To the editor:
Re: “Vision rides high as Vancouverites fume,” (Dec. 24)
Allen Garr has it 50 per cent right. Vancouverites sure are fuming, and who can blame them? Vision Vancouver has handed tens of millions of taxpayers’ dollars to developers in return for “affordable housing” — the catch being that affordable housing is now defined by Vision as market rental.
Developers put studio apartments on the market for $1,440 apiece — Vision calls it affordable and waves the Development Cost Levies with a smile.
This is just one of many examples of Vision putting the interests of developers ahead of residents and neighbourhoods.
Where Garr has it 50 per cent wrong is in his reference to Vision riding high.
According to the most recent Justason Market Intelligence poll, published in September, the combined support for COPE and the Vancouver Green party is 34 per cent — within striking distance of Vision, who have fallen seven per cent since last year.
At COPE’s AGM earlier this year, the turnout was over 400 — more than the combined turn-out of all other municipal party AGMs.
COPE is on the way up and Vision is on the way down.
Tim Louis,
COPE Internal Co-Chair
