CHAOS AT THE COP SHOP: Victoria Deputy Police Chief John Ducker under investigation

CCC

  Yet another Victoria Police Department officer is under investigation; this time it is the Deputy Police Chief John Ducker.

  Interim Police Chief Bill Naughton was anxious to have the public know that this investigation has nothing at all to do with that undertaken into his predecessor, former Victoria Police Chief Battershill.

  Incredibly, he tried to diminish the significance of the external investigation, and was quoted as saying that ‘people get investigated all the time.’

  With another police officer, Sargeant Chong (related to BC Liberal Minister Ida Chong) likely to be charged with assault by a special prosecutor, taxpayers can be forgiven for wondering what fresh hell will next emerge from the confines of the chaotic Victoria Police Department.

  Please check the comments section below for a link to a Times Colonist online article about the latest investigation into Victoria’s men in blue.

– Gregory Hartnell, President

   Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

Enhance Beacon Hill – Saint Anne’s Conservation: open letter to the Editor of the Times Colonist, September 29, 2008 by CCC President Gregory Hartnell

 

Gregory Hartnell, circa 1958, Saint Anne's Academy, Victoria

CCC

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

1357 Rockland Avenue

Victoria, V8S 1V7

Tel 250 382 97 67

 

Letters to the Editor

Times Colonist

Re: Beacon Hill Park rules need change, Sept. 29

 

  Beacon Hill Park rules do indeed need to be changed: they should enhance protections for the biggest and best urban heritage park in the Capital Region, rather than diminish them, as your editorial advocates.  We applaud the efforts of the Friends of Beacon Hill Park to protect it from creeping commercialization.

  In our new ten point Recovery Plan Victoria 2008, the two Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidates (Patrick Jamieson and myself) advocate to ‘consolidate regulations for Beacon Hill Park and Saint Anne’s Academy into one special non-commercial zone.  Cultural events must conform to the spirit of the 19th century trust for the park.’

  Park space is under attack under the present Victoria City Council.  Nearby Cridge Park and the adjacent bowling green are also seriously threatened by inappropriate development.  These, and all City of Victoria parks need to be protected by enhanced legislation.  Let’s not let the City of Victoria repeat the mistakes of Ellice Park where most neighbours objected to losing their neighbourhood park and the City of Victoria ignored them.  

  The wisdom of our elders comprised the foresight to set aside these beautiful parks for the enjoyment of all for perpetuity.  Only deluded hubris suggests that we somehow now know better how to properly steward our precious urban park spaces than they did when first designating them.

Gregory Hartnell, President

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

Patrick Jamieson and Gregory Hartnell nominate each other to stand as Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidates; David Burke & Father Allen Jones withdraw

CCC

  Patrick Jamieson and Gregory Hartnell, both former Concerned Citizens’ Coalition (CCC) candidates in the 2005 election, nominated each other yesterday to stand as CCC candidates for the Victoria City Council in the Victoria Civic Election to be held on November 15, 2008.

  Former CCC candidates David Burke and Father Allen Jones both announced that they were withdrawing their names from the nomination process, citing health concerns.

  Gregory Hartnell thanked both of the former Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidates for their continued support for the CCC and their spirited past efforts, wishing them both better health.

  Born in Vancouver in 1947, Mr. Jamieson is a father, published historian, poet, and monthly newspaper editor.  Former editor of the Prairie Messenger, Founder of the Island Catholic News, this year he will be participating in his second election as a Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidate.

  He last ran with the CCC President, Gregory Hartnell and Father Allen Jones in the 2005 Victoria Civic Election.  Seeking a Councillor’s seat, Mr. Jamieson got 920 votes, or .87% of votes cast for the councillors.

  Seeking the mayor’s seat for the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition, Mr. Hartnell came in third of the five mayoral candidates, with 381 votes, or 2.28% of the votes cast for mayor.  

  He is a Jesuit-trained Latin American and European history specialist, painter and graphic artist with artwork published in Hong Kong, Kansas, San Francisco and occasionally in the Island Catholic News.  

  He has edited his ‘transcultural arts Revue’ La Rosa since 1988.

  La Rosa now appears quarterly as a seasonal supplement in the Island Catholic News.

