resources, and encouraging healthy behaviours. Research shows that social connectedness slows cognitive decline, and the progression of both mental and physical disabilities. The provincial government should provide funding to ensure that social supports are available both within the home and community care system and in the broader community (through outreach programs at community or seniors' centres, for example). Develop provincially standardized, publicly-reported information on key indicators Getting even .very basic information about seniors care in BC can be daunting. The need for more transparent, accessible reporting on home and community care services, funding levels and health outcomes was highlighted . by the province's Ombudsperson in her recent investigation. Consistent, publicly available data on Alternate Level of Care patients, hospital occupancy rates, and hospital utilization by people with limited incomes and few social supports are also needed. The BC Health Coalition is a coalition of more than 50 groups that works to protect and expand public health care. For more information, please contact info@bchealthcoalition.ca, call 604.681.7945 or visit our website at www.bchealthcoalition.ca The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. The CCPA's BC Office hosts The Remaining Light Project, which brings community organizations, seniors and researchers together to develop policy solutions that support seniors' dignity and well-being. The Remaining Light is a 30-minute documentary film that explores the issues raised in this study. It features the stories of seniors, their family members, and people who work as caregivers. Watch the film online at www.policyalternatives. calprojects/seniors-care, or email bcseniors@ policyalternatives.ca to request a free copy. 1400 -207 West Hastings Street; Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7
ccpabc@policyalternatives.ca; 604.801.5121
www.policyalternatives.ca
KINDNESS Lord Thou knowest that I am growing older. Keep me from becoming too talkative- and particularly keep me from falling into the tiresome habit of expressing an opinion on every subject. Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details. Give me wings to get to the point. Give me grace, dear lord, to listen to others describe their aches and pains. Help me endure the boredom with patience and keep my lips sealed, for my own aches and pains are increasing in number and intensity, and the pleasure of discussing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. Teach me the glorious lesson that, occasionally, I might be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not wish to be a saint (saints are so hard to live with), but a sour old person is the work of the devil.
7
The Coxcotnb A coxcomb at world's crossroad stood Holding both his breath and nose in r-f\r>tPrnnt Ignoring murmurs of nocturnal underwood, Arrogant flight proved a futile attempt. Beyond gloomy marshes - a lost evening star A fire dying - a loon's distant cry Glancing at purple tombs curse from afar Merry goblins and trolls only secretly sigh. "I fooled you all" the coxcomb smiled with spite Where nothing dwelt you fathomed great treasure Emerald dreams pursue you mortals - a woeful 路 "I am dying now,"belated truth, "I lived without pleasure." Yeomen dug the coxcomb's shallow grave Though the legend will not die of one happy fool The minstrels partly are to blame and knaves But then, blessed is he who dares to break the rule When all is said and done, a new sun sets The great virgin Mary but the twin of venus' so ul Reigns at high noon weaving devious nets Opium to minds bored by trivial Foul. Laila Biergans
(March 24, 1957- June 14, 2012)
MEMORIAL SUNDAY, JULY 29@ 4:30 3RD FLOOR Gallery CHESS TOURNAMENT TO FOLLOW
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE HEART OF THE CITY FESTIVAL
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION FOR DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE INVOLVED RESIDENTS
Vancouver Moving Theatre/DTES Heart of the City Festival
POSTER EXHIBITION Featuring 18 posters from all Heart of the City Festivals, major productions & community celebrations produced by VMT & partners in the last 15 years.
