Pubdate: Sat, 16 Nov 2002
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: John Mackie, Vancouver Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)

'IT'S LIKE MARTIN SHEEN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT'

Vancouver's mayoralty race made Friday's New York Times because of city's 
drug problem.

The story focuses on the Downtown Eastside and this year's big campaign 
issue, safe injection sites.

The story opens with a classic Downtown Eastside vignette: Coalition of 
Progressive Electors candidate Larry Campbell walking on Hastings Street 
and being offered pot by a drug dealer.

Campbell shakes the dealer off, and tells the Times writer "On this street, 
you get anything you want. Weed is the least offense."

The story goes on to detail the severity of Vancouver's drug problem, and 
the different approaches taken by Campbell and the Non-Partisan 
Association's Jennifer Clarke.

It alludes to the popularity of the CBC show Da Vinci's Inquest, which was 
partly modeled on Campbell's career as chief coroner of British Columbia.

Clarke expresses frustration at the power of television images. She 
compared it to running against a fictional character from the American TV 
series West Wing.

"It's like Martin Sheen running for president, and voters assuming that 
Martin Sheen would respond as president the way the television character 
does," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager