I hope the Poverty Olympics also prominently includes Olympic sponsors and clearly identifies them as the primary financial source for the IOC.

Most of the money to support the IOC comes from companies like Coca Cola, McDonalds, GM, RBC, HBC, Rona, NIKE, and a long list of others that conveniently look the other way and remove themselves from the spectre of accountability.

Follow the money and place the blame where it belongs and where it will do Vancouver and Whistler taxpayers the most good.

Force Olympic sponsors to accept responsibility and do not allow them to look the other way.

Lobby Olympic sponsors to all contribute 25% more to the Olympic fund IN CASH and take the pressure off taxpayers. The extra money can be directed back to improve the homeless situation in our community.

Here's a list of current sponsors, partners and suppliers;

Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, General Electric, NIKE, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung, VISA, Bell, HBC, RBC, GM, Petro-Canada, RONA, Air Canada, BCLC, BC Hydro, Bombardier, Canadian Pacific, ICBC, Jet Set Sports, Ricoh, Royal Canadian Mint, Teck, 3M, Acklands Grainger, Aggreko, Aquilini Investment Group, Birks, Britco, Canada Post, COLD-FX, Deloitte Dow Canada, Epcor, Garrett Metal Detectors, General Mills, Hain, Celestial Canada, Haworth, Karl's Global Events, Millennium Development, Molson, Nortel, Port Metro Vancouver, Purolator, Saputo, Sleep Country Canada, Sun Microsystems, Tickets.com, TransCanada, Vincor Canada, YVR, Vancouver Airport Authority, Weston, Workopolis, Wrigley Canada, Vancouver Sun newspaper, Global TV, The Province newspaper, The Courier newspaper, The Globe and Mail newspaper

They all have websites. Ask these companies if they have "ethical mandates" and how they feel knowing their involvement with Vancouver's Olympic Games has a detrimental impact on our community. Don't let them off the hook.

VANOC and the IOC simply ignore you, but the shareholders of these companies won't.
 

Chinese New Year is Feb. 14; anyone know how VANOC plans to screw with that?
Miguel  

The blame is entirely on the 3 governments, the IOC and VANOC.

The sponsors are doing what they always have, and if anyone thinks they have a social responsibility to end homelessness, I suggest they drop the crack pipe and re-focus your binoculars.

Just note the dates around the increased homelessness and child poverty and you have your answer.

Coke/McD could care less. As much as some of you communists want socialism, it isn't here, but spineless politicians can be found by the dozen.  

For the list. Companies I will never buy from again.  

It's not about blame.

It's about results.  

The reason we have more issues here in Vancouver is because we have the warmest temperatures in Canada and people flock here from all the rest. Why should we shoulder the entire problem here in Vancouver? the other provinces are happy to see people ship out here while we pay more to house everyone, and give them assistance. Why is the constant never ending drug problem downtown only our fault? How can you stop people from putting a needle in their arms when we cant even legalize drugs?


i honestly dont think that the organizers have come up with a real way to stop poverty that can really be implemented.





i dont agree with the Olympics, but if they ruin it for our city, i think there will be a back lash  

No one said that VANOC or the IOC were trying cover up poverty or take away from its obvious presence in the world. I think that the people you should be irate with are not VANOC and the IOC, but rather your municipal/provincial/federal government for their lack of attention to the issue. I would also like to note that before the bid was confirmed what was proposed to be done about the issues surrounding poverty, homelessness, and child poverty? I think you are simply looking for someone to blame or maybe even shift the blame to because it would be easier that way. My question for those involved in this display would be why didn't you use your time, effort and maybe even money to help an organization fighting poverty and homelessness rather than pointing out what we already know is an issue. I don't think that there is a single person who doesn't know that homelessness in British Columbia is a problem. I don't think that there are many people who would not like to see it go away. What I do think is that instead of being erratic and seemingly unreasonable I think we need to come along side those in positions of government or large corporations and represent ourselves well to help them understand the pressing needs in our communities.

I would also like to note that seeing that Maurice is so disgusted by those who have sponsored the Olympics, and I'm assuming that there are others out there that share his opinions; I am assuming that you will not be supporting those industries/businesses? I hope that you don't plan on taking transit, sending or receiving mail, reading the newspaper or even watching the new at that, flying, or chewing gum.
 

perhaps we could also have a poverty 'special olympics'. b.c. citizens who are unable to work (disabled) get a 'disability pension' of approx $800-$900 per month. try paying rent and food, etc. on those few dollars in b.c. if you are fortunate enough to have your own home, you will be bombarded with life sustaining bills such as hydro, heat, electric, gas bills & , taxes that you are unable to pay, until the bank or taxman takes your home from you. also, since you are unable to do your yardwork, the city will send you nasty bills and fines for having an untidy yard.

"b.c. the best place on earth -Only For The Wealthy".
 

Awesome, an event put on by VANDU - Vancouver Area Network of Drugs Users. There is an organization to be proud of.

Again..maybe I lack compassion but I worked my ass off my entire life. I chose to live where I do, I know the consequences of choosing a city with a high cost of living. My employment situation supports where I live. Do i wish housing was more affordable, of course. Do I need groups like the one mentioned above embarrassing our city? No!!!

Last time I checked, drug use, possession was illegal. So with a criminal support group endorsing these 'games,' we are all supposed to throw our support behind it?

I ask one last question..what have these people done for themselves to improve their situations? do they even want too? do they need to? I mean i see huge lineups at the banks, money mart, the liquor store on welfare Wednesday..are these the same people we are supposed to feel sorry for?

I for one will take in and enjoy the Olympics. I pray that one of you idiots does something to ruin my enjoyment or my children's of these games and their festivities.

I am tired of the government, VANOC, Olympic supporters being blamed for the current level of homelessness. They didn't put these people on the street and neither did the Olympic organizers, the IOC, the athletes..get the point here?

I
 

Maybe we can trade some of those privileged but unappreciative of what they have in this city with some of those dealing with real disasters abroad.  

one frustrated Vancouverite that only want to be left out  

The BIG problem is there is going to be a 8.0+ EARTHQUAKE on or close to FEB.6, 2010 on the WEST COAST OF THE USA...it may not shake as much in B.C. coastal area, but the BIG WATER WAVE wll be about 150 feet tall...PREPARE NOW...LAST TWO EARTHQUAKES INCLUDING HAITI WERE PREDICTED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY...YOU HAVE CHOICES...IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICES!!  

To fan22:
No, you're not lacking compassion, you're lacking knowledge. Educate yourself on addiction and mental illness and your understanding and compassion will take hold. It's not about blame or anger. It's about helping others who need it. Simple really.  

@ Missiongirl,

Compassion goes both ways, so does enlightenment - Never assume that it's ever a lack of education, on someones part just because they're preaching personal responsibility.....

Ask yourself what the difference is between a homless person who is bi-polar and a bi-polar person who is gainfully employed? (Just so you know, there's more of the later than the former - I know this because I have family members that are bi-polar)....

It's how one manages their own lives.

Also in terms of addtictions, speaking as a reformed alcolholic and ex-smoker I can speak to this as well;

Addictions can be mysterious, but one thing I can tell you for sure is that Gordon Campbel, the IOC and VANOC didn't force me to have my first drink, or cigarette - I managed to get myself in these situations, and I've managed to get myself out of these situations - it wasn't easy, still not easy, but I realized that despite numerous attempts to the contrary, ultimatelly it was me and myself alone who made the decision to better my life.

Also, I came from a relatively poor family too.....

Again since it's the individual that placed themselves in these situations, and at the very end, it's only the individual that will get themselves out, or manage the situation - It's no one elses fault or responsibility, at the very end....

 

are there really that many stauch defenders of consumer goods and services frequenting the Georgia Straight or do you think Maurice Cardinal may have struck a nerve?

Don't buy sponsors - spread the list!  

I am sure they will have attendance in the tens of thousands and have a huge impact on the games. Good overtime money for the police and civic workers who actually have a job and will directly benefit from them. Keep a couple of 3rd string reporters busy as well, however I don't know if they will be on overtime. All in all, a small contributor to the economy, so whats wrong with that?  

Sean wrote:

"Maybe we can trade some of those privileged but unappreciative of what they have in this city with some of those dealing with real disasters abroad."

What would the right wing do if the worlds inequalities were moderated? What would you look to in order to justify oppression and greed without third world countries suffering. Yes humans are suffering terribly in Haiti and elsewhere - That in no way justifies any sort of unnecessary suffering here in Canada.

Every time I hear that statement "it's not as bad as ______ , what are they complaining about" it makes my stomach turn.  

This is fabulous! We need much more of this in Vancouver...resistance that uses their olympic rhetoric against them. And to those of you who don't understand the connection between this indulgent display and the perpetuation of poverty, please educate yourself and stop taking up airspace that intelligent people could be using. thank you.
 