CARNEGIE THIRD FLOOR GALLERY- Month of July
ONE SEASON WORLD Once again these long and winding roads are ripped apart, too many cars and people push their way into the line shoving people who have no home to the side a long with their 4-wheeled storage homes called s hopping carts, trying to chip away too much of this block. We human beings need shelter - some walls and an address - to call our own, we have waited long enoug h; stop importing other countries' rich people it is WE who need these homes, you Ultracrepidarian know-it-ails know fuck-all except it' s the sun that rises while the night falls upon us all, You trip over them/us like a drunk does over his own feet well g uess what People also fall! You brag about your useless awards as if they actually mean something but they don't you selfish little man. When someone breaks into yo ur fortified Monster Home you' ll scream, "Take my w ife! Take my kids! But for godssake leave my awards alone!!" Without them you are a nothing without a plan, what could and should be done for some reason we stand around looking for answers when the questions are never even asked, a place to live is that a good question .. does it deserve an answer I think it does but too many cranes and strollers make life less worth living and sti ll you just s it there not giving a s hit, if and when something good happens you will be the Ass. When will you stop and help out not just for yourself we all li ve on Apocalypse Street, shopping cart house for all you know World War Ill might just be enoug h yo get us up on our feet, like giving the back of your shirt to use as tearclothes for everyone you've destroyed or evicted or outright killed. The jury of con-
science finds yo u guilty so look around at all this devastation you have let happen to everybody e lse except of course you; Disillusion while you wait why don't we meet at the next crucifixion? right on then it's a date ... Your selfishistic approach will be used for another city with no use for a view, more children to abandon in front of some school the next serial killer on the block will gladly pick those kids up as long as they can't prove they were yours al l is good or so you think, it won't take much time at all for the next group of kids to learn how to hate !inti midate!disriminate! then urinate what they have learned into your kitchen sink; they have also been taught how to wear explosives and become drug mules what wonderful ach ievements once seemed so distant but like the selfish they can adapt we have been fooled once again yet we wear these hideous happy faces, the ruins f tomorrow have just been purchased today how lovely one country's crisis is another's good fortune if true and its natural disasters could become another's national holiday.. time to take one step forward and then 3-4 spaces back, these disasters come in all shapes and forms could there be a Fallen Angel of Doom beneath that humanoid uniform if it was made by 13 kids at 12 cents an ho ur - sometimes the truth can wreck a reall y good story or so I am told. St Minus used to tell me true evil exists no one else believes but I do for I have seen the face of Hell it is right in front of us shaping out our one-season world as the next generation won't even need to be to ld, like closing down doors before their opening night let them have nothing and as for sleeping find the nearest Smithrite- it is You who should wait 4-5 weeks to eat, always trying to run us over like giving Free Rides! on a half-b uilt roller-coaster Next Stop: DEYA station you build 'em up and leave us outside in our twice-yearly new pair of socks to cover our blistered and very tired feet. I could go on but all this "Future is Friendly" makes me want to throw up. The future is evil and so fast my heart wants to stop but I can't Jet it I have a job to do. The job of which I speak is to have my points of view written twice a month at least I think sometimes I am not sure of anything except this Thing called the future and all the damage it brings ... Let me just end this point w ith a warning and that is to never try to key a Skytrain - it really hurts - I have improvements to make what about you? By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY
Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) Newsletter Read CCAP reports: htt :1/ccapvancouver.word ress.com
Jul 15, 2012
Poverty grows in BC as welfare rates stay low Parents & Grandparents in Poverty meet with Minister Cadieux "The biggest challenge is that money doesn't grow on trees ." That's what the Minister of Social Development told the
mother on disability, told Cadieux she lived with her teenage son on $500 a month after rent is paid. "Someone on disability is not your government's bottom line," ~ she said .
"My little guy wants to play soccer and baseball. But he can't cause if I put him into these I have to go into my food budget," Paul Comeau sai.d to the Minister. Stacey Bonefant told the Minister about degrading (Cont'd on page 2)
,· Colleen 610 DIET PLAN )" X Boudreau told VI.OEO ON YOUTUBE! ll Cadieux that Go to: http://youtube.corn she wished Search: "61 0 diet" Do You Want to Lose Weight? Christy Clark Tired of Expensive Diets? would meet with the group TRY THE 610 DIET '-·<7 . \( as she is the Parents & Grandparents in Poverty Mhout bod or one with the preparing to meetin with Cadieux Families First Parents and Grandparents policy. Boudreau said, " I in Poverty group after guess our children aren't hearing their stories abo ut worth e nough to have how hard it is to live on treats like the PNE and welfare and disabi lity. The the Aquarium ." Boudreau meeting took place on July said welfare rates had to be 12 at the Minister's office in increased so people would To flnd out more. go to: 61Odletplan.com Downtown Vancouver. have enough money to eat at Wtlfa"' nutritious food. Brenn Kapitan , a single On lh s ptan you are QU31W\tHd to lose O"'oo!r 20 pomds n a month,
bu~ sped~I
membership of a
(!ness club. In Fact You W1N Save SS$.
Mf,l! fO•IlG IM.In _.,
~
Mr...IIM1261bs. 1ft ll1411a y•
LoH w.tght tnt Rat• &o61ght lo to" bY 1M G~ent ol8tttW\ Cok.-11~
treatment in welfare offices and said that the Ministry should provide empathy training for workers and have advocates for people on welfare in the offices. The cost of transportation was a big issue for Victoria Bull who had to take $30 out of her food budget when she took her grandchild to hospital in a taxi. "We need bus passes," Bull told the Ministry.
But Cadieux defended the low rates, saying, " Business makes decisions about where they can make money." She expressed interest in the ideas of "self advocates in the office and children in sports."' Parents and Grandparents in Poverty plans to meet once more in the summer and then continue the struggle in September. -JS
Everyone in the group emphasized the need to increase welfare rates, end the clawback of child support and the 3, soon to be, 5 week wait for social assistance. They said parents who have children in care should be given extra money to help support the children when they are visiting. They also called for the government to build at least 2000 units a year of social housing that people on welfare can afford. They said people who need welfare should get it and not be put in the Hardship category where they have to pay back the money they receive. Cadieux said it was "useful" to her to hear what people said and that they are "always looking at the system." Jean Swanson pointed out to her that the government would have plenty of money to raise welfare rates if it hadn't reduced taxes in the early 2000s and that it costs more to maintain poverty than to end it. 2
Even the Monopoly money guy thinks it's unbelievable that the the province would cry poverty against the demand to raise British Columbia welfare rates ...
.. r---â&#x20AC;˘ Vision Vancouver is primed to pass a motion for a "framework plan" to remove the Georgia Street Viaducts with details to be worked out later, on July 24th or 25th, 2012. This could be a positive move for the city especially if the 2 giant blocks of city owned land under the viaducts could be developed with social housing. But what are the chances of getting social housing there? Since 26% of city residents live in poverty and 5000 SRO's need to be replaced, you would think social housing would be a priority. CCAP estimates that about lOOO units can be built on these 2 blocks. According to the city, it would cost about $ 100 million to get rid of the viaducts and for parks/road creation. They could reap $75 million by selling its land for condos and commercial uses. The city imagines
~~ --~!'I
6-15 storey buildings on these 2 sites with 20% affordable housing on these 2 blocks. Their definition of affordable is housing for income earners between $20,000 and $90,000 a year. So far, the city's proposal sounds like aâ&#x20AC;˘ massive gentrification project. As for liveability, those of us living on Cordova, Hastings, Pender and Powell will definitely see extra traffic. The city expects 915 more cars a day. They could be low balling the number of extra cars for sure. Hastings has the greatest potential to take some of the traffic displaced by the viaducts. Will the 50krn/h speed limit need to be reinstated for it to work? Hastings and Main area has the highest pedestrian death rate in the city. VANDU did a huge amount of work to get the speed-limit at 30km/h. -wp
3
Summer heats up, planning process heats up too · Summer is here and some of us Dtes city can agree on. residents continue to go to 3 or 4 meetings The main points of agreement that we can a month to make a plan for the future work on is the principle that the DTES of our neighbourhood with the city. As needs 5 ,000 units of self-contained social you probably know, Wendy and Ivan housing to replace the SRO hotels. (CCAP staff) were elected by the Dtes There were, of course, some points that Neighbourhood Council to be co-chairs need more discussion too. Some of the of the Local Area Planning (LAPP) most important ones had to do with how Committee. CCAP's goal is to use this city process, plus ••-!p!==""""''1,..---..-------,,._..,.,.._ to get that housing research and direct ----11---- ---:---lllli-~ funded and built, and what to do about actions to get more ;........-....... housing and other market development improvements for in the meantime. the majority of It looks like the residents who are committee will be low-income. organizing some discussions about As you may recall, a protecting privately few months ago the owned low-income city tried to remove housing against Ivan from the LAPP We've come a long way since the first gentrification, Committee for LAPP meeting back in March ... and about income leading a loud chant mix and keeping against the police blockade at the Pantages the DTES a predominately low-income condo hearing inside city hall. Many are neighbourhood. obviously upset by the city's actions and We 're not sure what the next steps will see the attempt to remove him from the be or if these outcomes will be in the committee as a move to "muzzle dissent'' final plan. We do hope the key points of of others. As it stands, Ivan is still on the agreement can get acted on right away and committee and the LAPP committee looks the points that need more discussion can be like it is taking control over the matter. sorted out and turned into agreements so Will this conflict emerge again because of we can act on them too. future protests? Time will tell. In June , the LAPP Committee had a workshop on housing. We sorted out about 50 points that the LAPP Committee and the 4
In July, the LAPP Committee had another workshop on "livelihoods" which is a fancy way of say ing: "the ways that you
get the necessities of life." This workshop included a lot of discussion about things like "green development zones" and questions like "what businesses do you want in the Dtes?", "what role should our neighbourhood play in Vancouver 's overall economy?" and "what people in the neighbourhood need to meet basic needs." CCAP reps talked a lot about the need to increase welfare and secure housing so people can be more secure and buy things in low-income stores. Next, we'll go through a process similar to the housing workshop and figure out agreements and disagreements on this topic. In August, the LAPP Committee will discuss "places" which is probably about the physical environment and in September, we discuss "well being" or health. Likely in September, the LAPP committee will organize round tables for residents (and other "stakeholders") to give input on the results of these workshops and to identify the areas where more work needs to be done.