CCC

VOTE DAVID BURKE, Freelance Cinematographer, Mental Health Advocate, Cultural Policy Advocate, by Gregory Hartnell; CCC History: Victoria Election 2002

 

DETAILS OF 2002 CCC POSTER USED FOR DAVID BURKE (folded)

 

 

DETAIL OF 2002 CCC POSTER USED FOR DAVID BURKE

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition History: 2002 Victoria Election

Original article is at: victoria.indymedia.org

OUTSIDERS

The Concerned Citizens’ Coalition is running two candidates in this, its first election in Victoria.  They are the Reverend Father Allen Jones and David Burke.  Here we introduce Mr. Burke and detail how his campaign is being financed.

CCC

DAVID BURKE: CCC CANDIDATE FOR VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL

  David Burke is a well-known freelance cinematographer-actor-writer living in Fernwood.

  Classically trained as a Shakespearean dramatic actor at Montreal’s National Theatre School, he has performed in numerous North American stage productions (most notably as the King in Kaleidoscope’s ‘Lion in Winter’), produced numerous experimental films, published a number of poetry chapbooks, and can be heard at the Mocambo Poetry Nights.

  Mr. Burke is a strong advocte for those with disabilities, with a keen interest in mental health issues.  He is also a a very strong advocate for the arts, and like fellow Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidate Reverend Father Allen Jones, advocates for a new Victoria Cultural Policy which would give preference to the staging of local productions of the highest quality on City-owned stages, in accordance with new community standards of artistic excellence and decency.

  If elected to Victoria City Council, Mr. Burke will continue to speak out for increased City involvement in social housing for the poor, improved programmes for the disabled community, and for more cultural integration of the artistic community into the green economy of Victoria.

  He will continue to condemn private-public partnerships such as the Victoria Centre undertaken between the City and RG Group.  As a CCC candidate, Mr. Burke is a strong advocate for the new party’s concerns: social justice and democracy, ecological stewardship and public accountability.

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

SOCIAL DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP

PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY

TEL & FAX: 250 382 08 36

CCC email: larosa@islandnet.com

Look for daily CCC postings at:

victoria.indymedia.org

VOTE

DAVID

BURKE

Freelance Cinematographer

Mental Health Advocate

Cultural Policy Advocate

VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL

[The above text was reprinted in rectangular poster format, in green ink on light yellow paper, for the 2002 Victoria Election campaign.  It showed two photos of CCC candidate David Burke, a larger one in the upper left hand corner, a smaller one on the lower right.  The following text below is found au verso of the same poster. . .]

CCC

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

[Large CCC logo, with Linda Darby’s ‘Spirit of Peace on Earth’ painting superimposed over it, is shown at top of poster, with two small photos of CCC candidates Burke below left and Jones below right]

VOTE 

DAVID 

BURKE

Freelance Cinematographer

Mental Health Advocate

Cultural Policy Advocate

VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

SOCIAL DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP

PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY

TEL & FAX: 250 382 08 36

CCC email: larosa@islandnet.com

Look for daily CCC postings at:

victoria.indymedia.org

  Interim financial disclosure statement for David Burke

  I, Gregory Hartnell, swear before the Creator that I am the sole financial agent for the electoral campaign of Mr. John David Burke, official candidate for the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition of the office of Councillor in the City of Victoria.  Mr. Burke presently subsides on a paltry and inadequate provincial disability pension, and lives on one of the worst streets in the Fernwood neighbourhood, notorious for its hard drug trafficking problems.  He represents, as does our other CCC candidate the Reverend Father Allen Jones, the poorest of the poor in Victoria.

CCC

 

DETAIL OF 2002 CCC POSTER FOR DAVID BURKE DESIGNED BY 'GOYO DE LA ROSA' (GREGORY HARTNELL), folded

 CCC

Vote Rev. Allen JONES: Street Priest, Advocate for the poorest of the poor; CCC History: Victoria Election 2002

 

FATHER ALLEN JONES IN 2005

 

DETAIL OF 2002 CCC POSTER FOR REVEREND FATHER ALLEN JONES

 

DETAILS OF 2002 CCC POSTER FOR REVEREND ALLEN JONES (folded)

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition History: 2002 VICTORIA CIVIC ELECTION

Victoria Independent Media Center

Original article is at http://victoria.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/9637.php

Vote Rev. Allen Jones, Street Priest, Advocate for the poorest of the poor

By Concerned Citizens’ Coalition . . . Saturday, November 09, 2002 at 01:36 AM

larosa@islandnet.com . . . 250 382 08 36 . . . 1346 Rockland Avenue, Victoria, V8S 1V8

The CCC is fielding 2 candidates in its first election as a municipal party.  They are David Burke and the Reverend Father Allen Jones.  Here we introduce Rev. Jones and disclose an interim financial statement as to the financing of his election campaign.

