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Eastside, NPA in-fighting dog Clarke's campaign By Frances Bula and Karenn Krangle Mayoral candidate Larry Campbell is fond of standing up at candidates' meetings and saying he wouldn't be there if Mayor Philip Owen were running for re-election. Campbell, of the Coalition of Progressive Electors, says he needs to continue Owen's work on the four pillars approach to drug addiction in the Downtown Eastside, which he argues was the reason the outgoing mayor was "pushed out." Both issues -- the Downtown Eastside and Owen's estrangement from the Non-Partisan Association -have been central to this civic election campaign and have also dogged Campbell's main opponent (and Owen's putative successor) Jennifer Clarke. These issues have been so much at the forefront that they have overshadowed the platform that Clarke hoped would take her to the mayor's chair. People within the NPA knew that the election was going to be a rough ride. The NPA, which has dominated Vancouver city councils for almost all of the 64 years since it was formed, had benefited the previous decade from backlash to the provincial NDP government. This time, they knew they would be paying some price locally for a backlash to the severe spending cuts and general malaise brought on by the provincial Liberal government. But the hope was that Vancouver voters, who have shown little inclination for the kind of pendulum swings that dominate provincial politics, would stick with the NPA for all the same reasons they have in the past: It promotes itself as the party of good fiscal management and enlightened city planning, and, most important, the party that is not a bunch of nattering negative socialists like COPE. At the start of the campaign, which for Clarke began in the spring when she formalized her intention to run for mayor, she talked about her nine years as a councillor and the NPA's "track record" (one of her favourite phrases) of maintaining the city's AAA credit rating, building "new neighbourhoods" in areas such as the north side of False Creek and Coal Harbour, and supporting the 20 10 Olympic bid. These were status-quo issues that were supposed to make people forget about the NPA's internal

problems. partly over the four pillars approach (consisting of treatment, prevention, law enforcement and harm reduction), which led to Owen's loss of the party's support and for which Clarke took much of the blame. Then along came Campbell, long-time city and provincial coroner, and outspoken supporter of the

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four pillars, who became the highest-profile mayoral candidate COPE has seen for years. Then Valerie MacLean, well-known spokesman for the Better Business Bureau, threw her hat in the ring as mayoral candidate for the new Vancouver Civic Action TEAM, which calls itself a party of the centr The impetus for that party's formation was also Owen's ouster, since some people who had been vying for NPA nominations left in disgust after that and joined others who had had previous run-ins with the NPA. And, after that, squatters took over the old Woodward's building, first inside then out on the sidewalk. Suddenly the focus was away from boosting Vancouver's image on a tourism brochure or its place on a list of livable cities and onto the city's problems and eyesores: Boarded-up buildings in the Downtown Eastside; addicts shooting up in the alleys; homelessness; traffic jams and poor transit service. Commuters, still angry over last year's four-month shutdown of the transit system and subsequent fare increases, are taking it out on Clarke and NPA incumbent councillor George Puil, who until recently was chairman of the TransLink board. Pasted on telephone poles around town are homemade posters blaming the NPA for poor transit service. One bears

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a crude scan of Clarke's official campaign photo and says: "Not wanted at city hall." Puil has been booed at some community meetings.All of which has given Campbell and COPE ammunition to call for change at city hall. "The Downtown Eastside is easily the worst symbol of NPA neglect," Campbell told a crowd of supporters recently. "But you and I know it's by no means the only one." On every issue from transit to red tape at city hall to the length of time it takes to get a development permit, Campbell's mantra has been: "Has anything improved for you in the last nine years?' Along the way, he has attacked their "giveaways" of tax breaks and bonuses to their friends, the Gastown property owners, and the misguided energy they put into rezoning industrial land for high-tech businesses -- land that is still sitting empty. The vcaTEAM party has attacked along similar lines, painting the NPA as a party that has been in power too long and stopped listening to people. It has painted itself as the party that will listen to businesses and neighbourhoods in a way that the NPA isn't capable of. That has put Clarke and the NPA team on the defensive, pushed into repeatedly attacking COPE as NDP ideologues dressed in sheep's clothing and deriding both Campbell and MacLean as newcomers who haven't spent any time at city hall learning about the issues. According to some, the NPA is getting set to go even more negative in the final week o campaigning Through the campaign, Clarke has said repeatedly that she is the best candidate for mayor because her nine years on city council has given her the right experience. Campbell has dismissed that: "That I have no experience at Vancouver city hall is not quite true. Over 20 years as a coroner, I've dealt with virtually every portion of city hall. Because you're tilling a chair for nine years does not necessarily meari that you're experienced at city hall." Personalities have become an issue to a far greater degree than in recent elections, with Campbell emerging as -- the positive take -- a forcefd can-do guy or -- the negative one -- an impetuous bull in a china shop. The always-circumspect Clarke, on the other hand, comes across as either a thoughtful, well-researched planner or, the negative take, a

hesitator who becomes paralyzed by conflict and information overload. Clarke calls Campbell a cowboy, while Campbell recently commented that "Jennifer's plan is always to be timid and never to go forth where others haven't ventured." That difference in approach has been especially evident in their statements about how they would make the four-pillars drug-addiction plan, and especially the contentious issue of safe-injection sites, a reality. Campbell says he'll push to have injection sites in place by Jan. 1. When challenged about whether that isn't too much of a rush to ensure a successfid project, he retorts that setting a deadline is something that all good business people know is necessary to ensure that a complex project doesn't stall indetinitely. Clarke, on the other hand, has said Campbell's deadline is completely unrealistic and she detailed a lengthy list of meetings she would hold within her first 60 days in ofice with the health board, federal health minister, provincial health minister, community groups, police, the Lower Mainland Municipal Association, and the Union of B.C. Municipalities to ensure that there is coordination and consensus among all the parties. The emphasis on personality was also evident in a recent zinger at Campbell's hnd-raising dinner speech, where he attacked the NPA's approach to revitalizing the Downtown Eastside: "Call it 'Jennifercation.' It's their Martha Stewart attitude to

urban renewal. Sweep out the dirt and put a doily on it." 1 le denies remarks like that -- and this one about transit problems: "King George ran the show while Lady Jennifer disappeared from sight. Those two think the cure to gridlock is valet parking" -perpetuate class warfare, which has long held that the NPA is the preserve of the west side, and COPE territory is the east. In fact COPE is counting to some extent on voters dropping the old habit of voting strictly by slate and hopes to cash in on discontent in the NPAstronghold of Shaughnessy -- Clarke's neighbourhood. There, residents are angry over what they see as moves to increase density, which can't be supported by old sewer systems and other infrastructure, and the decision to run a fast bus to Richmond down south Granville -- a decision made before the previous election but which generated so much animosity towards Clarke that people are still angry about it three years later. There's a lot of people who are going to be choosing on the basis of individuals, not slates. "1 don't think it's been good to have so much control with one group of people (the NPA)." COPE'S Larry Campbell -- "he seems like a pretty straight shooter" -- but she worries about whether Campbell will really be able to speak for himself There are other signs that traditional slate voting, especially on the west side where NPA council candidates traditionally top the polls in most ridings south of 16th Avenue, may be on the wane. It's been difficult for voters to assess the candidates, because there has been so much focus on the mayoral candidates. And the voter uncertainty has meant that everyone is guessing about what the balance of power on council will be, and whether the NPA's six new candidates will be favoured or the four incumbents. The one sure thing in this election is that more people will be inspired to vote than the piddly 25 per cent of potential voters who showed up at the polls in the last election. "Interest is always higher in races where there is not an incumbent mayor," says Simon Fraser University political scientist Kennedy Stewart. "People see the chance to shift the agenda."

