Pubdate: Sun, 13 Jul 2008
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Holly MacDonald

HOW LONG CAN WE TOLERATE CITY DELUGED BY ADDICTS AND THUGS?

On every street corner this summer, you will see tourists peering out
over their maps looking for the Vancouver they have read or heard about.

Instead, they are confronted by sights they would never have dreamed
of.

Small armies of homeless people weave their shopping carts through the
streets.

Angry, aggressive, drugged-out people panhandle for their next
fix.

We have allowed this to take root in every corner of our
city.

I am not qualified to provide the answers. But the city must address
this issue head-on and sort out the petty criminals, the drug dealers,
the vagrants and the thugs from the truly needy, and get on with
cleaning up our city.

We cannot go on like this.

These issues are far more complex than simply providing housing for
the homeless.

Holly MacDonald

Vancouver
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin