Response to Marianne Hobbes Driftwood Viewpoint “Drier Days to Have Impact” – April 26, 2023.
My responses to Ms. Hobbes various points.(I have italicized her text.)
Wow! Eric Booth sure dazzled us with lots of figures and formulae in his “WHU series: water talks” Viewpoint column last week.
It would be very instructive to know the sources for his data.
Point #1 – Mr. Booth’s statement that “there is a massive available water supply on the island” is countered by a 2019 report by the CBC which stated “for years drought and freshwater shortages have plagued Salt Spring Island.”
Ironically, he quotes no source, which appears to be good enough for Ms. Hobbes.
Point #2 – Whether you believe in climate change or not, simply referring to rainfall/snow melt information readily available on the CHEK News website shows that this area (southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) has definitely suffered from droughts that start earlier and last longer, without strong winter rains or snowfall. This impacts lakes, rivers and aquifers as they can be depleted.
Since the vast majority of precipitation occurs October through April, recharge of aquifers would increase, not decrease. As far as our creeks go, there would be little change during the summer months. We live in a Mediterranean climate zone. Dry creek beds are nothing new on the island, and, as it pertains to availability of groundwater for human consumption, there is little/no effect.
Point #3 – The National Geographic website states that all of the above require rain and snow melt to “recharge” and these “can be depleted if the amount of water drawn exceeds the source’s ability to recharge.”
Response – Very little “snow melt” is involved in aquifer recharge on the island. Our aquifers are the direct result of our rainfall.
Point #4 – An aquifer is a source of groundwater but water obtained from it is not necessarily potable and supply may not be reliable or long-lasting. Not all groundwater from an aquifer is safe. For example, there is a history of arsenic in well water on the island. Currently, as Health Canada fine-tunes its guidelines about potable water, manganese levels challenge the Cedar Lane Water District, with a need for remediation measures.
Response – In some areas levels of arsenic ARE above health levels, however, when indicated, water treatment systems are employed to remove it. Thus, the mere presence of arsenic is not a barrier to using water, just like the presence of manganese isn’t.
Point #5 – Mr. Booth seems to think that Lake Maxwell appears to be in good shape. Perhaps this has less to do with the water cycle than the good stewardship of North Salt Spring Waterworks management over the decades.
Point #6 – We are about to enter an El Nino weather event. The projections for all of B.C. strongly indicate that the province will be in for very hot, dry weather. CRD and NSSWD will be introducing stringent measures to reduce water usage in the districts they manage, to ensure sufficient water is available for basic needs.
Response – El Ninos come and go. There is no identifiable trend over the past 140 years. Every year conservation measures, either privately or publicly, are implemented for areas which are more water challenged than others.
It is interesting to note that the last time NSSWD did an audit on water consumption (2018), the trend was headed downwards, not upwards.
Point #7 – (While focusing on household water needs, Mr. Booth fails to mention water consumption used in agriculture, livestock maintenance, business and services such as hospitals, schools and police/fire departments. He also omits the impact of tourism on the island’s water draw during the driest months.) We seem to be at a crossroads: if we love the island and hope to see its natural areas preserved for the future, we must think very carefully. Mr. Booth appears to be advocating greatly increased development when our resources — and particularly water — will not support it.
Response – Yes, we are at a crossroads. Either our community actively seeks viable solutions to the servicing of new workforce housing, or this community will continue to wither and die the slow death it is clearly suffering at the moment.
Conclusion – There are a number of viable solutions available to us. However, like many others who choose to ignore the big picture, Ms. Hobbes offers none. It’s almost as if they actually want to turn Salt Spring into a park devoid of young working families. The only conclusion one can arrive at is their unspoken “solution” is to import workers from Vancouver Island on a daily basis.
With all due respect, that, ladies and gentlemen, is gentrification attitude exemplified.
Its been 3 years since I came before Trust Council and read the “riot act” (see 2020 presentation) regarding how the inefficiency of processing of development applications is costing taxpayers over $2 million a year (over 20% of the proposed 2023-2024 budget), primarily due to staff not following the long established cost recovery policy which stated, “(it) is intended to provide the principles by which cost recovery for extraordinary services beyond the fee schedule can be negotiated between an applicant and a local trust committee and implemented.”
So, in those 3 years, what has been done to address this “problem”?
In June 2020 the Director of Local Planning Services, responded to my claim policies were not being followed by staff, by, rather incredulously, stating that it was “impossible” for staff to follow the cost recovery policies…the very same policies which were written by staff, 30 years ago, in 1993, and which were specifically enacted by Council to ensure taxpayers would not be saddled with the cost of processing more complex applications.
Staff’s response begs a number of questions, none of which, to date, and to the best of my knowledge, have been either asked, or answered.
Question 1 – Why did it take my submission to Trust Council for staff to admit they were not following policies for 30 years?
Question 2 – When exactly did staff “realize” the policies they had written were allegedly “impossible” to follow – before or after Trust Council asked?
Question 3 – Subsequent to the response, did Trust Council ask its legal council for an opinion on whether the policies were impossible to follow as staff has suggested?
Question 4 – If in fact the existing policies were legally impossible to enforce, has Trust Council, over the past 3 years, acted to amend the policies to allow them to be used to protect taxpayers?
With all due respect, staff’s 2020 response does not pass the “smell test.”
We are asked to believe that for 30 years either:
(a) staff knowingly ignored the policies, or
(b) staff knew they were unenforceable and did not inform LTC’s, or
(c) staff were encouraged not to enforce them, or
(d) senior staff knowingly ignored the policy and/or
(e) staff were just incompetent and for 30 years didn’t pay any attention to policy.
I don’t know which of these is true…but at least one of them is, and Trust Council and taxpayers deserve an answer.