Part of the LAPP includes a study of community assets and impacts of development on low-income people. The city calls this study a "Social Impact Assessment" or "SIA". Questions asked in the workshops are: What do you love about the Dtes community? What do you want to see changed? What are your hopes and fears about Dtes development? The goals of this study are:
to the health and well being of vulnerable residents 2) To plan for where gaps exist and; 3) To monitor and measure progress and
impacts of development. CCAP hopes the results of this study will support residents' concerns about rent increases, displacement, losing low-income community assets and not gloss over them as a way to justify more gentrification. ,..,wp
As we plan there is also a tornado of gentrification hitting our vulnerable low-income community ....
I) To maintain places and spaces important
5
Development coming during the Local Area Planning Process • • • • •
219 E Georgia St. 9 storey narrow condo tower, approved by the director of planning in 2011 189 Keefer St. 10 storey condo tower with no social housing . Already approved by the Development Permit Board 611 Main St. 17 storey condo tower with some "senior's housing" in the proposal. Will go to hearing in the fall. 633 Main St. 15 storey condo tower will go to hearing in the fall. PLUS: 955 E Hastings (across from Raycam) with 20% social housing in the the proposal. Hearing likely in the fall.
Look at this photo. Are you on West th Avenue. How r Broadway a Oak Street? NO! You are in Chinatown . This is one of 3 condo projects coming soon to Chinatown. This tower will be at 189 Keefer Street (and Main). No social housing.
6
UN Housing expert takes on City of Vancouver "affordable" housing strategy "You can't do business as usual. You need radical change. There has to be more outrage." That's what Miloon Kothari, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing said about the Vancouver housing situation at a meeting hosted by , the city's Planning Commission on July 11.
aback that this have been allowed." "Canada needs to embark on building social housing on a large scale. You can't get over the crisis without this," he said.
Kothari said that the city's Task Force on Housing is a "market orien ted approach ." "Why are you not taking a rights based In 2007 approach?" Kothari he asked. He spent over noted that the a week in city's HousCanada ing Task Force documenting is only dealing the homewith housing for less crisis people whose and national mcomes are over ....1.拢- J . I 路housing 2 Wendy and Phoenix from CCAP with Miloon Kothari $ l ,OOO a year emergency. and said a task He visited a for was needed tent city set up by Streams of Justice on for people who earn less than that. Main St. and met with volunteers from the Kothari recommended that people who Carnegie Community Action Project. He are concerned about the lack of affordable recommended then that Canada needed a housing work to get the right to houscomprehenive housing strategy based on ing put into Canadian law and work for a the right to adequate housing. national housing program to build social "The situation in Vancouver is worse now," housing. - JS said Kothari. "Why is there a housing crisis in a country that is so wealthy? The wealth here is astonishi.ng. I'm quite taken 7
A blast from the past ... and still as relevant as ever...
To learn about gentrification in the Downtown Eastside, check out www .ccapvancouver. wordpress .com
Some websites to lbok at http://ccapvancouver.wordpress.com/ Virtually everything we're up to at CCAP gets posted on this blog. Click on the reports tab to read CCAP's reports. http://dtesnotfordevelopers.wordpress.com Website for the Downtown Eastside Not for Developers Coalition and the campaign to stop the Sequel 138 condos on the 100-block http://raisetherates.org/ See the Raise the Rates website for updates on the campaign to raise welfare and basic wages in BC and the fight for justice, not charity!
Van city
van C/Juver foundation
Support for this project does not necessarily imply Vancity or Vancouver Foundation 's endorsement of the findings or contents of this newsletter 8
Kanajan Kold Front
SUMMER BBQ Community Celebration Come and enjoy food, drinks, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and everyone's company at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre's third annual end-of-summer BBQ.
12-Spm, August 15 Crab Park Women and Children only Please
l
Today I Awoke and Smelled the Coffee Thank you for having me as a volunteer. I really like being at the Carnegie. I began in '88 as an ESL tutor then became an Elementary School teacher. l couldn't continue this year due to illness. So I returned. I started in the Learning Centre but couldn't make the grade. so I went to where I thought the Kitchen was. I asked if I could work there. "One problem: how old are you (thank you)?" -' 46'"Sure!" I could work there. So now I sell coffee- 50 cents a cup- make it to go and the price goes up. We hope for change and we still take pennies, saving them up 'cause you just never know how the one/cent may fare. A well- intentioned but ignorant source, panicked and s ick about changes ' round here, once wrote of it, the one percent (that's too rich!); 'They're so hungry-empty souls who know not gratitude- save them from them (our) selves -salve-saliva-spit-pit-fit SHH .. sorry, l couldn't copy that well.. too rushed and urgent.. My bad. My gross indecency. l had tried because I was occupied with the belief that we all share a soul. It takes us a ll to be whole - I 00%. One Love. One Word. ONE. Peace out. All my relations. Lizzy PS: To the man who asked if! would date him - I only said "No" because I can't date anyone -anyhow- sure did like his direct style of communicating.
Moving in moving out atmosphere of fear & loathing xenophobia Brotherly love and Glee ! The choirs and orchestras hard put to Entertain or contain The glum versus the hysterical Formless zealots, rabble rising like the surf We called ourse3lves individuals until individualism reared its ugly head Here on the western shore of Amerika The Valley of the Shadow The plain of no shadows- high noon high Times Flexing and fuging through wormholes, rabbit warrens, staircases leading nowhere Here under the mountain under the ozone hole The shamans worki ng overtime no vacation They dream in green when the oxygen is rich In their hyperbaric pools & chambers Listen ye people of this Place The New Times are upon us Tune up your instruments, shine your shoes Let us dance-before we die.
-
Wilhelmina
Friends Let us be frien路ds to Mother Earth Let us be kind to her body Let us not destroy Whatever is left of her. Let her breathe
Come humans Don't destroy All my relations, Bonnie E Stevens
...
News From the LibrarY '
Congratulations to the 3 winners of the Geist Writing Contest which was held during the wonderfully successful Writer's Jamboree in late April. (in no particular order) "Introduction to Group Therapy" by Kevin McDonough "Organic Curare" by Jim Ryder "Nothing Happening" by Fran Diamond
Geist will be contacting the winners directly who won editorial consultations, publication payment and books packages.
We have just received some great biography of icons in the entertainment world. Leon Hendrix and Adam Mitchell have written a great book, Jimi Hendrix: A Brother's Story (92 1 H498he) More than forty years after his death, Jimi Hendrix- recently named the g reatest g uitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazi ne-continues to inspire fans. Many have wri tten about Hendrix's life and music, but Jimi Hendrix: A Brother's Story provides a revealing and unprecedented look at this visionary icon: an intimate biography written by Jimi's younger brother, Leon. Leon Hendrix takes us back to the days before Jimi's amazing rise to fame, beginning with their tough
childhood in Seattle, when their fascination with science fiction and UFOs helped them escape a difficult family life. (Jimi insisted his family call him "Buster" after Flash Gordon actor Buster Crabbe.) The author reveals Jimi 's early fascination with sound, from his experiments with plucking wires attached to bedposts to the time when he got in trouble for taking apart the family radio ("I was looking for the music," he explained) to Jimi's purchasing his first guitar-a Sears, Roebuck and Co. acoustic, from a neighbour. Leon recounts Jimi's early days performing on the "Chitlin' Circuit," when Jimi would call from the road to play early vers ions of tracks for the classic album Are You Experienced, and illuminates the biographical roots of Jimi's most well-known songs. Readers learn about the heady days of sex and drugs that came with Jimi's skyrocketing fame and how Leon felt Jimi 's management isolated him from the rest of the family. The author s peaks of his own heartbreak, learning of his brother's sudden death whi le incarcerated in Washington State's Monroe Reformatory. Commemorating what would have been Jimi's seventieth birthday, Leon Hendrix's poignant and captivating account sheds new lig ht on a music legend. Another fascinating read is Who Is That Man?: In Search oftlte Real Bob Dylan (921 D99d) by David Dalton. Nothing written about Bob Dylan comes close to David Dalton's WHO IS THAT MAN? It's intelligent, funny, insightful, caustic, revealing and driven by Dalton's completely original voice. Having read all available bios, this is the only one that creates a work of art about the artist while still telling the facts as they are known. Dalton brings the various stages and
disguises of Dylan's life alive with an energy that is breathtaking. The bio is brilliant rocknroll prose that never shies away fro m the truth(s) while shining a light on the deceptions and lies that accompany any individual's growth as an artist- especially one as mercurial as Dylan. Dalton sees somebody naked and searches for reality among the costumes, masks and make-up that cover Dylan in evermore translucent transformations over his seventy-one years on this earth. Reading this bio is like hearing HIGHWAY 6 1 REVISITED for the first time- whatever you feel about it, you won't forget it. Finally, a book about rock'n' roll that IS rock'n'roll! Who doesn't like the Rolling Stones. Thi s beautiful book by the Editors of LIFE, The Rolling Stones: 50 Years ofRock 'n' Roll (781.57 R75Li) begins in the early '60s, when England's youth, inspired by American rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues, was finding its v- own sound. Bands were forming throughout the land. Some would endure in memory, legacy or influencethe y ardbirds, the Kinks, even the Beatles -but one ,. would go on and on and on to become the selfprocla imed (and generally acclaimed) Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. The Rolling Stones formed precisely a half century ago, and are still at work-or, rather, at play, celebrating 50 years of phenomenal music and a journey as raucous as "Jumping Jack Flash." LlFE's cameras were there early and have been there since, capturing all the ragged glory. The same editors who produced a bestselling book on the Beatles now look at the long history of the Stones: the mysterious death of founder Brian Jones, the essential push-pull relationship of Jagger and Richard, the '60s signpost that was Altamont, the later glam and then the welcomed return to roots: Lynn Goldsmith's photography is here, and so is that of Bill Eppridge and other LIFE shooters on the beat. In special sections, the legendary tour chronicled in the documentary fil m "Gimme Shelter" is revis ited with stills from the film (incl uding the crucial moment at Altamont), and the current li ves of Mick and Keith are shown in their colourful splendour. There are funny moments (the early Stones with TV host Dean Martin, who just doesn't get it) and many thrill ing ones.