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ CANDIDATE FOR VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL

THE REVEREND FATHER ALLEN JONES

  The Reverend Father Allen Jones, CCC candidate for the City Council of Victoria, is an ordained priest in good standing with the Western Orthodox Church in Canada.  He is the Curate of St. Michael’s Western Orthodox Mission in Victoria, basically a street church.

  Since his ordination to the priesthood in 1990, Father Jones has been ministering to the poorest of the poor.

  “I care for the low income workers and the poor.

  “Affordable housing is the main issue neglected by this City Council.”

  The Reverend also has concerns for increased safety on our downtown streets for residents and business owners.  He prioritizes finding a balanced strategy, one that is compassionate yet effective, to stop the overt criminal hard drug sales activity, and aggressive panhandling in the downtown precinct around City Hall.

  He advocates a community policing model to replace the current policing model which is patently not working.

  “The drug problem and aggressive panhandling are real issues that need to be dealt with as one issue.  

  “I do not want Victoria to become like Vancouver, but fear we may be heading this way, unless we integrate compassionate and effective policing with social housing, and social health programmes undertaken by the City.

  “I question why all these unresolved social issues have not been dealt with by the present council.”

  Like fellow CCC candidate John David Burke, the Reverend Father Jones also advocates for a new Victoria Cultural Policy which would give preference to the staging of local productions of the highest quality on City-owned stages, in accordance with new community standards of artistic excellence and decency.

  If elected to Victoria City Council, Rev. Jones will continue to speak out for increased City involvement in social housing for the poor, improved programmes for the disabled community, and for more cultural integration of the artistic community into the green economy of Victoria.

  He will also continue to condemn private-public partnerships such as the Victoria Centre undertaken between the City and RG Group.  As a CCC candidate, Reverend Allen Jones is a strong advocate for the new Victoria political party’s concerns: social justice and democracy, ecological stewardship, and public accountability.

VOTE Rev. Allen JONES

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION [logo in upper right hand corner of poster]

[ CCC BLOG editor’s note: The above text was reproduced as a limited edition poster in rectangular format, printed in red ink on light blue paper for the 2002 election campaign.  It showed a photograph of CCC candidate Rev. Father Allen Jones on the left.  The following text bellow is found au verso of the same poster… ]

VOTE

Rev. Allen

JONES

Street Priest

Advocate for the poorest of the poor

Cultural Policy advocate

VICTORIA CITY COUNCIL

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

TEL & FAX 250 32 08 36

CCC email: larosa@islandnet.com

Father_Allen_Jones_srl@shaw.ca

PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP

SOCIAL DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE

look for daily ccc postings at: victoria.indymedia.org

[Small photos of the two CCC candidates are shown, John David Burke on the left, with the CCC logo in centre of poster, and Rev. Allen Jones on right]

Interim financial disclosure statement for Reverend Allen Jones

I, Gregory Hartnell, swear before the Creator that I am the sole financial agent for the electoral campaign of Reverend Allen Jones, official candidate for the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition for the office of Councillor in the City of Victoria.  Reverend Jones presently subsides on a paltry and inadequate provincial disability pension, and lives in new subsidized housing provided by the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria on Yates Street.

He represents, as does our other CCC candidate, the poorest of the poor in Victoria.

OUTSIDERS

CCC

 

DETAIL OF POSTER USED BY THE CCC FOR REVEREND ALLEN JONES IN THE 2002 VICTORIA CIVIC ELECTION

RECOVERY PLAN VICTORIA 2008, the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition’s new 10 point plan for the City of Victoria, by CCC President Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell

 

Gregory Hartnell in 2005 by Patrick Jamieson

CCC

CONCERNED CITIZENS’ COALITION

RECOVERY PLAN VICTORIA 2008

by Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell,  CCC President

1.  TAX, HIRING AND SPENDING FREEZE IN FIRST FISCAL YEAR  

  Residential and commercial property taxes, and hotel room taxes should be frozen in the first fiscal year of the newly elected Victoria City Council, complemented by mediated negociation and resolution of fair, non-inflationary contracts with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Firefighters’ and the Police Officers’ Unions.

 Hiring and spending freezes at City Hall and at the Victoria Police Department should also complement these new accountable fiscally prudent non-inflationary measures.

2.  SUBSIDIZE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTRE & NEIGHBOURHOOD RECOVERY HOUSES WITH MEMORIAL CENTRE SALE

Focus on complete eradication of addicted -mentally ill – homeless problem within first year.

Enact restrictive zoning effectively prohibiting opening of any new needle dispensary and/or injection sites within the City of Victoria.  

Instead of enabling addictions, subsidize Neighbourhood Recovery Houses in all affected Victoria neighbourhoods.  These Neighbourhood Recovery Houses would be run by self-help societies of recovering addicts and alcoholics with proven records of success .  

Sell Memorial Centre and with proceeds renovate or build a new downtown residential treatment centre based on strict abstinence.

Start 1% Victoria Recovery Tax (‘Pennies from Heaven’) on alcohol and tobacco sales in City of Victoria to help Neighbourhood Recovery Houses operate.

3.  INCREASE POLICE ENFORCEMENT AT HOTSPOTS: OUR PLACE, PIONEER SQUARE, REESON PARK, STREETLINK; REFORM POLICE BOARD; BAN TASERS

Improved police presence and actual law enforcement is needed immediately at the following Downtown Victoria hotspots: Our Place on Pandora Avenue, Pioneer Square (Quadra and Rockland), Reeson Park (Yates and Wharf), and Streetlink (Fisgard and Store).

To enhance the public oversight of the Victoria Police Board and to protect the latter from undue partisan influence, its chairmanship should de denied to the Mayor.

The whole unresolved matter of the late police chief’s resignation should be opened up to a public, accountable and transparent inquiry in the public interest.

Taser stun gun stockpiling and use by the Victoria Police Department should be banned immediately.  The weapons should be sold and proceeds go to feeding the homeless. 

4.  PUT SEWAGE REFERENDUM ON 2011 BALLOT QUESTION

 The sewage issue needs to be put on the next municipal ballot for democratic ratification.

To make it difficult for politicians to borrow money, ensure that all large borrowing proposals are put on ballot questions at election time, not during extraordinary referenda, and that they meet high thresholds for passing.  

At least 70 percent of eligible voters must vote, and a further 70 percent or more of these voters must endorse the proposal for the borrowing to pass.

This will protect taxpayers from politicians with grandiose schemes.

5.  QUIET, SAFE, NUCLEAR-FREE AND COLOURFUL HARBOUR AND NEIGHBOURHOOD AIRSPACE

To enhance public safety, ban visits of nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed vessels (such as USS Abraham Lincoln), helicopters, supersonic jets (including Snowbirds) and seaplanes from within 3 km. of Victoria Harbour.  

City of Victoria should take over legal and de facto control of the Victoria Harbour from the non-accountable Victoria Harbour Authority.

City of Victoria should reduce business licence fees charged to artists and buskers. 

6.  CONTROL ZONING ANARCHY: NINE STOREY HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS, OPEN COUNCIL MEETINGS, NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS INTEGRATED WITH CITY PLAN

Downtown highrise limit should be reduced to a human scale of nine storeys; the residential neighbourhood midrise limit should not exceed four storeys.

Victoria City Council meetings, and particularly those dealing with controversial land use decisions, should be held at reasonable hours, and should be as open and transparently accountable as often as possible.

Secret Star Chamber-like ‘in camera’ meetings should be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Abolish 10 year tax holidays for favoured new developments downtown.  Phase out existing tax holidays.

 Victoria City Council must consult with neighbourhood associations and other concerned citizens to revise neighbourhood plans.

Prohibit demolition or conversion of affordable rental housing to strata condos.

Require a mix of subsidized affordable rental housing, market rental housing and investment strata condos to be provided in all new mid- and large-scale housing developments in Victoria. 

Ban casinos in the City of Victoria.

7. HERITAGE PRECINCT CONSERVATION, NEIGHBOURHOOD PARK PROTECTION AND NEW PARK DESIGNATION

Enhance Beacon Hill – St. Ann’s Conservation: consolidate regulations for Beacon Hill Park and St. Anne’s Academy into one special protected non-commercial zone.  

Cultural events must conform to the spirit of the original 19th century trust for the park.

Plant more trees on boulevards, build more covered bike racks, well-lit bus shelters, bike lanes and more softened curbs for scooters.

Reduce speed limits, phase out one-way streets, spread out bus stops downtown to disperse delinquents.

Improve weekend and late night bus service.  Freeze bus fares.

8. NEW CULTURAL POLICY: LOCAL FAMILY CULTURE FIRST

Family-oriented culture with an emphasis on ‘local culture first’ will guide the new criteria for funding under our new hands-on cultural policy. 

Preference should be given to new, young or non-organized individual artists.

All current cultural funding, particularly for the Inter Cultural Association and the Royal McPherson Theatre Society should be subject to review. 

9.  TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIBET: START UP SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP WITH DHARAMSALA

To affirm peace, human rights and support for Tibet, start up sister-city relationship with Dharamsala, India, headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

Cancel sister-city relationship with the city in Communist China.

10. ACCOUNTABILITY: PUT ‘AMALGAMATION’ AND OTHER REFERENDUM QUESTIONS ON BALLOT

To enhance democracy, let’s bring in term limits for politicians: two three year terms per council seat, maximum of six years per position (councillor and/or mayor).  Theoretically, a person could still serve 12 years with this proposal, which is plenty of time.

For more accountability let’s bring in some electoral reforms and put the sewage treatment questions, amalgamation questions, mayor and councillors’ term limits, lower-age youth vote, direct votes for Capital Regional District and Provincial Capital Commission directors, and other contentious issues on the regular election ballot. 

CCC

  The new ten point Recovery Plan Victoria 2008 presented above is similar to, and derived from the original ten point Recovery Plan Victoria 2005, written by Concerned Citizens’ Coalition President Gregory Hartnell and published in LA ROSA 36 in that election year.

Recovery Plan Victoria 2008 will be printed on paper in a new number of LA ROSA to be published in a very limited print edition as a supplement to the Island Catholic News later in September.

– Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, Victoria City Council Candidate

   Concerned Citizens’ Coalition President

   Victoria, Vancouver Island

  Sunday, September 21, 2008

CCC

Victorian Olympus: World Funny Car Champion Stan Sipos passes Sports-Developers’ Cabal Olympic torch to BC Liberals-friendly running shoes salesman Rob Reid

CCC . . .  In a remarkable publicity stunt that had all the hallmarks of a carefully staged new age cult event, World Funny Car Champion Driver Stan Sipos, once touted only last week by Victoria’s Liberal chattering classes as the saviour of the Sports-Developers’ Cabal, a developer with no known political history of previously seeking the mayor’s office of the City of Victoria, suddenly cancelled his campaign to sit in the mayor’s chair, citing family obligations, and endorsed the owner of a shoe store on the corner of Vancouver and View, one Robert Reid, also a political neophyte. 

  Mr. Reid rallied his team of eager Liberal endorsers, including ex-Olympian and ex-Liberal Environment Minister David Anderson (who infamously and unapologetically endorsed the Kyoto Protocol without having read it), ex-Victoria City Councillor David McLean and current Victoria City Councillor Bea Holland (both longtime members of the Sports-Developers’ Cabal and enthusiastic promoters of the ugly new arena) and a famous Olympic medal winner who shall remain unnamed… under the flag pole in Beacon Hill Park.

  Mr. Reid is an unapologetic proponent of the recent Terry Fox Run in Beacon HIll Park. Supposedly a charity event, Thrifty’s Foods and other commercial business interests set up tents at both ends of the run, advertising their businesses on tent signage, in contravention of the Beacon Hill Park Trust banning such commercial activity. The timing of his own campaign in Beacon Hill Park, not far from the start of the recent Terry Fox Run, cannot be accidental. 

