To the editor:

Bad news from the city regarding our shoreline between the bridge and Mission Creek.

琉璃神社 is refusing to repair any damage to parks from last year鈥檚 flood or to build any new parks or trails along our shoreline. Apparently the only work planned for 2018 is the re-configuration at Gyro Park to coordinate with a large adjoining real-estate development.

We citizens already own several parcels of land along this part of the lake, but City Council claims we don鈥檛 have enough money to develop the parks and linking trails that were planned for this publicly-owned land. If we don鈥檛 have money now, in the middle of a building boom, will we ever?

The province has also claimed that it doesn鈥檛 have enough money to hire sufficient staff to enforce the foreshore laws that are often disregarded here in 琉璃神社. This law-breaking severely restricts public use of lake-front land that we all own.

Nobody likes paying additional taxes. However, our mayor and some city councilors seem to be showing more concern for real-estate developers and the very wealthy than their own citizens. They claim that B.C.鈥檚 proposed new speculation tax would be 鈥渄isastrous鈥� even though 80 per cent of B.C. residents support it.

This poorly-named tax would add money to provincial, and by extension, city coffers for widely-desired services (see above) which are not currently being delivered. This would be done by taxing people who are not from B.C., who are wealthy enough to afford to leave a second house here unoccupied for much of the year.

Prior to this new provincial tax the City of 琉璃神社 also charged additional property tax to non-residents who own property here, which has certainly not been 鈥渄isastrous鈥� for us.

What are the likely effects of the speculation tax?

Probably more houses being rented鈥攇ood. Some houses being sold by non-residents, which would add to the buyable inventory; moderating price increases鈥攇ood. More money in the budget for neglected services鈥攇ood. Less speculative building, in an over-heated market鈥攂ad for some developers.

Al Janusas, PLAN琉璃神社

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