Finally, the ever-colourful Billy Bob Thorton gives his own story in The Billy Bob Tapes (921 T513a) Raised in small-town Arkansas, Billy Bob Thornton grew up amid a rich storytelling tradition. As a kid, he would s it on the porch listening to his family spinning yarns about colourful neighbours. Thus was borne his Oscar速-winning masterpiece Sling Blade and now The Billy Bob Tapes-a narrative based on late-night conversations with Ki nky Friedman and other friends who gathered 'round to hear Billy mine a cave full of ghosts. Billy grew up shooting squirre ls, playing drums in VFW clubs, and dreaming of rock 'n' roll stardom or pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. Then at sixteen he took a drama class to meet girls-and met Mrs. Treadway, who noticed the young man's talent and encouraged him as an actor and writer. The colourful characters, stories, and experiences of his youth would find their way into Billy's work, in his films and music, and in his perspective and attitude. When he left the hill for Hollywood he was a true fish out of water, he recalls stories of miserable jobs, the cheapest accommodations, and physical hunger- but al;o a devoted writing partner Tom Epperson, a life-changing acting teacher in L.A., and a compassionate nurse who snuck him milk shakes when he was near starvation. But there was always the dream of being an actor, and his fortunes turned when he served hors d'oeuvres as a catering waiter to legendary director Billy Wilder, w ho advised him, "Write abo ut your interesting life." Billy's long career in Hollywood yields stories of inspired collaborations and failed ones, true friendships with other actors and musicians, and good friends gone too soon. In The Billy Bob Tapes, hereflects on the critics, the culture around fame, and the challenges of conveying an artistic vis ion in film. Most striking is Billy's clear-eyed perspective about the magic of entertainment, and how we perceive it in a rapidly changing world. With passion, unvarnished honesty, wry humor, and a little help from friends Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, Dwight Yoakam, Tom Epperson, and Daniel Lanois, Billy Bob finally talks. Some good escapism, I'd say. Your librarian, Megan
You're so very beautiful There, you go give yourself a pat on the back your new notions of glamour await your every waking the lig ht follow the light treasures are bountiful your tip toes are silent retreats of holiness back to the basics simplicity is the key quiet time revamp chant sing the songs of sixpence yo u' re so very beautiful Dedicated to all women Nora Kay
Healing
~tat HJau~
Heal ing is a long journey You have to work on oneself Learn to forgive oneself Keep saying to yourself It is not my fault I will become a better person Don't be afraid to ask for g uidance Speak to an elder with powerful words Pray to the Creator C leanse one's heart Go to the healing tree Hug, share & love someone T alk it out in a c ircle Cry, laugh, speak your mind Healing is taking one day at a time So my dear friends I share how one feels So, have a nice healing journey
All my relations, To our Carnegie people Bonnie E Stevens I'm a sweet and tender flower growing wild When I was yo ung and free and happy I had a child At last my tender flower g rew up smiling and step up step out Together we face life with joy and laughter step up step out of I now look forward forever after. the darkness Love, tremendous power Joyce Morgan in change it's so worth, worth it gratitude is an hell or ltiglt water attitude furthermore rest assuredly h The dimensions of hell has patterns of & to it hig h water, speculative can change in the the stance of whammy wink of an eye remorseful, clever too so quick. so fast be exact, straight, to the really, don't get point, taken his walk too comfortable was that of the demons in all matters and you could see the vortex chatters so vibrant of pa in and reality, so personal no gain at all; moonshine so dedicated can make you go blind so beautiful & just think about it!! so resourceful Nora Kay
Nora Kay
the ocean is nice if the tide took my shoes I was playing on the shore and the tide comes in I'd swim but for the undertow .. Hara
w~" i'"s~ a6"u~ 'f"U it's like thorns prick this blood red rose like ink of the blond chick I'm staring at - at a glance she is so gorgeous and they all scream Daddy! so I feel numb but it's as beautiful as a blood red rose Hara Ceniza