  Mr. Reid has a website where one finds a lofty quote from Gandhi.  Critical analysis of his policy positions reveals a tendancy to usage of vague, naive and frankly unrealistic Liberal ‘greenwash’ platitudes and bromides.

CCC

ROB REID’S MAD DASH TO AN EXPENSIVE, FUTURISTIC ‘SUSTAINABLE’ LIBERAL SPORTS-FRIENDLY VICTORIA

Runner Rob Reid has his expensive Futuristic Green-LIberal version of a ‘sustainable’ Victoria (whatever that might be is never quite defined) presented in nine categories at his website:

1.  Downtown Revitalization

2.  Community Engagement

3.  Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability

4.  Transportation

5.  Homelessness and Social Issues

6.  Affordable Housing

7.  Policing and Safety

8.  Health and Wellness – Quality of Life

9.  Harbour

CCC

  ROB REID IN HIS OWN WRITE:

1. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION:  “Strategies have to include ways to attract citizens to the core to revitalize marginal businesses, reducing crime and addressing social concerns.”

2.  COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:  “The Time is Now – together citizens can make a difference by voting and enabling a less polarized council to move things forward.  The silent majority can take away special interests and the creation of a deadlocked, non-pro-active City Hall.  Moving forward we need to ensure that there are no more partisan politics at city hall but instead a community first attitude making our tax dollars efficient to improve the future for our city.”

3.  CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY:  “Our City standards should be solar powered and we should continually review our processes to look for alternative methods of constructon and energy.  This is an exciting change that is happening now and we can embrace this opportunity.  Green is the new normal.”

4. TRANSPORTATION:  “It’s all about moving people and as a community we need to choose the best alternatives for moving us and the planet forward.  We need to cultivate our partnerships with BC Transit, the CRD, and the other muncipalities to find integrated, sustainable solutions.”

5.  HOMELESSNESS AND SOCIAL ISSUES:  “The community needs disclosed on what is happening together with a time frame for future results. . .  Many of these strategies were identified by the Mayor’s task force and now it’s time to move on these initiatives. . . . The way forward is a multifaceted approach utilizing emergency centres, places for treatment, help with job skills, and ongoing support.”

6.  AFFORDABLE HOUSING:  ‘As a community we need to encourage and support co-op housing and we need to support developers in making rental housing available.”

7.  POLICING AND SAFETY:  “Band-aid approaches haven’t served us well, we need long term, sustainable solutions to ensure personnel (sic) safety.”

8.  HEALTH AND WELLNESS – QUALITY OF LIFE:  “We can embrace the World Health Organization initiative for age friendly cities, we can suport local farms through city planning, increased walkability and ease of accessibility by connecting pathways, improving surfaces.”

9.  HARBOUR:  “On a federal level we can work with Transport Canada in ensuring that the infrastructure for our marine airport is sustained and that safety standards are maintained for this important corridor.”

CCC

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MR. REID’S CANDIDACY FOR MAYOR OF VICTORIA?

  It is remarkable for what it omits.  There is not one concrete proposal to address the shocking problem of the addicted – mentally ill – homeless in downtown Victoria.  

  There is no mention at all of whether Mr. Reid would raise residential or commercial property taxes in Victoria.

  There is no mention at all of building height regulations, always a topic of keen interest in Victoria.

  There is no mention of whether Mr. Reid would  retain the so-called ‘needle-exchange’.  Nor do we know whether he is favourable to a so-called ‘safe injection site.’

  There is no reference whatsoever to the fact that the Police Chief has resigned, that the Police Department and the Police Board are both demoralized and held in contempt and/or very low regard by many, if not most, Victorians.

  There is no stated position on the stockpiling and use of stun guns on Victoria citizens by the Victoria Police.

  There is a clear assurance that the Inner Harbour will continue to be used by noisy and dangerous helicopters and seaplanes, and no mention whatsoever of the problem of nuclear ship visits to the harbour.

  There is a clear assurance that more concrete sidewalks will be poured (‘connecting pathways, improving surfaces’), supposedly under the guise of the improved ‘health and wellness’ of Victoria’s aging  citizens.

