Pubdate: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer CANDIDATES DEBATE DRUGS The COPE-dominated council has "dropped the ball" in its goal to eliminate the open drug market in the Downtown Eastside, says NPA mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan. Sullivan made the comment at an Oct. 26 debate held in the Courier newsroom with Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Jim Green. "[The COPE-dominated council] has squandered a huge opportunity, an incredible mandate, a big majority that was given to them by the citizens to accomplish their promise of reducing the dysfunction and the open drug market on the Downtown Eastside and they've failed to do so," Sullivan said. Sullivan was responding to the question, "In Larry Campbell's inauguration speech in December 2002, he said, 'If we do our work well, we should be able to eliminate the open drug market on the Downtown Eastside by the 2005 election.' In your opinion, has the open drug market been eliminated?" Sullivan pointed to the infighting within COPE-which led Green, Mayor Larry Campbell and councillors Raymond Louie and Tim Stevenson to form Vision Vancouver-as partly to blame for council's inattention to the drug market. "I have seen within this council, divisions that have been created such that a lot of energy has been spent fighting each other and energy that should have been spent moving the city forward," Sullivan said. Though Green agreed the open drug market continues, he said the supervised injection site at 139 East Hastings, which opened in September 2003, has helped save lives. "You know there's been some great things that have happened and there are thousands of people that are alive because we were able to bring in a safe injection site," Green said. He acknowledged Campbell's stated goal of eliminating the open drug market was "optimistic," but said "we have to have optimism and pragmatism in order to deal with these issues." Green also said the Vancouver police did some enforcement in the Downtown Eastside "that was questionable on how good it helped deal with that issue." He was referring to the police crackdown on drug dealers. "It moved it around some so other neighbourhoods got the feel of what the Downtown Eastside experiences every day, and that was a pretty tough one on the communities. We don't direct the police, that's their thing." Green, however, said more police are needed in the city. He pointed out that he supported hiring 50 more officers this year and 50 more next year. The increase in police has to be complemented by more treatment for people affected by mental illness and drug addiction, and by building more housing, he added. "I'm lobbying very strong for that," he said. "We have a guarantee of $1.6 billion coming from the federal government over the next two years for housing and we're looking at about 50 per cent of that being supportive housing for people in great need and this is endorsed by the Board of Trade." An edited version of the full debate will appear in the Nov. 9 edition of the Courier. Green and Sullivan also answered questions about the Woodward's redevelopment, reducing lanes on the Burrard Bridge for cyclists, the money problems at the now-defunct Four Corners Bank and Sullivan's explanation for supplying money to drug addicts for drugs. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth