Vision's OD tax is not OK with many property owners
Unbelievable! Because I own a home in Vancouver, I will have to pay more to combat the growing fentanyl crisis when in the same article it states “City staff don’t know where the extra money raised will go.” That is ridiculous!
When will the city realize we are already being taxed to death?
Monica Forster, Vancouver
Stop taxing us
Enough is enough! It’s already overwhelmingly expensive to live in Vancouver, and now City Hall wants to raise taxes to help curb fentanyl use.
Many users have said they won’t quit after surviving an overdose. Sounds like a lost cause to me.
Use my tax dollars to benefit the community, make new parks and make our city safe.
Let Mayor Gregor Robertson and his cronies donate their salaries to the fight drug use. We need our wages to support our families.
Svee Bains, Vancouver
Treat the addicts
I am extremely heartbroken and tired of seeing the damage being done to our drug-addicted population. It is time for real action. Other than feeding and trying to shelter these people, the problem is only growing and the unnecessary deaths are rising because of improper intervention. The sight of all of those people — and they are people — who could easily be our sons and daughters, fathers or mothers, are dying and we are doing so little about it except putting on a Band-Aid and keeping them alive until the next hit.
Drug dealers should be hunted down, jailed and charged for conspiracy to commit murder. We must recognize that all drug addiction is a mental-health problem and addicts should be placed in mental facilities for treatment.
Most of the money going to the addicts on Welfare Wednesday is funding the drug traffickers and dealers.
It is time for the police and our politicians to get off their butts and do something.
David Johanson, Surrey
Find money without new tax
Although I feel badly for those who are struggling with addiction, I don’t believe Vancouver homeowners should be forced to pay an extra 0.5-per-cent property tax to help address the opioid epidemic.
If Mayor Gregor Robertson and council feel strongly enough about this issue, they should find the required funding within the existing budget. Perhaps it is time to look at what they are spending our tax dollars on.
For instance, maybe we don’t need as many bike lanes.
John Williams, Vancouver
Get a job
After reading the article regarding what the ‘homeless’ do to survive the winter, I was impressed with the resourcefulness the person showed to put in a day.
What I didn’t see from this very resourceful individual was any attempt to find a job and improve his situation.
He travels all over the place and is in places where jobs would be found. If the article was there to make me more sympathetic to his cause, it failed.
It just pointed out why the homeless man and his ilk should be turned around and sent back to where they came from.
Brian Archer, Mission
We have no right to protest?
A recent letter writer wants people protesting pipeline decisions to go home because we elected a federal government to govern. What should those people do if a government breaks election promises? Peacefully and patiently wait for the next election?
Jerzy Rudowski, Langley