dear Carnegie people When the going gets toug h The tough go shopping; When life gives us hurt We know no stopping; When people are unkind We just start hopping; When we have the nerve We get what we deserve; If it isn't the best We take it like the rest; Life in all is a perfec t blast Even if your leg's in a cast
And all told, I say, the food shall las1 Love, J?yce Morgan
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only t h ing that ever has." -Margaret Meade
THIS NEWSLETIER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association. WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie.newsletter • • • • • • • • •
Next Issue : SUB MI SSI ON DEADLI NE
Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry. Cover art- Max size: 17cm(6 :Y:)wide x 15cm(6"}high. Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered. Black &White printing only. Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit). All artists will receive credit for their work. Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication. Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets
MONDAY, JULY 30TH
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA Working for You 1070 -1641 Commercial Dr, VSL 3Y3 P ho ne: 604-773-0790
Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.
carnnews@shaw.ca email www.carnnews.org website http ://cho darr .org/taxonomy/term/3 Index FREE LEGAL ADVICE Law Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) All cases checked with lawyers; confidential Monday & Thursday 10am-4pm; Tues 2-Spm Carnegie's 3rd floor. Call UBC for info : 604-822-5791
G&T CLEAN!
ATTENTION,
HOA"RDERS
Select your favourite community organisation, and ask for their WISH LIST to be emailed to the Carnegie Newsletter. T hen choose a wish or two and fi ll itfor them! Ask for someone with a vehicle from their group to please pick up any awkward or heavy items. Offer to bring light ones. Please make sure all items are clean and work well. (Take broken items to Regional Recycling on Evans Ave across from Home Depot or at the Salvation Army store, l21h & Cambie) Complete the cycle of treasure hunting by making someone smile© You'll feel so great.
. Si]ower up at the Lord's Rain 3.27 Ca rrall Street (j ust off Pigeo n Park}
HOT SHOWERS (t owels, so a p, s hampoo, the works! & coffee) Mo nday 7-lOam; LADIES Only!; Tues to Fri 7-8:30am; Saturday 7-lOam lei on parte Francais; Hob/amos Espanol
WEAPONS OF MASS .DESTRUCTION • • • • • •
AIDS POVERTY HOMELESSNESS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN TOTALITARIAN CAPITALISM IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR
Carnegie Newsletter Concert Fund raiser - 17 .June 2012. Financial Report: REVENUE Donations - Cash Cheque TOTAL
Specifics Silent Auction Sales: books & CDs Raffle Coffee & date squares Revenue - Expense
EXPENSE 2069.32 1610.00 3679.32
Sound Engineering Transit passes Supplies Taxi to TOTAL
225.00 42.00 25.82 20.00 312.82
475 + $70 165 130- $65 ~60
= $3,366.50
Addendum Pre-Event Revenue Total
$5,400.00
Realised Proceeds
$8,766.50 (as of 18 June 20 12) $9,336.50 (as of28 June 2012)
Pledged
$1000
Shyla S -$75, Sonia M -$25, Elsie MeG -$100, Julie B -$100, Sue K -$40, Terry H -$250, Van-Mt.P NDP$200, LV -$10, Jenny K -$100 Richard M -$100, Eleanor B -$60, Marsha D -$50 to the memory ofSandy Cameron, Glenn B -$100, Margaret D -$40, Sheila B -$200, Harold & Sharron D -$100, Leslie S -$175, BobS -$200, Michael C -$50, Michelle C -$20, Lazara Press -$100 to the memory ofGinger Richards, Solder & Sons Cafe -$50, Bake Sale at BC Cancer -$405, Lou-$5, Naomi N -$20, Peak House -$40, Learning Centre Tutors -$25, DE Literacy Roundtable -$1000, CUPE LocallS -$1000, Wilhelmina M$65, Patrick F -$90, Phoenix W -$60, Robert MeG -$65, Alexandra L -$60, Maxine T -$60, Jilll-$20, Brenda B -$8, Joan T -$50, Colin C -$50, Connie H -$100, Elizabeth M -$200, William C -$100, Alastair C -$100, Valerie B -$100, Mel L -$200, Essop M -$200, Harley R -$200, Penny & Tim -$200, Joanne F $25, George H -$50, Paul 0 -$50, DavidS -$150, Barry M -$100, Neil N -$100, Jean B -$200, Donald F$200, Gabor M -$200, Tri-City Capital-$200, Susan S -$100, EveS -$100, Bruce MacD -$100, Phyllis T$200, Valeris R -$100, Christopher R -$850, Kevin W -$100, Danielle A -$100, Nancy H -$50, Shirly R$50, Nathan E -$200, Margot B -$100, Gail C -$20, Kyla R -$10, Stephen A -$100, C .S -$5, Jasmine G$50, Marion S -$200, Janet W -$150, Bonnie McD -$1 10, Ethel W -$100, Libby D -$175, Ann T -$100, Jaqueline L -$75, Wendy P -$50, Sheila K -$25, Yukiko T -$30, Dave -$20, Anonymous -$160 Advertising revenues: JK -$460, HiS -$200. 2012 Fundraising (January through June): Total revenue realised = $11,933
