Last November, Spencer Herbert won the Provincial byelection in Vancouver Burrard for the New Democrats. The bulk of Herbert's support came from residents of Vancouver's West End, where the overwhelming majority of constituents rent, rather than own their homes. From this page's experience of living in the West End for three years, most of these people were seniors, students, and working people. The other major component of this riding (which will be divided into two for the 2009 election) would be the owners of expensive/overpriced condominiums in Yaletown, who solidly backed Liberal Lorne Mayencourt during the 2001 and 2005 votes.
One would think that an MLA with two such disparate and distinct groups in his riding would make sure that both of them would be heard, but in the case of West End renters, the evidence would clearly show otherwise. The Liberals' deliberate deaf ear towards British Columbians poised to lose their homes at the expense of greedy landlords smacks of the same bloodthirsty revenge politics Gordon Campbell inflicted on public sector workers when he took power in 2001. Put down one's enemies, or at the least make sure they stay put down, comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted.
For those of you scoring at home, this page couldn't give a rat's about the 'market value' of apartments in the West end, and Spencer Herbert is bang on in that rent increases shouldn't be allowed to go over 3.7% The near-death experience of the Olympic Village should have taught The Powers That Be a little something about the speculative nature of the market. This isn't EBay, these are people's home, and people shouldn't be expected or forced to bear what the market pretends to bear.
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