Open letter and Report: Concerns Regarding UBCM’s Climate Action Priorities
to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM)
Open Letter to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM)
Dear UBCM Leadership,
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen regarding your recent report, "Stretched to the Limit." While I appreciate the acknowledgment of the financial pressures faced by local governments, I feel compelled to express my concern about the prioritization of climate action programs and long-term global goals at a time when our communities are grappling with immediate crises.
Your report highlights the significant challenges local governments are facing, including homelessness, escalating housing costs, and increased emergency management requirements. These issues demand urgent attention and funding, as evidenced by Kelowna's $20 million expenditure over four years for homelessness support, Burnaby's infrastructure costs of $1 million for every 100 meters of development, and the Regional District of East Kootenay's nearly $1 million spent in 2020 responding to floods and fires.
However, I find it troubling that amidst these pressing local needs, there is a strong emphasis on climate action plans that include initiatives such as data collection on community and corporate energy consumption and waste patterns, electrifying the municipal fleet, installing bike lanes, and adopting additional energy audits and green building standards. While these actions may be of interest, they do not directly address the urgent issues of housing, mental health, homelessness, and affordability that our communities currently face.
The proposed funding mechanisms, including transferring a percentage of the Provincial Property Transfer Tax in addition to the provincial carbon tax to support climate projects, risk diverting essential resources from immediate community needs. In times of crisis, it is vital that we prioritize investments in affordable housing, mental health services, and homelessness prevention over development schemes that may not yield immediate benefits for residents.
I urge the UBCM to reconsider its priorities and encourage the next provincial government to allocate resources towards addressing the pressing needs of our communities. We must strive for a balanced approach that addresses both urgent local challenges and long-term environmental stewardship goals without compromising the immediate well-being of residents.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I hope we can work together to create a more equitable and responsive framework that truly meets the needs of our communities.
Sincerely,
Maggie Braun
Civic Advocate, KICLEI Canada
info@kiclei.ca
Report: Concerns Regarding UBCM’s Climate Action Priorities
Prepared by: Maggie Braun
Civic Advocate, KICLEI Canada
September 13, 2024
Introduction
This report outlines significant concerns regarding the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ (UBCM) recent focus on climate action programs as articulated in the report "Stretched to the Limit." Directed to the UBCM, municipal and provincial representatives, and candidates, this report addresses the implications of the UBCM report in shaping provincial priorities leading into the provincial election. While addressing environmental issues is important, the current emphasis on climate change initiatives appears misaligned with the immediate and pressing needs of communities throughout British Columbia, particularly in light of ongoing crises in housing, mental health, homelessness, drug addiction, and overall affordability.
Overview of Current Challenges
Local governments are facing a trifecta of challenges that are straining their resources:
Homelessness: Many municipalities are left to manage the fallout of inadequate provincial support in addressing homelessness. For example, Kelowna has spent approximately $20 million over four years on homelessness-related services, highlighting the significant financial burden on local governments. The proliferation of tent cities in various municipalities has further strained resources, requiring additional efforts for sanitation, security, and emergency services.
Housing Affordability: New mandates to increase housing supply are necessitating substantial infrastructure investments. Burnaby's estimated infrastructure costs of $1 million for every 100 meters of development illustrate the financial strain imposed by these requirements. The rising costs of housing are contributing to an increased burden on municipal resources.
Mental Health: The mental health crisis is exacerbating the strain on local resources, with municipalities struggling to provide adequate support and services. The need for more mental health resources and crisis intervention services is urgent, as local governments grapple with the increasing demand for these services.
Drug Addiction: The opioid crisis and other substance abuse issues are placing significant pressure on municipal resources. Local governments are tasked with managing the fallout from drug addiction, including increased emergency services and community health interventions.
Overall Affordability: The combined impact of rising housing costs, mental health needs, and drug addiction has led to a general decline in affordability for residents. This decline is further compounded by increased property taxes, which place additional financial strain on homeowners and renters alike. The financial burden of these issues may contribute to a further strain on municipal budgets.
Concerns Regarding UBCM’s Climate Action Priorities
While UBCM’s commitment to environmental stewardship is commendable, several concerns arise regarding the proposed climate action initiatives:
Misallocation of Resources: The focus on climate action plans, Facilitated by the FCM ICLEI Partners for Climate Protection Program include extensive data collections on community and corporate, energy consumption and waste patterns, electrifying the municipal fleet, and installing charging stations and bike lanes, and adopting ownerous energy audits and green building standards diverts attention and resources from urgent local needs. The pressing crises of homelessness and mental health require immediate financial investments. The emphasis on long-term climate goals needs to be balanced with the urgent demands of local crises.
