FREE - dunatinos •~epled . MARCH 15, 2006

NEWSL: 401 Main St, Vancouver

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604-665-2289

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Courage

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It's ~oming at Carnegie as I sit here, listening to a song titled Sunday Morning Coming Down wJ-...ile struggling to write a poem about a friend who re­cently passed away. ~ know.for a fact that Herman Pete had many ~ends; just the nature of his friendly, loving and kin~ character .~ttests to that. It kind of goes with the temtory. In _spite of his own challenges and daily s.truggles, he was willing to assist others in their times of nee~. A brother in the 'hood. . li({rman knew and understood the issues - drugs,

~om.elessness: alc?h~l and being poor, among others .1

like murder& n Qllssmg women. flis neighbourhood ~as co~m~ty and he knew of the pain ~ause he hved wtth ~s and that of his fiiends in the lifestyle. . He ~as a dad, brother, uncle, along with other fam­Ily things. Pri~r to his death, we talked and he said he ~as lea~~g for home (Smithers) for awhile to walt for things to cool down. I was wondering why he was bandaged; he said he'd been stabbed. We shoo.k hands and he was gone .... at least for a fQw mQnths . . , The next thin~ I ~e~ he was ba~k but, sadly, back.

to the.street. Its a VICious cycle of drugs, pain and ye~ng: We knew this because he came to a poetry evemng m Carnegie to share, in honesty, blunt as it was, the reality of what he and others were going through - " ... there's no escape." Once again, Herm_an _was stabbed over a drug deal

gone bad. Sadly, tlus time death won over my friend .He~nan, you enriched so many lives during your

~1fettmc. We all will miss you so much. Now you arc m the Creator's care.

In friendship, Stephen L.

TOOLONG Pc

There was a lot of negative energy at the comer of ur Pain & Wasting this past Sunday afternoon, and Ia most of it was the result of indifference on the part ff of those public servants of whom society expects so tu1

much. The unfortunate incident that unleashed this va furthering disenfranchisement of the citizens of the rc Downtown Eastside was another reminder that they he are being ghettoized and dehumanized by the very N.

public servants whom they depend on for safety. ce While unfortunate that it took a meaningless death b~

to highlight this truth, even more disturbing was how tl1 cavalier and insensitive the police behaved. Most P disconcerting of course was the fact that the victim b was left on the sidewalk like a buffalo hump on the d prairie for more than four hours. Four hours. No re- n spect for life, even in death, where it has been hu- c man nature to treat our deceased with the utmost ' respect. A tradition I might add that goes back ~ 20,000 years to when we were still living in caves ~ and wearing bearskins. What excuse is there, valid or otherwise, for justi­

fying such an indignity upon a fellow member of our society, a fellow human being? I mean this is one of the busiest and most visible intersections of the city. Why the coroner and police investigative team could not have taken care of this tragedy in a timely fash­ion is beyond my ken. If the victim had been a po­lice officer or family member of some semi­influential citizen would they have been left on the sidewalk like a bag of trash for over four hours? Is it ~ unreasonable expectation of these well-paid pub­h.c servants that they conduct themselves in a profes­siOnal manner, or just when dealing with certain residents ·of this great city. Four hours. The victim was on display like it was

some bad television show. Even if there had been a quadruple homicide at the same time somewhere else in the city should it have taken over four hours to wrap up this sordid episode, or is that only an ex­pectation when in Shaughnessy or Kits? The insult that was added to this grievous injury however was when the coroner and investigative team actually arrived and began going about their business. They were done in approximately ten minutes. They waited over four hours to do len minutes of work This level of performance would get most people fired if not at least severely reprimanded.

Police indifference was reiterated by what occurred during that four hours the victim layout there on dis­play. The police had the area of the crime cordoned off from the Carnegie Centre to the ally next to Gar­lane pharmacy. An individual, who had been in the walk down public washroom at the comer, emerged from conducting his business and found himself on the inside of the police perimeter. As he ambled his way towards the other side of the police tape an offi­cer began to berate him and proceeded to grab him by the scruff of the neck and literally hurl him across the police line like a bag of trash. The victim of ihis police assault (look up the definition of assault in the law books) was an obvious derelict alcoholic but does this preclude him from enjoying the same rights and privileges as any other citizen? This offi­cer did not even inquire as to why he found himself where he was. Resonates of Gestapo tactics don't you think? This guy hadn't even paused in his pro­gress towards the proper side of the line and the area was obviously not going to be part of any investiga­tion because the ground in that spot had been tram­pled by at least a hundred persons before the perime­ter had even been erected. This is endemic of the · attitude of police indifference towards the most dis­enfranchised of our fellow citizens.

Even more disturbing yet was that which occurred when a fellow citizen dared voice his opinion that the police officer should display a little more profes­sionalism and humanity. He was told in no uncertain terms by another police officer to "get going right now, move". I witnessed this frrst hand from a close vantage point and could not help but be reminded of the total lack of humanity displayed by the S.A. thugs shouting "Juden out" in 1930's Germany. The same snarl to the voice, the same cold hard stare, the same promise of an ass-kicking if he did not comply immediately. This is not an overreaction as I have been a resident and citizen of the downtown East Side for over ten years and have dealt with our city's (ahem) fmest from both sides of the legal equation. I can say with certainty that this is a jackboot mental­ity being fostered and employed by the police force which is supposedly there to protect all citizens of this great city. Most shocking of all though was the fact that this officer was a woman, someone from whom I would have expected a little more compas­sion and understanding. I can sympathize with the

3 frustrations that the police have to contend with on a daily basis but if they cannot handle simple situa­tions such as these then they should be looking for alternate employment; they are obviously unsuited to police work and do not have the patience and un­derstanding that all citizens expect from their public servants. Getting back.to the indignities visited upon the de- ·;

ceased however, I see a darker motive as to why the body was left out in the open like this. Police chief Graham's latest misguided attempt to address the problem of open drug activity in the area .. an activ­ity, I might add, that the police force has allowed to gain root and actually fester, if not flourish, over the last quarter century. Is it just coincidence that this unfortunate occurrence provided the perfect visual aid to justify the chiefs latest initiative to clean up the area, allowing him to say "here is why we need to crackdown on users ... " Now I'm all for targeting the cadre of sophisticated dealers that seem to operate with impunity for what seems like forever, but not the victims of this crime. The areas problems do need to be addressed and a battle will likely have to be waged to achieve this but can't this battle be fought with grace and dignity for the victims in this war which the police have declared? For in the words of an immortal scribe "The gentlest gamester is the soonest winner". We are all hqman beings no matter our socio­

economic stratification, be it advantaged or disad­vantaged, and should be treated as such. Remember that "there but for the grace of God go I". ·

Rabble Rouser

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NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN- 3 Routes: DOWNTOWN. EASTSIDE YOUTH ACTIVITIES SOCIETY

604-685-6561 Citv- 5:45pm- I 1:45pm

· 49 W .Cordova 604-251-3310

FREE - Donation• accepted.

,NEWSLETTER THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THF

CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.

Editor: PauiR Taylor; cover+ layout, Diane Wood.