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kay. The foregoing is a balanced piece ofjournalism for voters who may be a bit above apathy but far

below the mudslinging that's going full force in the last week. If you were in the NPA backroom grinding out tactics and strategy, how about having press that will safely rationalize away all the faults of your

'top snot' (Jennifer baby) and prep her with answers to divert criticism. Have her appear on the fi-ont cover of several papers, with the line that we just 'misunderstand' things like the transit strike, Owen being pushed out for his drug policies, that her adherence to the principles of Four-Pillar approach is as thin as can be, that promising to start over - to meet with everyone nd their dog and get "consensus from everyone" is a nice way of saying "No Way!" Have the editorial page in the Sun say "We don't really want to, but we endorse Jennifer!(!) and, oh, by the way, 6 of her NPA cohorts. But hey! we're just independent media who are well paid to say this stuff.. ." Ifyou 'cherry-pick' amongst the different parties, just keep in mind that voting is more than an exercise in self-congratulation. In my mind, voting for someone who cannot win is a waste. 'She NPA has retained power, with the likes of George Puil and Clarke, by getting people out to vote just for the NPA. For COPE to change things, every one of their candidates needs your vote.

FIRST PRIORITY: V 0 T E !!! SECOND PRIORITY: Vote C.0.P.E. Respectfully, PAULR TAYLOR

Here are the kinds of ID that are acceptable:

B.C. Driver's Licence B.C. ID card fiom Motor Vehicle Branch ICBC Owner's Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence

B.C. CareCard Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8 Social Insurance card Citizenship Card pro erty tax notice cr it card or debit card utility bill for electricity, gas, water, telephone or cable welfare cheque stub showing name and ID number.

One piece of ID must show your current address. If you have no ID showing your address, you will be asked to sign a "Declaration of Residency" form at the voting place. An affidavit or declaration of identity is not acceptable evidence of identity in local government ejections.

This information is especially important for Vancouver residents who may need to make arrangements to have their ID available. For specific questions on voter registration, or eneral information about the election, call the Vancouver Election ffice at 604.873-7681.

TOWN HALL MEETING VOLUNTEER PROGRAM REVIEW WE NEED YOU. YOUR INPUT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US!

EVERYONE WELCOME Friday, November 22,2002 Ipm 3pm Theatre We are in the process of carrying out a review for the entire Volunteer Program. This meeting is for all Carnegie patrons and volunteers. It is a great opportunity for you to share freely what is working well and what is not working so well for you as part of Carnegie..

Notes from the Library, November 2002 New Titles received Tom Thomson: An introduction to his life and Art by David P Silcox: Call 4 758.1 1 sil This illustrated work documents the work and life of one of Canada's most distinguished Artists. Thornson's work is now on show at Vancouver Art Gallery and on Thursday evenings it is "pay by donation." Preparing a successful Business plan! Self Counsel Press: Call # 658.4 tou This and other works in the series such as Starting a Small Craft, Coffee Shop, Catering Business etc have been acquired to accompany the Entrepreneurship 101 course being offered in the DTES through the Learning Exchange. A Place to Stand. The making of a poet! Jimmy Santiago Baca: Call # 82 1 Bac This informal biography gives us the author's harrowing memoir. Santiago Baca is an esteemed poet and winner of many prestigious awards. He is also an ex-con who survived adolescence in "juvee" halls and abandonment as a child, and confinement for years in a maximum security prison. Illiterate when he entered prison at 2 1 he learned to read and write and love poetry. A testimony that there is always hope of overcoming even the most brutal adversity. The Mood Cure! Julia Ross: Call# 616.85 ros Ross is director of Recovery Systems, a US clinic that treats mood, eating, and addiction disorders with nutrient therapy and biochemical rebalancing. Begin -ning with a 4-part questionnaire to identi@one's bad mood type, The Mood Cure claims that it can help alleviate multiple ills with nutritional therapy. Noble Red Man: Lakota Wisdomkeeper Matthew King Marvey Arden: Call# 973.049 The grandson of both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Mathew King was a respected Elder of the Lakota( Sioux) Nation. In this slim book which is structured to read like a conversation between trusted friends. Compiler and National Geographic senior writer Harvey Arden speaks to King about Native American spirituality, personal responsibility to one's land and people, and the struggles of the Lakota people to coexist with white people.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS IN THE LIBRARY. A reminder that the library keeps newspaper clip-

pings on a wide variety of subjects from Harm Reduction to Social Impact of Olympics on file. Our emphasis is on subjects and stories that pertain to our neighbourhood. Mary Ann Cantillon, Librarian. To Michael Clague, Director, Carnegie Centre

Dear Michael, I have been participating with the Living Footprints Mosaic Project from February 2002 to October 2002. During this time I have had the opportunity to work with both Sandy MacKeigan and Bob Moss, and I am happy to say that it has been a pleasure to work with both of them. It has not been easy working with persons from the "street" for Sandy or Bob. The difficulties we face with homelessness, poverty, violence, drug addiction, mental/physical disabilities, is not easy or pleasant; and sometimes we may have intentionally or unintentionally brought some of our difficulties onto this project. I have observed and have been a part of a few of these arguments and difficulties. I believe that each situation was handled well by them. I have personally given each, Sandy and Bob, ample and legitimate reasons to either reprimand or to dismiss myself; in past employs I would have expected either. But no matter how hard I tried, neither Sandy or Bob would give me a harsh lecture, a chastise, or a boot on my way out the door. Unexpectedly, they have sat me down, and helped me to understand the situation(s). I have found their compassionate dispositions an unexpected bonus for everyone involved, especially myself. I have found that this project actually had the desired effect of benefiting a small number of fortunate participants. In no way did we did expect to miraculously transform the downtown eastside. But I do attribute some of my own personal progress to: this project, Sandy, and Bob. I feel privileged to have been a part of this project. I believe that Sandy and Bob are well suited for their positions within the Carnegie Centre. I hope that they will both continue to be an asset to this community for a long time. Sincerely, Gregory Liang

