How is it possible that the ‘best place on Earth’ is also the worst province in Canada for child poverty five years in a row?
How is it possible that Premier Gordon Campbell can give out thousands of gold medals with his own name arrogantly stamped across the face to construction workers on multimillion-dollar provincial projects while one in five children live in deprivation?
And how is it possible that a government spends millions on feel-good television ads about how wonderful this province is, while thousands of homeless walk the streets?

"Best place on Earth' if you are a friend of Gordon Campbell all else need not apply!

Couldn't wait to get out of the shit hole.

It may have more to do with the high cost of living here as opposed to Gordon Campbell. It's always been bad here for wages and cost of real estate, food, taxes, etc., NDP or Liberal Unless you're a Translink Executive, High paid employee in a government job with handsome union benefits, what have you. Hardly any high paying private sector jobs though. I don't know how an economy is supposed to grow if there's too much government and interference from the unions. Just a thought. But NDP or Liberal r hardly better than the other.

? is a very smart hardcore liberal trying to subtly put down the ndp. very slick! Attention: REGISTER / LOGIN to view the image!

This post has been edited by ian: Nov 29 2008, 11:15 PM

...I don't like the NDP or the BC Liberals, who are really a Conservative Party in disguise. I wish there was a 3rd party in BC. And that it had a permanent and significant presence here. There was an attempt with Gordon Wilson's Social Democratic Alliance, whom I voted for. I voted Liberal when it was Gordon Gibson at the helm. There was also a true Liberal Party once led by former minister David Anderson and Pat McGeer. Maybe we'll once again see a Conservative party rise again in the interior, to make the BC Liberals 'liberal' again and all the trade unionists vote NDP. 1/3, 1/3/, 1/3 split between 3 parties.

Do you have any links showing that BC is the worst province in Canada or are you a liar?

...He doesn't have to. Cuz if yer a middle class worker even w/o a family to support, it's almost impossible to make it here. Everyone I know is in debt, unless they're a rich foreigner, pampered corporate executive/professional or government union worker getting everything paid for them. A middle class wage, which would buy a person a home anywhere else in Canada, doesn't even net a studio apartment here. So I believe it. every penny I make goes out there door to pay the bills, and I don't even have kids.

He does not have to because he does not have any links and because he is a big fat liar.

You know how much a house costs in Vancouver?!? $1,000,000 on the West Side, $500,000 on the East Side. Thats anywhere from 2 to 5 times higher than the rest of Canada. And that's at least 4 or 5 times higher than our parents paid for theirs in real dollar terms 30 years ago. A middle class worker pulling in $40 Grand per year can't even afford a studio apartment in this city. So if it's a family that's trying to make ends meet, if they want to own, they have to go into debt to get a low end condo in some place like Surrey or Maple Ridge. Even that is much more expensive than homes several years ago. So I don't doubt that there's a lot of child poverty. A lot of the poor are single moms. Single parenting has gone up, so the poverty rates have gone up too.

I agree with you 100% on that. Everything here is way overpriced. I have 60k, single, and still cant afford anything in this city.

blah blah blah. Still no links or evidence for showing B.C.'s rank as worst in Canada for child poverty. Why? Because he is still a liar.
I guess you probably live in a cave. BC is still a "have" province. Ontario is now "have-not" province.
Ontario to receive $347M in equalization: Flaherty
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/03/...-ministers.html
Also Vancouver housing prices are going drop faster than the national average.
Bank adds to opinions on shallow housing dip
Prices predicted to drop up to 15% nationally, more in B.C.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/bu...b9-69ede4fa01ed

Well, I'm not the OP. But here's an article for you to read:

http://thetyee.ca/Bigstory/2007/11/26/PovertyRate/

Then click on the link in there. It opens up a PDF report.

BC has the highest child poverty rate in the nation at 20.9 %, followed by Alberta.

Given the cost of rent here, I'm not surprised. I'm a middle class guy w/o dependents and I can't afford it here. Like I say, every dollar which comes in the door, goes out to pay someone off. And there's no money left at the end of the month. It's gotten so bad, that I'll probably have to eventually leave the Lower Mainland if I ever want to own a place to live. I'm not the only one. Was sitting in a bar with another guy and he basically said the same thing. Cost of Living keeps goin' up and up but our wages don't rise in tandem.

I don't know how all those retail workers at Chapters survive on $8 per hour. I make way more than they do, and I can barely make ends meet. As someone else who makes $60,000 a year pointed out earlier, they can't afford to buy a place either. So if you're a family, with two kids and parents, it'd take both parents working making a min. of $60,000 to afford rent and a middle class lifestyle. Today's dollar is worth 10 cents from 30 years ago. And housing is always the killer.

Children have been hit so bad in this province as waiting lists for children to see a specialist for sexual and physical abuse is out of control. 3 years olds on long waiting lists of a 50 or 100 or more depending on the community and still no idea when they will see someone.