Submistion )kadlin~ fnr nPri i~~ .... ~

Ovemi&ht- I 1:30am- 8:30am Downtown Eastsid~- 5:30pm - I :lOam

2006 DONATIONS Libby D.-$100 Rolf A.-$50 Barry for Dave McC-$100 Christopher R-$30 Margaret D.-$40 Bruce J.-$15 Gram -$200 Mary C-10$ Penny G.-$50 MP/Jelly Bean -$20 RayCam-30 Janice P.-$30 Wes K.-$ 30 Paddy -$60 Glen B.-$25 Jobn S.-$60 Leslie S.-$20 Wm.B -$20 Michael C.-$30 HumanitieslOl-$100 The Edge-$200 Sheila B.-$20 Ben C.-$20 Brian $2 CEEDS -$50 Anonymous -$5

<CIFJI<l ([}) n ®~o /IFOO <C([})co((}) 1F 1P&Ail}) 11 COL l II iii I !. I

JIM MURRAY,.R.I.P.

Jim Murray, a long-time resident of the Downtown Eastside and a man who made it his mission to keep

~~~~ one block of the neighbprhpod clean and tidy, died Centre in his home in the Alexander St. (formerly DERA) ._....~ Housing Co~op earlier this month. Jim was in his

late 70's. · · · · _. .. _W ect~esday, March 29 ,

----~----------------He was a genial, bearded figure who bore more than

1 We lldDJ:wWae th•t CarMcle Conunanlt)' Cntre. and thb

L Newshtter, an •ur••t• the s........._ Nadoa'• territory. ----- - -~~---------a passing resemblance to Mr. Natural, the legendary ;!

counter-culture.figure. A Carnegie regular, you ~ight have noticed Jim poring over works of politics

Contributors are not pennitted to malign or attack or relegate' and philosophy in the Library. any person or group or class, including drug users and poor • For years, his job at the Co-Op was street-front

L..:;;.~;.;:.;;t,;;.o ;;.a ,;;,;;le.;.;ve;;.l ,;.;;re.;.;fe~~a='ed~t;;.o...,or~im.;.;.;:.pl.::.ying--=._'less_than __ h_um_an_· ·- maintenance. He was absolutely conscientious in

making sure all the ·litter was cleaned up and the grass trimmed. That made it a pleasure for other residents to enter the building.

Working for You

Contact Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA

1070-1641 Commercial Dr V5L JYJ Phone: 775-0790 Fax: 775-0881

Dowt1town Eastside Residents Association 12 E. Hastings St, or call682-0931

Jim was born in Bancroft, Ont. and spent his early life in the mining industry. At one time he ran the men's. shelter of Catholic Charities on ~ambie. . . ·In the early 1970's, he want back to school, enroll· ing at SFU in philosophy. Getting swept up in the politics of the day, he became the oldest member of a radical youth group called the Partisan Party, which used to give out free food in the 200-block East Hastings. We are still trying to contact Jim's next-of-kin. If

anybody knows where they are, please let Jne know through the Ne,vsletter Office. Then, a memorial service can be scheduled.

Bob Sarti

l

Bilingual Memorial Service fot• AI-cl•bisbop Oscar Romero

(English y Espaiiol) 'WitA Madre En1ilie SmltA

Saturday, March 25 at 2 IHD

St. James Anglican Church (comer of Gore and Cordova)

Those who, in the biblical phrase, would save their lives - that is, those who don't want commitments, who don't want to get into

problems, who want to stay outside whatever demands our involvement ­

they will lose their lives. What a terrible thing to have lived well off, with no suffering, not getting into problems, · quite tranquil, quite settled, with good connections - politiCally, economically,

socially - lacking nothing, having everything. To what good?

They will lose their lives. "But those who for love of me uproot

themselves and accompany the people and go with the poor in their suffering and become

incarnate and feel as their own the pain and the abuse - they will secure their lives, because

my Father will reward them."

Oscar Romero April 1, 1979

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A civilization of love That did not demand justice of people

Would not be a true civilization: Jt would not delineate genuine human relations.

It is a caricature of love to try to cover over with alms what is lacking in justice, To patch up with an appearance of

benevolence when social justice is missing. True love begins by demanding what is just in

the relations of those who love.

Oscar Romero April 12, 1979

International Women:

Indigenous women.and children, throughout the world are faced with ' atrocities daily. They are violated, annihilated, and if unlucky then exterminated. No dignity, where's the· hwnanity, the justice? Slaughtered like a .piece of meat and left to die on the street.

Like here on the home front, Their children, like our children go Missing or are murdered daily Right across our nations The trail of tears has now Become an ocean of tears.

Bottom line It is a war on women Throughout the globe This ain't no game "The stakes are high" And, man, they're higher than A kite. That is the reality. The savagery is the deadly game of life.

Stay the course Continue the fight . The plight of justice as a human right The urgency for justice in Juarez M.exico, is now. Their loss is our loss, Their fight is our fildtt.

Stephen Lytton

Oldovai Indigenous Arts Studios 930 Station Sta ee~ V4

Compaigni V'ni Dansi

Proudly presents

Gabriel's Crossing The Story of the Metis Resistance

Friday & Saturday, March 24 & 25 7pm Opening in Thornton Park (across from Main Skytrain)

8pm Performance at 930 Station Street (Olduvai Indigenous Arts Studios)

Sunday, March 26 1 pm Opening at Thornton Park

2 pm Performance at OIAS

Tickets: S 10 student/senior; $12 adults Info: &04-929-7912

editor, further to the 2nd point in jean swanson's letter re welfare rates: not only are they low, but non-existent for too many people.

too many people with mental health conditions are not being supported. too many persons with, for example severe clinical depression or "mild" to "me­dium" "paranoid schizophrenic" life patterns are on straight welfare rates even though they need special considerations for support, education, training, etc.

we all know that welfare bum land owners charge over the $3 25 shelter allowance allowed them in collusion with politicians and bureaucrats, so the citizen receiving these benefits has even less to eat, clothe and, (god forbind) entertain her/himself and then face being kicked off in a few years. to what?-­------ fill our jails and city sidewalks with more of the same 'coz there's nowhere to go and anyway nobody is home nowhere

karenza t wall

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A CHANCE CAN GIVE LIFE A FUTURE

It seems to be that a lot of buildings are going up in our community; more and more unaffordable condo's and not enough amenities coming from these condo's and other buildings. As most of you already know, the Hotels in our community are not fit to live in - due to the rooms having many problems either healthwise and/or over-run by cockroaches (?), bed bugs and other unhealthy insects in the rooms. However, the City has been t:Iying to work with the Owners (some not willing to be helpful). As well, the welfare rates only allow up to $350 for

rent and the rest is for food and necessary medical supplies that are not cover by the medical card. Yes I know many people could care less about some of the welfare recipients and believe they should be working. However, many are unemployable due to health issues. Then on top of it all, if someone is able to work and at a minimum wage, they usually start off struggling as some don't have the proper working boots, food while waiting for their frrst cheque, transportation, and other things they need. In the end they give up because they feel they keep falling to the bottom of it all and are kept being pushed to the limits. Exhaustion during the transi­tion period, and all without sustenance, most often kills their ability to carry on working. I don't know what message I am trying to send here

but I always hear on the news, read in the papers, that our people are just bums and/or less than bums. IF people could just give our folks a realistic chance to show what they could do if they had the proper equipment for work, I believe they would be amazed at the talents and how much they can give from their beings. They are real PEOPLE, wanting to be someone just like someone who gave a chance to you and/or someone in your life. When they first get a job, they are filled with pride. When they fail , they are filled with shame and disappointed with themselves. Just give a little inch and you can be proud of giv­

ing someone a "Chance'' that is all they ask for.

Margaret

International Women's Day

You are the heartbeat Of our nations, the giver Of life. Your children Our children. Go missing and/or are Murdered daily Throughout Our nation.

COMMUNITY ARTS NETWORK MEETING

We're looking for Festival Program ideas! Planning has already started for the 3 rd annual

DTES Heart of the City Festival (Wed. Oct. 25-Sun. Nov. 5, 2006, dates to be confrrmed) The third annual Heart of the City Festival is one of the items on the agenda for the up-coming CAN net­working meeting. Come share your programming ideas for this year's festival and future festivals. What would you like to see? What would you like to contribute? Tell us about exciting artists, programs, activities,

events, cultural groups and partnering o.pportunities. Your voice is needed and appreciated. And check out new videos on the first and second

