Pubdate: Wed, 14 Feb 2007
Source: Oshawa This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 Oshawa This Week
Contact:  http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/info/oshawa/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1767
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n142/a05.html?315411
Author: Barbara Guscott

BAR OWNER HAS DONE HIS BIT

To the editor:

Re: Music to fight crime by, Feb. 9.

I was absolutely flabbergasted by this article.

Let me get this straight. The owner of this establishment, the Corner 
Pocket, has done the right thing by barring drug users and pushers, 
yet he is expected to pay $15,000 to have an outdoor camera 
installed? Hello! Isn't there such a thing as a police force? Isn't 
this one of the things they're supposed to do?

One of the things I found most ironic was that five pages before this 
article was another story aimed at attracting tourists to Durham 
Region. Corner Pocket owner Joseph Saraco has hit the nail on the head.

Who would want to be anywhere near downtown Oshawa when what you find 
there are methadone clinics, soup kitchens and beggars? No amount of 
funding spent on advertising tourism could change those facts.

Instead of Councillor Louise Parkes being so smug with her responses, 
perhaps she should concentrate on changing the face of the downtown 
area and helping out tax-paying, law-abiding small business owners 
instead of brushing them off.

It was obvious to me Mr. Saraco has already shown a "zero tolerance 
for drugs and drug activity." Seems to me the only violins playing 
here should be for the political sob stories.

Barbara Guscott

Courtice
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MAP posted-by: Elaine