In any case, 9 Trust Councils, and all of the Local Trust Committees, from 1993 to 2020, were kept in the dark and uninformed, as the metric of inefficiency plummeted from an estimated 40% in 2007 to 7.4% in 2019. Conversely the burden on taxpayers continued to climb and is now, still, as I claimed, and using Trust data, over $2,000,000 a year.
This is not a minor problem. This is a major functional problem which should have been addressed long ago.
I have recently been made aware of a change in policy in June 2021, whereby the allegedly “impossible” cost recovery policies were conveniently repealed, and replaced with the policy to, quote “recover from applicants 100 per cent of the average cost of processing the development applications….Standard fees in Fees Bylaws are to be based on average processing costs, (and are to be) calculated as the product of staff labour costs multiplied by processing time (including Planner and administrative support). Standard application fees include estimated direct costs.” Unquote.
To date, Saturna and North Pender have not adopted the new fees bylaw, and are currently charging anywhere up to 45% less for the most expensive fees ($4400 vs $7800)
While the new policy sounds like an improvement on the surface, my questions now become:
Question 5 – The new policy is not a “directive policy.” In other words there is no requirement IN the “model fees bylaw” themselves for a Local Trust Committee to actually recover 100% of the average cost of processing an application. Given we already know the monetary consequences of having policies that were allegedly “impossible” to follow for 30 years, why do we now have a policy that does not concisely direct LTC’s to ensure the recovery of 100% of the average cost of processing?
Question 6 – I submit it is incumbent upon Trust Council to ensure the recovery of costs is actually occurring, and, there should be a reporting mechanism from each of the Regional Planning Managers on a monthly basis, indicating where cost recovery, over and above the application fees, has occurred. Otherwise, who is auditing the process to ensure the new policy is actually being implemented, and/or adhered to, by Islands Trust staff?
In other words, where is the “worksheet” mechanism, used by staff, which will ensure the policy’s intention is being achieved on each and every application, because I’m not seeing it yet, in spite of the pre-existence of the 15 worksheets.
Mathematically, if all the planners are required to “recover 100% of the average cost of processing applications,” there must be a mechanism.
Using the 2023-2024 projected fee revenue of $192,000, and dividing that by $60/hour = 3,200 hours = 426 days = 85 weeks = about 2 fulltime plannners (including holidays/vacations). Mathematically, that should be all the planners that are required to “recover 100% of the average cost of processing applications” in ALL Trust Areas.
Which begs Question 7 – How much was actually spent on application processing in 2022-2023? I submit the primary reason staff has been working at the reported less than 10% efficiency is, for whatever reasons, they are spending too much time on processing applications. There are two ways of solving that.
I have been dealing with the Islands Trust on a professional level for about 35 years, including my time as a developer, a land use planning consultant and a Trustee (2002-2005). It has been my observation from both outside, and inside, the organization that the Trust has had an ongoing problem with keeping planning staff. Salt Spring is a prime example. As a result of regular turnover, we have new planners, usually junior planners with little or no real world experience in planning, being dropped into a jurisdiction with a complicated OCP and land use bylaws.
My suggestion, given this is and has been an ongoing challenge, is to have Staff and the Local Trust Committees recommend to development application proponents that they contract with independent, land use contract planners to develop the staff reports necessary to process their applications. This is not an unknown or unusual event. Many applicants have previously contracted planners who, while being paid by the applicants, report directly to the Regional Planning Managers. The contract planners are certified Registered Professional Planners. The vast majority of these independent planners are well seasoned and are more experienced than the average Islands Trust planner.
The benefit of this direction would be three fold –
Firstly, it could save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, and quite possibly more than a million dollars per year.
Secondly, it would reduce the burden on Islands Trust staff’s time, which could free them up for dealing with all of the other non-application work. If the direction proves itself very successful, it would likely reduce the need for the existing number of Trust planners long term.
Thirdly, it would allow an applicant to proceed with an application in less time, given contract planners work like any contracted professional architect, engineer or construction contractor.
Thus, the applicants, the taxpayers, the Local Trust Committees and staff could benefit from this proposal.
My proposal will not cost the Trust or taxpayers a penny to implement. It would be implemented by staff simply suggesting to applicants they consider the benefit of saving time and money by using any RPP contract planner.
To assist the implementation, assembling a list of independent planners on Vancouver Island or Vancouver area, who would be prepared to work with the Trust would be beneficial to applicants.
As I stated at the outset, the underlying intent of the policy of cost recovery is to ensure that taxpayers do not have to subsidize developers, but rather that developers pay their fair share, while receiving fair value for service for the fees they pay.
So, I will leave you to consider and answer the questions I’ve raised and, consider the implementation of my proposal as an effective and efficient method of reducing the Trust’s budgetary requirements for the benefit of those who are paying the cost and salaries of the Trust – the taxpayers who, according to the Islands Trust Act itself, elected each and every one of you to represent their best interests.
Thank you and I would be happy to respond to any followup questions you may have.
Young Canadians’ dreams of owning their own home/apartment/farm has evaporated, as Federal and Provincial governments target billions for rental units, thus sentencing generations to serfdom.
That’s the problem.
Here is my “elevator pitch” solution:
Establish a national, not-for-profit organization (NNFPO) led by industry leaders in the fields of real estate, development, construction, engineering, and architecture.
The mandate of the NNFPO is to design and foster the implementation and construction of housing which will:
Last for generations
Be energy efficient
Be flexible with respect to building codes for different climactic areas of Canada.
Have a selection of designs that are engineered and pre-approved for construction.
The Federal and Provincial governments will provide mortgage funding on the following basis:
40 year amortized mortgages
Fixed Interest rate of 1%
Down payment of 5%
Mortgage payments to be minimum 30% of combined family income, adjusted on an annual basis.