  Until Mr. Reid clarifies his positions on these issues of concern to members of the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition, I cannot in good conscience endorse this man’s candidacy for the mayor. . . nor am I likely to, however, even in the unlikely event that he might. . .

 

– Gregory Hartnell, President

   Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

 HOT LINK TO ROB REID’S WEBSITE FOUND IN COMMENTS SECTION BELOW

CCC

Speedfreak Stan Sipos: A man in a hurry

CCC

Stan Sipos, a developer with no known political history in Victoria whatsoever, wants to sit in the Mayor’s seat at Victoria City Council.

A former world championship funny car driver, Mr. Sipos now says in a CHEK TV interview that he is no longer interested in speed.

Funny car racing is a very dangerous sport.  People die in pursuit of this elusive glory.

Is this really the type of man that Victoria needs at this time in our history? 

Here is the location of the broadcast on Youtube:

If this link does not work, I will repost it below in the comments section.

– Gregory Hartnell, President

   Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

Father Allen Jones, recuperating from collapse in downtown Victoria, says he wants to stand for CCC nomination after all

CCC

  Father Allen Jones suffered a collapse on the streets of downtown Victoria recently, and after being ignored by many passersby who thought he was drunk or stoned on hard dope, was hospitalized after being assisted by other concerned citizens who called an ambulance.  

  He suffered wounds to his head, hands and arms, partly as a result of the well-intentioned but mistaken efforts of some of these concerned citizens to move him by themselves.

  Enroute to the hospital, ambulance staff asked him if had done any drugs, which he consistently denied.  The same question was posed repeatedly by hospital staff, which he answered in the negative.

  The two time Concerned Citizens’ Coalition candidate is back at home now, recovering from his fall which was apparently due to a rare vitamin K deficiency.

  A symptom of the vitamin K deficiency is increased heart beat, which was monitored while Father Allen was hospitalized.  His heart was beating so quickly that medical staff became alarmed that he would have a heart attack while there.

  Thankfully, after what can only be described as a near death experience, Father Allen now says that he is determined to stand to be nominated as a CCC candidate in this fall’s election after all.  He had recently sent a short email saying that he had ‘decided not to run in next election.’

  We are gratefull to the Creator that Father Allen has been spared, wish him Godspeed in his recovery and are pleased to learn that he wishes to stand for nomination as a CCC candidate at our nomination meeting to be held on September 21.

  Welcome back to the land of the living, Father Allen!

CCC

Our Place, Pioneer Square, Reeson Park and Streetlink need 24 hour police presence, says CCC’s Hartnell

CCC

  “Twenty-four police presence is needed now at Our Place on Pandora Avenue, Pioneer Square at Rockland and Quadra, Reeson Park at Wharf and Johnson, and Streetlink at Store and Fisgard to restore public safety, and discourage wide-open illegal hard drug sales and abuse, public disorder and intoxication by anti-social active addicts and alcoholics,” says Concerned Citizens’ Coalition President Gregory Hartnell.

  “The public safety at these four hotspots is seriously compromised by current lax, minimal or non-existent police enforcement,” says Hartnell.

  Hartnell noted that Victoria City Council has recently voted to increase the police budget and hire new officers, but that public confidence in the Victoria Police Department is at an historic low.

  He is particularly concerned about deteriorating public safety at the historic graveyard near the Christ Church Cathedral Preschool and in front of the newly opened Our Place facility, close to St. Andrew’s Elementary and Preschool, where the Vancouver Island Health Authority and Mayor Alan Lowe and the current City Council want to put a needle dispensary, and possibly open a so-called ‘safe injection site.’

  “The street scene in front of Our Place is absolutely deplorable, and the services provided by the new facility do not seem to have improved matters on the street in any appreciable sense,” he said.

  “Pioneer Square is a frightening spot, which savvy citizens do not even enter anymore, lest they be accosted by all manner of antisocial and illegal behaviour.  

  “We don’t need any more police hired, but we do need to have the new police chief, whoever is chosen, to step up the visible police presence in these areas and to enforce the law”, said Hartnell, who, along with David Burke, is seeking the nomination of CCC members on September 21 to stand as a City Council candidate.

  He suggests 24 hour police presence at the four hotspots, with at least two officers in vehicles at each spot.

CCC