Ottawa, the nation's crack capital?

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=7159bbb7-7e86-48fa-b1ef-f5d6d5637b41

Is Ottawa fast becoming the nation's crack capital as well? The Globe (which I have trouble linking) had a two page article on the city's crack problem yesterday. News to me. According to the Globe, the drug is cheap, users and dealers are everywhere in certain sections of the city and panhandling, the choice for user purchasing power, has become the capital curse. How did such a jewel of a city become in the words of one interviewed there "a ghetto'?
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
4,612
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48
Perhaps the example set by crooked politicians who steal millions and get away with it...
Perhaps the example set by the RCMP that has set the example of corruption that has Canadians spirited away by the U.S. goon patrol.....to say nothing of recent allegations of fiscal corruption at the highest levels of management....
Perhaps the long line of government limos sitting idling outside the legislature despite these "honorable members" having made a "committment" to reducing green-house gas emmissions...
Perhaps the model of Belinda Stronach (and others) who once elected to government flip to the party they weren't elected to represent and then ultimately abandon politics for the greater profitability of corporate corruption....
Perhaps the pictures of coffins returning from Afghanistan where the wonderful people of Canada think it appropriate that young folk be sacrificed to protect American petroleum cartels....
Drug addicts and criminals have a variety of role models to choose from in the nations capital....
If Canadians are unprepared to hold their "leadership" accountable.....perhaps crack dealers think the attitude of ignorance and hypocrisy will extend to them....
Hey....Canada is a model and it only seems fair that the gangsters and users who reject law and order should move into the nations capital....
Poetic justice on a people who are completely unfamiliar with the notion of prioritizing...
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
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Oshawa ON
Well, Mikey, whatever the root cause, it shocked me - and I'm not easily shocked - to witness such a large article on this problem in the nation's leading newspaper. If Ottawa isn't immune to this virulence no city or town will be.
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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I agree Tamarin...
Once greed and corruption can be seen to be given a "pass" it's only to be expected that a mecca of over-priced legal monkeys coelescing aroung the trough to come to the aid of the corrupt government of Canada...will have plenty of high-priced help (lawyers) available to "protect" these non-official criminals...
Corruption in government has generated a similar dynamic throughout both democratic and other forms of government capitals since the dawn of time. There was an American mayor in Washington DC who was arrested for dealing cocaine in a hotel room being watched by the FBI..
During the height of the Greek and Roman empires, prostitution, legalized gaming and criminality of all kinds was alive and well in those nation-states captials....
The Chinese have a saying (don't they have one for everything...:)... "a fish rots from the head down.."
It seems entirely appropriate that Toronto and other provincial capitals have struggled and continue to struggle with corruption in their legislatures and on their streets.
 

hermanntrude

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Jun 23, 2006
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Newfoundland!
yes it's the politician's fault. Nothing to do with the idiots who take the stuff, fully conscious of what it will do to them...
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
""a fish rots from the head down.."...great little saw, Mikey!
Yup, I remember Marion Barry in Washington. He's been caught several times for drug possession. Interestingly, he still gets elected and he's still on council there.
I guess at some point the rot becomes so pervasive we begin to excuse it.
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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Hey Herm...:)
I wouldn't suggest for a moment that druggies aren't responsible.... but do you think that a nation that has embraced criminality throughout its history...Bronfmans made their millions smuggling whiskey during prohibition...the state controls liquor and cigarette sales....and in so doing generates a black market...same with guns....
When the ground is fertile for greed and corruption is it really any mystery that this element moves in to fill the void?
 

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
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Newfoundland!
Hey Herm...:)
I wouldn't suggest for a moment that druggies aren't responsible.... but do you think that a nation that has embraced criminality throughout its history...Bronfmans made their millions smuggling whiskey during prohibition...the state controls liquor and cigarette sales....and in so doing generates a black market...same with guns....
When the ground is fertile for greed and corruption is it really any mystery that this element moves in to fill the void?

name a country which hasnt embraced criminality throughout its history
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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Herm
I doubt there's any. Does the history of corruption in state and government that seems to be as elusive as "poverty" to defeat...mean that we haven't learned anything from our past?
 

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
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Newfoundland!
what I'm trying to say is that we can't blame the government for all the problems in society. Many of them are simply down to the fact that people are sometimes fools. We all make stupid decisions and we can't expect the politicians to lead by example, as we know from past experience that politicians are merely people with more opportunity for corruption. I'd say the best thing you can do is to slap any of your friends if they think it's a good idea to take an addictive, class A drug.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
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Toronto
I doubt Ottawa's crack problems are any worse when compared to similar sized cities. Crack, heroin, crystal meth can all be found in any city. Ottawa's lax pandhandling lawas just put it in your face a little more, like Toronto.
 

temperance

Electoral Member
Sep 27, 2006
622
16
18
And panhandling --well I will info you they now offer little trinkets like open air mini garage sales lol --so in exchange for a loonies you can get a key chain or used pet rock ,its much more fun they say --o but the vendor permit --yes 25.00 a weekend the city will allow you to sale your wares on the corner

those pan handles are so ingenious --tax free money
 

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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With any luck Mackay and our minister of national security can find sidewalk space for a kiosk..
Finally working at the level of responsibility they deserve....
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
But how embarrassing. One becomes two, becomes ten. The problem spreads and pretty soon the city is giving out free crack pipes. You have to weigh the consequences of compassionate civic policy and the duty of decorum and example.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
129
63
Toronto
Ottawa could always send the junkies over the bridge to Hull... with all the money Ottawa forks over to Quebec, their superb social services would surely have open beds to treat these addicts.
 

temperance

Electoral Member
Sep 27, 2006
622
16
18
Well I Think the HARM REDUCTION program was originally used to find out the amount of abuse going on and should have been used as a triage to get the people help ,Its not like "crack people" are going to come rite out and announce it or seek help

the program should recorded more than just
the basics

I think they asked them 3 -4 questions like
sex m/f
are you a sex trade worker
age

They should have used it to introduce help --not just give items away which in the begining before all the flack they did they gave phamflets of where to get help and meeting they could go to

but once all the nay sayer ,jumped in they gave up cause we would want to really help now would we ---
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
There was a time when Ottawa wasn't a crack centre. And this should be possible again. The city council should be reviewing what's being done not so much to comfort or rehabilitate users but rehabilitate itself.