No prepayment penalties
Proposed projects approved under the program will require no zoning, development permits or building permits from local governments. Any site shown to be service capable in an area of “housing need” meets the criteria. If a local government is concerned about a location they will be given 30 days to offer a suitable alternative location within their jurisdiction.
All housing under the program will be price covenanted to cap resale values by linking resales to the CPI in the geographic area of the individual projects using the Whistler Housing Authority model.
To qualify for purchasing housing through this program Canadians must be employed.
The NNFPO will contract with manufacturers to secure lowest price on construction materials for approved projects.
By creating workforce, ownership housing for working Canadians, rental units currently occupied by workers will be freed up for other Canadians who are not working.
Workers get to build equity in their homes, as has been the Canadian “norm” until recently.
The program incentivizes working to get ahead.
If you have any ideas to add, please feel free to comment.
3/19/20 On this date I messaged a pharmacist friend of mine….
Me – Hi ya…quick question…is cholorquine something the pharmacy keeps in stock or would it have to be ordered in? Just read the latest released study on it with respect to Covid19 and it looks extremely promising…US is evidently going ahead with it as treatment….so I is just curious as to availability for anyone on the island if someone does come down with it. E
Pharmacist friend– Hi! Yes it is available. Interesting. Usually used for malaria. I’ll have to read up that. Thanks!
President Trump announces the FDA will fast-track approval of unproven coronavirus treatments, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
“The nice part is, it’s been around for a long time, so we know that if it — if things don’t go as planned, it’s not going to kill anybody,” Trump says at a task force briefing.
The drugs are already in short supply in the U.S., as word spreads of their potential benefit to COVID-19 patients. Manufacturers say they are ramping up production.
3/20/20
Pharmacist friend- “Chloroquine is suddenly not available to retail pharmacies. I’m thinking the government has redirected all stock to hospitals. That’s good news if it works.”
Me -“I’m guessing Canada and the US are working very closely together on strategy. The sooner they can get more test results the better.”
3/24/20
Me – “Hi. Just came across this.” (letter from Dr. Zelenko)
Pharmacist friend – “Oh God! What drivel! I can’t believe people fall for this.”
03/24/20
Following up on the post regarding Hydroxychloroquine from 5 days ago. Updates –
Data published online March 17, 2020, in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, shows that patients who were given 200mg HCQ, three times/day for 10 days, had significant clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the nasopharynx compared with non-treated controls, and that effect was enhanced when azithromycin was added. Of 46 patients, 26 were treated with HCQ vs. 16 controls. While six patients in the HCQ group were lost to follow up, 70% of patients treated with HCQ were clear of their virus at day six vs. 12.5% of controls. When azithromycin was added, 100% of patients treated with the combination cleared their virus vs. 57.1% of patients treated with HCQ only.
An in vitro cell culture experiment, published by a Chinese team led by Xueting Yao, M.D., of Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, March 9, 2020, tested the pharmacological activity of chloroquine vs HCQ on Vero cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. Results showed HCQ was more potent than chloroquine at inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Based on physiologically based pharmacokinetic models, a loading dose of 400 mg HCQ orally twice per day on day one followed by 200 mg twice a day on day 2 through day 5 is recommended.
The March 18, 2020, MMWR Report early release data confirm ages 19 and younger are at lower risk, while those ages 65 years and older are at high risk if exposed to this virus, Dr. Fallon Friedlander, notes. “I think their findings substantiate a risk that has been downplayed previously: Yes, 80% of deaths have occurred in those >65, but that means that the 20% of deaths occur in those 20-64 years of age,” she says. “We need to share that info with those found partying and ignoring social distancing protocols. Members of this age group must be aware they can get sick, and they can spread disease to others, even if they aren’t feeling so bad.” “While the literature cited suggests there may be utility of hydroxychloroquine in both post-exposure prophylaxis and therapy of active disease,” says Ted Rose, M.D., “Keep in mind this treatment has not been verified in a rigorous randomized controlled study. Prevention of spread is still paramount. “At this point in time, social distancing is the most effective way we can combat the spread of COVID-19,” he adds. “Any way you can contribute to that concept will be of value, including reducing the number of patients coming for face to face office visits. Postpone elective procedures, delay return visits for stable established patients, and practice teledermatology in any way and as often you can.” Dr. Fallon Friedlander adds, “Amidst all these fears, there is some good news. The FDA’s approval of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for research and compassionate use identifies off-label options involving these two relatively innocuous drugs. Preliminary trials utilizing these antimalarials with azithromycin suggest that this combination therapy may provide even more hope. As Dr. Rosen points out, this does not diminish the importance of evaluation.” Finally, in the commentary, Dr. Martin says, that based on the data, if confronted with patients with COVID-19, he would administer HCQ 200 mg TID for 10 days. Regarding HCPs working on the “front line” treating hospitalized patients, based on available studies, he is recommending prophylaxis with HCQ 200 mg BID indefinitely until the pandemic is over. Current studies are underway looking at HCQ prophylaxis. Additionally, and based on influenza data, supplementing with Zinc and treating with Zicam intranasal spray several times daily with the goal of minimizing nasopharyngeal colonization might be worth considering.
