A letter to the editor a couple of weeks ago castigated Delta council for doing "nothing for seniors in Delta." Well, this senior begs to differ.
Let's see. They pick up my garbage every week as well as my recyclables. They also pick up yard and organic waste - not personally of course, but their (our) staff arrange for it to happen.
Parks, Recreation and Culture operate the pools and local gyms and athletic facilities where many of us seniors fight the battle against advancing decrepitude. Seniors also are charged a lower admittance fee than the rest of the adult population.
They provide us with protection should some criminal wander west from Surrey.
They fund the fire department, which not only knocks down flames, but also now provides first responder service in Delta (although B.C. Ambulance Service isn't too pleased about the level of service provided).
They have prevented Fraser Health Authority from charging parking fees for visitors at Delta Hospital. Having visited several hospitals over the past few weeks, it was much appreciated not facing the nonsense employed at other hospitals in the region where parking is a barefaced cash grab. Thanks to Mayor Lois Jackson for winning this battle.
All these services are financed by property taxes from which seniors receive an extra discount. Can't cover your property taxes even at the reduced amount? No problem. Seniors can defer payment and be only charged an interest rate of one per cent per annum on the outstanding balance. Granted this boondoggle is a provincial initiative, but it is another sop for the elderly.
Perhaps the writer never leaves his tent and expects Delta council to bring him sustenance. If he is disabled, I am sure that Delta council would be pleased to direct him to the appropriate social agency. He might start with Deltassist.
The writer wants affordable housing, better walkways and a social planner - who can help him get out of his tent. I could probably agree the better walkways are needed, but I am not really sure what that means.
Is it really council's mandate to provide affordable housing for seniors? Most seniors who have lived in South Delta for a decade or three now have properties that are worth a multiple of what they originally paid. With South Delta single-family homes not being attainable for new families, it doesn't make sense to tax those just starting out to put money into senior housing.
If a senior decides to book a half-million-dollar (or more) taxfree capital gain on the sale of their primary residence, should council really be concerned about providing "affordable" housing for them after they have cashed out? It hardly seems reasonable or equitable to provide tax dollars to that segment of the population.
Not all citizens of Delta will, of course, win the real estate bonanza. But those who don't should be provided assistance that is universally available. No need to provide special consideration for seniors. The days have long passed when seniors require special consideration. Tom Siba, an ex-publisher of the Optimist, is a "gruntled" senior.
