As we head into 2024, we already know it’s going to be a very challenging year both locally and globally.
Most times we’re excited to ring in a new year and look forward to many bright days ahead. But it’s getting harder to think that way in this day and age.
The high cost of just about everything will continue to be a serious problem. This has been coming to a head for a long time and even people making higher salaries than their jobs warrant are going to have trouble making ends meet.
The housing situation has become almost unbearable. It shouldn’t cost anyone such a large percentage of their wages to buy or rent a place to live.
The remedy by the Province to keep building houses faster to increase the supply is almost laughable. This will do absolutely nothing to bring prices down, even with that bogus ‘affordable housing’ label.
There’s also the continual drain on our water supply and the environment that our government seems to be ignoring. It’s still unclear whose needs we’re serving but you can bet persons from out-of-province and, indeed, out-of-country will be accommodated.
The Municipality of North Cowichan isn’t doing its residents any favours during this tough time by continually raising property taxes and there’s no end in sight, mainly because of some heavy financial commitments – like the monstrous police building – made during the past several years.
Taxpayers don’t have proverbial bottomless pockets and a more serious attempt needs to be made in years ahead to not automatically approve these hikes. Some councillors have suggested means of cutting back but are immediately chastised. Leadership has to come from somewhere to help ease the constant financial strain on residents.
The opioid drug crisis shows no signs of letting up. Perhaps a change with the current provincial coroner retiring and someone else taking up the task might help. Free drugs is no answer, but treatment is so that’s the direction that must be taken.
World affairs are becoming scarier so it’s hard to feel too hard done by here in the big picture with what’s going on in war-torn countries.