Heart of the City Festivals created by DTES video artists Anne Marie Slater and Projections.

Please join us Carnegie Community Centre Theatre

Thursday March 16, 3 pm - 5 pm Refreshments

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The 2006 DTES Heart of the City Festival is pro- -=f. duced by the Carnegie Community Centre and Van­couver Moving Theatre with the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians in support of the DTES Community Arts Network.

I

News from the Library

The library has just received about 100 new literacy readers. These are thin books for people who are learning to read. We have books for all skill levels, from low beginner to advanced. Some of the books are classics (like Dickens), some

of them have been made into movies, some are sto­ries about BC, and we also have books written by First Nations learners. To find the Literacy section in the library, look for

the Literacy symbol. The Literacy section is on the west wall, near the true crime books - ask one of the library staff if you can't find it!

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We've also got a new graphic novels section, for those of you who like pictures with your words. We've got titles like Batman: The Dark Knight Re­turns and authors like Neil Gaiman, H. G. Wells & Douglas Adams. The graphic novels are in our new youth section, just in front of the librarian's door.

Beth, your librarian

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The next Downtown Eastside Poetry Night is

the first Saturday in Aprii­ApriJI• ·which happens to be

April Fools' Day 7 pm in the Carnegie Theatre

Come and enjoy the company of other fools!

My mind is withered and worn My thoughts are scattered, tom I see visions of you and it makes me blue Now that I know that we are totally through

Those long lonely nights when you held me tight I felt like I could fly, like a bird in flight The sweet caress of your tender touch I felt that I loved you! Oh so much

We shared moments and secrets I hold dear to my heart Now I have to go on to a brand new start I'll have time on my hands and no one will know You belonged to someone else and I had to go

I will find another it will only take time ' . ·This hurts the most because you were never m1ne

lfs fair to say the feeling was intense When you think about it does love really make sense!

But I never loved you you never loved me Whafs done is done so let it be The memories will fade day by day Goodbye my love now I've had my say!

Vicki G.

I've decided 2 give up waiting 4.._ "It" "It" is the illusion the obsession The Thrill of anticipation

Future tense & I mean TENSE! We taught Rselves 2 window-shop 2 save up 4 those special "It" -casions & wish with a Saturday nite hit & run heart poised on 1 foot wantin "It" all4 myself th ol' 1-2-3 Monogamy Evecy one was the trick that was gonna make "If' click The Twilite Zone of who drove me home Will slide into happily-ever-after

My friend sez she doesn't do that anymore She doesn't wanna have her "style" cramped When "It" goes home I'm lyin weepin on the floor Hey, I don't wanna have my stomach pumped I've had enuf traffic accidents I stop at yellow lites now & I gotta stop throwin myself head-frrst in the Romantic Wishing Well

-Diane Wood

CALL FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS, SINGERS/PERFORMERS

The Britannia Art Gallery now has a program of offering musicians and performers a 10-15 minute venue during the gallery's exhibition opening recep­tions. Interested performers must keep in mind that the gallery is situated in a library and that sound levels must be appropriate to the library environ­ment. The gallery is also very small so only small scale ensembles, duets or soloists are appropriate.

Please note that as well as being a public building q, our venue is a school environment. Because of this, we do not present work that is sexually explicit or is overtly violent and that public health and safety must also be considered.

The gallery offers a small honourarium for the .. 1 0-15 minute performance. Artists may drop off a profile of their performance practice, contact information and what they would like to do, addressed to Haruko Okano I Britannia Art Gallery. The information may be given to the receptionist at the Britannia Information Centre, 1661 Napier St. Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis. Interested performers are strongly advised to frrst visit the gallery located in the Britannia Library before putting in a performance submission

PACIFIC BLUEGRASS & HERITAGE MUSIC SOCIETY

PR6S6NTS

A VARIETY OF BANDS PLAYING BLUEGRASS, FOLK &

COUNTRY MUSIC

Wednesday, March 22,2006 7 - 9 pm; Carnegie Theatre

Arts in the DTES parks PUBLIC INVITATION

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEEINOURPABKSP

The Arts in tl1e DTES Parks Project has been working with tlle Downtown

East Side community to create an Arts program and events plan for our parks and open spaces. Come join us to new tlle short Hst of recommended projects and give your feedback and

· input.

Strathcona Community Centre 601 East Keefer Street

Thursday, March 16 :S-7pm

1\Rtl\R~}r'MLN'f~ WILL 'l?R 1>11.eJV11>f:D

The Children's March to Treblinka

Janusz Korczak' s father saw the horror of the twentieth century, and collapsed under the pain of his insight. "We are forever under siege," he said, "We are forever under siege."

In response, his son became a physician and educator, and fought for the rights of children. "The world' s oldest oppressed group," he said. He ran an orphanage in Warsaw where children governed themselves. His Children' s Home became famous and then the Nazis came to Poland. Korczak' s orphanage was moved to the Warsaw ghetto.

In 1942 the Nazis planned a liquidation program for the Warsaw ghetto. They called it resettlement -to somewhere in the east. But the Jews in the ghetto knew that resettlement meant Treblinka, the death camp where one million people died during the war.

The children in the orphanage, .. both boys and girls, kept diaries. Abrasha, an orphan boy who spoke like an adult, wrote in his diary that the children should have been taught to shoot guns.

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"Then we could die with dignity," he said. But there were no guns in the Warsaw ghetto in 194 2. "How does one die without weapons?" Korczak asked, and answered his own question by saying, · "We will march to the train singing, all two hundred of us. We will strike back by singing, singing as though on a journey. Abrasha will carry the flag." The flag of the Children' s Home was meadow green on one side, with chestnut blossoms. On the other side, a Star of David the colour of the sea on a white background.

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Before the Nazis came, the children put on a play by Tag ore of India. The play, called The Post Office, teaches us not to be afraid of death, and the words of the Indian sage came alive in the mouths of Jewish children in the Warsaw ghetto. Korczak chose the play, although it was forbidden for Jews to perform plays written by Aryans. Abrasha played the pat of Amal, an orphan boy who was about to die. And what will Amal ask the King whom he is yet to meet? "I shall ask him to make me one of his postmen that I may wander far and wide, delivering his message from door to door," Amal said.

The deportation of Jews .. from the Warsaw ghetto

began in July, 1942, and stopped in October

.. of that year. The children from the orphanage were taken in August, and the night before the Nazis came, Korczak noticed a German soldier standing on guard outside his window. He made a Ja~t entry in his diary

b on August 4 th , 1942: r "The soldier has a rifle.

Why is he standing and looking on calmly? " He has no orders to shoot. -And perhaps he was a village teacher in civilian life, or a lawyer, a street sweeper in Leipzig, a waiter in Cologne. What would he do if I nodded to him, or waved my hand in a friendly gesture? Perhaps he doesn't even know that things are - as they are. He may have arrived only yesterday, from far away ... "

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The Nazis came early on August 5 th . "Everyone out, hurry," they shouted, and the children came out. They lined up, five abreast, and marched to the train. Janusz Korczak led them, and . Abrasha followed, carrying the flag . . ~ The children sang hiking songs, and threw them, like missiles, into the teeth of the barbarians. At first the Nazis tried to stop the children from singing, and they hit the children with whips. But the children would not be stopped, and their eyes cried out for someone to avenge their tragedy, for someone to remember. Then the Nazis stopped hitting the children and let them sing, and the ghetto police stood at attention

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and saluted as they passed. "There's a special quality in the air today," ' : .. ,

fj ~· Abrasha whispered to Korczak, quoting a line from Tagore's play­Abrasha, the warrior, like his Sioux brothers who before a battle would say, "It is a good day to die." They reached the train and marched up the gangplank, one hundred children in one chlorinated box car, one hundred children in another. Then the cars were sealed.

In Tagore' s play

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the dying orphan boy ; speaks to a girl selling flowers . ; ;::/ "You won' t forget me?'' he asks, and she replies, · " I won' t forget you."

Sandy Cameron

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Public Housing

Recent statements made by Rich Coleman, BC Min­ister in charge of housing, give an impression of his genuine concern for social improvement in the Downtown Eastside. However, such attempts must be addressed by housing advocates, before they tum into legislative measures.

Minister Rich Coleman reportedly stated that "Major cities all across North America today are bulldozing their [housing] project." Yet, his views are in direct contradiction with those of Michael Markowitz, an American author,. who published his article in New York City News on February 17, 2003 stressing the importance of public housing. Following are excerpts from his article.

"In New York, tens of thousands of people clam­our to move in. Can these projects continue to sur­vive in an era when federal support for housing is dwindling? The notion that the problems of the poor could be eased by improving their environment has a long history in New York. The city's frrst housing project opened in 1936. The post-war era brought about a huge boom in public housing construction. Housing projects built largely with federal money and managed by a housing authority remade scores of neighbourhoods, razing slum districts and build­ing landscaped high-rise developments.

Unlike other cities across the country, New York never gave up on its public housing. Today, the city's Housing Authority enjoys a reputation as the nation's most successful public housing agency. The Housing Authority runs 345 developments contain­ing 2,702 apartment buildings that house 174,195 families or 418,810 residents, more than the entire populations of Atlanta or Miami. New York's public housing stock dwarfs that of its nearest rivals, San Juan and Chicago. In addition, the city's tight hous­ing market has made rent vouchers [rent subsi-dies] less attractive than in other cities, where there are more vacant private apartments available at a decent price.

Crimes rates have been falling faster in public housing than in the city as a whole. A Housing Au­thority Report last year said that while serious crime in the city fell5 .6 percent from 1999 to 2000, it was down 11.2 percent in New York's public housing.

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The crime rate in public housing may be linked to who lives there. Beginning in the 1980s, the Hous­ing Authority began admitting t~e. ve'?' poor and homeless a change that some cnttcs hnk to a dete­rioration ~f the buildings and increase in crime. New York had previously favoured wor~n~ fa~ilies.

In the '90s, the Housing Authonty mstttuted what it calls the Working Families Preference, under which it set aside half its vacancies for low-income but employed residents. Federallegislati~n. i~ 1 ?98 that gave housing authorities greater flextbt~t~ m setting admissions standards bolstered th~ ctty s po­sition. The Working Families Preference ts credtted with boosting the number of working families to close to 35 percent of all housing authority tenants:

New roles for the Housing Authority are a possi­bility. Bloomberg discussed having the H~using Au­thority work with the Department o~ Housmg Pres­ervation to develop affordable housmg on the large tracts of relatively inexpensive vacant land that the NYCHA owns. Despite the national trend away from government-run projects, New York is ~ikely to continue to rely on public housing and Washington will continue to support it in some form experts say. ' I don't think W asliington is go-ing to completely walk away from public housing' - Bach [senior housing policy analyst] -says - ' that would be politically difficult to accomplish.' ''

Submitted by Richard Tylman

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Carnegie Community Action Project Newsletter

This issue written by Jean Swanson Marc h l 5, 2006

What does the province plan for social housing?

Since January, the Carnegie Community Action Project has been trying to figure out what the provincial government is going to do about social housing. We read an article in the Time's Colonist that wasn't very positive. Rich Coleman, the Minister, said social housing in the Downtown Eastside was a "failed social experiment" because people weren't "integrated." Since then we've been waiting for him to announce a new "strategy" about rent supplements. This hasn't been announced yet as far as we can tell.

But, there is a new Service Plan for BC Housing. And there are quite a few disturbing things in that plan.

First of all, for years governments have said that people should not have to pay more than 30 per cent of their income on rent. And people in BC Housing are limited to paying 30 per cent unless they are on welfare and pay the shelter portion. But nowhere in the Service Plan did the figure of30 per cent come

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up. Instead the plan used 50 per cent. It didn't say that housing would only be available for people who paid over 50 per cent of their income for rent. It just used the 50 per cent figure to define who was in need of affordable housing.

Second, there is obviously a new plan to "house the most vulnerable" who are defined as "frail seniors, people at risk of homelessness, people with mental illnesses and physical disability, those with drug and alcohol addictions, Aboriginals, youth and families, including women with children fleeing abusive relationships." This sounds

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What's happening with social housing?

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good. These people desperately need and deserve decent housing. But so do other people who simply do not make enough money to rent a place to live. The new plan is pitting one group of poor people against another group when it' s not necessary. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the government will have a surplus of over $2 billion this year. They could afford to build housing for everyone in need. Instead, another of their goals is to "reduce costs."

BC Housing will now call its residents "clients" instead of 11tenants. "

It appears that this policy of putting only "vulnerable" people in social housing applies to units run by BC Housing. We don't know if it applies to units in buildings run by non profit groups or co-ops.

Third, the Provincial Housing Program, which has built 8000 units of new social housing, is ending.

Fourth, there is a new goal of "adapting existing units to higher priority needs."

Fifth, about 19,000 people, mostly seniors, will get rent assistance in the

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private market. This might mean that the SAFER program for seniors will be expanded. But there is no· mention of rent supplements for the low income group that will no longer be able to get into BC Housing because units are being used for "vulnerable" people.

Sixth, money spent on rent subsidies will increase by $8-9 million, while money spent on public housing goes down by about the same amount.

Seventh, people who live in BC Housing will now be called "clients" instead of "tenants."

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Downtown Eastside residents say "no" to the Whitecaps stadium over the tracks

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"I'm willing to put myself in front of a bulldozer to stop this building.'' That's what Margaret Prevost told people at Carnegie's March 9th public meeting on the Whitecaps stadium proposal,.

The Whitecaps soccer organization . wants to build a 15,000 to 30,000 seat stadium over the railroad tracks between the ends of Richards and Cambie Streets next to the Downtown Eastside.

CCAP co-ordinator Jean Swanson said the group didn't want the stadium next to the Downtown Eastside because of concerns about traffic, views, noise, and respect for low income residents. But the biggest concern is what will happen to the rest of the land owned by the Whitecaps next to the stadium site. "Will that be developed into high rises

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that block the Downtown Eastside from the water?" she asked.

Suzanna said she had lived for 11 years on Carrall St. and didn' t want more traffic and noise. "Our priorities are different than business people from

. outside the area. We want better low cost housing, safe places for seniors. We are having difficulty paying rents, getting groceries, paying for medicine."

Bruce Clarkson said he was "proud to live in the Downtown Eastside." He is concerned about traffic, and trying to get people in the area signed up on a poll to say "no" to the stadium.

Don Larsen, who fought tirelessly for CRAB Park years ago, is concerned that the stadium and more development on

