British Columbia's “Boom” spreading worsening poverty

by Marco Procaccini

	Declining urban social infrastructure in Vancouver's East Side.

Two reports that had been released in September 2007, show that the current so-call “boom” in British Columbia, is not benefiting large number of people in BC, as increasing numbers of people are experiencing worsening poverty.

The B.C. Progress Board report, which had came been released in September 2007, showed British Columbia is falling behind the rest of Canada on issues like poverty, crime and other social conditions. This despite a public accounts report also released in September 2007 that showed the province’s budget surplus had ballooned to $4.1 billion.

“We have a crisis in homelessness in this province, and one in four children lives in poverty," says NDP Leader Carole James.

“With surpluses generated by high commodity prices and low interest rates, the Campbell government could be repairing some of the damage they’ve done to the social fabric of this province.”

Homeslessness in Vancouver with accompanying social malaise is growing at an alarming rate.

The Progress Board report showed that British Columbia ranks ninth among 10 Canadian provinces for social indicators. This province is second worst in the number of people living below the Low Income Cut-off.

The B.C. Progress Report’s 2007 Interim Report compares B.C.’s social condition to other provinces based on five categories: low-income cut off, personal property crime, income assistance levels, low birth weight, and long-term unemployment. B.C.’s overall ranking was ninth in Canada, with the second worst poverty and crime rate in the country.

When questioned about the report Wednesday, Finance Minister Carole Taylor admitted she had not read it.

During the July 11 Public Accounts press conference, Finance Minister Carole Taylor revealed that she had not bothered to read the B.C. Progress Board’s report that ranked B.C. ninth in Canada on the social condition of our population.

She also said that she didn’t know what benchmarks the Progress Board used to measure B.C.’s lagging performance. Those measurements include the poverty and crime rates, birth weight, and long-term unemployment.

Reference: Marco Procaccini is a writer with the Columbia Journal, LINK

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