For a moment let us agree there are three curtains to peek behind. 

Curtain one, My opinion. 

Curtain two Your opinion and behind

Curtain three a different view of reality we don’t want to embrace.

 

What if I told you there was no substance abuse problem?

No homelessness problem

No housing or affordable housing problem

No environment problem

No seniors affordable living problem

No justice system unfairness problem

No electoral system problems

No Healthcare problems

No taxation problem?

 

Yes these are but a handful of what we have classified as problems when they are not problems at all.  At first glance you would disregard every item I’ve listed.  Now think again from an open minded perspective.

The reason they are not problems is because they are symptoms of more serious problems.  An iceberg that doesn’t seem that big has most of its mass below the water line.

Most of the symptomatic problems are in the realm of social issues and the court of public opinion on what is acceptable behavior. 

The first sight of the rabid homeless problem using the iceberg analogy began when governments rid themselves of mental institutions except for those apt to commit violent crimes.  The tragedy was two fold.  First the only avenue for those in need was the street.  Even worse, they became prey to drug dealers and others who take advantage of them.    Saving money did not pan out so well as it’s cost way more financially, socially and the ultimate price of human misery and death.

Housing is an issue that requires a coordinated effort.  The usual term when addressing the problem is affordable housing.  We’ve solved that problem, there isn’t any.  What is left will leave carnage on a future wave.  Speculation, low interest rates supply and demand, a change in demographic looking for housing from purchase to renting is affected.  There is a change in the present use of housing as well.  Short term rentals and air B&B has shortened supply as well.  In addition there are offshore buyers who leave some accommodation vacant.  The biggest problem in my view came as a result of a lack of planning and anticipating change in the marketplace.  These are the surface problems there are likely more.  In my view the worst is yet to come as I believe we’re in a  housing bubble.

From the environment to seniors issues it’s the nature of politics to kick the can down the road.  Seniors, pharmacare, the environment, all pushed down the road for others to solve’ well for most we’re coming to the end of the road.  We’ve hit the checkered sign at the end of the gravel.

The worst of it is the fires, floods and high winds are worse and we can’t control them.  The social infrastructure problems are all coming due at once and we are hard pressed to afford what we have let alone what we need.  To make matters worse the minds of the people are fragmented and unpredictable.  Pardon me for the pun but while we are busy stomping out spot fires we are forgetting there is a main blaze.

Right now we need leadership at the national level and to have that we need cooperation and trust, the commodities we do not have at the moment.  Someone said to me what we need is a calamity.  Well we have fires, floods, high winds and COVID.

In closing I am an optimist. I believe there is a crop of leaders who will take up the torch.  I have often said if we do not make hard decisions, hard decisions will be made for us and they won’t be pleasant.  Being wasteful has a price and we are about to find out how much very soon.

 

Fred Steele