BC Housing Corporation ordered to pay costs after dropping contempt proceedings against Woodwards Protestors Justice Janice Dillon of the B.C. Supreme Court ordered the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation, which owns the historic Woodwards building, to pay legal costs to counsel for the Woodwards protestors and the protestors themselves after the Housing Corporation abruptly decided to discontinue contempt proceedings against the 54 defendants. The "54" had been charged with contempt of court after occupying the vacant Woodwards building. as part of a protest for housing for the many homeless people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The Woodwards defendants cheered when Justice Dillon handed down her judgment which ordered the Housing Corporation to pay $100 to each person who appeared in court, as well as the legal costs of the three pro bono lawyers that appeared on their behalf. The discontinuance ended seven weeks of anxiety and uncertainty on the part of the protestors, whose legal defence committee has been desperately raising money to pay for lawyers after the Legal Services Society refused to provide funding for legal counsel. "This is a victory for social housing, and a victory for poor and marginalized people," said Calvin Woida, an organizer with the Woodwards Legal Defence Committee and one on of the 54 defendants "But we cannot be complacent. We will not stop fighting until everyone has a home." The decision to discontinue the proceedings followed unsuccessfid eleventh hour negotiations between the Housing Corporation and the Ministry of the Attorney General, whom the Housing Corporation had asked to take over the proceedings by filing criminal contempt charges against the protestors. Robert Kuhn. who appeared for the Housing Corporation. stated that the Corporation was unwilling to proceed independently to prosecute the people that the Corporation was legally mandated to serve.

"I believe today's decision has renewed the faith o f 7 many poor people in the judicial process," said Pivot Legal Society lawyer John Richardson, who represented a number of the protestors. "And it is a lesson to government bodies that use injunctions to silence and punish people who raise legitimate political issues." Pivot lawyers John Richardson and Noah Quastel were joined by well-known lawyer Cameron Ward in arguing that costs should be awarded against the Housing Corporation for failing to properly serve materials and documents, and by failing to provide adequate notice of their intention to discontinue the proceeding. In awarding costs Justice Dillon rejected arguments fiom the Housing Corporation that such an award would be unprecedented. Dillon found that it is a normal rule of civil procedure that a party who discontinues should be liable for the legal costs incurred by those called on to defend against it even when the reasons for discontinuing are political, rather than legal. The City of Vancouver is going to Supreme Court on November 19 and 20 to seek an injunction and financial compensation fiom the protestors camped on the sidewalk outside the Woodwards building.

listen poetry is not that I am even breathing words but the wind is living alone by a river of some other source you can hear the heart spill into the head arena strange things grow in my throat .

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Hope you are in good spirits! Love Alicia

A Report not made by the Media... The BC Liberal Convention offered an opportunity for opposition forces from around the Province to exchange ideas and successful tactics. On Friday afternoon, the BC Federation of Labour hosted a news conference at the Lakeside Resort in Penticton. Coalition leaders were introduced and given an opportunity to speak directly to reporters. Reporters, responding to increased security around Campbell, were mostly interested in expectations for the potential for violence. Jim Sinclair responded that it is the violence of Campbell and his government that we are concerned about. Friday night the BC Federation of Labour brought about 100 coalition representatives together. There were representatives fiom Kitimat to Prince George and Vancouver Island to Cranbrook. Delegates r e p orted on the damage that Liberal cuts have done to their communities. Issues were discussed around health care, education, poverty, and some moving speeches on women and seniors as targets of the vicious Liberal attacks. Union reps related the power of organization that is brought to coalitions and that we must be proud of our labour affiliations, not retreat in the face of accusations that the BC Fed and our unions are front and center in the fight back.

There was discussion on the potential for a General Strike. Community actions such as those that have occurred on Vancouver Island, were offered as challenges to regions throughout the Province in an attempt to build momentum toward a General Strike. Union reps responded that members are not ready now, that we have no alternative party that could be elected, and that our resources are limited as we prepare for municipal elections and consider re-call initiatives. The Northern coalitions had met prior to coming to Penticton and spearheaded the creation of a list so participants can carry on the exchange of ideas and effective actions. The BC Coalition of regional coalitions then discussed and accepted a Declaration outlining issues related to cut-backs to be used as a leaflet at the Convention the next morning. Saturday morning started very early as parade marshals finalized their responsibilities and preparations were made to feed people traveling on 22 buses from around the Province. Riot police and forces began arriving at the Convention Centre about 7 A M and setting up surveillance. Jane Staschuk of the BC Fed had been working all week setting up and o r g anizing the rally. Jane met with the police and liaised with them throughout the day. From 8:00 A M

to 10:00 AM, members of the Coalitions met at the Convention Centre to leaflet Liberal Convention delegates. Campbell was expected to arrive at about 9:30 AM and there was a delegation representing women and seniors that were to greet the Premier and present the Declaration to him. The police agreed to this. As we prepared for his arrival, we received notice that Campbell had sleazed in a back entrance, afraid to be confronted by seniors and women at an orderly and well-managed information picket line. Police were livid and expressed their anger at this violation of the negotiated plan. Campbell had earlier told the press that he expected the big, bad BC Fed to be responsible for any violence. Sneaking in the back door was a sick attempt to make it look like his life was in danger. As buses began arriving at the school gym. groups began their preparations for the Parade of Lost Services. Banners were being made,balloons inflated and floats readied. As the morning progressed, there was an air of festivity. About two thousand concemed citizens eventually filled Main Street fiom the school to Westminster Avenue. The parade was interspersed with mock hospital beds representing lost spaces in our hospitals, senior homes and extended care facilities. Building Trades workers joined hospital workers, government workers, teachers, nurses, women's groups, students, seniors, people with disabilities, children and anti-poverty activists. They were walking, riding, and in wheel chairs. There was a carnival atmosphere, considering the evil that they were there to confront. It was a celebration of our solidarity that filled the air. There were no incidents with angry residents other than that of a single person with a placard at the Convention Centre admonishing the "whining unions". In fact, most people along the route were very supportive and some even joined the march. Chief Phillips and an entourage of aboriginal people welcomed people to the rally. Speeches were short and interspersed with local musicians. Jim Sinclair gave a rousing speech, as usual, aimed at the Liberal violence being perpetrated on the people of the Province. Rural BC is being devastated by the cuts/ actions of this government. The police should be defending the people, not the Premier, by keeping 0111 \~hools,hospitals and women's centers open. A BC TV reporter commented on the question of

whether these protests would have any effect on government decisions. The feeling was no, they would have absolutely no impact as long as they were organized by big labour. He then commented

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that the protest was very peacehl and orderly and attributed this to the fact that the BC Fed had organized it. There have been many protests, events and rallies held since the Liberals came to power and there will be many more. None have resulted in violence. If violence occurs, our issues are lost and we must not fall into that trap. Violent actions only play into the hands of the police and the Liberals so they could dismiss our message and we would risk dividing our own support. The Liberals want to paint our movement as a violent one so they can divert media attention away from their agenda and our legitimate dissent. By WAYNE PEPPARD

What In Hell Is Going On? "Fascism should rightly be called corporatism, as it is a merger of state and corporate power."

