Today's Province Column +

Here is today's Province column.

And below is a succinct response:

Hello Mr. Berner,

I absolutley and totally agree with your perspective on treatment and not giving to those struggling with addictions more of the same. Personally, I believe that we have bought into the notion of harm reduction simply because we no longer really care about the well being of those entrapped and we do not have the patience and dedication that is required to see individuals weaned off of substance abuse.

Thanks,

Don Sukkau

Interesting that last week I was inundated with raving hate mail, and today I have about 3 responses, all of them positive.

Seems like VENTING...has become a national pasttime.

Sam$ MI$$ion

I have it on a number of reliable sources that The Nutty Mayor spends 99% of his time running for the next election.

He has raised a small fortune in his war chest and he attends private fund gigs almost nightly.

Which means, among other things, that he attends to almost no City hall business.

Which could be a good thing...for city managers and for us.

No matter how much lucre this ambitious, vengeful teenager piles on, my sense is that he is finished - a one-snort wonder, who will be very much on the sidelines at 2010.

There is a groundswell of disapproval and distaste against this fellow the likes of which I have never seen before.

City Rai$e$ the Roof

It is hard to argue with a 25% increase in wages for non-union managers at City Hall after the City settled with union employees at a 17.5% increase.

Nevertheless...we should all be so lucky.

A 25% wage increase for folks who are already in the $100,000/year +++ remains galling in the face of the struggles facing ordinary workers.

Ladner and others will argue that we must remain competitive with other jurisdictions, and that may be so.

But I would say, "If your $250,000/year and all the perks and short hours and days off and Vancouver quality of life just aren't cutting it for you, Bunky, then enjoy the hellhole called Alberta."

Victor's Vision of Kim

Once again, Kim Capri has uttered one of her trademark non sensical and unsubstantiated pronouncements. This woman is the very embodiment of Bimbo politics. Her presence on Council is an affront to every hard working, intelligent female politician who is elected on merit.
In this instance, Ms. Capri opined that moving addicts to neighbourhoods will actually make neighbourhoods safer. How does she know this? Would that include the addict who stole presents from the child's hospital room last month? Or the addict who beat the kindly old man in the Cathedral? Ms. Capri knows she can make these types of airhead statements without challenge from from the media. That's her role on council. She is the Official Blonde and every time she invents one of her mindless factoids, she gives regrettable credence to that stereotype.
Vacuousness had been this woman's trademark since she was nominated. I recall a summer night, two years ago at the Italian Club, when Ms. Capri, along with a gaggle of NPA aspirants, made pre nomination speeches. I recall being gobsmacked by her solution to the drug problems of the downtown east side. She actually said the solution was to have more early childhood education. The woman beside me whispered to me " Is she suggesting we take all crackheads into regression therapy back to the womb and start again?"
Stupid then, stupider now. Why indeed would women be attracted to politics and risk being typecast as being in the Kim mold?

Best Flicks in Town

Leonard Schein continues to show the best movies in town at the Park, the Fifth Avenue and The Ridge.

Take a taste below...then click on the link to your right ("Leonard's Silver Screens") or here.

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES NOW PLAYING AT FESTIVAL CINEMAS ATONEMENT 7 nominations including Best Picture. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN4 nominations including Best PictureJUNO3 nominations including Best Picture THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY3 nominations including Best Picture THE KITE RUNNER2 nominations including Best PictureTHE SAVAGESBest actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Randy Travis and BB King