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How can the land meet community needs? (Continued from previous page) land adjacent to the park will drive low income residents from the park. He said we need an overall plan for the waterfront.

Wendy Pedersen said she wants her kids to play soccer. But she doesn't want more traffic and more people on the streets before and after the games. She urged people to write to council members in the fight to stop the stadium.

A lone stadium supporter named Don said the stadium was "almost like a philanthropic donation to the city." He said the Downtown Eastside has been "a party town for ever."

Caryn Duncan asked, "How can we develop the whole piece of land to meet the needs of the community,"

Gena Thompson noted that many people had lived in the community for decades. "The last thing this neighbourhood needs is a tide of drunken sports fans looking for excitement when the game is over. This is a dumping ground, not only for social ills, but for contempt," she said.

"The waterfront is a breathing place," Patrick Foley observed. The city should be asking, "Do we need a stadium and if so where is the best place to put it?"

Andrew Y an of the Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) noted that the stadium wouldn't be

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providing much in economic benefits, since it proposed to create only 16 jobs.

CCAP will give notes from the meeting to city planners. The Planning Department plans to report on the stadium proposal to city council in May.

Meanwhile, CCAP has a petition to stop the stadium. Drop by the CCAP office on the second floor of Carnegie to sign it or to take some to get signed.

Get ready for the Carole Taylor Shoe-In

Mark this date and time on your calendar: March 28th, 11 am. That's when CCAP will be holding the Carole Taylor Shoe-In. You're invited!

When Finance Minister Carole Taylor introduced the provincial budget last month, she wore new $600 Gucci shoes. Six hundred dollars is $90 more than a single person on welfare gets in a month. There was no increase in basic welfare rates in the budget, even though there's a $2 billion surplus.

Wear your fanciest shoes or your ordinary shoes and we' ll have stuff for r~u to decorate them with at the Shoe.~ ,~

Help stand up for higher welfare rates, have fun and win a prize.

$600 could have bought ••• *A wheelchair for my dear wife so I could push her

when she' s in too much pain to walk (a retiree) *Milk for my kids for a year (mother of four) *Almost 300 bus tickets for my job search rides

(young immigrants) *600 bowls o' soup at Carnegie (hungry young man) *Enough noodles to last for 5 years (Chinese G-mthr) *Tune-up for old beater that gets us to work each

day (Mr +Mrs working poor) *Laser surge.ty for cataracts in both eyes (senior) *Steel-toed boots and a hard hat so I could get a

construction job (young man) * 150 jars of jam to go with my peanut butter sand­

wiches (school girl) *I could get my prescriptions filled (senior citizen) *600 presents from the Dollar Store so I'd always

have _gifts for my family (a 'training' wage earner) *Bannock to feed all the hungry tummies and blan·

. kets for the winter (an elder) *Decent clothes for my children to wear to school so no one laughs at them (single mom) *Dinner for 300 people at Union Gospel Mission at

Easter (homeless person) · *Brushes and paint (a starving artist) *600 boxes of Kraft Dinner (a young mom) *Comfortable shoes for the next 10 years for our

poor, tired feet (taxpaying public)

Instead our $600 became some ugly shoes aban­doned in a rich woman's closet.

Submitted by M. Kelly

Poverty in the Promised Land In the Fifties we scrounged the dump

for heavy glass -Pop bottles-coca cola, orange crush, 7UP Patsy Murphy & I traded them for

penny candy: Black Babies, Honeymoons, Coconut, Buds,

-titiy cones full of honey+ brown sugar­delicious to us.

Also the blackberries by the train track

Near the dump, the abattoir & Africaville; but the biggest, juiciest grew near the

Graveyard ... We sold them for 50c a quart (remember quarts) Now I cruise the lanes for good garbage

cans+ bottles for recycling to buy bread & milk, maybe a little

meat Oh Canada, our home +the Native's land Glorious and free! Freedom is a thin gruel Human rights cold comfort in the mean

streets.

Wilhelmina

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The Shadows Project Folks on Galiano Island are taking notice of what' s

going on in the Downtown Eastside. A group of DTES involved writers have been invited to participate in a writers ' retreat on Galiano Island: Sheila Baxter, Wendy Chew, Paul Decarie, Melissa Eror, Mary Duffy, Rosemary Georgeson, Patrick Foley, Leith Harris, Stephen Lytton, Muriel Marjorie and Savannah Wailing.

The invitation came from Galiano Island's Fathom Labs Proiect - a developmental laboratory for cultur-

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ally diverse and Aboriginal work. Over the week, the writers will be guided by Dramaturge Marie Clements as they move ahead to complete the script for phase two of The Shadows Project. Next October the script will be read during the

Fathom Labs New Works Festival on Galiano. "There' s more wisdom in this play than in 150 years of research." Professor Emeritus Bruce Alexander, Author of " Roots of Addiction in a Free Market Society''

The Shadows Project is being produced by Van­couver Moving Theatre in cooperation with the Car­negie Community Centre and the Downtown East­side community. Over the two year project, an origi­nal shadow theatre play is being created for the whole family to shed light on issues surrounding addiction and recovery. The play is planned to pre­miere in winter 2007.

Community "Dickson Model" Grant Application

The Downtown Eastside community requires a model of intervention, prevention, outreach and role modelling that will be gone with the community' s loss of Dave Dickson. ..

The Community proposes an application to private funding sources that would allow us to develop, hire and implement a community model based on the service career of Dave Dickson, as a police consta­ble, community liaison and outreach worker. This model will be the ftrst of its kind in Canada, based on the proven success of the past 25 years of work done by Mr. Dickson. The components for this model will fit in to the Network Centre Hub (being developed by Neighbourhood Safety Office), and will be coordinated by the NSO. We propose that the main contract be held by a First Nations service agency, preferably with an Aboriginal Urban Youth mandate. The contracted Network staff member would be shared by all the DTES agencies formerly served by Dave Dickson with focus on high-risk youth, survival sex trade workers, and the urban First Nations community. This model is not meant to replace or usurp the

Neighbourhood Police Officer who has been as­signed to be VPD liaison to the DTES (currently Cst. Dave Hancock), but rather tighten up the private citizenry and community aspect of safety, working in tandem with the VPD Neighbourhood Police Of­ficer and the Inspectors of Zone 2, as well as service agencies and workers in the DTES.

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locked in a cage made out of muscle and bone in a city full of millions of people feeling so alone and I don't understand very much at all when the rape of the Mother is just another tree to fall it's all loot, booty, pillage and plunder heap it up as high as you can the spirit of life is torn asunder by the scorn in the soul of a man

there's food to feed the masses being buried at the dump but you can't afford to criticize when you want to be Mr. Trump staving off an oil embargo by cruising in an SUV pull along side the pick-up window and you're woofin down a BLT it's all loot, booty, pillage and plunder

the spirit of life is torn asunder by the scorn in the soul of a man running amok so disconnected clutching on to whatever you can whatever it is the system is selling whatever all the neighbours got just plug your nose to stop the smelling if your flesh has begun to rot it's all loot, booty, pillage and plunder

(it's important to contribute and to cany your weight so the flow of the market can determine your fate anyone can make it if they even only try to buy very low amd sell very high)

Katphysh Berddawg

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Editor, I am a poverty advocate of many years and a nurse.

'The Downtown Eastside is a challenge' we hear from governments at all levels, but do they care? No. Governments pay themselves thousands in salaries, pay no taxes, and have no insight into the DE at all. I'd like to challenge all levels of gov't to spend one month in the DE and ~be given just $510 of which the landlord will take $500 and leave $10 for you; if you have no place to live you get $75 for? shelter.

Live on that - no. Get pneumonia, arthritis, all forms of disease and infections - yes. People who can help, like all the rich and powerful, drive ~n by in their limos. Witness Chief Jamie Graham's tdea: "Send down cops on horses." (to shit on the streets and trample non-compliant street people).