- Benito Mussolini Friends, our country and our world are in real trouble, and most politicians and the corporate media are silent on the plague that is destroying us. The eminent Canadian educator, Dr. Ursula Franklin, described this plague when she wrote, "We are occupied the way the French and the Norwegians were occupied by the Nazis during World War Two, but this time by an army of marketeers. We have to reclaim our country from those who occupy it on behalf of their global masters." (I) What we seem to be looking at in the world, and in our province, is an undeclared civil war between a wealthy and heavily armed global elite, currently led by George Bush and the U.S military/industrial complex (say 20 percent of the world's population), and the rest of us (say 80 percent of the world's population). The globalized corporate vision of George Bush involves centralized power protected by state and private armies,electric fences, and millions upon millions of dispossessed people. The people's vision involves land reform, strong local communities, technology that encourages local control, and citizens who are in control of their lives. The take-over of our world by global marketeers, backed by U.S.bombers, is a terrible thing. The marketeers talk of business confidence, but what they mean is business blackmail. lfyou don't do what we want (lower wages, lower taxes ctc.), we

will take our money elsewhere. "Creating a good investment climate is the new euphemism for third (and first) world repression," wrote Arundhati Roy. (2) This is certainly true in British Columbia. What amazes me is that this neoliberal ideology of "free markets" is so irrational, or stupid if you like. The "market" is private power driven by maximum profit. For example, the world's top 500 corporations account for 70 percent of world trade. (3) Therefore, free markets mean free private power. Free private power means private power free of social and political restraints - and this means corporate fascism. No human being, aware. of the enormous richness of our world's many culturCs, could possibly believe that our living together on this earth could be reduced to the narrow, aggressive, materialistic goal of profitmaking. In her excellent book Power Politics Arundhati Roy asks, "Isn't it true. that there are times in the life of a people or a nation when the political climate demands that we.. take sides?" (4) Yes, that's true, and now is such a time - especially in British Columbia where a fanatical, neoliberal elite has seized control of the Liberal Party, and has declared war on ordinary citizens, and on the environment, in the name of maximum profit. The tragic shooting of two civil servants in Kamloops by a third public servant who committed suicide, is directly related to the anxiety, fear, despair, and rage created by Gordon Campbell with his dismantling of social democracy. You can't treat human beings as though they were simply objects in the Fraser Institute's mathematical dreamworld. Gordon Campbell is sowing the wind. He will reap the whirlwind. At the municipal level there's a city election coming

up on Saturday, Nov 16. Larry Campbell, who is running for Mayor, and who was the inspiration for the T.V. program, DaVinci's Inquest, has always stood up for the oppressed people in the Downtown Eastside. Jim Green and Ellen Woodsworth, who are running for City Council, have always fought for us. You wouldn't go wrong if you voted for the entire COPE slate. But voting is only one small part of getting democracy back. Try getting involved with a local group that is fighting for justice and dignity. Millions of people around the world are fighting the rapacious injustice of the marketeers. Join them. By SANDY CAMERON (1) "Canada under the occupation of an army of marketeers," Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Monitor, JulyIAugust. 1997. p.22. (2) Power Politics, by Arundhati Roy, South End Press, 2001, *

p.16. (3) "Corporate Power," The CCPA Monitor. May, 2002. p.3. (4) Power Politics. by A. Roy. p. 13.

THE SONG CIRCLE & FRIENDS Presents a vocal and instrumental Music Concert

Friday, November 22

Comments? Concerns? Contact Jenny Wai Ching Kwan, M L A

Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr, VSL 3Y3 Phone: 775-0790 Fax: 775-0881 Office hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4pm

"lmagine living without the fear of loving and not being loved. You are no longer afiaid of being rejected, and you don't have the need to be accepted. You can say, "I love you," with no shame or justification. You can walk in the world with your heart completely open and not be afiaid to be hurt. "lmagine living your life without being afiaid to take a risk to explore life. You are not afiaid to lose anything. You are not afiaid to die.

"Imagine that you love yourselfjust the way you are. You love your body just the way it is and you 7:30 pm .:$9 love your emotions just the way they are. You know S t ~ a m &Anglican Church Hall - ~ o r e ' s t Entrance d that you are perfect just the way you are."

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Submitted by Videha

Coproduced and spons* the

by the

Lamlng Exchange

& School of Music.

FOR MORE WORMATION CALL: 604.4ObS164

DANGEROUS n M E S another day, an other dollar an other thought of you my love your name evocation enough divided in circumstance, history our enemy united in passion and purpose; Nevertheless we shall be toget her in Beau la land.

Your blue eyes I see in many men of honour Your dour mien and laconic speech A comment on this world No fiiend of ours.

We live to bring what kindness we can Like Lady Liberty Stretching forth her torch Calling to her peoples from across the ocean "I am here." Wilhelmina Miles

DIRECTOR'S REPORT: NOVEMBER 2002 In the space oftwenty-four hours this week three significant changes have occurred at Main and Hastings. The new patio opened. The Camegie mosaic marker was installed at the corner. A twenty-four/seven police presence has gone into operation, also at the comer. Oh yes, in addition, the exterior of the building is being cleaned, the stone work grouted, and eves troughs repaired. Inside, a fiesh paint job is being carried out throughout the lane level. The police presence is an experiment, not permanent. Regrettably the size and intensity ofthe drug scene at our entrance was making the building increasingly inaccessible. More violent incidents were occurring literally at our ffont door. Our security staff were no longer getting cooperation fiom the crowd in keeping the entrance clear. We have been quite open in saying that we want the drug market closed. But we also said we don't want to simply disperse it to other neighbourhoods. We have been committed to pressing for services and supports for people with addictions. The Four Pillars approach is to obtain these services and, as these come into place, through referral and enforcement gradually reduce the street drug scene. While we do have more services this year than last they are fir fiom adequate, both in harm reduction and treatment. We have to keep pressing for the rest ofthe package. In the meantime, we need to make sure that the public and staff have safe, comfortable access to this building. Carnegie Outreach workers, VANDU, the Street Nurses and the police are all monitoring the impact ofthe police presence at Main and Hastings in the surrounding area. We want our outreach staff to stay connected with street drug users. We want to help ensure that they do have access to help and support. We are talking with the police about developing regular beat teams for when 2417 ends; officers who know the area, are respected by Street people and local residents, who do the necessary enforcement as well as assisting people, and who generally can keep the drug scene offbalance so it can't re-establish itselfat fixed locations. Of course safe consumption centres and more detox and treatment programs are what will make the real difference.

