Downtown Update

[Allroadsleadtoham]

Originally Posted by BCTed

Homeless/druggies are not vermin and some of them may be the salt of the earth, but that is not really relevant when discussing this problem. Open air drug use might not be "diddling", but it is still not something that people want to be exposed to or have their children exposed to. These people do still commit crimes. They do steal. They do frighten women, children, men. They pee and poop where people should not pee and poop. They smell bad. They yell. They fight with one another. They stand in the middle of live traffic. They lie unconscious on the sidewalk. They are also far more likely to do some of the other "bad" things you mentioned than are people from the general population.

Even if you were to learn that all of these down-on-their-luckers have hearts of gold, they would still represent a problem. They make for an unpleasant/uncomfortable/potentially unsafe experience, whether you have sympathy/empathy for them or not.

And this particular problem may well be continent-wide, but it is still a major problem that just means that it is a shared major problem. And it is particularly visible/acute in Hamilton. And people can be concerned about the problem and/or turned off by it without being obligated to take individual action to try to help fix it. And they do unquestionably make for a more difficult business climate. And they do threaten the future vibrancy/prosperity of downtown Hamilton.

Drug users create a demand for illegal substances, allowing drug dealers to thrive, this will explain the shooting and stabbings. This demand fosters competition among dealers for territory, leading to violence and conflict. As dealers vie for control, communities, particularly in our downtown core, suffer from increased crime and instability, impacting local businesses. This cycle not only harms individuals but has broader social consequences, highlighting the need to address both addiction and drug trafficking. The rise in violence underscores the urgency to stop enabling drug use. We must arrest both drug dealers and users. The judicial system may be overworked, but it needs reform to effectively tackle this issue. If our leaders fail to act, we risk voting for alternatives that may not align with progressive values. Our downtown core has become a makeshift shelter; we were making progress, and we must continue that trajectory.