CARING CITIZENS NOT IGNORANT

The Editor,

Re: "It's not what you know, it's how much you care," News, Letters, July 18.

Arguments and debates are a healthy form of interactions that are
essential in forming a consensus and establishing procedures to
achieve ideal goals.

They bring out creative ideas, resolve conflicts, and peak interest.

Unfortunately, the need to stay factual rather than emotional and
philosophical escapes many when the subject tugs at raw emotions.

Such is the case with Turning Point. Some of your readers stray so
far away from facts so that the arguments and opinions they put forth
teeter from sublime to ridiculous.

The facts about Turning Point are straightforward. When Turning
Point's Expression of Interest (EOI) was granted conditional approval
by BC Housing for a proposed service project that carried with it the
prospect of a $6.2 million funding from public funds, it was obliged
to seek community support.

To that end, it had to submit its plan to public scrutiny, debate,
and full accountability.

The burden of proof was squarely in the hands of Turning Point, and
not upon Caring Citizens of Richmond. This well-organized and
well-informed group of congenial and hard-working neighbours and
community residents became the conduit for intellectual assessment
and debate of the proposed project.

Far from being NIMBYs or NIABYs, they gathered facts from Turning
Point and from other sources and placed the onus upon Turning Point
to provide unassailable proof and substantiate all claims.

They also wanted full disclosure of critical information about the
EOI and the rationale behind a $6.2 million project.

While some of your readers refuse to look at facts about the limited
exposure of our city to the problem of addiction to conclude in their
opinion that "the means justifies the end," our civic leaders and the
Caring Citizens of Richmond are not ignorant of facts.

Available Standardized Mortality Ratios by Local Health Areas from
2000-2004 indicate that our city has the lowest of all large areas in
BC (Drug - 0.27; Alcohol, 0.46; compared to 6.33 and 3.18 in East
Vancouver, or 1.24 and 1.84 for New Westminster)

The ratio compares deaths versus total population from 2000 to 2004.

There is no substance to allegations that CCR is against the
rehabilitation of addicts and helping them return to being useful and
gainful citizens.

Rather, they advocate in favour of professional treatment and of
finding cure; they advocate full accountability for the use of public funds.

They advocate against any project that is incongruent with the nature
of any established family community. They advocate stronger family
ties and parenting responsibilities and priority toward education to
protect children against risks.

Finally, they advocate exercising the right of suffrage and stoutly
urge all eligible citizens to vote in the next municipal election on
November 15.

Withdrawal by Turning Point of their rezoning application concluded
this issue about a proposed facility on Ash Street.

Just as adversaries offer a gesture of reconciliation and respect for
each other after a hotly contested battle inside a boxing ring or a
debate at the House of Commons has concluded, we applaud Brenda Plant
and Turning Point in their quest to be of service to the community
and wish them well.

Ernie L. Medoza, Chair, Caring Citizens of Richmond Society, Richmond