“Here we propose an old drug chloroquine (CQ) to be urgently repositioned as an ideal antiviral prophylactic against COVID-19. CQ has ability to block viral attachment and entry to host cells. Its proven clinical efficacy against a variety of viruses including COVID-19 and its current deployment in COVID-19 therapeutic trials strengthens its potential candidacy as a prophylactic. Furthermore, CQ has a long safety record, is inexpensive and widely available. Here we reviewed CQ’s antiviral mechanisms, its laboratory efficacy activity against COVID-19, as well as CQ’s pharmacokinetics in its established use against malaria and autoimmune diseases to recommend safe and potentially efficacious dose regimens for protection against COVID-19: a pre-exposure prophylaxis of 250-500mg daily and post-exposure prophylaxis at 8mg/kg/day for 3 days.” https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0279/v1
We the undersigned agree with New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio that all levels of government should work together to ameliorate the COVID-19 pandemic by developing an early treatment to minimize the effects of the virus and reduce its communicability by decreasing viral shedding with the use of Hydroxychloroquine: Anika Ackerman MD Urology Joseph Addeo MD Oncology Munir Ahmed MD Orthopedics Niran Al-Agba DO Pediatrics Frank Alario MD Internal Medicine Sharon Carswell MD Family Medicine Kimberly Corba MD Family Medicine Doug Crane MD Internal Medicine Madeline Danny DO Family Medicine Philip DeFina PhD Neuroscientist Clinical Research US ARMY Intel Anthony Dippolito MD MBA General & Colorectal Surgeon John Eck MD Family Medicine Josephine Feingold MD Emergency Medicine Ken Fisher MD Family Medicine Chris Garofalo MD Family Medicine David Gee MD Family Medicine Helen Gelhot MD General Surgery Eric Gerwirtz MD Anesthesiology Yvette Gozzo MD Pulmonology Karladine Graves DO Family Medicine Wayne Graves DO Emergency Medicine Lee Gross MD Family Medicine Avinash Gupta MD Cardiology James Halper MD Neuropsychiatry & Internal Medicine Scott Hardiman MD Otolaryngology Kris Held MD Ophthalmology Travis Hendricks MD Infectious Disease Bindukumar Kansupada MD Cardiology Cameron Knackstedt DO Family Medicine Herbert Kunkle, Jr MD Orthopedic Surgery Steve Kupferburg MD Otolaryngology Lee Kurisko MD Radiology Guru Lamba MD Hematology Oncology Katarina Lindley DO Family Medicine Jennifer Lorine DO Family Medicine/Neuromuscular Med OMT Lee Merritt MD General Surgery, US Navy Winslow Murdoch MD Family Medicine Katherine Newland MD Emergency Medicine Lisa Norberg DO Family Medicine Fred Notarnicola MD Internal Medicine Sheila Page DO Neuromuscular & Skeletal, AAPS President Texas Kirit Kumar Pandya MD Urology Prashant Parikh MD Primary Care Philip Pattison MD Gastroenterology Danae Powers MD Anesthesiology Lee Pressler MD Urology Samuel Putnam MD Interventional Radiology, US Army Flight Surgeon Raj Raval MD Physiatrist, Interventional Pain Luis Rodriguez Jr MD Interventional Radiology Scott Roethle MD Anesthesiology Sohayla Rostami DO General Surgery Resident James Rowsey MD Ophthalmology Christine Saba PharmD MD Pediatrics Vinod Sanchetti MD Internal Medicine Nikki Silverstein MD Ophthalmology Marilyn Singleton MD JD Anesthesiology Pat Smith MD Gynecology Reed Smith MD Internal Medicine Douglas Spiel MD Interventional Pain Radiology Joel Strom DDS Dentist James Thomas MD MBA Interventional Radiology, Naval Flight Surgeon Teresa Thomas MD Internal Medicine Josh Umber MD Family Medicine Kip VanCamp DO Interventional Radiology Craig Wax DO Family Medicine Vicki Wooll MD MPH Family Medicine, Epidemiology Marlene Wust-Smith MD Pediatrics Source – https://www.insidernj.com/…/top-doctors-join…/ It is early days, but, there appears to be both growing support for the trials being conducted, and, some preliminary positive results. Let’s see what happens over the next couple of weeks…this is a developing story. Fingers crossed… One last note…if you’re going to comment, please keep politics out of the thread.
3/25/20
Pharmacist friend – Sorry, that didn’t come out right. First, anyone could have written that letter. Second, if this is a legitimate document, one rogue doctor – or even 100 – deciding to prescribe medicine without credible scientific evidence, does not mean that it is the right thing to do. Maybe it will be. And I truly hope that the science can prove that this is the right thing to do as rapidly as possible. But the doses required to treat Covid are approaching a level of toxicity that could be lethal in certain individuals. For example, people with underlying heart conditions and diabetes would experience heart failure at these doses. Even at low doses those medicines can be lethal. The cure could be more deadly than the disease. Both the College of Physicians and the College of Pharmacists are directing pharmacists to refuse to fill Rx’s of these drugs if we see them being prescribed for “self”, “spouse”, or “office use”. Not all doctors practice true Evidence-based Medicine and this is where we get disasters like “Vaccines cause Autism”. Unfortunately, science takes time. I’m sure that every brain available is putting every effort into finding answers, and these are the kind of times when breakthroughs do occur. Let’s all just keep a cool head and trust science.
Me – That’s what I’m hoping for…the totality of 21st Century technology, science and medicine being applied. Fingers tightly crossed…
03/28/20 Warning – There are preliminary indications that use of Hydroxychloroquine may actually exacerbate TDS(Trump Derangement Syndrome), including the likelihood of symptoms worsening for the next 7 months. TDS sufferers are recommended to self-isolate from MSM and social media to reduce negative reactions which include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, irritability, and flustering. It is estimated as many as 50 million may be negatively affected in the USA alone.
04/08/20 Update on hydroxychloroquine…Found a site that is posting reports about its use worldwide…Still looks very promising. – https://twitter.com/niro60487270 NOTE – ACCOUNT SUSPENDED ON TWITTER
04/09/20
Imagine if someone announced they had found a cure for the majority of cancers, and, that the cure was being utilized worldwide right now with amazing results, saving thousands of lives. That analogy is what appears to be happening right now with hydroxychloroquine and zypak in the treatment of Covid19. Country after country the reports are starting to come in – France, Turkey, Malaysia, New York, China, Italy…. The next couple of weeks will tell whether HCQ is the game changer.
04/09/20
How much better is the mortality of the cohort at Raoult’s Mediterranee Infection, where they treat with Hydroxychloroquine + Zypak, than other places?
More Good News on Hydroxychloroquine Treatment Professor Paolo Zanotto on the new Brazil study results: Of the 224 (who refused treatment, control group), 12 were hospitalized (5.4 %) . And of these 12 hospitalized, 41% died (5 people). Of the 412 (receiving HCQ), 8 were hospitalized, zero deaths.
Russia (145m people) has the 3rd highest number of Covid cases: 232,000. It has adopted hydroxychloroquine by decree on April 16. https://bit.ly/2Wr0kfv If HCQ is therapeutically active, a trend break in clinical outcomes should be visible by now. Here it is. Anecdotal still?
Me – Post on Facebook – Looks relatively promising, doesn’t it? “Russia adopts hydroxychloroquine 6 weeks after Morocco and Turkey. Same action. Same result. France as an illustrative no-action baseline. More data points in that chart than in all HCQ clinical trials combined.”
05/20/20
Me – Post on Facebook -Just saw a PSA which stated, “Here’s a simple test to see if you are being brainwashed by fake news, conspiracy theorists, or mainstream media. Has the use of hydroxychloroquine and zinc as a prophylactic treatment for early stage symptoms of Sars-Cov-2 : (a) now been shown worldwide to be extremely effective, and is being recommended by many doctors? or (b) dangerous, even with a doctor’s prescription, to anyone who is stupid enough to use it, or stupid enough to suggest using it to help block the virus? Make a note of your answers for future reference.”
As anyone who has been following my posts for the past couple of months, you will know I have expressed support for the use of hydroxychloroquine in conjunction with zinc. HCQ is the transport vehicle for getting zinc into cells where it stops the viral replication of Sars-Cov-2. Timing – The use of HCQ and zinc works well at first onset of symptoms and prior to the onset of severe symptoms. That time window is in the first 5 days. After the onset of severe symptoms (and hospitalization) convalescent plasma therapy appears to be the best treatment. In the last couple of days WHO has announced pausing HCQ trials worldwide due to concerns over side effects as published in Lancet. I just took a look through the study (see below) and did a word search for “zinc” in the paper. Zero results. I then looked for the dosages of HCQ used – all between 596mg and 795mg. The recommended HCQ dosage by those having success with the virus is 200mg of HCQ twice a day for a total of 400mg. Thus, the trial amounts of HCQ are 50% to 100% higher than recommended. In other words, the side effects which are being reported are evidently likely a result of taking too much. WHO decided why the dosages in the trials were prescribed to be so high, and why was zinc not included? Its like these trials were specifically designed to fail and to suggest that HCQ’s side effects are due to HCQ and not the dosages given, nor the time frame administered. THELANCET.COM http://www.thelancet.com https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736(20)31180-6&fbclid=IwAR3Xn_7Ug2QK9vI6XofSjrAjFkWx5oVxgNooLBxiNveVjFsIxelS3t_yi9M
Blockbuster report on the recent Lancet scandal regarding Hydroxychloroquine. Wake up everyone…. “If this continues, we are not going to be able to publish any more clinical research data because pharmaceutical companies are so financially powerful; they are able to pressure us to accept papers that are apparently methodologically perfect, but their conclusion is what pharmaceutical companies want.” (Dr. Richard Horton) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYgiCALEdpE
06/13/20
In the “Are You F***ing Kidding Me?” category of science, comes this report. The trial in question was using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) at a dosage amount which was evidently 6 times higher than the dosage used for malaria (2400mg vs 400mg) on the first day, and then twice the dosage on the following days (800mg). The standard dosage for lupus patients using HCQ is 400mg. The MAXIMUM dose is 400mg for lupus and 600mg for rheumatoid arthritis. It appears the study’s authors may actually have mistaken the recommended dosage for hydroxyquinoline (HXQ) with those of HCQ. A 2400mg dose of HCQ could be fatal. In addition, the HCQ was not used in conjunction with zinc which has been shown to be extremely effective in other studies with HCQ. IF the dosage “mistake” is confirmed, the researchers in control should lose their licenses for malpractice. The study has been stopped for unstated “safety concerns.” This will be an ongoing story…. http://www.francesoir.fr/politique-monde/interview-exclusive-martin-landray-recovery-hydroxychloroquine-game-over-uk
06/28/20 Hydroxychloroquine update: 49 studies (29 peer reviewed) indicate efficacy of early prophylactic use. Zinc sulphate is also indicated as a co-factor in successful early treatment. https://c19early.org/
06/29/20 Hmmm…Gilead just announced how much per patient their Remdesivir treatment will cost – $3,120.00 This is compared to hydroxychloroquine, zinc and Azithromycin treatment of less than $50.00. Big Pharma promoted by Fauci and company…it’s almost as if there’s a financial motive behind hyping Remdesivir while ignoring HCQ cocktail. — feeling thoughtful. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drug-remdesivir-to-cost-3-120-for-typical-patient-on-private-insurance-11593428402
07/03/20
Update. New study. Hydroxychloroquine plus zinc plus Azithromycin = 5 TIMES FEWER DEATHS if used early when symptomatic. Anyone listening yet, because everyone should be. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202007.0025/v1
07/13/20 Interesting….not one single person I know who is prescribing masks for everyone/everywhere has, to the best of my knowledge, posted a single article about the benefits of Hydroxychloroquine/zinc sulfate/Azithromycin cocktail, or Budesonide, or Vitamin D deficiency, or the connection Covid has with blood sugar levels…its almost as if they aren’t interested in a cure or a treatment or boosting their immune systems…they’d rather you just cover your face. https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/109060487_10157119818166786_3237380508385538254_n.jpg
07/21/20
Comprehensive (248 page) report on the early use of Hydroxychloroquine, zinc and Azithromycin for symptoms and prophylaxis in Covid19 patients by Harvard, Yale and New York doctors. https://files.internetprotocol.co/ebook-covid-19.pdf
07/24/20 Remdesivir fails…Hydroxychloroquine/zinc sulfate/Azithromycin cocktail still the winner.
More Good News from International Journal of Infectious Diseases – New observational study finds HCQ + AZ associated with a 66% reduction in risk of death as compared to controls; the analysis also suggests a larger effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in patients with less severe COVID-19 disease. https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30600-7/fulltext
08/01/20 Quick background on the retracted Lancet study on hydroxychloroquine… It has yet to be determined if the bogus study was politically motivated…however, the question would be, if not political, why would someone create a shell company to publish BS that arguably could cost people their lives? https://twitter.com/drsimonegold/status/1289717020548726787
08/03/20 4.6 billion people live in countries where chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine is recommended for Covid19…chances are you are not living in one of those countries…yet.
Zinc is the bullet, Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin are the guns (transporters). If you only use HCQ you are effectively shooting blanks. The next time someone tells you the efficacy of HCQ has been debunked, ask them if the study(ies) they are referring you to included zinc. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924857920304258
Good News from Ohio – “In Ohio…a ban on hydroxychloroquine is being reversed….The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has reversed a rule that would prohibit the sale of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment or prevention of coronavirus.” https://medicalfreedompac.com/ohio-hcq-ban
01/31/21
How the Hydroxychloroquine Scandal Wrecked America and the World Along With It ROGER L. SIMON January 31, 2021 Updated: January 31, 2021 You don’t have to be Emile Zola to say “J’accuse!” I accuse—in no particular order—Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ nominee and frequent Wuhan, China visitor/collaborator Dr. Anthony Fauci; the Democrat Party (aka the “party of science”) and their nauseating, self-congratulatory leadership; the mainstream media and all their pompous, even more self-congratulatory “ships at sea” from the New York Times to CNN; Dr. Birx and whatever bureaucrat from the CDC was showing his/her face this week; the endless echo chamber in practically every health department in all fifty states; the foreign health departments that largely echoed that echo chamber; Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York (more of him in a moment); Governor Whitmer of Michigan; that atrocious governor of Nevada whose name I can’t remember or bother to look up…. I could go on… all of whom participated in what has emerged to be what is indisputably the greatest national, no, international, health disaster of our time—the Hydroxychloroquine Scandal. This shameful distortion of medical science was emblematic of how politics not only crept into the treatment of the CCP virus, it bludgeoned that treatment and resulted in untold thousands, perhaps millions, of deaths while simultaneously making life unbearable for an even greater number across the globe—in fact, for practically everyone. All of those mentioned above either dismissed or heavily downplayed “hydroxy”—a cheap anti-malarial drug, also used for lupus, that had been around for decades and is known to have minimal side effects—for the treatment of COVID-19. Why? As most of us are aware, a man they thought an ogre, whom they despised, who knew nothing of science, recommended it—President Donald J. Trump—so it had to be disdained. And yet hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) apparently did and does work in many instances, if taken early in the illness. This was known way back in June 2020 when the esteemed British medical journal Lancet retracted its support of a dubious study it had published opposing the use of HCQ. “We all entered this collaboration to contribute in good faith and at a time of great need during the COVID-19 pandemic. We deeply apologise to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.” This apology, made eight months ago, was largely ignored by the mainstream media because it didn’t fit their narrative. And, worse yet, it might have benefited the nefarious Trump. At the same time, many independent doctors were insisting that HCQ was working for them with real patients. They were similarly dismissed by a rabid press that had neither the inclination nor skills to investigate. (Laura Ingraham, to her credit, featured several of these doctors on her cable show.) Meanwhile, thousands, if not millions, died across the globe who needn’t have. How many we will never know but it’s a safe assumption a good number could have been spared. The pervasive use of this drug might not have entirely saved us from COVID, but it could arguably have reduced the pandemic to the level of a bad year of flu. Whatever the truth, an apposite description for what happened might be outrageous. And now the equally-esteemed American Journal of Medicine in its January 2021 edition has finally admitted the same thing. HCQ often worked. Immediate administration of the drug while the patient was still at home showed significant benefits, they said. Where were they during the Year of the Pandemic? Oh, never mind. Politics is more important. So what if there’s a little collateral damage like a country, a world actually, being locked down with children being kept out of school, economies failing, myriad businesses closing never to return, mass unemployment, and, not surprisingly, a spike in suicides, not to mention illnesses, some terminal, being untreated that normally were? And, needless to say, when it comes to medical science, what is declared true in the United States has serious ramifications across the globe because “the whole world is watching,” and often imitating, what happens here. Everyone pays attention, unfortunately, in this case, too much attention. After all, they got to hear quarantine faker Chris Cuomo set things to right, ridiculing the idiocy of hydroxychloroquine on CNN International. Speaking of which, and speaking of politics bludgeoning medical science, we have new disturbing (to put it mildly) information about his brother, Governor Andrew Cuomo, the man who paraded himself daily and endlessly, with constant media fawning, on television as the savior of New York, possibly the nation. We now learn this mega-narcissist was all the while underplaying—by roughly fifty percent—the nursing home deaths for which he was at least partly responsible. And we were so informed by a Democrat New York State Attorney General, of all people. (Unlike the MSM, she should be applauded for having the guts to tell the truth.) Being a fake must be the family business. It’s a classic case of “what did he know and when did he know it,” but don’t expect to have an answer to that question any time soon. (Gov. Cuomo, dismisses his AG’s report, pointing his finger, you may be shocked to hear, at the previous administration.) So where are we? Not in a happy place, I’m afraid, though, thanks to the “election” of Joe Biden, political leaders who previously instituted the most onerous of lockdowns are suddenly lightening up. Your favorite corner Thai place may actually survive. Be pleased about that and try to enjoy the benefits of hypocrisy. But be extra careful when that so-called “party of science” continues to sell you its bill of science goods as the new administration’s “climate envoy” John Kerry just did, asserting this year’s climate summit in Scotland is the world’s “last best chance” to avert climate catastrophe. I have a suspicion, as cartoonist Josh wittily observes (check it out here), that there will be many more “last best chances” to come. Roger L. Simon is an award-winning novelist, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, co-founder of PJMedia, and now, editor-at-large for The Epoch Times. His most recent books are “The GOAT” (fiction) and “I Know Best: How Moral Narcissism Is Destroying Our Republic, If It Hasn’t Already” (nonfiction). Find him on Parler (he hopes again, soon) @rogerlsimon Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
06/20/22
In March 2020, Apotex Canada donated 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to be used in a study of its effect on frontline health workers. I tried to find the results of the study and couldn’t….until today when I came across this April 2021 report: “Overall Status: Terminated [Due to unproven issues associated with hydroxychloroquine use and safety, further complicated by media and political misinformation which in effect rendered all global studies on HCQ to stop enrolling participants.]”