Homeless are not a homogenous group. Many are addicts and are mentally ill. But almost all had very unsupportive circumstances in their developmental years including abuse of a kind most of us would find shocking. I have worked for ten years with addicts and the homeless and have discovered that we do not all have the same element of free choice. Many of these people come from circumstances where they didn't have family or friends who were willing to support healthier choices. Many of these people lack a certain level of education or self awareness to make healthier choices. We must stop using the notion that because people chose their lifestyles, they are not deserving of help. Would we deny healthcare to a type 2 diabetic or a cancer patient because they made poor choices in life? Of course not. We have all kinds of ways to let people off the hook when their bad choices put them in a bad situation, from bankruptcy laws to many levels of social support. No ten year old ever wants to grow up to be a hooker or a homeless person. Why that happens has a lot to do with alienation, abuse, lack of role models, etc. There is also no economic reason to allow people to suffer. Homeless people cost more money in their use of services that they would if there in state funded supportive housing. What this is really about is prejudice. One day people will look back on our attitudes about the homeless, addicts and the mentally ill the way people today look back on the majority who used to believe in slavery, the inferiority of women, etc. We are ignorant and afraid but we do not need to be. They are human beings, our fellow citizens and someone's family members. We have to have compassion and at the same time find a reasonable way to assist people to make healthier choices.
This has nothing to do with the Olympics except that with only a fraction of that 6 billion dollars of our money we could have put a huge dent into the problem. And to answer your question Ren, the difference between a bi polar person who is homless vs. one who is not has not only to do with choice but with the circumstances that give rise to the ability to make an informed choice: a supportive family/friends, access to education, whether one was sexually/physically abused or not, whether they had adequate nutrition in their developmental years, whether they have been taught lifeskills or not, etc.
I asked a young crack addict once when was it that he first tried crack. His answer: With my mom when I was 12. If you think this is a rare example you do not know what kind of people end up in the downtown eastside. Every hooker I have ever worked with has been sexually abused as a child, a great number of which even became pregnant as children, often as a result of incest. When kids like that don't get the right kind of help they get preyed on by drug dealers, pimps etc. This kind of thing is still happening today. There are still reservations in Canada that look like the Third World and where you will see people huffing gas out in the open in broad daylight. The cumulative effect of neglect, abuse, addiction, poverty, lack of education, lack of nutrition creates conditions that create drug addicts, homeless people and mentally ill people without coping skills to manage their illness. Instead of making excuses and assigning blame we should take responsibility and deal with the problem.  

And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.  

beelzebub, what's your point? We had little homelessness in this city before a)The Woodlands and Riverview Institutions were closed and b) Ottawa stopped funding social housing. There are some obvious things we should be doing: 1) fund social housing, especially housing with supports such as staffing with a nurse to administer meds, 2) Renovate and Reopen Riverview and put safeguards in place to prevent the abuses that precipitated its closure, 3) Increase the amount of detox beds in the Province tenfold, 4) Create longer term facilities for the formerly homeless, it will take longer to transition these people back into the community. These strategies are feasible and affordable. Read the BC governments own 2005 report on housing and homelessness in which the Liberals identified that housing the homeless costs about the same as leaving them homeless. This is not gravy. These are perfectly reasonable and feasible measures. Other countries who have adopted similar measures have seen results. Now what reasonable reason would we have to want to keep the status quo? If we can find billions of dollars to throw a world party we should be able to spend a fraction of that to uphold fundamental human rights. We might not have the money for a few years because of our deficit but let us not forget that this deficit was accrued not to build necessary infrastructure in a reasonable way but primarily to throw a world party. Why the Olympics should be funded by any taxpayer money is still beyond me; the private sector which will be the main beneficiaries should have paid for it, same with the convention centre. The Poverty Olympics is a modest protest aimed to remind the public that are priorities are skewed. Nothing wrong with that. Let's end homelessness. It can be done and there is no reason why we shouldn't try.  

There will always be homelessness no matter who does what, get it!

The Government won't be embarassed about anything, no reason to be.

BC people who keep fighting to end it are wanting to end what exactly,

many people like living this way - so leave them alone you Jackasses!

Focus on our children who are the ones who need assistance.
 

Ren -

you asked what's the difference betwwen someone with bi-polar who is homeless and one who isn't? So many, many things! A support system. Housing. Life history. Additional disabilities. That`s awesome that the person you know who has bi-polar is gainfully employed, but where would your friend be if s/he grew up in foster care, having been born with foetal alcohol effect, was dumped by the system at 19, with no money or education, with a brain pickled in alcohol, without access to social housing because the government wasn't fnding it. Where would your friend be if the only options available to him/her at that point was to live on the street or prostitute themselves for money because no-one would hire them without a GED? Or what about those amazing humans who make it through ALL that - foster care, pickled brain, no family/support system, no education/GED, a mental illness...and STILL manage to somehow find employent...how long to you suppose they can hold a job without being able to read or write effectively, without being able to regulate their emotions or behaviour, without being able to learn new skills very easily, without being able to plan ahead or understand consequences? All because of a brain injury they were born with. How long would your friend last under those conditions?

It's not fair to simplify the situation like that. One person has a mental illness and with a good support system, manages to work hard and do well. Good for them. But you can't compare them to someone else who shares the same mental health condition, but has an entirely different set of circumstances to contend with.
Same with addiction. That's really amazing that you were able to work hard and overcome your alcoholism. But you probably have some support. You probably don't have brain damage. You probably weren't raised by 20 different strangers in 20 different homes. You are literate. English is probably your first language. Perhaps you're white. Perhaps you were lucky enough to escape being molested and abused as a child. Not everyone has all of that privilige and luck. Life is not an even playing field, and there's more to it than hard work and a good attitude.