Michael Clague Bliss, at last. I am at once, placidly, self-involved, calm, a set piece, silent; securely transparent, sanctified, satisfied, yet alone, remote. No sweet utter despair envelopes me, now in this softened sphere - in this cramped yet spacious edge of centre, apart. I hear er name spoken, announced, near, warm and unique, although it seems through a veil, detached within. The tape reel unravels, as always, no tricks, oblique, slightly new, somewhat different, surreal transfixing fare. The house is silenced I sense this fluid scene of sight and sound, astounded as I feel a sudden charge - can this be true, this inner fire? Her words play out, as right as rain, in mellow tones in harmony. I'm swallowed up into her atmosphere; I've fallen hard. I see that when she's done, she'll walk away.. blend into the light. I must discover the story of her, the whence of her tale and find the numbers to her combination 'ere the sun sets. Robyn Livingstone

Following is some information that was sent here the morning after an article, appearing in the last issue (The Flip Side - Nov. l,02), linked the VANDU tent outside Camegie with exacerbating the gathering storm of knee-jerk reactions to the open drug scene.

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VANDU seems to have begun with exchanging needles between 8pm and 4am when the DEYAS Needle Exchange was closed. Reasoning stemmed fiom users sharing needles when it was 'after hours' and not being together enough to wait for the Exchange vans.. and the effort of volunteers to be in alleys and back lanes wadis laudable. The problem quickly compromised this band-aid solution as the principle of exchanging was eclipsed and the practice of wholesale distribution took over. 'Better a clean rig than a dirty one.' Period. Full stop. Problem is that the surrounding community of non-users reacts to the escalation of use and the obvious result of the saturation being Party Central at Main & Hastings. The shutting down of the VANDU 'exchange' table followed incidents of volunteers using, encouraging irresponsibility of other users and, at the time of the actual shutdown, directing new fish and others to nearby pushers and 'good deals.'

being closed and difficulty meeting the exchange vans. Living away from the needle exchange also is a concern. These data were derived prior to the opening of the VANDU table. 1 have shared these data with John and Judy during a visit to DEYAS last year although there appears to be some outstanding confusion. Why would volunteers be out in the rain all winter, in the cold, giving out 1,200 needles per night if there wasn't a need?. VIDUS research 'identified restricted operating hours as a primary reason for difficulty accessing needles among all groups, even when the [DEYAS needle] exchange vans continue to operate'. Please feel free to contact me if you do not have copies of these papers. Evan Wood BC Centre for Excellence in HIVIAIDS

Hi Everyone, Several people have contacted me regarding some reference that has been made to VIDUS data around syringe sharing and needle exchange.

[and rhe conrexr jrom which rhe uhove cornt..s/To: Vancouver Police Board Maureen Whyte; Ken Frail; Jeff Brooks; Insp. John McKay; Hon. Sindi Hawkins; Hon. Gordon H o g ; Hon.Colin Hansen; Heather Hay; Gary Greer; Elena Kanigan; Dr. Perry Kendall; Dr.John Blatherwick; Donald MacPherson; Wendy Au, Premier Gordon Campbell Cc: John Turvey; Deb Meams; Carole Brown Subject: Vancouver Needle Exchange

The statement below is inaccurate: "The Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study has noted that users say they have no problem accessing needles in the Downtown Eastside, while they have definite problems with access in other parts of Vancouver and in the suburbs." To the contrary, we have found that after adjustment for DTES residence (ie this variable is taken out of the equation as a confounder), difficulty accessing syringes is the strongest predictor of syringe sharing. In a follow-up study we found that difficulty accessing syringes was due to the fixed site needle exchang

The latest controversy around Vancouver Police action related to the needle exchange tent which was near the Main & Hastings comer in the Downtown Eastside has raised some confusion about all needle exchange in Vancouver. As the Manager for 8 years of the needle exchange operated by Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society (DEYAS), I thought it might be usefid to add a few more facts to the discussion, particularly in light of the inaccuracies in this morning's article in the Vancouver Sun. The DEYAS Needle Exchange Program is the

Subiect: Re:: Vancouver Needle Exchange

oldest in Canada and one of the oldest in North America, having been in operation since the fall of 1988. The primary purpose of the service is to exchange new needles for used ones and to provide condoms for the purpose of preventing the transmission of HlV and other infections among Vancouver residents, with particular focus on intravenous drug users and sex trade workers. The Exchange also provides condoms, bleach, alcohol wipes and clean water bottles, information on AIDSmIV, hepatitis, endocarditis, TB, and other health issues, alcohol and drug counselling, a mobile nursing van and referrals to other community resources and medical facilities. Since 1996 the DEYAS Exchange has distributed over two million needles per year - over three million in 2000 and 2001 - with over 100% recovery through operating a 'high access' model which combines fixed site access with mobile van services and secondary exchange sites. The DEYAS Exchange has for many years been one of the largest, and likely the largest per capita, exchange in the world. The DEYAS Needle Exchange has a flexible trading policy which operates within wide parameters and is

designed to accomplish three specific goals: to maximize access to clean syringes, bleach, condoms, etc. for IV drug users; to educate users on the proper use of equipment to prevent the transmission of HlV and other infections; and to recover contaminated

needles as quickly and completely as possible to prevent their possible re-use. In practice, trading policies serve to maximize interaction between Exchange workers and clients without restricting client access to needles, increasing the potential for client education and boosting the recovery rate of used syringes, which are then disposed of as medical waste. Despite policies making it easy for clients to trade large numbers of needles at any given time, clients trade an average of 8.7 needles per visit to the fixed site. The Exchange also has on staff community pickup workers who coordinate cleaning up discarded needles and condoms throughout the Exchange's service area. This ensures recovery of many syringes not already returned to the Exchange through trading. The underlying philosophy of the Exchange - optimizing access to clients - serves to keep people coming back on a regular basis, helping workers to keep in close touch and build strong trust levels with clients. As a result, frontline workers are frequently the first line of approach for people who want drug counselling, detox referral or health information; many of the clients who approach the Exchange for help aren't comfortable approaching other agencies. During 200 1, exchange workers recorded over 25,000 referrals for clients -less than half of the total referrals actually done. During the same period, Exchange staff performed almost 65,000 direct services such as administering first aid, passing on drug or STD information and taking 'bad date' reports from sex trade workers. The Exchange operates on a 24 hour basis and has done so since 1994. The fixed site at 22 1 Main Street is open fiom 8:30 am to 8 pm daily. Mobile outreach is done by vans seven days a week from 5:00 pm to 8:00 am the following morning, as well as on foot during the day. There are two exchange vans on the road nightly until 2 am, with one of them remaining out until morning. Bulk trades are done at the fixed site, through the home delivery program which operates most days and evenings, and to some extent from the vans while on route. The exchange rate for syringes varies slightly from month to month, but consistently averages over 100%. During 200 1, the DEYAS Exchange directly gave out a total of 2,800,667 syringes and got back 2,814,787 for an exchange rate of 100.5%; a fbrther

