DEAL WITH THE BIGGER PROBLEMS

Dear Editor,

Mayor Peter Fassbender's comments, "from a personnal point of view, I
do not want to see this kind of business in our downtown core [Store
owner has 'leaf' to appeal, Oct. 28, Langley Advance]," are laughable,
and send chills down my spine.

During his stroll, could he not see the real problems in the
area?

I have lived in the Langleys for more than 20 years, and the situation
in the downtown core has been in an alarming tailspin. The level of
prostitution, drugs, and crime against our seniors and others has
never been so serious.

Is this the best the mayor can do to correct the problem?

I must applaud Mr. Caine for having more vision than the Langley City
administration, and trying to take advantage of a bad situation.

If the Mayor truly wants a good image for the downtown core, he should
be concentrating on dealing with the root of the problems.

If he did, these shops would not stand a chance of
survival.

You can't avoid the smell of pot in the air, observing drug deals, and
the homeless. I have stopped attending the area, as it is no longer a
safe place to be, and miss shopping at one of the best fish markets in
Langley.

What the City needs is strong leadership with the courage to deal with
these problems. Mayor Peter Fassbender needs to open his eyes, smell
the air, and start listening to his business owners, citizens, and
staff. If he really wants to do the Langleys any good and clean up his
city, a good start would be to not renew the casino business licence.

But my guess is that gambling is not a personal issue for the mayor.
Dealing with the root of the problems would better server the
community, and prevent similar businesses from opening in the area.

If you don't want bad eggs, get rid of the chicken.

T. Smith

Langley