Poverty - Canada's National shame

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
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By far and away the actual dollar amounts for drug deals are accumulated in West Vancouver and North Vancouver. The people who buy drugs in the eastside are spending $10-20 bucks a day. In the more affluent areas people drop $800/day without blinking

This all relative again. Depends on the amount of secrecy involved and how much a dealer thinks they can take you for. There are the dealers that sell to the heroin junkies weed for $10-15/1/8oz. They break that up and sell it for 10-15/g and bring the money back to buy more weed and some heroin. They satrt all over again. They all look for the "big fish."
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
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It was primarily forestry and road work that has the most abuses. It's just the work ethic in the Maritimes

It was a norm for alot of non-union outfits in the 1980's. When the oil fields crashed there were a lot of people out of work, and this was how they got people working again. 6months on - 6months off. A company that takes 500 people to operate could support 1000 families at a medium lifestyle. The government still had to kick in. If you look at the expences that they paid out for retraining of people they now have to retrain again and were those people are now, it might be a feasable plan to allow this to happen again. All the money they saved from cancelling it in the 90's went to political corruption anyway. If they spend it on EI they at least know were it is going - to build the economy back up.
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
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Whatever the numbers are, it is shameful that as intelligent as we are supposed to be, we have not even come close to improving our society, and I think the biggest reason why people are addicted to whatever their poison may be, is because society has failed them in some manner.

They "think" society has failed them in some manner. We all control our own life and as soon as you let someone else get a little control, you can not expect to have the outcome you desire. It is up to each of us to realize that.
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
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CL, I think you're speaking of the "professional victim". It's why some people stay on welfare even though it's far less then if they had a minimum wage job.

It's what keeps many some addicts from ever getting better. It's frustrating to watch.
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
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One gentleman on the news last night mentioned that since he'd been participating in a drug study and been given his heroin free of cost he's been able to get a job and hold it because he doesn't have to worry about getting dope sick and looking for money to get more dope. Interesting.

This is a good point, because one of the attractions of being a drug dealer is the ability to manipulate the buyers. Some people will do some every degrading things to get their hit if they don't have the money. Theft, violence, sex for entertainment. Things that distroy a person from within their minds.
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
504
4
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Help on which beggers to give change to.

The ones with the shopping carts full of belongings.

Food is free at any number of places in the ES at various times of the day or week. These guys do not normally attend because they have their carts full of belongings, which are not allowed - they dumpster dive for food and beg. They most likely sleep outside because most shelters, if not all will not allow them to bring them in. Because they have belongings there is a very good chance that they do not do drugs - they would find someone to buy the items to get the money to buy drugs.

these are also most likely the ones who do not beg for money. they may ask you for a light, and when you go to give them one they will produce an old butt they salvaged from a bus stop.

If I see a person like this sleeping on the street I will slip a fiver under cover or in his cart.
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
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I would hate to live on the street sober. I can understand why they'd turn to drugs...I wouldn't want sobriety on the street.
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
504
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I would hate to live on the street sober. I can understand why they'd turn to drugs...I wouldn't want sobriety on the street.

Sobtiety is likely the only reason I survived my time on the street. Once drunk or buzzed your judgement gets clouded and you find yourself in some pretty tight situations - robbed, beaten, using harder drugs.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Vernon, B.C.
I wouldn't know as I haven't had to do that sort of thing. I think it's more-or-less irrelevant where the homeless get their food. The results are the same; malnutrition and disease.
And it is still irelevant to the thread topic.

Yeah, I don't have my knowledge first hand either but there was an interesting item on the news a few months back where a man in Vancouver furnished his home by "dumpster diving" and they showed his home and it was pretty impressive. Just blows your mind what some regard as trash. If more people did that sort of thing it might just drive down the price of building materials.
 

CanadianLove

Electoral Member
Feb 7, 2009
504
4
18
Yeah, I don't have my knowledge first hand either but there was an interesting item on the news a few months back where a man in Vancouver furnished his home by "dumpster diving" and they showed his home and it was pretty impressive. Just blows your mind what some regard as trash. If more people did that sort of thing it might just drive down the price of building materials.

Here is a tip if you are into that. At the end of the school year go through the college and university housing district in your city. There are alot of spoiled kids in school and they just through all the things out and get their parents to buy new the next year.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Here is a tip if you are into that. At the end of the school year go through the college and university housing district in your city. There are alot of spoiled kids in school and they just through all the things out and get their parents to buy new the next year.

I'm definitely into the philosophy for two reasons, saving money and saving "wear and tear" on the planet, but whether you will actually see the heels of my feet protruding above a dumpster is rather doubtful, but I do respect those who do it. The "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality hasn't made us better people over the years.