394,877 were distributed through secondary exchanges with an overall exchange rate of 96.5%. There is some question about need currently being articulated for more exchange access in the Downtown Eastside. We have been supporters from the beginning of VANDU members providing needle exchange, which has been offered variously through a storefront, on foot patrols and lately through a tent in the Main & Hastings area. It has been our experience that drug users can develop good relationships with others who share or have shared their experience. The DEYAS Exchange has long had a policy of hiring ex-users as Exchange workers, and has employed active users under certain circumstances with a clear understanding that there is to be no drug nor alcohol use while working. However, in tracking statistics over the past two years, we have found that widening access in this small geographic area had no effect on overall needle distribution. We actually found a drop in trading from 2000 to 2001. What we did find was that users chose whichever venue was closest to do their trading, which meant that the increase in VANDU trading was matched by a drop in DEYAS trading at the fixed site and at certain van stops in the same small geographic zone It is our experience that the greatest need for increased exchange opportunities lies in the more outlying areas of Vancouver and particularly in suburban areas where exchange is only sporadically available, if available at all. Within Vancouver, we have been addressing this need through targeted van routes and increasingly through providing home delivery. We have also begun discussions with the Fraser Health Authority about extending some services into their region. It is well accepted that lack of access to clean needles is a key factor leading to needle sharing and hence potential infection with HIV andfor hepatitis. The Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study notes that users say they have no problem accessing needles in the Downtown Eastside, while they have definite problems with access in other parts of Vancouver and in the suburbs. Finally, I would like to note that we have long had a fruitti1 and mutually supportive relationship with the Vancouver Police Department. While certain officers, particularly those new to the area, have on occasion given exchange workers a bit of a hard time, on an official level the Vancouver Police have

been supportive, approachable and very easy to deal with. It's notable that individual problems are dealt with quickly and in a manner that supports the exchange. Our pick-up program has long worked with the Department, providing sharps containers and support where requested. We also work with the Department to try to foster safe conditions for both drug users and sex trade workers. We would be happy to provide any further information you may require. We hope that out of this controversy we can further develop a mutually supportive relationship which will foster safety and health for those using our program as well as for our community at large.

Judy McGuire Manager, Health Outreach Programs Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society The idealism got broken up on rocks of reaction, but DEYAS "misstates and misunderstands" -their 10+ years of experience, according to Ann Livingston (Director of VANDU) has left them "confused." It may be that Wood's research is valid on its face, but the response of dismissing exchange for distribution has little to do with a goal of harm reduction & education with treatment with counseling. PRT does anybody remember? is that a game you're playing? some nights don't last forever take it roll it it'll all come out in the wash it'll change your life today's the day i don't believe anybody this fire's not Out what do they feel about you? you're lying about everything as usual believe that it's the truth i'll have it all let's get together it saves me $ for your eyes only charles fortin

WHY (SOME) AMERICANS SHOULD NOT BE LET OUT OF THE COUNTRY Actual comments from US travel agents ( 1 ) I had someone ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (2) A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost information, she asked "Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii? " (3) I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she interrupted me with: " I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts." Without trying to make her look like the stupid one, 1 calmly explained: "Cape Cod is in Massachusetts. Capetown is in Africa." She immediately hung up. (4) A man called, furious about a Florida package we did. 1 asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don't lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state." (5) Another man called and asked if he could rent a czr in Dallas. When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he had only a one-hour lay-over in Dallas. When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said: "I heard Dallas is a big airport, and I need a car to drive between the gates to save time." (6) A nice lady just called. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20 am and got into Chicago at 8:33 am. I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois, but she could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally. I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that. (7) A woman called and asked: "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know who's luggage belongs to who?" said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied. " Well, when 1 checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight. Is there any connection?" Atter putting her on hold for a minute, I came back and explained that the city code for Fresno is FAT, and that the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

(8) 1 just got off the phone with a man who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?" I asked him what exactly he meant. "I was told my flight number is 823, but none ofthese dam planes have numbers on them." (9) A woman called and said, "I need to fly to Pepsicola on one of those computer planes." I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane." She said, "Yeah, whatever." (10) A business man called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I told him that he needed a visa. "Oh no I don't, I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double-checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this, he said:"Look, I've been to China four times, and every time they have accepted my American Express. " (1 1) A woman called to make reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York. The agent was at a loss for words. Finally, he said: "Are you sure that's the name of the town?" "Yes, what flights do you have?" replied the customer. After some searching, the agent came back with: "I'm sorry, but I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find Hippopotamus anywhere." The customer retorted, "Oh don't be silly. Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!" The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered: "You don't mean Buffalo, do you?" "That's it! 1 knew it was some animal."

On whose edge? 1 have decided to fill out the application form for the Disability Pension. I know that I've previously delineated my lines of demarcation when I said that I would categorically refke to hand in the paper as a symbol of political protest. However, all my fiiends, without exception have told me to at least attempt to fill in the paper, just in case. Before, I would not have minded so much signing papers declaring that I am crazy when I am not crazy. The quantifications ofjudging a person's mental state are subjective, anyway. And this pressing need of some people to see me on the Disability Pension for mental health is just their way of invalidating what I have to say because I am often right to the level which they are not, and they are jealous of my intellect, and fear me. I previously consented to be ostensibly crazy just to get a couple of hundred extra dollars a month. These people are people whose JQ points are lower than mine, but what they lack in intelligence, they make up for in a desperate need for [political] power. And they would like to see smart people like me deemed crazy so as not to get in the way oftheir political ambitions. But I feel politics is dirty, anyway. For the most part, politicians are a bunch of lying scum. So, I will probably sign the papers just to show that I am not interested in ever going into politics. How can someone be a politician after they signed papers saying that they are crazy? Jt is difficult for me to think of leaving Canada and going to Thailand. Canada is not a country that you leave fiom in a hurry. Especially Vancouver which has its own pleasures that are sedentary and reptilian, all the same. Wing KO "She who fears not the death of a thousand cuts will dare to unhorse the emperor." - Ancient Chinese proverb

old ~ r o u n ~

Prescription for decline While we wait anxiously to see if the United States will launch a "pre-emptive" invasion of Iraq, Canada's colonial-minded economic elite is aggressively pursuing an initiative called "deep integration" that would see Canada effectively absorbed by our imperial-minded neighbour. For Canada, it's not so much an invasion as a pre-emptive surrender. The deep integration plan was launched last spring with an article for the C.D. Howe Institute by economist Wendy Dobson, who presented her blueprint as a "Big Idea." Not the sort of Big ldea that implies something imaginative or visionary, this Big ldea is designed to get the attention of the Americans, who would otherwise continue to ignore us. "Canada should anticipate change and initiate a Big ldea that serves the major interests of its partner, while channelling action in ways that best serve its own interests," writes Ms Dobson. A key component of the Big Idea should be to hand over our energy resources as a sort of sacrifice. "Instead of waiting to be told what's expected of us," says Ms. Dobson, "Canadian governments and industry should prepare for this possibility in a proactive way." Other sacrifices include "joint continental defence, closely aligned immigration policies toward thirdcountry migrants, border security. . . ."And, almost as an afterthought, our water: The plan to ensure U.S. energy security "could also provide a model for dealing with demand pressures on other. . . natural resources such as water." We'd also "modify" our cultural policies, and give up the Wheat Board, and orderly marketing. What do we get for these sacrifices of our sovereign-

