KEEP UP THE FIGHT

It is with some concern that I hear of the Vernon downtown merchants
having to deal with the transient, panhandling and drug problems near
their places of business, as I know first hand how difficult it is to
make a buck when you're up against the big boxes and the malls.

These folks already have a couple of strikes against them when they
unlock their doors and turn on their lights in the morning without
having to worry about the big city problems of drug dealers scaring
off their already scarce customer base.

So these concerns are properly presented to the downtown business
association, further organized, and then taken to City Hall, where one
would expect to be heard and helped.

What a shock to read in a recent report in your paper that councillors
for the most part were not sympathetic; in fact the buck passing was
almost magical, especially when Juliette Cunningham (a downtown
merchant herself, with a bad memory obviously) suggested huffily that
the concerns should be taken to the province or the feds. Excuse me?

Do we not elect local politicians so we have a more local and easily
accessible forum for our problems? Is it not council's job to listen
to taxpayers concerns, then take them to the province or the feds themselves?

I'm pretty sure that's how it is supposed to work. What a slap in the
face to the downtown merchants.

Then a few days later, my favourite columnist and reporter Richard
Rolke decided to enter the fray and for some unknown reason take
council's side.

Yes, he said the presentation from the Downtown Vernon Association was
dramatic and it should be taken to the province so that laws and
sentences can be toughened. Has someone come down from mars and taken
all of the common sense away from these people?

They are not talking about feeling a little uncomfortable with drug
dealing on their front step, or passing judgement on those who shoot
up in the morning in the park in full view of others rather than
hitting a Starbucks. They are saying: "It is affecting our ability to
make a living in our community. Can you please help us?"

One only has to flip through the pages of this paper to see the money
being spent by these same businesses to help make The Morning Star
more viable and the advertising budgets of many of these businesses is
meager. Is this not biting the hand that helps to feed you?

If council couldn't take a leadership role perhaps the community paper
should. We are all in this together and if the community citizens
decide they would like to take their community back, and do it now,
they should be applauded. Not ridiculed for being dramatic and pushed
off onto the back burner.

Continue to have your voice heard DVA, some are listening and wish you
well.

Myrna Christianson