Scott Yee: Vancouver needs brothels, forced drug treatment

Mayoral candidate Scott Yee on his plans for the future of Vancouver
 

My number one priority is building a new style of affordable housing. Imagine you see a green building, using geothermal technology, more environmentally friendly appliances, with a green rooftop. Now imagine you see commercial retail space on the ground level, with social housing units for the homeless on the first floor, and apartments for single people, seniors, and families on the second floor up.

A one-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot apartment would be $500 per month. A four-bedroom, 2,000-to-2,500-square-foot apartment would be $1,000 per month. And studios 400 square feet or smaller will be built for the homeless. By doing this, not only will it raise the standard of living for renters, the City of Vancouver will have a new revenue source. If 200,000 people rented from the city, paying $500 a month in rent, that would equal $100 million per month, $1.2 billion per year.

So not only will my affordable housing plan give renters a better standard of living--the homeless will be housed, the city will have a new revenue source, and property taxes can finally go down.

Prostitution itself I have no real problem with, as long as it’s between two consenting adults. But I do have a real problem with prostitution on the streets, and women and children being forced into it. So what to do? Licences will be given for brothels. Brothels will not only take prostitution off the streets; it will also be a safer place for sex workers to work, because a sex worker will no longer be getting into someone’s car.

And all sex-related places will have random checks at least once a year to make sure no one has smuggled in women and children, forcing them to work in the sex trade.

I would end the safe injection site, the needle exchange, the NAOMI project, giving out alcohol and cigarettes to the homeless, and stop the province from handing out “Safe Crack Kits” just like in Toronto.

And instead build treatment centers and force homeless junkies into treatment for one year. Putting addicts in treatment will help them restart their lives, because while in treatment they will be getting counseling, and will be put into housing when they leave, and then will either get help finding a job, taking some sort of training, or going back to school.

There also needs to be treatment for the mentally ill, and I would also force them into treatment centres as well.

Because I have no problem with soft drugs like marijuana being used, only hard drugs like crystal meth, I fully support the Da Kine cafe being allowed to re-open.

I also stand for a preferential ballot, non-of-the-above, municipal recall, and party term-limits.

Those who don’t vote like to say they’re all the same. Well, it’s true that since the dawn of time politicians have been breaking their campaign promises; there are still differences between them. From how good of a job they will do to their political philosophy.

If Mr. Peanut was running for mayor and was elected, don’t tell me that Mr. Peanut will be the same as Peter Ladner and Gregor Robertson! In 1996 and 2005, the voter turnout was 32 percent, and it could be another 32 percent turnout again! Meaning 68 percent of population will not be voting.

Now if those 68 percent don’t like the NPA or Vision, but are not going to vote, then what’s your point? If you feel the developers control City Hall because they give money to both the NPA and Vision, then not voting will only give them more power! You really think not voting will make them feel bad about themselves?

One vote won’t make a difference, but votes are like ants. One ant can’t kill a human, but if a billion ants are united, then they can. And the last time I checked, 68 percent overrules 32 percent. So if that 68 percent really wants to change things, then get off your ass and vote for an independent for mayor then, if you don’t like the NPA or Vision!

I guarantee you none of the independent mayoral candidates are the status quo! But most importantly, if you don’t vote, you don’t have a say.

 
How would you reshape your municipality? The Georgia Straight is publishing articles on its Web site from mayoral candidates in Metro Vancouver. For more information, e-mail webeditor@straight.com.