Stagflation all thanks to the Liberals we are in some very serious financial trouble if that happens and lets not forget BC's children life's are threatened. And I'm still wondering why men see him as a financial guru when all he did was promote de regulation of a market. Something the schools are now teaching is very unwise sounds like the guy is really behind the times. The BC Liberals have also taken the BC Children's endowment fund as that to is like taking candy from a baby. Ministry sets it up so these kids can buy the cities garbage from a place called Quest were stores donate there garbage saving on dump costs and the poor buy at this store without any food regulations. Its called junkie candy on the streets as much of the food offering is old sugar. And there is so much more as children are now a commodity here in BC as kiddy stroll now becomes a long hike and a fellow was just caught by airline staff living Vancouver watching his child porn on his phone from his child victim here in Vancouver. The airline staff phoned the police and thats when they got involved.

This post has been edited by universal child: Nov 30 2008, 10:03 AM

What are they teaching you about business in schools well they are teaching regulation as they say its the new day. Oh yes and there is much more about Campbell's style that will be seen as as highly unfavorable.

Its all got to do with the SPECULATIVE MARKET as they promote immigration by the hoards driving up costs and lets not forget the brainy acks other great plan for bc the carbon tax another price killer. Welcome to Stagflation as this economic crisis unwinds as prices wirlwind up. And don't forget who you have to give thanks to as schools are teaching new and safer ways to do business the Regulated way as De regulation and Speculation destroyed a world wide economy and Campell didn't want to leave us out of it. How do we compete when the cost of business is so high is a question many are asking as high rents are the cause of much duress for business and tenant and landlords alike. I heard some real bad loses with people's pension plans are surfacing as of course investment market not so great and most of these pensions were invested.

This post has been edited by universal child: Nov 30 2008, 10:23 AM

And to those of you who talk about hard times making $60,000 I have no doubt but this problem was in good times as well as Campbell government stripped the Ministries of their ability to provide services while taking the money and putting it into general revenue right from the start. They harass and intimidate as a way to keep those from resources they could access and then put the money into general revenue and give themselves big rewards along with the bureaucrats. This is all the Ministries. Cabinet to consist of land developers and used car sale man so may explain some of what has happened to BC the greatest city in the universe or so they tell. So this is a simple prediction our premier has become addicted to these resources as he strips the Ministries and now that Feds talk of cuts to services what the heck are those poor kids going to do now? What are you going to do now especially those in need of medical, ambulance, icbc,workercomp,housing,food any of it will be hard to get if not down right impossible?

This post has been edited by universal child: Nov 30 2008, 02:01 PM

According to statistics, somebody with there head in the freezer & feet in the oven will be, on average, comfortable.

I never graduated from high school. Since 1990 I've never had a job in B.C that has paid less than 20 an hour. Sure some of them have been pretty physical but they still paid well. I think alot has to do with what your willing to do to get money. It may not have always been easy but with an honest effort your children need not go hungry.

Yeah, but it's BC. Everybody expects something for nothing.

Wow. Everyone I meet without a high school education in BC makes no more than $8 an hour. You must have a cushy union job with lots of friends high up.

I got an university education and I've never made more than $25 an hour in Vancouver. But I made twice as much in the States. Some university grads with far more education than me, haven't even made $15 an hour.

Seems to me , by being overly compassionate , understanding tolerant and emphathetic to nut case adults we are destroying the kids.

Regardless of no links, poverty is a global issue. And all politicians turn a blind eye.

Heheh , where did you pick up that wisecrack??

I am not a friend of GC , but to blame historic problems at his admininstration ignores the fact , that , regardless of which party

sits in Victoria, problems with shitty adults and the consequences thereof , are haunting us forever.

I distinctly remember the nightmare , when under the NDP , child social workers with RCMP in tow , apprehended teenagers

from home and stored them in a downtown hotel. With virtual no oversight. The rest you put yourself together ,it's like 2 + 2.

No, I have read and heard enough about the NDP-Gestapo abuse of power . Never again!!

I am sure, that the present child care workers , aching under high case loads , are trying their best within a given legal framework ,

to serve their little clients as best they can.

I know several people with degrees and make crap.

Poverty has always been around and always will be around.

I remember when I was a child , I had to collect money for 'bread for the world' .

Nothing has changed in the meantime : same ads designed to tug on your heartstrings , with the same little potbellied ,

skinnylegged , black children with flies buzzing around dirty faces as there were 50 years ago.

The people in position to do something about it, are too corrupt to egotistical to improve the situation in any of those

countries - it's black Mercedes limos, golden beds, race horses and private jet's. Your 'donation' does squat.



There will be always people who think life ows them something , and there will be those, like the above poster , who are too busy to

whine endlessly , because they are making money .

A degree by itself means absolutely nothing.

It merely means you retain and hopefully understand information well.

But bevore you studied a subject, it was your choice what subjects to study.

And if you are very good at what you are doing in a wanted field of endeavor, people come to you - not the other way around.

Anthropology, archeaology , philosophy , fine arts , is all good and well , but , hey , the market place prob. has all it can

absorb.