Dear editor,
I took the opportunity to sit through Thursdays’ public open house in Comox regarding the proposed development at the Quality Foods site and I walked away shaking my head in amazement at the selfishness and entitlement that has crept into our community.
Wave after wave of retiree stood at the podium and gave an impassioned plea to as to why their home, their life, their activities, their time and their space was more valuable than anyone else’s in our town and damn anyone, anywhere who has the gall to question their position.
No matter that the Comox Valley has seen the highest rate of increase in rental rates over the past year (10.8 per cent) or has the lowest vacancy rate in the province (1.4 per cent) or that our community has virtually no surplus housing to offer those that need it. No, it was pretty evident by that shameful display that the boomers are there to look after themselves and damn the single moms/dads, the elderly, the working poor and the at-risk population in the Comox Valley. There is a class war going on in communities across North America right now, a war between the boomer class of “haves” and the rest of us “have nots” who look longingly at properties with granite counters, double garages, private yards, and three bathrooms.
RELATED: Developer shocked at pushback: ‘It’s not like we’re building a meth lab’
No, Thursday’s open house in Comox was a pretty fair summation that one segment of our population is strictly there to look after their wants/needs and their property values and there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do to change their minds. That is a terribly sad inditement of our “me first, it’s all mine” society. Maybe we all should take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves if this is how we all want to be remembered?
Angela Bennett
Comox