We see people as human beings - the others see us as animals. Sam Sullivan looks down his nose on the DE and he should know better, having spent his first months of recovery in G.F.Strong with locals like Sam Snobelen and Margaret Prevost. Let him sit in a shit-, rat-infested place with no doors, no toilets or showers urine-smelling mattress with bedbugs - he ' . wouldn't stay or last 5 minutes BUT all levels of government demand people of the DE do it.

Welfare rates are so disgusting that case workers lose their tempers with clients in their frustration at not being able to do anything

We must stand up and fight. Massive anti-poverty marches in all areas, overwhelming Claude Ric mond with letters, all to let them know we'll win.

Gael E.R.Marriotte

Dear Friend Sandy Cameron I heard that you were not feeling well. You have always been my hero. A man who inspired me to write. A man who is true to his woman and his beliefs. A man who so many love and respect An author who gives his works freely Please get well in spirit and in body.

hugs Sheila

Wednesday March 8, 2006 Today is a very winter-like day, but not a Vancou­

ver-like winter; it's something that might happen on the prairies. I mean it actually snowed in downtown Vancouver and it's almost springtime.

I h~d every excuse to stay home instead of going out mto the cold end-of-day to listen to some doctor who I had never heard of, a Dr. Teny Tafoya. It's a long ride to the University ofBC -it's usually cold and windy out there in the evening. I had every right to stay home. So why didn't I? I thought that I'd check him out before I took the long ride to see this guy so I Googled Teny Tafoya and I got a Bio from his website http://www.tamanawit.com. He seemed like some kind of stuffed shirt, doing all the right things for all the right reasons. It was a different impression on frrst sight. Dr Terry

Tafoya relaxed, quiet, and confident and he seemed to be right at home up in front of the audience. Who would believe that he grew up as a shy Native American boy (or is it shy American native boy)? Someone in the audience asked how he had became such an extraordinary speaker and he said that his mom used to run a daycare sorta place and sometime when he would walk in, his mom would say "You're in charge!" and walk out and leave him with 15 3-year olds. The only way he could look after them was to tell them stories. Stories like how the Deer were created from the deer people (either the stick v.ersion or the clam version both are very good sto­nes.) Another good story was how the rabbits were

created. ~s man is a prime storyteller of the great­est magrutude. He uses a slide projector and a hand drum with. a Native design on it. He speaks softly and sometimes very loudly depending on what part of the story he's in. I mean his telling of stories is fantastic. He keeps you entertained and his tales are legendary. He makes you feel as if the story actually took place and who's to say it didn't?

I am going to paraphrase one story because I just want you to get an idea of this man and his stories.

'Once upon a time there was an evil woman who lived in the woods. She loved to drink the blood of little boys and girls. So she would hunt them down and capture them by frrst putting tree sap in their eyes so they couldn't see anything. Then she would take them home and eat them. People would tell their children not to play in or near the woods be­cause of the evil woman.

One little warrior didn't listen to his parents and he went and played by the woods. When the old woman neared him he told her that he knew about her and was ready for anything. She bent over to whisper in his ear and as she bent over she brought her other hand out from behind her back and threw sap in the little boy's eyes. Of course he couldn't see so she grabbed him and threw him in the basket on her back. She had a very good day ~d caught 10 kids.

She was so happy when she got home that she started a big fire and danced around it with anticipa­tion and glee. The little warrior bent over to warm himself and as he did this, the sap began to melt and he could start to see again. The old woman didn't notice the now free little boy as he went from one child to another and whispered to each of them how to get free. When the old hag fmished dancing she was so tired she sat on the floor. All the kids got together and set her on ftre. But she didn't bum regularly; she burned more like a sparkler with little stars shooting out from the body. These little stars transformed into mosquitoes and that is why to this day mosquitoes suck your blood.'

Here are some thoughts that I heard through the hour and a half in which he spoke. In another story he relates how a person says, "I have read so much about the evils of drugs, alcohol and sex that I've decided to give up reading." Children - protected - parents told stories that

started "Once upon a time", "In a land far, far away" · and other ways so a child or children felt safe in their home from the creatures in the story. Non­protected - games, computers and dvds make it hard to distinguish news reality from fantasy. Children fear that their reality is the same as the fantasies they · play in and as a result they have little respect for the reality or the people around themselves. It's not just about reality its how you are taught to interpret it. When things are out of balance, they need to be bal-anced not destroyed. · Some thoughts of his on Oral History. Your history is never older than your grandpa or grandma. You are only one generation away from extinction. When it was over it sure didn't seem like it lasted very long. I hope that he doesn't mind that I told

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about some of his stories or that I really wrecked one • of them. If you ever get a chance to see and hear this

man in person let me know about it cause I want to see and hear him again.

hal

Shooting heat, dark alleyways Screaming winds mix raging rain Forgetting sense of common ground Safety First comes into play Y eh, should you blow or show you stay Who' in your loop, my misguided one? A shady angel who hardly feels the sun Contempt for fear as you stand your ground Oh how you dance when whirled around Where will you be next week, next year, Laughing at shrouds or in a pool of tears? You can't slow down 'cause time runs on Rushing, crushing, jagged noise abounds Clipped, faceless, soulless ghosts surround A witch wails, off in a distant space Hugging yourself, pounding heart, drawn face With tattooed robes you push, you pull You don't know who you are. What's your role?

A long road back full of twists and turns With potted holes of frre that spit and churn Yet you're losing- this treadmill never slows Dodging exposed graves, would flowers grow Metered steps, your staggered aching stalks Through mire & moor; you shriek in whispered talk Dead tired, regurgitated, meaningless pleas -Spare me your grief- it's as you please. Bite down on capsules, 3D coloured dreams That shall peel your mind into rags and reams. W riling history, piling daily dark upon dark Your present bleak, out of focus; your future stark Where is your love, my special extreme friend? Though I will be here for you, and by your side As you continue down your lonely, treacherous slide To a brief, bittersweet, saddened, besotted end It's ne'er too late to cease this useless stress & strife Always remember, I'd like to be the lucky so-&-so The one to save your precious, priceless life.

Robyn Livingstone

Tools for Art Criticism with Clint Burnham

Friday March 17, 12 - 2 PM Carnegie Community Centre

Classroom II, 3rd floor * Clint Burnham teaches at Emily Carr Institute and is a freelance art critic for the Vancouver Sun. His novel 'Smoke Show' was published last year by Arsenal Pulp Press. • This is a workshop on writing visual art criticism for artists and residents in the DTES • Improve your understanding and analysis of art, and improve your ability to write objectively • Improve your writing technique and style so you can get published • A follow-up DTES Gallery Hop will take place Aprill, 12-2pm with visits to local galleries. Participants in this workshop are expected to write and share results with other participants for feedback. • A separate workshop on how to write theatre reviews will follow later.

Pre-register for this workshop email: dtescai@~tescai.com

ph: 778-855-4099 Produced in association with Gallery Gachet and

Carnegie Community Centre

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Crt!a tivt!-K esistance

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. . . ending drug prohibition for good

Mission Creative-Resistance is a social justice movement committed to ending the War on Drugs by 1) expos­ing the violence and corruption the Drug War gener­ates, 2) educating the public regarding the devastat­ing personal and social consequences of drug prohi­bition, and 3) advocating alternative ways of mana ing the reality of drugs in society.

