DOWNTOWN PROBLEMS IGNORED BY TOO MANY

To the Editor,

Re: Distribution of crack kit surprising, May 31.

Give me a break!

So, VIHA didn't publish an article on the fact that they plan to
mitigate a problem that was having a larger than necessary impact on
our already over burdened health care system.

Perhaps they could have issued an advisory to city council, but what
would have happened if VIHA went to the public and said it was going
to give out crack pipes?

Recently the city had media coverage on a supposedly serious
panhandling problem. As a downtown businessperson, I am not sure we
had a problem and I still see people getting stopped in the street
and parking lots being asked for money.

Yet, we have a successful aggressive panhandling bylaw. Makes for
good headlines and material for the municipal lecture circuit.

In the same breath we have people downtown who defecate, urinate,
self medicate and sleep in doorways. While business owners move to
protect their investments, we are criticized for bullying or being vigilantes.

The city and the local business association think about security at
night when people are at home sleeping for a problem mostly caused by
alcohol while taxpayers of this community have to put up with trying
to negotiate law breakers who find that our sidewalks, roadways and
parks are their personal domain.

As a manager of properties that have a mix of unique retail stores,
professional offices and social service providers, I am constantly
being accused of being part the problem, even to the point of being
blamed for displacing those addicted who live in our street to other
areas of our community, while I am trying to protect the general
public as a whole.

Then again, how many of the 90,000 who live in Nanaimo really care
about downtown?

It's your tax dollars that are being spent on various schemes,
including the new conference centre, don't you think you better check
in on your investment?

Rick Hyne

Nanaimo