Agam wnn tun<tmg ... First the numbers on the Financial Report page: this appeared last issue and, with enthusiastic relief, was incorrect. The fundraiser was shown right but the total raised since January should have been $11,933 and not 12 Y2 K. A little thing like adding the money realised from the Silent Auction, book/CO sales, the raffle & coffee after accounting for it all with cash & cheques... like it was just extra sprinkled by elves .. ? A respectable revolutionary passing as a librarian is encouraging finding a way to accept donations online " you'll get so much you'll have to ask people to stop" ... okay, if you say so ... but an effort will go into using this stuff called technology! One thing about being a part of the great unfunded majority, you learn what doesn't work as you make connectir;ms with many in the same desperate situation. Every non-profit and not-for-profit must make reminding supporters of the need for funding an ongoing requirement. One of the finest sources for real news and journalistic integrity that Harold David introduced me to is Common Dreams.org It is funded by people who keep such independent and "alternative" sources a vital force in this totalitarian capitalist society. I responded to a request for financial assistance from them with the following.
NEVER GIVE UP and NEVER STOP BELIEVING I'm the vol unteer editor of a small community newsletter in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Mass media has it as: Canada's poorest urban postal code; hunting ground for the pig farmer/serial killer Robert Pickton; home of Insite, North America's only legal, safe, supervised injection site; full of addicts, mental disease, hookers, street filth, rundown I slum housing and just crying for pioneering and gentrification. The residents and natural members of the community ( 12-14000 souls) have a slightly different view(!) If you have a spare few minutes between everything else, go to carnnews.org and click on Carnegie Newsletter.
The Newsletter is like Common Dreams in coverage of issues and people like the truth matters; it has enemies who have tried for years to kill it. Something or someone somewhere in the murky depths of the Gaming Commission decided Community Communications were no longer necessary. It may have something to do with the unsettling fact that 11 ,000 of the 12-14000 cited above are inconvenient, li ving as they do on the now most valuable real estate left in the entire Lower Mainland. That they should know this and be constantly informed of the machinations, sleaze, speculation and other gems of laissez-faire capitalism is just not okay . Anyway, fundraising had been going on for 4 months, with maybe $1500 realised. A major fu ndraiser was 1 held on June 17 h and the total real ised over 5 months was just shy of $12,000. The Newsletter comes out in 1200 copies {16-28 pages each time) twice a month, 23 times a year. The yearly budget of the paper is about $ 11 ,000, so there's enough now to carry the Carnegie Newsletter and its little sister publication, Help in the Downtown Eastside, well into next year. It was amazing! There' s a link to the Hel p resource guide at the website. Both publications are free, with Help being pocket-sized and used in government offices (welfare) hospjtals and dozens of local things where people hang out or go for stuff. Help in the Downtown Eastside has had to have money raised for it every year for 21 years, but it's invaluable for the people who work at said offices, hospitals and local organisations to g ive to people needing to know what is out there, whe re it is and how to call them or just go there . Cost is around $5000 for 2 updates a year. The run now is ll ,000 English and 1100 each in French and Spanish. All translation has always been done gratis by street people, workers in situ and once by 2 lawyers who just happened to both admire the publication and have French I Spanish as their respective second languages. It's so easy to ask for free help when you're a volu nteer!!
Let's keep doing what we' re doing. V ictory is ours Respectfully submitted, PaulR Taylor Volunteer editor for 25+ years