Questionable Development Schemes: Policies which redirect population growth to urban settlements with high-density housing may not directly benefit the majority of BC’s smaller and rural communities and could further exacerbate the urban crisis. These development schemes can lead to foreseeable hardships if not carefully considered and properly aligned with the immediate needs of residents.
Lack of Direct Community Benefit: Funding mechanisms proposed in the report, such as reallocating a percentage of the Provincial Property Transfer Tax, may not directly address the immediate needs of communities and could potentially divert funds away from essential services.
Recommendations
To address these concerns, the following recommendations are proposed:
Reevaluate Funding Priorities: UBCM should reassess its funding priorities to ensure that immediate community needs, such as affordability, housing and mental health services, are prioritized over climate initiatives that do not provide direct benefits to residents.
Engage in Community Consultation: UBCM should engage with local communities to gain insights into their immediate needs and align funding initiatives accordingly. This approach will foster a more responsive governance model.
Balance Long-Term Goals with Immediate Needs: While environmental stewardship is essential, it is not synonomous with climate, action, nor should it come at the expense of addressing pressing local issues. A balanced approach that integrates both immediate and long-term priorities is necessary for holistic and environmentally friendly community development.
Strategic Pause on Sustainable Development Initiatives: Given the current strain on municipal resources and the immediate needs facing communities, it is recommended that a pause be considered in advancing the sustainable development agenda proposed by the United Nations until the pressing issues of homelessness, housing affordability, mental health, drug addiction, and overall affordability are adequately addressed. This pause would allow local governments to allocate resources more effectively towards resolving these critical issues before further committing to long-term climate action goals.
Conclusion
While UBCM's commitment to environmental stewardship is worthy of recognition, it is imperative that the organization reconsiders its emphasis on “climate action,” in light of the immediate challenges faced by communities throughout British Columbia. By redirecting resources to address urgent local needs, UBCM can better serve its constituents and foster a more equitable and effective approach to governance.
Resolution on UBCM’s Climate Action Priorities
Whereas the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) has prioritized climate action initiatives, as outlined in the "Stretched to the Limit" report, which has implications for provincial priorities and resource allocation;
Whereas municipalities across British Columbia are currently grappling with critical issues such as homelessness, housing affordability, mental health crises, drug addiction, and overall affordability, all of which place immense strain on local resources;
Whereas the focus on climate action programs, including those facilitated by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI’s Partners for Climate Protection Program, may lead to a misallocation of resources that could otherwise address these urgent local needs;
Whereas the proposed policies and funding mechanisms, such as the reallocation of the Provincial Property Transfer Tax, may not directly address the immediate needs of communities and could potentially divert funds away from essential services;
Whereas the proposed sustainable development schemes may not provide direct or equitable benefits to all communities, particularly smaller and rural areas, and could exacerbate challenges in urban centers;
Whereas the immediate needs of communities, particularly in addressing social and economic challenges, should be prioritized above long-term global climate goals;
Therefore Be It Resolved That the UBCM reevaluate its current climate action priorities to ensure that they do not detract from the pressing and immediate needs of communities across British Columbia, particularly in areas of homelessness, housing, affordability, mental health, and drug addiction;
Be It Further Resolved That the UBCM encourage its members to engage in meaningful and extensive consultations with local communities to better understand and align its initiatives with the urgent needs of residents, ensuring that funding and resources are directed towards the most critical areas;
Be It Further Resolved That the UBCM encourage its members to consider a strategic pause on the implementation of certain sustainable development initiatives, as proposed by international bodies, until local governments have adequately addressed the most pressing social and economic challenges facing their communities;
Be It Finally Resolved That the UBCM encourage its members to adopt a balanced approach to governance, ensuring that immediate community needs are met while also considering long-term environmental stewardship, thus promoting a more equitable, responsive, and effective strategy for the well-being of all British Columbians.
THANK YOU MAGGIE FOR ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES unfortunately these people suffer from government employee syndrome which causes wide spread butt cheeks from sitting and whining about their terrible disposition. The whining is caused by inhalation of chem-trail metals and mnra blood-brain barrier breaches. This reduction in common sense is actually necessary to achieve Sweet F All in a 6 hr work day, and not giving a shit about taxpayers. This in preparation for collecting their taxpayer funded OMERS welfare cheques and brag about their achievements in farming out difficult things like preventing cow farts n stuff. The real workers are in the private sector, government employees are bought and sold by the highest bidder to ignore we the people. SORRY MAGGIE just a tad pissed off. Why do you even have to bring these valid points? Are they all fg stupid? CONTROL
Thanks john Tait www.watersheddebacle.ca
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for writing and publishing this article. The pure voice of Common sense which is sadly lacking these days. I think we, as BC residents, have collectively forgotten about the revenue our government receives from Gambling and Cannabis sales.
