Lets tax the drug dealers!
I would like to know why the City of Vancouver permits a 24-hour illegal drug mart to operate at the corner of West 3rd Avenue and Ontario Street. On a recent Saturday morning, I counted no less than 16 knapsack- and cellphone-toting dealers carrying on business. Go see for yourselves.
Is this concentration of dealers part of some bizarre Council-sponsored high-density harm reduction strategy? Or does the Vancouver Police Department think its ability to search and seize, or at least break up the congregation, is hampered by criminal law standards of proof? If the latter, perhaps City Hall can use the bylaw powers it revels in applying to others to collect a few dollars to defray its policing costs. Food cart vendors have to pay to occupy city sidewalks. Why shouldn't drug dealers? The precedent was set when the City started licencing pot shops.
"Mayor and Council Give Free Rider to Drug Dealers" would make a nice headline if they don't do it.
–Kevin Wright
Wolves pay for our sins
Re: “BC declares war on wolves,” Vancouver Shakedown, Jan. 7, 2016.
To be fair, all culls are scapegoating something for our own sins. And one wonders about a government that blissfully ignores the science about animal sentience as if it is still the 1600s.
"It’s critical to avow that sentience matters. Science tells us animals have feelings, emotions, and preferences and individuals care about and worry about what happens to them and to their families and friends.
We need to consider what we know about animal sentience when we intrude into their lives, even if it is on their behalf." –Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado and a former Guggenheim Fellow
All rants and raves are the opinion of the individual and do not reflect the opinions of Westender. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity, so please keep it short and (bitter)sweet. Email your rant or rave to [email protected]
