MAYOR NEEDS TO MOVE ON STREET ISSUES

I have a bone to pick with the mayor of Victoria. Last Friday (July
27) I was walking up Douglas Street with a friend, when we crossed a
few beggars who just asked but were ignored, when one of them
overstepped their boundaries.

A man came up to me and said while patting down my pockets, "Hey man,
hey, got any change?" He then proceeded to reach into my pocket! I
smacked his hand away and kept walking.

I have watched this town go from a beautiful small city to a
mini-Toronto without guns and I am sick of it. The police are not the
problem, as I am certain many of them would enjoy giving them more
than a talking to and a walk into the paddy wagon, if you catch my
drift.

But these junkies are back out on the street in days. I am beginning
to wonder if the mayor would only do something if a rich tourist got
assaulted and complained, but not his own citizens.

These creatures need to be rounded up and kicked out as far as I am
concerned. I've been screamed at because I ask them to move from a
fire exit on my shift as a security guard, they leave their needles
lying around for someone to step on, uncapped.

Mind you, it is just recently that they have actually tried to frisk
me for money. The mayor needs to realize that sooner or later, if he
doesn't do something about it, the Proletarians or just fed-up people
of this town will.

Warren Armstrong,

Saanich