So, due to some studies using toxic amounts of HCQ, and the resulting media misinformation that HCQ is toxic (when it has a proven safety record at 400mg/day) the study, and others, were thwarted.
This is how misinformation in MSM, sponsored by Big Pharma, plays a role in keeping Big Pharma in control of the narrative.
I wrote a detailed analysis of HCQ studies, and how “scientists” misused HCQ in many studies, while in others, when combined with zinc supplementation, HCQ was shown to be effective….the devil is in the details. https://islandstrust.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/hcq-and-zinc.pdf
09/07/22 Its almost as if Big Pharma didn’t want competition and put pressure on the College of Physicians and Surgeons to delicense any doctor who dared saving their patients with either Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine (and zinc)…. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35070575/
Here is an example of the, for lack of a better term, absurdity that is occurring at the North Salt Spring Waterworks District Board these days…
“A discussion was held on how to raise awareness of the consequences of water leaks. Suggestions put forward included providing information on the website, advertising in the Driftwood, updating the Welcome Package, and confirming contact information including business numbers.
Moved by Gary Gagne – …the Board directs staff to amend the leak allowance policy to allow for up to six weeks to apply for a leak allowance subject to proof being provided that the leak was fixed within 30 days.
Seconded by Chris Dixon,
Approved by All”
The absurdity in this is you have a Board that has ignored their own 20,000,000 gallon leak(s) PER YEAR in the St. Mary Lake system literally for decades, which, the last time I looked was far beyond 30 days.
Every month we get a report from NSSWD about how water is scarce….no bloody wonder with a 20 million gallon a year leak.
PS – That is 20 million gallons of TREATED WATER from our new treatment plant.
PPS – What does it cost ratepayers to treat 20 million gallons of water each and every year that we get no return from? Best guess about $800,000/year.
The Islands Trust has a long and challenging history of retaining planning staff. Currently I understand Salt Spring’s planning department is short 3 planners. As a result we have typically ended up with junior planners filling in the vacancies.
As of 2007, per the Stantec Report, planning staff was working at less than 40% efficiency, arguably at least partly due to junior planners and high turnover.
As of the 2019 budget, planning staff was working at less than an 8% efficiency, costing taxpayers over $2 million/year…about 20% of the entire Trust budget…to process development applications.
It is time for Trust Council to deal with this…and there is a simple solution readily available for immediate implementation.
For years, it has been an option for development applicants to hire an independent “contract planner” (ICP) in order to have the ICP to work with the applicant and prepare a Staff Report on the applications for the Regional Planning Manager’s approval, prior to its submission to the Local Trust Committees. The applicant pays the ICP, who reports directly to the RPM.
My recommendations for Trust Council are to direct staff to:
(a) obtain a list of qualified, independent contract planners available on Vancouver Island.
(b) promote every development applicant to use an ICP whenever possible
(c) explain to applicants that, by using an ICP, their application will be dealt with faster
(d) explain to applicants that the cost of their application fee will, in most cases, cover the cost of processing the application as per the Work Order sheets’ time estimates.
This would cost the Trust $0.00 to implement, with a potential savings of over $2,000,000/year.
Eric Booth, Salt Spring Island Local Trustee 2002-2005.
These are two links to the historical background on this issue –
A “local trustee” is elected to represent the electors of the Trust Area they represent. As a local trustee they are one of three members of a corporation – e.g. the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee.
Sitting on that corporation, their duty is to represent their electors.
When the local trustees from all 13 Trust Areas meet together, they form another corporate body – Islands Trust Council. At Islands Trust Council their duty is to represent their electors.
And this is where the train starts to go off the tracks.
Four of the elected local trustees are elected to sit as “persons” on the Executive Committee. As soon as they do, IMO, the first of a couple of conflicts of interests are created.
How can someone who is a representative of the electors of a Trust Area also be a representative of a corporate body that is at once comprised of 26 people sitting in their capacity as Trustees, also sit as one of 4 Executive Committee members? This is a dual capacity situation.
Example – When the Chair of the Islands Trust Council speaks, is he representing his constituents, or the corporate body, Islands Trust Council? This duality does not occur in any other local government, or any provincial or federal government level. An MLA who is elected to be part of the provincial government, can be a minister in the government, because it is the same corporate body – “His Majesty the King, in right of the Province of British Columbia.”
Now, we move into the second conflict. When an Executive Committee member sits on a local trust committee, in what capacity are they acting? Technically it is in the capacity as a member of the Islands Trust Council corporate body. Thus, the Local Trust Committee is comprised of a corporate member from Islands Trust Council, and the two locally elected trustees.
