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Jeremy Caradonna

@jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social

1K followers 340 following 1.8K posts

Victoria City Councillor and CRD Director in Victoria, B.C. PhD in History. Loves gardening, cello, beekeeping, democracy, climate action, cycling, and family. Views my own.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 8d

I’m thrilled that Victoria’s new Official Community Plan has passed! It:

✅ Increases housing choice and makes it easier to build affordable housing

✅ Adds green space / parks to every neighbourhood

✅ Targets 40% urban forest canopy coverage

✅ Adds strong tenant protections

✅ Plans for lightrail

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 6h

Our resolution was referred to UBCM Executive. It called on the Province to study the costs, benefits, and potential impacts of commercial rent control.

It is a complicated topic that requires thoughtful, evidence-based investigation. That can lead to good policy changes.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 6h

The reason I’m often at odds with my local newspaper is because of oddities such as this.

The TC wrote an editorial on commercial rent control, citing a UBCM resolution from New West, but neglected to mention that its own city — Victoria! — passed a UBCM resolution on the same topic.

So bizarre.

UBCM resolution on commercial rent control

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Reposted by Jeremy Caradonna

Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Couldn't agree more. This kind of predatory landlord behaviour needs to be curbed or we're going to lose our downtowns.

Editorial: Occupied commercial buildings need rent control

A Vancouver-based real estate firm, Upfield Capital Management, has purchased Oak Bay’s historic Bell Block building, and tripled the rent.

www.timescolonist.com

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 6h

Because the TC is the TC, they somehow missed that Victoria City Council had a UBCM resolution to study the costs, benefits, and impacts of commercial rent control.

But sure, focus on New West. 🤷‍♀️

www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v...

Victoria sends housing resolutions to UBCM

The resolutions include calls for funding for the creation of co-operative and non-market housing, and more supportive housing and detox beds

www.timescolonist.com

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

Masked goons arresting the media again today in fascist America. It makes me sick.

Heartland Signal @heartlandsignal.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Masked Border Patrol agents aggressively arrested WGN video producer Debbie Brockman in Lincoln Square Friday morning, supposedly for "obstructing justice." (Video via Josh Thomas on Facebook)

Follow @heartlandsignal for more.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

Which is fine, but it does feel a bit disingenuous when it’s held up as a model of sustainable forestry. If you’re not cutting, it’s more of a preserve.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

DO NOT GO TO THE US.

The Trump regime has waged culture war on its own people and any visitors who run afoul of the thought police.

The regime now enforces right-wing conformity and Christian nationalism.

The risks are very high. Stay home. Travel domestically. Buy Canadian.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

It was barely reported on, but Trump signed a directive equating “anti-Christian,” “anti-capitalist,” and “anti-American” views with terrorism.

Canadians: your socials and phones can be checked at the US border.

If you’ve questioned “capitalism” or “America,” you are now considered a terrorist.

Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein.bsky.social · 12d

FBI's domestic terror watchlist expected to DOUBLE in size as a result of NSPM-7, the new presidential directive targeting "anti-Christian," "anti-capitalism" and "anti-American" speech:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trumps-nsp...

Trump’s NSPM-7 Alarms Law Firms While Congress Is Silent

Domestic terror watchlist to double, sources say

www.kenklippenstein.com

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve been there for mushroom IDing courses. Gorgeous place. Are they actually doing any logging, though? Seemed more like a reserve to me.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

It’s really quite scary, and not just for me. It’s an easy way to harass women and young people. The whole thing is quite terrifying, and will 100% be exploited by both domestic and foreign bad actors to destabilize democracy.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

I will be working on advocacy to the Province to more actively regulate and criminalize deepfakes.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

This is a very, very serious risk to our democracy. We have quickly entered the ages where it is basically impossible to distinguish real from fake.

This is no joke for people with public profiles and who lead democratic societies.

We must regulate AI immediately to avoid total chaos and disinfo

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 1d

Let’s talk about AI deepfakes.

Anyone could take my photo, or that of any elected official, and run it through an AI program, and make the image say something racist, sexist, misogynistic, etc.

AFAIK, I would have no legal recourse to stop this, other than hoping a media platform would remove it

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

I’m getting you started!

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

I’d love to know what you’re referring to.

Amongst the many changes made this term is a shift in tax burden from a ratio of 3.67:1 for commercial properties down to 3:1. Might not sound like much, but it reduces property taxes on commercial.

This move was well supported by Chamber and DVBA.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

Paxton is a horrible horrible horrible human being

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

Exactly. Nobody really wants taxes to go up, but often times they do for reasons outside LG control.

(I would add interest rates and inflation to Coun. Istace’s list.)

In Victoria, 30 years of councils didn’t replenish our capital savings, so now we have an annual 2.8% increase just for that.

Chris Istace 🇨🇦 @stasherbc.bsky.social · 2d

I am going through the same thing up my way, although the mandate was 5%. That doesn't even cover RCMP, FIRE, ECom911 and union increases that are out of our budgetary control. I have endless times already, it really frustrates me that so many past councils boasted low taxes, well now we pay price

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Reposted by Jeremy Caradonna

Daniel 🦁 @eikonos.bsky.social · 2d

hold up, i've been an anarchist for free and i could have been getting paid for it??

cropped still image from a Fox "News" broadcast bottom banner which reads: Trump: These are paid anarchists

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

This is why it’s a problem to have right-wing governments at the local government level. If passed, this budget would not only devastate services, it would pass debt to future councils.

Interest and inflation don’t magically disappear.

It’s “electoral math,” not fiscal prudence or good governance.

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 3d

A number of amendments are being brought forward by opposition councillors, including having a line by line budget comparison or deferring this vote until after the budget survey, but is being defeated on party lines.

Based on timelines, full budget wouldn’t be voted on until early next year.

isabella zavarise @isabellazavarise.bsky.social · 3d

Mayor Sim’s zero means zero motion has been tabled. 43 speakers signed up. According to Sim, this means a zero percent property tax increase. No infrastructure tax increase.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 2d

It wouldn’t be an alternate plan, but their council *could* backtrack on certain aspects of the proposed budget. Very common for budgets to come down to the wire in March.

Reposted by Jeremy Caradonna

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 3d

I know local politics is endlessly procedural, and both politicians and media have an incentive to make things exciting.

But council didn't vote to freeze property taxes today, and nothing is "locked in."

The actual budget will likely be voted in 3-6 months.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 3d

It just created debts that we’re still paying off. It might look good as a headline, but it’s not fiscally prudent in the medium term, even setting aside the impacts on service delivery.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 3d

I love your commitments to the facts and understanding of process.

For context, the City of Victoria froze taxes in 2021 due to the pandemic. It was a disaster that ended up costing the city $20m. Interest & inflation costs don’t just magically disappear.

It’s poor governance and hollow populism.

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Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 3d

One would have to demonstrate first that it is a burden. Presumably the Province retains most of the interest, and it’s a relatively automated system, so it could be a net gain for them. I’m
not sure. All I know is that we’re made whole by the Province at the LG level.

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · 3d

I feel very bad for Kamloops. They have a good council and it’s a great town. But the shenanigans have harmed their reputation.

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