Avoiding difficult issues while spending cash

After several months away, it is a bit depressing to return to Victoria to find council has spent a great deal of taxpayer money:

1. Buying an abandoned restaurant on Blanshard Street to, unbelievably, make into a small park (perhaps for street folks to camp in?).

2. Buying the Hermann’s Jazz Club building — perhaps for cultural reasons.

Council has done nothing about the shameful chaos of street campers on Pandora Avenue east of Quadra. One sad result of this inaction is that a truly iconic Victoria cultural venue — the Alix Goolden Hall — remains surrounded by fencing, garbage and tents.

I suspect many folks are reluctant to walk this area after dark to get to concerts. Too bad council, as always, manages to avoid the difficult issues while spending money irresponsibly on questionable projects.

Parts of our city are becoming “no go zones” for many taxpaying citizens. Enough of the excuses that this problem is a provincial/federal responsibility.

Surely it is past time for council to ban all camping on sidewalks, medians and parks. Instead of jazz clubs and old restaurants, council should purchase, or re-purpose, some land to create a controlled space where these unfortunate street folks can pitch their tents safely, without fear of stabbings.

“Controlled” should mean an adequate presence of police to render the site safe from criminal elements, adequate support from social services and mental health professionals, showers, toilets, and a regular free bus service to enable these folks to access the services available on Pandora — during the day.

Come on council — it ain’t that complicated.

Jamie Kyles Victoria