OPINION: \”Cote-conomics\” based on hope, lack of vision and poor leadership

Cote-conomics – (def) – City economics based on hope, lack of vision and poor leadership

Let’s face it, Cote-conomics has been a disaster for New Westminster. New Westminster has a dying and decaying downtown core that has never been revitalized since I moved to New Westminster in 2002.

In the mid 1990’s I was a street level undercover cop working the dingy, drug ridden streets of New Westminster. The streets were dark, dreary and lacked any sort of commercial or entertainment pizzaz.

Well, not much has changed since then. The street level drug dealing is not as prevalent as it was back then but the lack of commercial success, the lack of unique bars, restaurants and vibrant shopping is still the same: non-existent.

The homeless issue has taken over and business owners who persevere in our downtown core are fed up with the needles, the drug paraphernalia and lack of caring by our current city council.

And of course, dear to my heart, is the Canada Games Pool. Sources say it will stay closed until the new pool is up and running. Now that’s planning – actually it’s Cote-conomics at play.

This needs to change and the best the city can offer is 50-beds at the old Army and Navy. While the city should be commended for assisting the less fortunate, when are they going to step up and improve the livability of the downtown core for all, which includes residents, business owners and visitors alike?

The current council has told us they are working with business owners and the private sector. The funny thing is, I haven’t been able to find anyone who has been approached by the city for a private/city initiative. Many of the business owners I know from the downtown core would welcome a true private/government project that would revitalize our heritage infused city, but this has not happened and given how our council operates, I doubt it ever will.

By the way, isn’t New Westminster a SMART city? This was supposed to enhance the technical abilities of New Westminster and draw in high-tech companies and put us on the map. This has not happened and no one has been held accountable for the money spent on this. Sort of reminds me of the funds spent on the “stairs to nowhere”.

The Q to Q ferry is a heavily subsidized, underused disaster pumping pollutants into the air at a time when we are concerned with climate change. Perhaps the proposed irrigation technician can help as their mandate is to help with climate change resilience? There are many unique cities in the world that offer bicycle and pedestrian friendly bridges that connect communities together. For some reason, our current council has no intention of being part of this movement towards true sustainability.

While we all understand the cost of operating a city will always continue to increase, I really do not see anything in this budget that will actually provide citizens of New Westminster with additional amenities.

Typical budget increases for New Westminster always ensure salary increases for staff (and likely council) and newly created positions – beat person for greenways, irrigation technician, and a natural areas practitioner? Surely these duties can be carried out by existing staff? The residents of New Westminster will have to carry the tax burden again but there is no mention of development and construction companies paying their fair share as they build and profit from their activities in our city.

$425,000 plus additional untold costs for glass recycling! Does this mean when I take my plastics, styrofoam and yard waste to Coquitlam I can leave my glass at home. If only we had our own recycling depot. This is true Cote-conomics at work.

And of course, dear to my heart, is the Canada Games Pool. Sources say it will stay closed until the new pool is up and running. Now that’s planning – actually it’s Cote-conomics at play.

Let’s face it. Cote-conomics has been a disaster for New Westminster. We need visionaries that can help drive this city forward and not adhere to the slogan “our best times are behind us”.