ty? Well, nothing: What the deep integrationists want is a customs union and eventually a common market so Canada can improve its "weak made-inCanada economic performance and stagnating living standards of the past decade." But wasn't free trade supposed to solve those problems? Isn't 15 years enough? Here is what integration has got us. To meet the needs of the free-trade imperative, we have savaged our domestic economy -- driving down wages and working conditions, abandoning industrial policies, radically cutting public spending, and handing the rich tens of billions in tax breaks. We lost 276,000 industrial jobs. Ottawa has lost every NAFTA trade-dispute case it has taken; Washington has won every one of its. We now have a degree of social and economic inequality unmatched since the 1930s. Nearly 95 per cent of U.S. direct investment has been used to buy up Canadian assets, consolidating corporate operations in the United States. According to NAFTA's Commission for Environmental Co-operation, increased trade is accelerating environmental degradation in the NAFTA countries. But what do our free-trade zealots want? Even more energy sales. By this logic. the United States is to be encouraged to use as much energy as possible so we can sell it to them -- Kyoto and our own energy security be damned. If you are assuming through all this that NAFTA at

least increased our trade with the United States, think again. According to a 2001 Industry Canada study, 91 per cent of the increase in trade with the United States in the 1990s was the result of the low dollar and the U.S. economic boom. But never let it be said that mere facts can discourage the true believer. If the medicine doesn't work, double the dose. The deep integrationists are now sponsoring a sort of private-sector royal commission called Borderlines -- a series of high-profile conferences promoting integration funded by the free enterprise foundations and organized by the major business think tanks. Not satisfied with economic integration, the Big ldea extends integration into the political realm. One suggestion calls for "four consultative political institutions" to develop a "North American" identity. But Frank Graves of Ekos Associates, which does the most extensive values polling in the country, says there is no sign of, and no support for, such an identity. According to Ekos, Canadians now demonstrate "a stronger sense of identity and greater national confidence than at any time in the past decade." But Canada's economic elite is so enamoured of things American, so lacking in imagination and entrepreneurial ability, that the biggest idea it can come up with is to give the United States everything and pray it will be grateful. A genuinely Canadian reading of the facts suggests that Ottawa should establish an independent public inquiry into the current state and hture options regarding Canada-U.S. relations. Surely the real question is: What policy mix would strengthen Canadian society, the domestic economy and our nation-state? Second, it is so glaringly obvious that free trade has damaged the country, we should immediately declare a moratorium on signing any new agreements. Third, we should begin immediately -- in the next federal budget -- to restore the social programs we have voluntarily slashed in order to please the United States. The grand experiment has failed. Let's look for a truly visionary Big ldea and save the country. By MURRAY DOBBIN Murray Dobbin, a Vancouver-basedjournalist, is author o f a study, "ZiplockingNorth America, " recently released by the Cozcncil of Canadians.

Dear Premier,

. .

You and your colleagues have stated on numerous occasions that you do not have the hnds to relieve the shortages we must live with today. You say you have to cut budgets, you have to lay workers OK you can't do anything to make it possible for the poor to work and have low income housing or for hospitals, schools and services to remain open. Please forgive me but I've heard enough about how the homeless should get jobs when they don't even have a place to live. "Get a job? What does that mean?" I ask myself in a job market saturated with government, hospital, school, and social service lay-offs, (among others). If there wasn't such a glut of laid off workers, we might all be working now. You even want a guy who has no hands and feet to be arrested, simply because he has nowhere to live. You are cruel. You are right. There are some people in my neighborhood that should be busted, but they aren't the homeless variety. Even the drug addicts are not the biggest visible criminals. The most visible and deadliest criminals in my neighborhood are the thousands of drunk drivers and speeders who are let loose fiom the prosperous nightclubs, here in Gastown, five nights a week. I'd rather see a drug addict standing ON a corner, than be hit by a drunk racing AROUND a comer. Like Willy Pickton, who (allegedly) got away with picking up a ton of people right under police noses, drunk drivers and speeders are getting away with crime after crime after crime and will continue to commit them. They get away without even having to make a contribution for the damage they do to themselves and others. They race around hitting motorcyclists, pedestrians, children and each other. Never mind insurance and all the costs that go along with owning and driving a car. Drunk drivers and speeders go beyond what all of that covers. They should pay. Now we ALL know the changes you are willing to and capable of making. We are living in the mess. You can bring back photo-radar and fine speeders a percentage of their income.. We know you can. If that is not enough for drivers to get the message

that they simply must drive safely, then you could also implement mandatory tri-annual retesting for all drivers. Charge offenders a fine according to a . percentage of their income. Drunk drivers and speeders are criminals. Start treating them that way. They should be filling the coffers not the coffins. '

Sincerely, Tern Williams

Child care cuts - a huge blow to women's equality in BC Accumulated cuts will devastate many daycares Cuts to BC's Contribution and Compensation Staff Incentive Program, as reported recently in the media, are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cuts affecting childcare in British Columbia. The accumulation of these cuts will be a huge blow to women in BC, setting the women's equality clock back as far as forty years. Cuts will also devastate many daycares in BC, especially those run by small, non-profit organizations, which must seek funding fiom as many as five different BC Ministries in order to keep their doors open. The Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services is not only cutting the Contribution and Compensation program, which provided a meagre increase of approximately 1 1 % to childcare workers with appropriate higher education, but has also cut Funding Assistance for Out of School Care. The Ministry will be cutting the Child Care Resource and Referral, which provides mothers with a database of childcare spaces; the One Stop Access Program, which provides supported childcare subsidies in the north; and fundingto Westcoast Resource and Inform, which provides information and resources to rural childcares. Upcoming changes in the way childcare in BC is funded-moving to a "per child" system based on enrolment-will mean a further cut of up to 30% in funding to daycares. The Ministry of Advanced Education has also made deep cuts in closing Early Childhood Education programs, making faculty reductions, suspending programs in some institutions and reducing course offerings in others. The Ministry of Children and Family Development has reduced supported childcare for developmentally delayed children by 28%. And one of the largest blows to women, with their statistically lower incomes and their majority resp onsibility for childcare in BC, has been the lowering of the threshold of qualifying income for childcare subsidies by the Ministry of Human Resources. "The I984 Royal Commission on Equality of

Employment noted that 'child care is the ramp that provides equal access to the work force for mothers' (see Abella, 1984, 1978). Child care is also a major source of employment for women. According to census data, in 1991 there were 181,830 women providing child care. For mothers, lack of affordable child care may mean having to be out of the work force for several years, or part-time participation only. This results in a reduction of lifetime earnings, lost opportunities for career advancement and smaller pension benefits than would have been the case otherwise. For providers of child care, the reduction in government financial support means job insecurity and deteriorating working ~onditions."'~"

The social consequences of not providing adequate and supportive government funding to childcare are great. According to researcher Gillian Doherty, parents may be forced to use unregulated care; to have one parent, or the lone parent, remain out of the paid work force or work only part-time in order to be home to care for the children; to arrange to work different shifts, thereby enabling one parent to be at home at all times (this "solution" has its own conesquences, for example, a significant reduction in the amount oftime the family unit is together); or to leave their child unattended or in the care of an older sibling.*[*' Without access to affordable childcare, women will face increased job insecurity, an increased level of stress, diminished access to

educational opportunities, increased polarization based on socic~economicstatus, and a reduction in women's choices regarding participation in the paid work force. Child care is essential for women in their role as mothers to assist them to obtain economic equality and to support them in their role as parents. At the same time, women make up 97% of child care providers. The BC Coalition calls on the provincial government to ensure the affordability and availability of child care in BC. Further, the BC Coalition of Women's Centres calls on Minister of State for Women's Equality, Lynn Stephens, to stand up and speak in thc Legislature on behalf of women. Childcare is hndamental to women's equality, and Minister Stephens cannot maintain her customary silence on women's equality issues while the systemic dismantling of childcare is taking place in B.C.

**Jim Green was on CBC Radio, answering to the libelous attack ads the NPA is drooling over. He coolly responded as NPAer Sandy McKormick did the hnky chicken about how righteous..er.. rightthinking.. er.. right-wing.. . Green kept derailing her and said the NPA is desperate because people are seeing them as they are rather than as they want to be seen. McKormick snapped back, "Yes we're desperate! We're desperate to keep COPE-NDP socialists out ofcity Hall. We're desperate to save the ideals we live by." Green laughed and McKormick launched into a diatribe with every sentence a rant about the evils of "COPE-NDP" as though it's one word. She was so caught up in her own cacophony that her last statement was, "We're very proud of what the NDP has done for Vancouver!" A nice friend would say 'It's okay dear, I know you meant NPA' but not being that much of a mush-brain leaves me thinking 'Freudian slip'. ....

Origami

I I I 1

at Carnegie

I-3pm, Saturday, Nov.30

in the Gallery on the 3* floor

Come learn the Japanese art of

/?A/:'? -

Workshop

/=cLl>/Ne

Make some Christmas ornaments to decorate your home!

I The whole world is nothing more than an echo: You give hate and hate will come back to you; you I give anger and anger will come back to you; you I abuse others and abuses come return to you; you put I out thorns and thorns return to you. Whatever you have given returns to you.. comes back to you in I infinite ways. lfyou share love then love will come 1 back to you in infinite ways. If love has not returned to you in an immeasurable number of ways, then I know that it is because you have not given love. I Submitted by Videha L

WEALTH BY STEALTH Corporate Crime, Corporate Law, and the Perversion of Democracy

The corporation is the favourite shield of the rich and powerful. Protected by law, captains of industry routinely get away with behaviour that would land ordinary citizens in jail. How has this come to pass? And why should it be allowed to continue? I-larry Glasbeek is a Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, and is known for his searing critiques of corporate malfeasance and political abuse. - Jean Swanson [The launch is over as you read this. It was presented by Between the Lines Publishers and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Find the book!

I I I

I !

OOWN'T'OWN

EASTSIDE

YOUTH

STD CLINIC - 2 19 Main: Monday to Friday, loam - 6pm NEEDLE EXCHANGE - 221 Main: 8:3Oam - 8pm every day NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN - 3 Routes: Citv - 5:45pm - I I :45pm Overnight - 12:30am - 8:30am Downtown Eastside - 5:30pm - 1 :30am

2002 DONATIONS Libby D.481 Sam R.-$20 Eve E.-$18 Nancy H.$50 Margaret D.-$22 Sabitri G.-$22 Hulda R.-$25 Val A.$18 Wm B-$27 Harold D.-$2 1 Mary C-$71 Paula R-$35 Rolf A.-$75 Bruce 5.-$18 Peggy -525 Kettle -$I8 Sonya S.-$100 BCTF-$10 Bill G.-$100 Wes K.-$36 Charley B-$25 DEYAS-$125 RayCam-$25 LSS-$200 John S-$36 Paddy -$75 Sarah E.-$10 The Edge -$200 Maggie R-$100 Jo's Mom -$25 Charles F.-$10 Mennonite CC -$85 Rosemary 2.-$40 Joanna N.440 Jenny K.418 Charlotte F.-$20 Nancy C.-$50 Debbie -$20 Glen B.-$100 Penny G.-$40 Jelly Bean -$20 Louise's Mom 4 2 0 Gram -$I00 Anonymous 4 2 1

TAE NEWSLETTER IS A PIIBI.ICATION O F T l l E CARNECIE M M h l l l N i T Y C E m R E ASSOC'IA'TION Articles represent the views o f individual contributors and mt of the Association

Submission Deadline for next issue: Thursday, November 28

Welfare problems; Landlord disputes; Housing problems; Unsafe living conditions; orne to the Dera office at 425 Carrall Slreel or

R A has been serving the Downtown Easlside

Hope for the Don !)townEastside? Suddenly our little neighbourhood is the centre of attention. We're in the headlines, special news editions, documentaries etc. We see ourselves on stage, television and movie screens. We hear speeches, debates and even songs about us. The Downtown Eastside is the central issue of the mayoralty race. Flavour of the month. All this hype can make a resident feel like more of a freak than ever. But the media coverage must be raising awareness, compassion and empathy so that people realize the war on drugs is everyone's problem, that the Downtown Eastside is just the tip of the iceberg, that the legal and illegal drug trade is spreading even to small towns, that growing numbers of young people all over North America are choosing escape through drugs, that something must be done. All the mayoral candidates speaking in favour of safe injection sites and harm reduction is amazing! Could some understanding solutions really come out of all this? Meanwhile, the police are doing a major 24-7 sweep at Main and Hastings. Like an ambush, renovation construction, during the last few months, enclosed the drug market into a tight crowd at the steps of the Carnegie Centre which made it more difficult than ever to enter the building. Then on Wednesday November 6th, the men in blue said "We're here now". I haven't seen the Carnegie Centre look so elegant and majestic since the eighties, like a castle or fortress, guards and all. The centre seems busier and livelier inside. The volleyball, badminton and basketball programs were well-attended and seemed more relaxed this past weekend. Could the neighbourhood really be getting its community centre back? Last night I saw the 'cop on the corner' reprimand a jaywalker trying to pass fiom the Regent to the Balmoral. As the jaywalker passed the officer to go to the lights, he was "mouthing off'. Within 30 seconds after the policeman had spoken into his cell phone, a paddy wagon and two police cars were on the scene and at least ten foot patrollers were running towards the corner. The enforcement pillar can be extremely effective when mobilized.

I wonder if as much expertise, time and money is being invested in the treatment, harm reduction and prevention pillars as is obviously going into the enforcement one. Nevertheless, 1 have to admit to a feeling crf unexpected optimism. Perhaps it could be possible for children to walk to school safely again. Maybe one day Oppenheimer Park could be accessible to residents of all ages again. Hopeklly the drug users aren't being pushed into firther danger in the allies. We could all do with a bit of hope. By LElTH HARRIS