Two Thieves and a Country on the Edge

Two Thieves and a Country on the Edge

(By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita)

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Meet Joe.
Joe’s 49, lives in East Van, and lost his job during COVID. After EI ran out and the rent chewed up his last few bucks, he found himself standing in a grocery store aisle—staring at a loaf of bread and peanut butter. He hadn’t eaten in two days.

Joe grabbed them.
Walked out.
Security stopped him.
Police were called.
Joe was charged with theft under $5,000.

In court, the judge said,

“You should have used the food bank.”

Joe was fined and given a criminal record.
Now no employer will hire him.
He spiraled deeper into poverty. Still, he never stole again.

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Now meet “Amy.”
Amy lives in a posh South Surrey townhouse, drives a high-end SUV, and receives shipments of stolen yoga wear—hundreds of Lululemon items—into her garage. She’s not stealing herself. She’s coordinating a network of people who do.

In a single year, she moved over $175,000 in luxury retail goods.
She sold the items for cash, cosmetics, and gift cards.
Police raided her home. They found it all:

• Bags of stolen goods,
• Thousands in cash,
• Evidence of a retail crime ring.

But here’s the twist:
No criminal charges.
Just a civil forfeiture claim.

Amy hasn’t gone to court.
She hasn’t even had to stay in the country.
In fact, she might be in Dubai right now, drinking champagne and posting:

“#Blessed #BossBabe 💅💸”

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What kind of justice is this?

In the same week we learned about her case, we also heard:

• About a Vancouver building inspector who lived in a multi-million dollar mansion while pocketing bribes and approving unsafe developments.
• That non-profit CEOs are making $250,000+ while the shelters and food banks they run fall apart.
• That over 16,000 people have died in BC from toxic drug overdoses—and still, we criminalize the sick and poor instead of holding the rich accountable.
• That all over the world—from Mexico City to Europe—people are smashing glass in protest against gentrification.

And here?
We smile politely and wait for change.
But it’s not coming—unless we make it.

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Are you looking south at the U.S. and thinking, “At least we’re not that bad”?

Guess what—we’re on the same path.

The corruption is overflowing.
The cracks are already here.
If we don’t want to become another L.A., Portland, or San Francisco,
then BIG CHANGE is needed now.

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Here’s what I’m asking:

• Call out the double standards.
• Support journalists and advocates exposing this injustice.
• Demand consequences for luxury crime, not just poverty crime.
• Stop protecting those who profit off misery, whether they wear suits or yoga pants.

Because Joe is real.
Amy may be fictional—but she exists under different names, in real homes, in our own city.

And unless we fight back now, they will keep stealing from us—not just clothes,
but homes, futures, and lives.

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✍️ Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
#JusticeForAll #NotJustTheRich #HousingIsAHumanRight #StopTheRot #EndOverdoseCrisis #ExposeCorruption #GentrificationKills #LululemonLoot #TwoTierJustice