Creative-Resistance has, as its ultimate objective, ending the War on Drugs and thereby reducing the destructive fallout of a drug policy formulated as war. Prohibition, with its manifold mechanisms of enforcement, has proven to be a colossal failure, succeeding only in multiplying incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction. Alternative drug poli­cies need to be imagined, discussed and imple­mented, for the sake of fostering a more just and compassionate society.

In order to accomplish this objective, Creative­Resistance will undertake to raise the awareness of the harms of prohibition through a number of means: maintaining a website, hosting educational events, forums and conferences, taking the word to the street, lobbying government, etc. This is primarily an educational strategy that seeks to counter the massive propaganda of the War on Drugs. In addi­tion, Creative-Resistance will form and maintain alliances with other groups advocating drug policy reform.

Website: www.creative-resistance.org Contact: Bud Osborn or Dave Diewert

604.253.1782 Email: ddiewertt@shaw.ca

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Crt!atfvt!-K t!sistanct!

Principles of Post-Prohibition Drug Control

1. We affirm the irreducible dignity and worth of each person and uphold every person's right and ac­cess to life, health, security, equality before and un-

. der the law, and unique self expression within the matrix of social practices anti community life. We recognize that the individual and the social, the per­sonal and the political, are inextricably woven to­gether, and that moving toward "the common good" requires respect and care for one another within a field of diverse, complex individuals-in-society . While we affrrm personal autonomy, seek to pro­mote individual, family and community well-being, and limit personal and collective harm, we recognize the intricate and continuously negotiated interplay entailed in simultaneously maintaining these values.

2. We declare that the prohibition of controlled sub­stances, embodied in the Controlled Drugs and Sub­stances Act, has utterly failed in achieving its objec­tives, and that it has proved "counterproductive in its side-effects, wasteful of public resources, destructive in its cultivation of criminality and commercial abuse, and inhumane in its operation" (/he Angel Document [2004]). Instead of reducing the supply of drugs, drug prohibition has produced a black market that makes drugs widely available and spawns si nificant health and social pathologies.

3. ''Not all drug use is abuse." We recognize the use of a variety of plants within diverse cultures which for centuries has been part of normalized social pat­terns and rituals. We acknowledge the positive per­sonal and social dimensions of some drug use. Specifically: .Physical: Pain relief, aid to sleep, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, increased endur­ance Psychological: Relaxation, relief of stress, de­creased anxiety, increased alertness, enhanced crea­tive expression, mood alteration, pleasure Social/spiritual: Facilitation of social interaction, social cohesion, religious/spiritual or ceremonial use Economic: Job creation, agricultural development, tax revenue generation

... 4. We uphold the maxim "If you can plant it, you can use it." This not only entails recognition of the potential benefits of natural products, it allows for personal cultivation and use of plants and herbs.

5. We affirm the importance of accurate, evidence­based information and genuine education regarding· both the harms and the benefits of drug use. Such education should address a variety of issues - chemi­cal makeup of the drug, physical and/or psychologi­cal effects, positive and negative social dimensions of drug use, instruction on safe and proper use, etc.

6. We recognize that a new post-prohibition para­digm will need to include both public health and human rights aspects. The public health perspective is needed to maintain the focus of reduction of health and social harms to individuals, families and communities. The human rights aspect is needed to ensure that the rights of individuals and groups who choose to use substances are respected.

7. We affirm that drugs should be available in a va­riety of concentrations and preparations so that indi­viduals can have choice. This honours the dignity, autonomy and wisdom of each individual and recog­nizes the diversity of various cultural and social practices.

8. We endorse the provision of beneficial resources, treatment and support for those caught in harmful patterns of drug use.

9. We call for the cessation of civil and legal sanc­tions as a means for controlling drug use and drug users. Punishment must not be employed as a tool for social control. Drug availability and use should be carried out in a way that does not marginalize or stigmatize those who use such substances.

10. We strongly affirm Canadian sovereignty in the formation and implementation of its own national drug policy and support Canada's role internationally as a significant player towards ending prohibition.

11. We believe that the sale of drugs should not gen­erate any corporate profits. Our society has learned from the experience with alcohol and tobacco that when the legal for-profit model is used to distribute substances, the corporations involved are very_diff cult to control.

12. We believe that all tax revenue that is generated from the sale of substances should be returned to drug treatment and prevention programs.

13. We recognize that the current model of prohibi­tion has provided and/or supplemented incomes for individuals and families who grow, import, whole­sale and retail currently illegal drugs. As with the end of alcohol prohibitio~ there needs to be a proc­ess by which these criminalized individuals and groups can participate in the new legal distribution process and thereby facilitate their integration into non-criminalized activities and employment.

14. We believe that the least intrusive method of controlling substances should be used and therefore medical control of substances should be kept to an absolute minimum. This control option should only be used when there is clear evidence that other co trolling mechanisms have failed.

15. We believe that regulation will playa role in the post-prohibition paradigm. However, these regula­tory bodies must honour the cultural and social pra rises of individuals, groups, and nations.

16. All individuals who have a criminal record from possession or dealing of drugs will be automatically pardoned. All individuals who are currently incar­cerated for possession or dealing drugs will be im­mediately released.

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A friend of mine told me last week to surround myself with good people. This week I'm surrounded by people with good

educations and steady jobs: a Sheriff, a Judge, a Prison Guard, a lawyer and a psychiatrist.

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Ben C.

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To whoever cares, Fourteen years ago I was very happy to move into

seniors housing at Sunset Towers in the West End. I felt at last I had security of tenure, a place I could live in until I die, and rent I could afford on my disability pension. I had supportive senior friends in the building, got to know my community, joined a church, become active in the Seniors Network, made sandwiches for the homeless, etc. I love my commu­nity. The bus stop is on the comer and I can get to Carnegie Community Centre where I have many friends and I volunteer.

Over the years things have changed but I'm com­fortable with the changes. More people with mental illnesses physical illnesses, and the working poor, etc. hav~ come to live here. We share our park with King George High School. There's a balance that is liveable.

Now there's been a change and I'm scared. I have been told that the seniors who live here can stay un­til they die or move. But the government has a plan that all new tenants (whom it is now calling clients) have to be people who are "hard to house." "Hard to house" means people who can't function in most housing. These people do desperately need secure housing, but so do the seniors on the waiting list for this building. This is pitting one group who needs housing against another group. If the government plan happens, our building will become a ghetto and isolated from the community." I no longer feel I have security of tenure. I'm anxious about the future, if there is one.

Everyone needs a home, but why take ours away when there is a surplus of at least $2 billion in the provincial budget? Why doesn't the government build decent housing for everyone who needs it?

It will be difficult for the seniors who are left when their neighbours die. How many more social housing buildings is this happening to?

According to an article in the Times Colonist, the Minister in charge of Housing, Rich Coleman, says the day for low rent government-owned housing has passed.

Why does the government do this to seniors? How many die because of government's negligent deci­sions?

Sincerely, Sheila Baxter

Bob Dylan on Songwriting (excerpted from an interview with Paul Zolo) Sub­mitted by Sam Snobelen

