DOWNTOWN: SAFE STREETS IS ABOUT INTOLERANCE

Re: "Safe Streets is about behaviour," Oct. 14.

Bruce Carter and the backroom gang at the chamber of commerce want the
streets to be safe for Victorians. Carter says the chamber wants to
help folks living on the street be safe by "lobbying hard" for
safe-streets legislation.

I wonder if it ever occurred to him and the business bunch to ask
those living on the streets what they need to stay safe. Just a guess,
but I think safe-streets legislation wouldn't even make that list.
Street folks aren't keen on laws like this because they are usually
used to make their lives even more difficult.

Chamber members asked the police to kick these folks out of doorways
not too long ago. They had the police harass youth downtown. They
didn't even want them outside their shop-fronts when they were closed.

So forgive us if we doubt the chamber's sincerity. It's as phony as
Government Street. The chamber's concern with "behaviour" is really
disguised prejudice and intolerance.

David Roy

Victoria