However, how can an Executive Committee member put aside their Local Trustee viewpoints, which they were arguably elected to represent, when they sit at the Local Trust table?
Example – Executive Committee Vice Chair “A” is from “Island X” and thinks all short term vacation rentals should be outlawed on Island X. When they sit as a Chair on Island Y, how do they put aside their settled opinion when faced with being a tie breaker on Island Y? In this example, the very fact that the question of STVR’s is before Vice Chair A, should be enough to have them declare their biased opinion, which may affect the electorate of Island Y.
Once again, this situation never arises in any other local, provincial or federal government level.
Simoultaneous roles in two, separate, government corporations which are interconnected should not be allowed.
These are inherent flaws in the current Islands Trust “unique” system of governance which should be examined, and corrected, in a Provincial review of the governance.
A little “recent” history of the Ganges Boardwalk. (recent since it actually started in 1988)
The following are extracts from CRD, Islands Trust and Driftwood reports….
The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (SSI LTC) added Ganges Village Area Plan to its work program as a top priority in June 2013.
A project charter was developed following meetings with senior CRD staff and the Community Economic Development Commission. Grant funding was sought including from the Union of BC Municipalities Community to Community Forum for early engagement with First Nations.
Based on feedback from early engagement and funding results, the SSI LTC focused developing a Ganges Village Plan first on developing a Ganges boardwalk.
In 2014 a revised project charter was drafted in consultation with the CRD and with help from a contracted management consultant.
A volunteer Ganges Harbour Walk Steering Committee was created, broad and ongoing discussions with upland land owners commenced, a concept design was commissioned and a bylaw drafted (Bylaw 491).
Jan. 27&30, 2016- Special Business Meetings for community engagement
Feb. 11, 2016 – LTC direct staff to draft bylaw; to consult with PARC to change zoning of Pecks cove to PR4(a); rescind the resolution requesting an appraisal; and develop a Terms of Reference for a Joint Task Force
March 10, 2016-LTC give first reading to Bylaw 491 and sent for referrals
10.3 Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Bylaw No. 491 Referral (for Response) MA-2016-024 It was Moved and Seconded that Mayne Island Local Trust Committee interests are unaffected by Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee Bylaw No. 491. CARRIED
April 26, 2016 – Planner Chloe Fox contracted to advance project deliverables
July 28, 2016 – Planner Jason Youmans assigned to file
August 3, 2016 – Project update received from Chloe Fox. Planner Youmans reviewing work to date and next steps March 10, 2016-LTC give first reading to Bylaw 491 and sent for referrals
September 15, 2016 – Communications with land owners and other stakeholders. Communications with CRD. Anticipate report to LTC October 13 meeting.
November 15, 2016 – Trustee Grove and Planner Youmans meet Ganges Marina owners
June 1, 2017 – LTC directed planning staff to prepare information materials for community engagement about the scale and type of development the community would want to see on the properties upland from the boardwalk.
The result of that was the beginning of the backtracking on Bylaw 491 by the Trustees and the CRD Director.
In the spring of 2018, the SSI LTC wrote to the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development advising of Salt Spring community’s desire to see renewal of Ganges Marina water lease made contingent on securing the harbourwalk route for public use.
The SSI LTC, and subsequently the CRD, applied for a statutory right of way within which a harbour walk can be constructed.
January 27, 2019 CRD Director Gary Holman reported he had written to the Province and recommended that the renewal of the foreshore leases be dependent upon the securing of a public Right of Way in front of the upland property owners.
On October 1, 2019, the SSI LTC removed Ganges Village Planning – Harbourwalk from the Top Priority List and placed it on the projects list.
May 26, 2020 – Despite the “demotion” to the projects list, the project still receives minor attention through communication with the Ganges Harbourwalk Steering Committee and responding to communications such as received by the SSI LTC in April and May 2020.
Bylaw 491 remains at first reading and could be elevated back to a top priority for consideration of amending in order to consider the Ganges (and Salt Spring) Marina’s request for float homes. CRD communications indicate their support in the process and “look forward to providing input from the various local commissions in an effort to coordinate impacts on utilities and help obtain community consensus” (attachment 2).
Priorities and Resources Village Planning has been an SSI LTC strategic priority since August 2019. However, Ganges Village Planning has been a top priority since 2013 with a focus on the harbourwalk, since 2014.
The top priority was placed on the projects list late in 2019 which gave room to, eventually, elevate protection of the CDF ecosystem as a top priority. Despite being on the projects list, staff continue to communicate with stakeholders primarily through the Ganges Harbour Walk Steering Committee and as correspondences are received.
Appointing “Village Planning” to a top priority versus elevating “Ganges Village Planning – Harbourwalk” from the projects list back to the top priorities list, would respectfully be akin to taking the existing Ganges Village Project – Harbourwalk to its 2013 origin.
Staff recommend that instead, the SSI LTC consider elevating Ganges Village Planning – Harbourwalk back to a top priority, when resources are available, and focus on responding to recent CRD communications and use existing Bylaw 491 as a starting point for further stakeholder discussions.
The SSI LTC 347 Islands Trust Staff Report 5 could amend the bylaw to function as local area plan albeit refined to the foreshore and immediate upland land owners between Salt Spring Marina and Rotary Park.
Staff also remind the SSI LTC that implementation of the Local Planning Services Review further proposes to use planning resources to draft policies and to refine its own implementation strategies. In regards to the rest of the work program, staff will remove Affordable Housing – Cottages from the top priorities list and assign Island Planner Jason Youmans to Protection of the Coastal Douglas Fir Ecosystem. No resolution is required.
And here we are….October 2022 and still a Boardwalk to Nowhere….
islandstrust 