"The world don't need any more songs ... They've got enough. They've got way too many. As a ma~r of fact if nobody wrote any more songs from this day on the world ain't gonna sUffer for it. Nobody cares. There's enough songs for people to listen to if they want to listen to songs. For every man, woman and child on earth, they could be sent, probably, each of them a hundred records and never be repeated. ' . . There's enough songs ... But as far as songwntmg, any idiot could do it. If you see me do it, any idiot could do it."

Food Carried Away

What next? Well, stealing treacle (molasses); smoking and burning a warehouse down! .

Found not guilty or not proven, as the law states m Old Scotia - but now and forever under the watchful eye of the local police: Any broken windows ( 17 in one day, as we could see our foster parents through any of 'em); ripe apple trees raided; my brother and I were the automatic suspects. He, being older but physically weaker and mentall}'

more thoughtful, decided to run away from Foster Care, and made extenuous plans. The procurement of funds - ah ha - we carried the bags &·suitcases of returning tourists from the boat to the train. They were from Glasgow and were kind, paying us well. Around this time we met our Dad. My frrst remem­

brance of him was a humpback, emaciated, coughing endlessly. Later I learned about his working in coal mines, with conditions alternating between extreme dust and excessive water. (He never made it to 50.) Next came the aspect of acquiring equipment for

the expediation of running away from Foster Care (Boarded Out is the Scot's term). The equipment

decided upon included tea & sugar, a wheelbarrow and all we could move, and a tent we made of potato sacks which we sewed together. That idea came from potato sacks lying around a potato farm where we used to roast potatoes on a Sunday before we had to attend a compulsory dinner of Scots broth, bullet­hare peas & barley. Sunday, being a religious day, never can I remember having a regular meal; it was mostly jam & margarine. One memory is that of peeing in our shoes and throwing it out into the sky on hot summer nites. Once the equipment was acquired, the objective

was Glasgow to see Pop. We didn't call him Dad. Unfortunately we only reached Robbie Burns Town, at least 50 miles out. My brother was crying, wish­ing we hadn't done it, but for me it was exciting. Reaching a field the tent was pitched .. however it poured of rain for 3 days. What to do? Beat a retreat, return to the start and

face the consequences of course. There would be physical payment (wonder of wonders). The foster · parent Mac would pretend to lash us with his belt

, but lashing our bed to impress the woman down­stairs that he was doing it to us. Facing the consequences - deported to a holding

i centre filled to overflowing with apprentice juvenile ·delinquents, and finally forwarded to a farm in the northeast. Lo 'n behold something to eat! Scotia's Strength - Backbone Porridge without sugarf Wow! I can taste it now. But good times come to an end- the outcome be­

ing we didn't eat with the Farmer; always after. To this day I feel like a 2nd -class citizen with no place in society except at a comfort level usually found

; among ne'r-do-wells or Gentlemen of the Road. The current name is Homeless (gentle )men. This feeling gets reinvigorated by such events as

stopping in at the Hudson's Bay store here in search of a pair of longjohns. I'd been to Army & Navy but everything was too big. Anyway, I called my daugh­ter after the Bay fiasco and told her they had had to call an ambulance: I'd had a heart attack after find­ing the right department and seeing shirts for $95. I said thcid found me with my arms raised shouting "Army & Navy' so they'd tried to take me there first. .. She fi nally figured out I was pulling her leg, and said $95 for a shirt is "nothing"! To who?

James MacLean

Last year my brother was made a member of the Order of Canada. This year I was ordered out of the Canada. I am a

fifth-generation Canadian and I can't go to the States because I was deported from there. I went down to see about getting legal aid. They

said they'd appoint me a lawyer. Two days later they phoned and said Art Eggleson was my lawyer. He was unemployed. I called him and he said I had a better chance as a group so he'd call me in about a week. Ten days later he phoned and said he had a group of ten to represent. I was so happy! I asked who they were and he said, "Five Mexicans and four Puerto Ricans, all illegal aliens." Americanadians =friends? I guess he figured (in his addled mind) that since I couldn't be in either country, he'd try to slip me into Mexico or Puerto Rico

Ben Crissy

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The na tts Impacts Recognising Power usually entails labeling

those having power over; the power 'to', of an indi­vidual, is primarily an exercise in ideation, even relatively subconscious affirmation along the lines of "I can"-or "I am . "

Having Power over assumes an acceptance of another entity's ability to effect change whether ~ose upon whom it is exercised agree or not, but a proportional component of this ability is the affecta­tion of many psychological and esoteric characteris­tics by the entity/individual(s) either in the seat or assuming acceptance of themselves in the capacity of speaking and/or acting for same. Myriad exam­ples in mundane life include Phone companies, Ca­ble TV, utility suppliers, banks and other financial institutions, virtually all aspects of the justice system from the law itself to the police to lawyers to court and most directly into prisons, and not least in cor­porate hierarchies in business and their corollaries (subsets?) in most governments.

It is too simple to parrot, even subtly, all the various ideas or examinations or theories about the upward and downward flows of power and the dy­namics involved, to name or identify the corporate CEO and equivalents and say "S/he has power oYer

. the VPs, they have power over the managers, each has power over . . . and so on, and then get into the deep (cough) vernacular of"what Power IS:"

Power being explored here and in Huml 01 seems to be the intangible variety- it's hard not to equate the word with destructive force, given that weapons, natural calamities etc. are very often given descriptive rankings according to how much damage or mayhem each can wreak. Try comparing a tsu­nami with a tactical nuke.

The impacts of the affectation of power are the most frustrating, given that such are layered on or assumed seemingly in direct proportion to the amount of control the purveyor is under the illusion of wielding. i.e. petty power-trips, supervisory bully­ing, trainer over trainee, and so on. Lack of account­ability increases, perhaps, as arrogance, delusions about the effect of personal presence and vicious stupidity are displayed &/or employed to buttress one's perceived foundations, or just increase on a quid pro quo basis. . 1

The impacts of all this can be and often are ' received by holistic beings as something on the or- .; der of a 2na -grader swaggering before and lording it ; over 1st -graders - puerile at best and, depending on i the fuse of the recipient, in need of an immediate 'slap-up-the-side-of-the-head' to bring things back into clear focus. When the Power being exercised is on the order of Life and Death, the perceptions of and reactions to same are no longer in the realm of schoolyard strategies and emotional maturity; it be­comes a matter of survival.

The area between these two is not black & white; not from the sphere of 6 & 7 -year-olds over a fine line to death-making, but a great expanse of perception wherein I keep as much peace within myself as the situation will apparently allow. On the deep end the words of Kierkegaard, found in some­thing dated 1846, are apropos:

"Never initiate force against anyone. This should be the underlying principle of your life. But, if someone does violence [uses arrogant power] to you, you should retaliate without hesitation, without . reservation, without quarter until you are sure that he will never wish to harm, or be capable of harming, . .,, you or yours agam.

Respectfully submitted, PaulR Taylor, HumlOl.

. Stoqw' eylem Traditional Pow Wow

March 24~ 25~ •nd 28~ 2008 Connaught Heights Elementary School

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2201 London Street, New West.

Grand Entry Friday 7:00pm Saturday 1:00pm and 7:00pm Sunday 1:00pm Golden Age Jingle Special, Native Craft Tables, Native Food

Everyone is Welcome - Entry Donation Alcohol & Draa

Master of Ceremony· .Ja e Peters Host Drum· Chosen Each Session

pktuecon~Rd: Vendors -Mike Rubin 1-877-773-1722 (tables $100.00 for 3 days +donation) General - Dawn Marks 118 89 3-7704

The world does not say, Blessed are the poor. The world says, Blessed are the rich. You are worth as much as you have.

But Christ says, Wrong. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because they do not put their trust

in what is so transitory.

Oscar Romero Jan. 29, 1978

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Master of Ceremonies: E_arl jesse Crowe . . '

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