As of Jan 31 2023 our Province has raked in approximately $157 Million dollars in Cannabis sales. Cannabis was legalized in 2018.
The next incredible revenue generator for this Province is gambling. Since gambling became legal in Government operated Casinos in 1985, the BC Government has amassed over $1 Billion or more per year for the past 39 YEARS!!
It seems to me that the BC Government is making plenty of money to cover all our needs and that’s BEFORE personal income tax. As BC Residents we need to be asking our Government to account for all this revenue because by gosh we certainly have not benefitted from our Provincial Governments windfall.
So why the focus on Climate Crisis? Well that’s another story altogether. Climate Crisis has been manufactured by a group of Elites, a cabal really, bent on realizing a Global Government. A Totalitarian Government employing Fascism as its political ideology.
As a quick example; you may, or may not, have noticed people talking about “Chem” Trails on Social Media, providing pictures of these ‘tracks’ across the sky to low to be created by the condensation that you see behind the jets flying above 26,000 feet.
Chem Trails appear at much lower altitudes. The chemicals they are dumping into the atmosphere allows them to modify the existing weather to create storms where there are none, drought where it hasn’t previously existed, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes every nasty weather event since 1990 has been created by man, not by nature. The chemical soup they use in this process contains Silver Iodide a compound that is Bio Reactive, it messes with the DNA of all biological entities including us. The Elites do not care, maybe they want us to mutate in some way?
The Elites have been simulating Climate Crisis since 1990. They have also used weather modification to bring other countries to heal by affecting their food production by drought or flood.
Climate Crisis is their “excuse” for Global Government. The excuse for Elite rule over the planet and its people. Their agenda, Agenda 21, blames us for the state of the climate! I do not recall any worker bee individual on this planet who has been responsible for anything that could possibly impact our planet or our climate.
Greedy Elites, Governments & Corporations on the other hand are responsible for raping & killing the planet wherever they go, in the name of Capitalism. For them it’s all about Money. They do not care about us, we are less than human to them. Good for working, nothing else.
Unfortunately for the Elites, their 34 year brainwashing program didn’t work on all of us. We see what they are doing and we try to warn everyone. Elites labeled us ‘Conspiracy Theorists’ nut jobs with nothing better to do than poke holes in all their brilliant ideas and plans. There is indeed a conspiracy. A Conspiracy of Elites, 176 Governments, 300+ Corporate Partners and all of the Global Acronyms (UN, WEF, WHO, ICC, IMF & NATO).
Our lives have been a carefully manipulated lie for 34 years.
Today, We are at a turning point in Human evolution once again. There have been 5 mass extinctions (a loss of 75% of Earth’s species over a short time). Many believe we are currently in the final phase of a 6th mass extinction. What do you think? Is religions Armageddon a prophecy? A warning that if the Darkness of Greed, Power and Control succeed we will be “reset” for the 6th time? Quite possibly, yes.
This is just a super high level look at one small aspect of a much larger scale plan. I recommend every person visit weforum.org where you will find everything the Elite cabal has been up to. They already have their future ‘government’ councils set up. They use all the “buzz” words the Millennials and the Woke love to hear but if you really read into it you see that their “government’ is geared to them. We will be enslaved if we can work or executed if we can’t.
The grand pubah, Klaus Schwab, labeled those unable to work “Useless Eaters” can’t have those people around they cost money.
What can we do? Well we can’t fight them conventionally as they have all the weapons known to man. What they do not have is a collective majority. We, on the other hand CAN create a collective majority because we have numbers and they do not.
I have a lot of thoughts about that. If anyone is interested in learning more about our increasingly tenuous hold on any form of Democracy please visit The Great RESIST on Substack or TheGreatRESIST.01 at Signal.
We can stop the Elites from realizing their global regime. They have erroneously assumed that we are barely intelligent apes. I mean they gutted the education system 34 years ago for the purpose of “dumbing” down the population. That has been successful to be sure. Then they added Internet, Smartphones and Social Media to keep us busy and to create a subliminal indoctrination program.
Our soon to be new reality, if we do not unite and stop the Elites, has been foretold in every religious text out there.